Day 50??

already? 50 days of blogging..

Well Today I have been trying to get everything together for tomorrow..
.meet the teachers meeting at Craigs school...

I have to brief all of his new teachers on what Type 1 is, how to administer the glucagon if needed, what he will need and sign a new 504 plan...

What is a 504 plan?

Basically it states Craigs condition and the things he needs from the school, plus what the school needs from us..
For example it says in the plan that Craig must have a buddy when he goes to the nurse, in case he were low and passes out. It also states that we will provide the nurse with quick sugars and carb snacks for Craig.

If he has a test, he has to check his glucose and if it is low or too high, he will not take the test until he is at a good number... There are a lot of things in the plan that protect Craig and allow him the things he needs with his diabetes.

Last year he missed quite a few days due to hospital visits and sickness, so he missed a lot of work.. It is hard for him to make everything up, but he does it.  He is a very good student and gets upset if he gets anything less than an A... So he has to work even harder to keep those grades up even when he misses instruction due to illness. 

The most important thing with the school is communication.. They have to communicate with me and I have to with them.  I am in constant communication with the principal and they have been very good to make sure Craig has the most "normal" school day he can...

This year we are allowing him to carry his insulin with him all day, that way there are less trips to the nurse (he used to have to go to the nurse everyday at lunch to get his shot)...We will see how that goes:)

Day 49

One thing I want to do on this blog is to show people that kids (or adults) with type 1 are not held back..They can do anything!
The other day I read one persons facebook post about their child who has type 1 and they said something like "I wish my child could still play and run through grass without worry, I wish they could play hop scotch like other kids. I wish my child could enjoy birthday cake...But she cant anymore"

I though it was totally ridiculous... Type 1 makes things a lot harder... but my kids can still play sports, run through grass, play with friends, have birthday cake and do so much more....

Like I said, it makes it a lot harder to do these things and adds worry to any situation when you need to check glucose and give shots and account for things and count carbs, but it is possible!

• Craig did the Zip Line in Alaska!
• Craig is involved in Boy Scouts and goes on camp outs, hikes and even a week long camp this summer (although I was a little stressed about it, he enjoyed every day of it!)
• Craig plays on a travel baseball team and does awesome.. He practices 2 or more days a week just like all of the other kids!
• Craig swims for hours at a time.
• He skateboards and jumps off his ramps.
• He even mows the lawn and has regular chores!
• He has cake..and ice cream and any other food he wants (haha as a 12 year old, he wants everything.. of course I wont let him have cake for breakfast, but if I allowed it, he could!)

 Zip line in Alaska

 Creek adventures!

 Wild girl!

 Swimming this summer...

 Championship ring after diagnosis..

Again, Type 1 does not HAVE to hold you back.. but it can if you let it.  

Day 48

Today I got an awesome donation!! Thank you to:
Maureen Spencer, Dolores Brown, Geri Taylor (really?? My maiden name is Teri Taylor!! ha), Lori Steggal, and my hubby's mom and sister for the huge donation!!!

We got:
47 color/activity books
14 note books
8 boxes of crayons
21  books
5 Card games
2 LEGO sets
10 mini packs of playdough
16 packs of markers
8 packs of colored pencils
and a box of craft activity supplies!!

SO many kids will be helped by these donations THANK  YOU SO MUCH!!!

Day 47

Today was a "pick up prescriptions" day.

That means we take a trip to target and spend $100 for prescriptions and leave with a huge bag of supplies.. Today I wanted to share a little bit about that those things are..

Here is our spot in the refrigerator for their insulin...We have Humalog and Lantis..A short acting and a long acting insulin for each kiddo.We have a lot of extra right now because they dont use quite as much as they started using.. but that will pick up after their pancreas completely stops producing insulin. Also we need extras because when school starts back up again, Craig will have insulin at school and at home and once opened it inly lasts 30 days, so we will be using more insulin every month (twice as much)..

. 

And this is what Madi uses.. She will only get her insulin from a syringe..She refuses to try anything else, which is totally fine with me..I dont want to pressure her into something else, but I am hoping she will try the pen or pump eventually..

  

And this below is called the Pen.. The insulin is prefilled into these "pens" .. At the end of them pen are numbers and you click the pen end to the number you need, or amount of units of insulin you want dispersed from the pen..  This is what Craig uses.. He tried it not long after he was diagnosed. It is much more convenient because you dont have to carry around the syringes..only then pen and small needle tips as you can see in the picture. Its also not as obvious.. Because with the vial  and syringe you have to draw up or measure the insulin and then make sure there are no air bubbles.. But this all you do is click and then get the shot...The needle tip used for the pen is also smaller than the syringe so it doesnt hurt as much (as Craig says, obviously I dont know this:)

 

 

 He can  100% do this himself.. Which is great for school.

 

 

Also the pen tip is much smaller than the syringe so you dont have to pinch the skin before injecting..But with the syringe for Madi you have to pinch fatty skin and inject the insulin in it..

This is what my kids do every time they want to eat...

We also have a seperate cupboard with their "essentials"

Needles, Test strips, meters, alcohol wipes, lancets, protein snacks like Jerky and peanut butter, crystal light (no carbs juice), quick sugar juices, tablets and candies (skittles and suckers), gatorade gummies for Craig ..This is our go-to cupboard for when we leave the house..we have to make sure we have some sort of all of these items when we go anywhere...

Day 46

We are doing a family service project for Phoenix Childrens Hospital.. We are collecting items for "unboredom bags"... These bags will go to kids who are diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and stuck at the hospital with nothing to do.. Our goal is to help these kids to enjoy being kids while learning how to cope with their disease...

Today we went shopping with donation money!! First we went to the LEGO store at arrowhead.. The manager was awesome and gave us $15 off our whole order.. The kids had a great time picking our sets!! We were able to get 21 LEGO sets for kids at the hospital!! A great activity to do while being stuck there for days at a time!  Then we went over to Costco and got 20 board books... All of this we were able to get with a donation from our grandpa.. THANKS GRANDPA!!!!

Right now we have 8 games, 21 LEGO sets, 21 crayon roll ups, 13 board books, 15 color activity books and a few boxes of crayons...Cant wait to see what else we can gather up!! Thank everyone who is helping with this project!!!

 

 

Okay about this game :Cuponk... have you heard of it?? You have a cup and a few ping pong balls, it also comes with cards inside that have different challenges.. The goal is to get the ball in the cup..but its not so easy..The cards say things like :off your face into the cup and you have to let the ball roll off your face then into the cup..Or off the wall, then table then into the cup.. get it?? Anyway a great friend brought this to Craig when he was in the hospital.. It was GREAT for him... besides being cooped up in the hospital room for 4 days and having to deal with everything, he is a super active kid and sitting there was making him a little crazy.. He LOVED this game.. At one point he bounced the ball and it shot right into the sharps container on the wall!! ha.. we couldnt believe it..So then a nurse came in with make items trying to get it out!! She finally got it out using a roll of wrapping paper with sticky tape on the end!! Having a simple game like this really lifted Craigs spirits:)   ha!! I was able to get 8 of these on clearance with a $40 donation from a friend, !! 

THANK YOU KENDRA AND KODIE!!

AWESOME!!!

Day 45

Well we have been "dealing" with Diabetes for 6 actual months now... Its been that long since Craig was diagnosed..

Wow...

I kind of cant believe it..

well, actually some days I look at my kids when that needle pierces their skin and I almost cant believe they really have this...for the rest of their lives...Its almost unreal..

It will NEVER go away....

 And although I have tried very hard to stay positive, because thats all you CAN do,

 I wish it WOULD go away...

I wish Madi didnt have little bruises at her injection sites..

I wish we didnt have to wake the kids up when they are trying to sleep so that we can check their blood..

I wish they could play with out worry of glucose or extra carbs..

I wish I could leave them with a sitter and not worry..

I wish they could go out with their friends and not have to carry a backpack full of essentials..

I wish they didnt have the worries of type 1 constantly on their mind..

I really wish I did not have to inject a needle in them several times a day..

I wish we didnt have to count every carb they ate...

I wish we didnt have to add hundreds of dollars to our monthly budget because although we have great insurance, we have copays, and supplies they NEED..

I wish my purse wasnt filled with needles, meters, snacks, and glucose tablets...

and most of all, I wish my kids didnt have to think twice about eating something, playing or running around....

 

My kids are strong..

And so brave!

They get at least 24 pokes a day between both of them.. 

A needle or Lancet pierces their skin 24 times every day!

And there nothing they can do about it but be brave.....

I love them so much!

Day 44

 Today I caught Madi eating a box of cereal on the couch..I was busy unpacking from our long trip and came downstairs to this....Before Type 1, this would have been no big deal and I would have left her alone, enjoying this yummy box of cereal...but with diabetes, you cant do that..Everything my kids eat has to be measures, weighted and accounted for....So sneaking snacks is not a good thing...I didnt make it a big deal but had to measure out a certain amount and then dose her for it..And take that box away:)

I also wanted to update about Madis medical bracelets...I had ordered these because I liked teh style..Its cute, easy and can be worn all the time..The problem I had was that after a week, the engraving was scratched off..The company sent me a anew one that lasted only 2 weeks...UGH!! SO today I called back and they will be sending a new one that has the engraved info on the inside of the metal part..This should work perfectly and I am so glad because Madi likes the style of hers and so does Craig (his is a little different, but he wears it at all times unlike the necklace that he took off all the time..)

Day 43

Well we just got back from an amazing trip to Alaska.  We loved every minute of it!! We were lucky enough to be able to go with my grandparents and my aunt as well.. It was Awesome!!

We had a lot to prepare for with 2 diabetics with us.  We were going on a 7 day cruise to Alaska, and had to bring a lot of quick sugars, insulin, needles and back ups of everything.   When the cruise was finished we had plenty of extras, so I guess we over prepared:)

A few difficult things were giving shots before meals in the restaurant, the huge supply of food and constant shots needed, keeping track of the insulin and keeping it cold, keeping track of the numbers of both kids at all times.  The ship had absolutely no nutritional info for anything, so that was very hard...We had to guess on all of their meals!
When we booked the cruise we were told that all we had to do was talk to the ship crew when we arrived and that we would be given any help we needed...They had already contacted the cruise line and let them know of the kids medical status (Type 1 diabetics).  Little did they know all we really needed was carb info, which they did not have.....When we were onboard and asked for it, they said "no, we do not have that, but we can get you sugar free jello.."

Like my kids are going to only eat jello all week?..ya right....

The fact is that people just do not know what Type 1 is, what it means, how it works, and they are just uneducated about it.

I wasnt mad about it...at all... We had a wonderful time!
we just did our best to guess on all of the things the kids ate..Sometimes it worked out fine and they had great numbers, but sometimes they were really high...and a few times even low.

My goal with this blog and with our family service project is to get the word out..To explain how it works, and to share my childrens lives with you...

The struggles that come with Type 1, the things they can still do with Type 1, the ways you (and we) can help, and also to  raise awareness on the facts!

 Here Craig is doing the Zip Line in Alaska!!! Super fun!! He said it was "awesome"!!

We are getting ready for school to start, which means educating the new teachers (and Madi is starting Preschool!! aaahhhh!! not prepared for this)

Lastly, if you have not been to Alaska, I recommend you go!! here is an Alaskan sunset from the back of the cruise ship..AmAzing!!!!

Service Project Information

After spending many days and nights in the hospital..and having 2 children diagnosed with Type 1 in such a short amount of time, our family has decided to do something.....

Fist, some background...
When kids are diagnosed and sent to the hospital, they have to stay there long enough to be educated, educate the family and for them all to be comfortable to do injections an live this new life they have (this is usually 4 days unless they are there longer...)...They have to adjust to a whole new life because there is no cure for Type 1.

Besides the fact that their life is now different, and they have Type 1 forever, the shock of everything else is a lot for a child (and a family) to sustain.....

When I was in the hospital with Craig (I stayed the whole time and never left), there was a lot of information and new experiences we had to have.....I would say endure, but now its what we do every day so it doesnt seem as much like enduring..its just life...There was a lot of crying, and a lot of being strong..It was very hard..for him and us. 

The parents have to be educated as well.  The kids have long days...And it can get boring...

The last day I was there with Craig he was driving me nuts with a ping pong ball
...ping...pong...ping...pong..all over the room!! hahah

When I was there with Madi only 4 months later, there was a little boy (age 6) who was also just diagnosed.. He was often by himself in the play room (that is only open certain hours..)...His parents did not stay with him in the hospital..I felt so sad for the little guy... Although I can understand how hard it is to stay there...and that people need to work and everything...I mean these diagnosis arent something anyone plans for....

But anyway, noticing him by himself a lot made me realize how blessed we were that I could stay with my kids..and that Hain could bring them things they wanted..or needed...

Our family has decided to put together bags... unboredom bags!!
 For these kids who are stuck at the hopital for days at a time...

 Here is a paragraph from Craig:

"I think that this project is a great one because it helps kids in the hospital. When kids go to the hospital some parents can't stay with their kids and this can give something for the child to do while their parent or caregiver is gone. Also the hospital is a pretty boring place when they don’t have activities for you to do. You have to sit in you room all day!  This can give a bored child something to do and they can have fun at the hospital. So please donate for children that are in the hospital today, you can give a child something to do and make their stay “that much better.”


List of items we are trying to collect:
(must be new items, hospital policy to lessen chance of infection or germs)

• Small LEGO sets
• Board Books (sets from costco can have 5-6 in them!! so would be able to give to 5-6 kids!!)
• Decks of cards or card games
• Crayons (we will be putting together crayon roll ups as well)
• Colored Pencils
• Notebooks or Journals
• Color books (dollar store!!)
• Mini games (like board games in travel size)
• Silly puddy

Friends and family, please think of us when you are doing your school shopping... Pick up something "extra" to help with our project.  We as a family are so excited to be doing this and I know that it will help many kids who are going through a very difficult time in their life, to have a bit a "fun" in the hospital:)  To forget he constant shots and pricks they are dealing with...and to enjoy a few minutes of their days.....THANK YOU!!!!

We will be collecting these items at the end of summer..and then going full force with Craigs school (they have agreed to help in this project as well!!)  and then putting together the bags and delivering them as well, by October....

I have spoken with a few people who are donating and I think the hardest items to collect will be small LEGO sets (only accepting the under $10 sets) , board books and mini games...So if you can, please remember these items when shopping.  Thank you so much!

Day 42

Well Im taking a week off.. from blogging at least..Ill be back next week:) Ill let you know how the cruise went with 2 diabetics on board!!
 (Im sure there will be more than just our kids right?)
who knows..anyway, we are off to Alaska for the week. Super excited!! And super prepared.. extra snacks, needles, insulin, and strips are packed and ready to go..It takes a lot to prepare for a week away.... You have to pack, then pack backs ups as well..just in case! Because for kids (and anyone) with Type 1, missing supplies can mean serious consequences..


Here in 1 suitcase we have:

• Almonds, peanut bars, jerky and peperoni (free snacks)
• Sharps container
• Peanut butter packets (protein they can eat with crackers or an apple on the cruise ship, I got these from Costco, they are perfect!)
• Apple juice and glucose tablets (quick sugars)
• Sour Straws (yummy treats..and quick sugars too)
• Mio (flavors for water with no carbs..tastes like juice, just something different for them to drink besides water..that has no carbs)
• Needles, lancets, insulin, meters (and also back ups of all of these)

In the mean time, dont forget about our family service project to benefit kids in the hospital.. Look up Day 23 for more details! Thanks all:)

Day 41

Do you know what a "quick sugar" is??

Or why my kids would need them??

Well here you go...
If someone with T1D is low..meaning in my children's case if they have a blood glucose under 80, they are low and need a "quick sugar"

Examples of quick sugars we use: juice, glucose tablets, skittles, smarties

These "quick sugars" give the person a quick pick me up and bring their glucose numbers up..quick!

Hense the name "quick sugars"...Now these items wear off in their bodies quick as well, so if they do not follow with a carb/protien snack (like crackers-carb and peanut butter-protien) then will just get low again, so they have to follow up with those when their number gets above 80.

What makes them low?
Things that make my kids low is definitely exercise..if they are not replenishing their body with carbs when they exercise and use the carbs up, they end up low.. just playing outside or riding a bike can make them low as well.

How can YOU tell if someone is low?
Signs of a person having low glucose are:

• Shakiness
• Dizziness
• Sweating
• Hunger
• Headache
• Pale skin color
• Sudden moodiness or behavior changes, such as crying for no apparent reason
• Clumsy or jerky movements
• Seizure
• Difficulty paying attention, or confusion

What should you do if someone with Type 1 is showing these signs?
Get them a quick sugar!!! fast! a juice, soda, candy bar...something.. 
Get an adult to help too.

There have been a few times Craig has been on the field and we look at him and can tell he is low.. He needs some gatorade!! He almost looks like he is playing in slow motion..when normally he is super quick and on top of it. If he is at home and low, his signs are headache and he will also get sweaty and shaky.  He can tell when he is getting low..its a feeling in his body, so he usually knows and checks his glucose..Madi isnt there yet..She cannot tell when she is getting low, and we cant either..thats hard...

Day 40

okay so I know I posted that I got the kids medical bracelets. Well they are totally lame..After Madi (4 years old) wore hers for a little over a week, you couldnt even read any of the inscribed info on it..It had totally scratched off... The metal was engraved and got scratched, and completely 100% disappeared!! I called the company and they sent me a new one.. but now its starting to scratch!! SO irritating.. Anyone know of a great company?? A long lasting band?? Because let me tell you, they are not cheap!!

Im looking into a company who does them for bicyclist, so we'll see how that turns out:)
I should have taken a picture of it, but I just sent it back.....

Day 39

What do you want to know??

Comment or message me if you have any questions or comments that you would like me to address on this blog:)

Today is the 3rd day of the kids' new calculations.. WHat does that mean?

The doctor changed the amount of carbs they get per 1 unit of insulin and also changed the amount of Lantis (Long acting insulin)
They have had much better numbers! Yay.. SO tomorrow I have to call the doctor and tell them the log of the past few days so they can document the changes and that they are working..I think we will change Craigs carb ration a bit because he gets a little low after meals, but other than that, they have been better numbers..

It seems though, that there is never a "perfect" number.. Every day it changes...Thats one hard thing about diabetes, its always almost like a roller-coaster of numbers, ups and downs and calculations.

I also wanted to remind anyone who reads this blog about our family service project..As soon as we are back to school and things slow down from the summer fun, we will be going full force with our family service project!!

Check it out and please think about helping!!
http://craigandmadi.blogspot.com/2012/06/day-23.html

Day 38

A few "famous" people with Type 1.....

Bret Michaels

Ethan Miller/Getty Image Intertainment

Bret Michaels, lead singer for the band Poison, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 6 years old. He hasn’t let diabetes deter him from a successful music career that has sold over 25 million records and includes 15 Top 40 singles. His work has now expanded into film production, writing, directing and acting. He currently has a reality television show called “Rock of Love.” Michaels takes four insulin injections each day and tests his blood eight times a day.  He recently won The Celebrity Apprentice and pledged his $250,000 award to the American Diabetes Association.


 Nick Jonas

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Nick Jonas, lead singer and guitarist for the Jonas Brothers was 13 years old when he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. His blood sugar was over 700 at the time and required him to be  hospitalized to get his blood sugar under control. It wasn’t until 2007, two years after his diagnosis, that he made an announcement about his diabetes while playing at a Diabetes Research Institute carnival. Since that time he has become a great inspiration for many young people with diabetes. Jonas is quoted as saying, “I want to let kids know that it doesn’t have to be so hard. The most important thing is to never ever let yourself get down about having diabetes.”

 Anne Rice

Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

Novelist Anne Rice, most famous for her many vampire novels, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1998. At the time of diagnosis her blood sugar was around 800 and her health was fragile. Since that time she has learned to manage her diabetes and accepts the fact that she must take insulin injections the rest of her life. Despite her diabetes, she is still writing and publishing with renewed enthusiasm.

 Nary Tyler Mooore

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Mary Tyler Moore was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 30 after being hospitalized following a miscarriage. A routine blood test taken during her hospitalization recorded a blood sugar of 750, which prompted the start of insulin therapy. Moore, best known for her years on, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Dick Van Dyke Show” has appeared in many other television shows and movies and been honored with numerous awards. Moore has long been active in promoting diabetes research and has served as the International Chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for several years.

 Elliott Yamin

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Elliott Yamin is best known for his third place finish in the fifth season of American Idol. Yamin was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in his mid-teens. He admits to being angry and in denial about his diabetes back then but has accepted that fact that he must manage his blood sugar and currently does so with the use of an insulin pump. He has become a role model for young people with diabetes and has been quoted as saying, “stay positive…and don’t let the disease hold you back.”

 Sonia Sotomayor

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Sonia Sotomayor is a Justice on the United States Supreme Court and is the first person with type 1 to ever serve on the high court. Sotomayor was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age eight and began taking daily insulin injections. Sotomayor was initially interested in a career as a detective but after her diabetes diagnosis she was inspired to go into a legal career and become a judge.

 Gary Hall Jr.

Donald Miralle/Getty Images Sport

Olympian swimmer Gary Hall Jr. was an accomplished competitive swimmer when he was diagnosed with type 1 in 1999. With four Olympic medals already in hand (two gold, two bronze) from the 1996 Olympics, doctors told him then that his swimming career was over. But Hall was determined to prove them wrong. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Hall won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze, bringing his Olympic medal count to a total of eight. But he wasn’t finished. At the 2004 Athens Games, he became the oldest male in 80 years to win gold for the U.S. team by winning a both a gold and bronze medal, for a total of ten. Hall regularly speaks to young people with diabetes emphasizing that their goals can be accomplished despite the fact that they live with diabetes.

• Halle Berry Actress
• Nick Jonas Singer, Jonas Brothers band
• Adam Morrison NBA Charlotte Bobcats
• Gary Hall jr Olympic gold medalist, swimming
• Elliot Yamin Top singer, American Idol
• Doug Burns Mr Universe
• Anne Rice Author, Vampire books
• Chris Dudley Played NBA now runs orginization to help kids with d
• Brett Michaels Lead singer, Rock band Poison
• Sharon Stone Actress
• Nicole Johnson 1999s Miss America
• Mary Tyler Moore Actress, international spokesperson JDRF
• Nick Boynton Hockey player
• Dorian Gregory Actor
• THE Jackie Robinson! Baseball player
• Jean Smart Actress, Designing women
• Danny Joe Brown original singer for the band Molly Hatchet
• Gift of Gab Rapper, real name is Tim Parker
• Jim "Catfish" Hunter New York Yankees:D baseball hall of famer
• Bobby Clark NHL legend
• Jay Cutler NFL, quarterback Chicago Bears
• Kelli Kuehne LPGA golfer
• Kris Freeman US Olympic cross country skier
• Scott Verplank PGA golfer
• Mike Echols NFL football player
• Chris Jarvis World champion Canadian rower
• Jay Leeuwenburg Sports broadcaster former Indianapolis Colt
• Dan Reichert Kansas City Royals pitcher
•  
  • Wasim Akram - Pakistani cricket fast bowler
  • Arthur Ashe - Tennis - Wimbledon winner
    
    Walter Barnes - Football and actor. Before acting career he played professional football for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, 1948-1951.
    
    Sarah Bina - Championship clogger
  • Ayden Byle - Runner - First insulin-dependent man to run 6521.5 km across North America.
  • Nick Boynton - Hockey Player - Boston Bruins
  • Orlando Brown -  NFL player for the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens
  • Doug Burns – Fitness consultant, Record-holding strength athlete
  • Sean Busby - Champion Snowboarder
  • Bobby Clarke - NHL - Philadelphia Flyers
  • Ty Cobb - MLB - Detroit Tigers
  • Scott Coleman - Swimmer - first man with diabetes to swim the English Channel, (August 17th 1996)
    
    Jay Cutler - Football Player
  • Max Domi – OHL Junior hockey player (London Knights)
  • James “Buster” Douglas - Heavy Weight Boxer
  • Kenny Duckett - NFL - New Orleans Saints
  • Chris Dudley - NBA - New York Knicks center
  • Rick Dudley - NHL executive and former player (Buffalo Sabers)
  • Scott Dunton - World Class Surfer
  • Mike Echols - NFL - Tennessee Titans
  • Pam Fernandes - Para Olympian
  • Gary Forbes - NBA - Toronto Raptors
  • Missy Foy - Professional Marathon Runner
  • Curt Fraser - NHL - Chicago Black Hawks
  • Walt Frazier - ­ NBA - New York Knicks
  • “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier - Boxing
  • Kris Freeman - Olympic and National Champion Cross-Country Skier
  • Sam Fuld - MLB - Tampa Bay Rays outfielder
  • Joe Gibbs - NFL - Washington Redskins coach
  • Jorge "Giant" Gonzalez- Professional Wrestler and Argentinian Basketball Player
  • Bill Gullickson - MLB - Cincinnati Reds Pitcher
  • Gary Hall Jr. - US Olympic Gold Medalist, Swimming
  • Jonathan Hayes - NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs
  • Jay Hewitt - Ironman Triathlete
  • Dave Hollins - 1993 Phillies World Series Third Baseman
  • James "Catfish" Hunter - MLB - Pitcher, Baseball Hall-of-Famer
  • Chuck Heidenrich - Skiing
  • Chris Jarvis - World Champion Canadian Rower
  • Jason Johnson - MLB - Pitcher, Cleveland Indians
  • Kelli Keuhne - LPGA golfer
  • Billie Jean King - Tennis
  • Jay Leeuwenburg - NFL - Indianapolis Colts Lineman
  • Mark Lowe - Major League Baseball
  • Robert "Gorilla Monsoon" Marella -Professional wrestler and commentator
    
    Michelle McGann - LPGA golfer
  • Billy Mills - Olympic runner
  • Adam Morrison - Basketball Player, Gonzaga University
  • Brandon Morrow -Seattle Mariners Pitcher
  • David Pember - MLB - Milwaukee Brewers
  • Toby Petersen - NHL - Pittsburgh Penguins, Dallas Stars
  • Sir Steven Redgrave - Rower - Winner of five consecutive Olympic gold medals
  • Dan Reichert - MLB - Kansas City Royals
  • Ham Richardson – Tennis star
  • Jackie Robinson - Baseball Player
  • Sugar Ray Robinson - Boxing
  • Vinnie Santana - Triathlete
  • Ron Santo - MLB - Chicago Cubs legend
  • Mike Sinclair - NFL - Philadelphia Eagles
  • Kendall Simmons - NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Ron Springs - NFL - Dallas Cowboys
  • Jerry Stackhouse - NBA - Dallas Mavericks
  • Dan Stephens - College Football, Pittsburgh Panthers
  • Hank Stram NFL - Kansas City Chiefs Coach
  • Bradley Suttle - Texas Longhorns - Second Baseman
  • Bill Talbert - Hall of Fame tennis player
  • Jack Tatum NFL - Oakland Raiders, The Assassin
  • Sherri Turner - LPGA golfer
  • Scott Verplank - PGA golfer
  • Jo Ann Washam - LPGA golfer
  • David "Boomer" Wells - San Diego Padres Pitcher
  • Dominique Wilkins - Basketball Player (Atlanta Hawks)
  • Wade Wilson - NFL player and Dallas Cowboys quarterback coach 
  • Dmitri Young - MLB Outfielder, first baseman

One thing I notice...there are many successful, strong people with type 1!!! 
 If you live right and keep on top of it, you can achieve anything you want to in life..Ya, it may be harder, but its possible!!

Day 37

 Disneyland!!!

Well since yesterday we changed the kids' calculations..today their numbers have been a bit wacky.. They have both had a few lows... But no highs..so its helping a little, the trick in all of this is to not get too many lows either.. We are getting ready for our cruise ...See before the kids were diagnosed, e had a cruise to Alaska booked.We planned on taking the 2 oldest kids, and then we would take the younger kids to Disneyland... So we took the younger 2 kids to Disneyland and then a week later, Madi was diagnosed..

There was no way I was going to be comfortable leaving Madi now while we were gone for a week, so we had to book the younger 2 to come with us...So now, we are all going! It will be amazing, fun and a bit of a challenge at the same time..

I have been gathering all they will need for a week away, and back up stuff as well..

When you have Type 1, you NEED certain things to live.. to keep healthy, and if you dont have those things.. you end up in the hospital or worse..so I am super preparing for this trip!! *

Really, its  a trip of a lifetime and I couldnt be more excited!!

Day 36

Well lately we have struggled with both of the kids being really high... consistently high... And the weird thing is that both kids have been...So I thought maybe they were getting sick.. or maybe the insulin was bad.. but neither were true..I switched out their insulin for fresh new insulin and no change... Its been a week, and no sickness (YAY!)..SO finally today I called the endocrinologist and they changed their insulin amounts and calculations...

I was trying not to be bummed about it, because although I really would like to have a week where the kids have good numbers consistently..thats just not the case..ever... Their pancreas' just dont tell us what they are doing or what they need....We are constantly "reading the numbers"..
 They are good, and healthy kids, but the ups and downs of diabetes have been loud and clear lately..

Hopefully the new calculations will work and they will have good numbers for a while..

Today (after I was saying they have been high a lot) Madi had a low.. She has been in the 300's every meal the past few days.. But today, we were at the creek and she said she was hungry, then she looked a little lethargic.. all tired like.. She was 51.. Gabbed that juice quick!! Its hard because she cant tell when she is getting low yet, so we have to be on the ball all the time.. looking for those small clues:)

It would be so nice to talk with others who have little ones with Type one, to see how they deal with the highs and lows.. Leave a comment friends!!

Day 35

Today was an adventure.... 

We went to the creek with supplies as needed (lunch, insulin, snacks, juice, meters and needles of course)...

We went on an hour and a half adventure.. through the creek, up the creek, over logs, under knocked over trees...I carried Miss Madi half the way, the water was CoLd!!! But we had so much fun!! I love my kids so much and couldnt imagine life with out them!!

When you have Type 1 you can still have a full and  amazing life!! 

not sure what this "zombie child" look is all about below...

Enjoy it!!!