Day 5

Today was a lazy day for the kids..They pretty much played electronics all day... But here is a quick picture.... Taken at almost 10pm, when they should be in bed!! Besides having Type 1, they are pretty normal kids! Madi has  this scarf on because she thinks its beautiful!

 

 Today I went shopping for groceries since Friday was pay day.... One thing about shopping is that i have to look for "free" things the kids can eat.. Free means they can eat it without getting a shot... Pretty much they can have anything under 10 carbs, or something with no carbs, which would be protien..Cheese sticks, beef jerky, or a small amount of fruit, vegis are great too.

I can only imaging how boring this can be for them... when there are a limited amount of items they can have for "free"..Craig is at the point where he doesnt care, if he wants an extra snack like a brownie, small bag of chips, cheese quesidilla, or whatever, he will just get an extra shot for it.. But Madi, if its not free, and she has to get a shot for it, she doesnt want it..and she will just have a cheese stick... She isnt too fond of her insulin shots..

Here are a few question and answers about Type 1..please read them.. I found them online, and they really help you understand what Type 1 is in simple terms...

If you have type 1 diabetes, your pancreas cannot make any insulin. You must take insulin to
live.
How does insulin work?
Insulin lowers blood sugar levels by moving sugar (glucose) from the blood into the cells
of your body. Once inside the cells, glucose provides energy. Insulin lowers your blood
glucose whether you eat or not. This is why you must eat on time if you take insulin.

 Can insulin be taken as a pill?
No. Insulin is a protein. If you took insulin as a pill, your body would break it down and
digest it before it got into your blood to lower your blood glucose.

When Does Type 1 Diabetes Occur?

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys certain cells in the pancreas, an organ about the size of a hand that is located behind the lower part of the stomach. These cells -- called beta cells -- are contained, along with other types of cells, within small islands of endocrine cells called the pancreatic islets. Beta cells normally produce insulin, a hormone that helps the body move the glucose (i.e., sugar) contained in food into cells throughout the body, which use it for energy. But when the beta cells are destroyed, no insulin can be produced and the glucose stays in the blood instead where it can cause serious damage to all the organ systems of the body.
For this reason, people with type 1 diabetes must take insulin in order to stay alive. This means undergoing multiple injections daily or having insulin delivered through an insulin pump and testing their blood sugar by pricking their fingers six or more times a day to acquire blood samples.
Along with insulin therapy, people with diabetes must also carefully balance their food intake and exercise to help regulate their blood sugar levels, in an attempt to avoid hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and hyperglycemic (high blood sugar) reactions, which can be life threatening.