Day 78

Tip #1 when you have a type 1-er with you...Dont forget the insulin at home..

Today I went with Miss Madi to run a few errands and it  was getting close to noon...Madi was getting hungry so I checked her and she was 300, so I couldnt let her have her snack...We had to go all the way back home to get the insulin so she could have lunch...

So I didnt get quite as much done as I would have liked, but oh well...

Day 77

 Tonight, Craig had baseball.. He just had a quick half an hour pitching practice...

Of which he missed almost half of..

Why?
Well he was pitching, and then realized he was off... then realized he was getting shaky..so he asked his coach if he could go check himself..

He did and he was 57....

He said "diabetes is  a pain!"
because he really wanted to play, but had to sit out to feel better and get better numbers...

He is super determined and serious about baseball and has always wanted to do his best.. Thats just the way he is with everything... So it was very frustrating for him to have to sit out..

Later he said how thankful he was to have a coach that understands and doesnt give him a hard time at all about having to check his blood, or sit out if he isnt at a good number..

I am thankful too..I want Craig to be safe and even though I know its hard to sit out, I am thankful that he listens to hid body and doesnt feel embarrassed to have to stop and check his blood..

Yes, diabetes is a pain, but there are worse things in life right? Im sure Craig may hate it when I say that, but really, things could be a lot harder.. I am so thankful that my kids have a manageable disease.. Although its hard and a lot of work, they can still be active, and live their dreams...That is a blessing in itself:)

Day 76

Well nights have been a little hard lately for some reason..

Madi went to bed at I think it was 167..then about 2 hours she woke up and was murmuring and fussy and whiny..

So I thought maybe I should check her before I sent her back to bed..

So I did and she was 65...

Oh man..so she had to completely wake up to drink juice, then have a carb/protien snack so she would be fine the rest of the night. Then we tried to get her to go to bed, but after her 2 hour "nap" she was wide awake!! ha

I was a little upset about the  whole thing because I just kept thinking "what if I had just sent her back to bed and not checked her?"

Im a "what if" kind of person...I worry....

But I was just glad I did check her...

Then last night we had a baseball game..It was hot and stuffy outside and we were there for 3 hours.
Madi fell asleep on the way home, but I had to check her before I put her in bed...She was asleep on the couch and I checked her but she was 104...too low for bedtime..SO I had to wake her up..poor girl she was SO tired!! So fussed through it..had a snack then off to bed she was...

Type 1 can be scary..and there is no "day off" ever..Its a constant checking of numbers and making sure they are in the safe zone...

Day 75

I have been so busy..I wanted to post more pictures on here, but the time is slipping away.. Today we got an awesome donation from one of Craigs old Scout Leaders.. Craig was so excited he couldnt stop smiling:)

So that got me thinking about all of our donators.. I want to do thank you cards or something cute for everyone who donates for our walk... So Im on the lookout for ideas..

Also we need team shirts... For family home evening tonight we brainstormed ideas for shirts..

A few ideas the kids came up with:

• Crush Diabetes, with the JDRF shoe stepping on a broken "diabetes"

• Hit diabetes out of here. with a baseball theme, numbers on the back of the t shirts

• "Be Brave" with Craig an Madi's Team on the back

Not sure what we will go with...I would like to let them personalize each shirt somehow since Craig is a boy and Madi will obviously want hers to be pink:)

Day 74

One thing about type 1 diabetes..is tht my kids dont "look" sick...
Just looking at them, you may never know they even had diabetes..

(unless maybe you looked at their fingers because they are poked several times a day and a little callused...)

Sometimes the kids will look totally fine..an then check and they are very high..or very low..

You can't look at them and "see" their diabetes..or their numbers.

This picture was taken of Madi just a few days after she returned home from the hospital.. We were at one of the boys' baseball games.... No one looking at her would have any idea she had just spent 4 grueling days at the hospital...She was running around and playing like every other kid there... crazy...

Well the other day one of my other boys said something about "if" or "when" they got diabetes...

I really dont want my kids to have to worry about those things... They dont have it right now, so they shoudlnt even really think about it, but Im sure its in the back of their minds when they see all that Craig and Madi have to go through...

I did a little math yesterday and since Madi was diagnosed 3 months ago, she has had at least 840 pokes..& 315 shots...

Since Craig was diagnosed 7 months ago, he has had at least 1519 pokes...819 shots...

Thats a lot of needles piercing their little bodies.. They have been so brave.. Honestly, thy are so amazing how they have dealt with this all.. I am so proud of them:)

I love this quote...

Instead of murmuring, therefore, being of good cheer is what is needed, and being of good cheer is equally contagious. We have clear obligations to so strengthen each other by doing things “with cheerful hearts and countenances.” (D&C 59:15; see also D&C 81:5.) summed up by Neil A Maxwell..

 It really sums up how we have tried to deal with Type 1... It does no good to complain..although sometimes people need to vent..and once in a while Craig and Madi say "Diabetes sucks"...They have been so amazing with it all and have reached out to other as well to help them and make them have an easier time with their situations.. By getting donations for the hospital, find raising for JDRF and volunteering, they are doing their part with "cheerful hearts"..I love these kids..so much:)

Day 73

Today was a crazy day....

First we got up early for Craigs baseball practice... after playing an hour he was in the 300s..so he drank a lot of water, then after about 40 more minutes he was mid 400s..So he couldnt play anymore..we had to get home to get him some insulin and more water..

Thats the first time that has every happened..Usually when he plays, he end up low..and needs extra carbs..

So that wa crazy..not quite sure why he got so high, but it was very warm outside and he was workign hard, so it could have been dehydration ....

Then we went home for 30 minutes and I took him to work on some scout merit badges so he could get his Star badge... When I picked him up, he was 55..so lame... usually when he works out he does drop quite a bit after, bt since he was so high, he took insulin and then dropped...too much... its definately a learning experience..every day!!

So then we went home, got lunch and we were off to help the JDRF for a few hours then go to the Diamondbacks baseball game..

 

We were volunteering for a team rally for the Nov 3rd walk..They did some education about Type 1 research and ways to fund raise..stuff like that.  The kids had a great time and were very helpful.
Which I wa sglad because I took 5 kids with me to volunteer and wasnt sure how that was gonna go..but it went good..
I was starting to get a little emotional seeing all of those people there..who have gone through the same thing we are going through these past few months.. Its crazy that a disease you didnt even know existed..effects so many kids.. I just kept seeing these kids and feeling for them... and knowing all my kids have been through...so have these other kids..


We actaully saw this kid that used to be on Craigs baseball team..He has type 1 and when Craig was diagnosed and finally returned to baseball, he saw this kid... He went up to him and told him that he now has type 1 and the kid didnt believe him

Craig was reaching out to someone and got completely shut down..

This kid thought Craig was making fun or something..SO he asked to see Craigs fingertips..

So Craig showed him...and he still didint believe him because he didnt have calluses yet..

Then asked to see Craigs pump.. Well Craig said I dont have one....

After Craig had been in the hospital for 4 days and gone through all of that, then someone who could relate, didnt believe him...



It made me so sad, I couldnt believe how Craig could have felt..
I bet he wouldnt believe that Craigs little sister was diagnosed as well just 4 months later....although she has calluses on all of her fingers, so I guess he would probably believe her:)

We did receive an email a few weeks later saying that he felt bad because he just thought Craig was making fun of him..which made me sad because that was coming from somewhere... Maybe he had been made fun of.. And that made me sad too...


Its so important for us to go to these JDRF functions so we can see other people who are doing the same things we are..who are struggling with the same things we are..

All Photos copyright Carter Price Photography :) Thank you Carter for being our picture boy today!!!

 poor Landon just woke up in the car.. he fell asleep on the way:)

 Craig brought a friend along:)

Im SO glad we got to volunteer today....Although it was crazy busy, I had a really great day:)

Day 72

Today was payday..so we stocked up on jerky, PB, quick sugars and snacks... A costco trip!

It all adds up.. We have spent over $3000 in medical items/bills in the past 8 months...

Diabetes is expensive!

But these cute faces are worth it for sure:)

They are so amazing with all they have to do with this disease.. I am so proud of both of them!

Tomorrow we are volunteering for the JDRF for a few hours, then attending the Diamondbacks baseball game.. I will be volunteering with all 4 kids..so we'll see if I survive it! Madi has a bag ready with lots of fun stuff to do..She is really big into coloring and drawing right now..She draws our family and loves using colored pencils in her color books..I am hoping it keeps her busy for a while!! The other kids can help out though and volunteer, so that will be awesome!!

We are doing the JDRF walk in November and so excited to have gotten some donations!! We are 25% to our goal!! yay!!

If you would like to donate to our team, you can do so here:
http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR/Walk-AZ/Chapter-DesertSouthwest4010?team_id=57063&pg=team&fr_id=1793

Day 71

Myth # 1: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.

Truth: Type 1 diabetes is believed to be caused by a mix of genetic, immune and possibly environmental factors. Although researchers have identified some patterns, the root cause of type 1 diabetes is still unclear. But we know for certain it is not caused by an excess intake of sugar. Having an immediate family member with type 1 diabetes also increases the risk of diabetes.
 http://type1diabetes.about.com/od/managingtype1diabetes/p/7-Diabetes-Myths-The-Truth-Behind-The-Misconceptions.htm

For anyone who thinks that type 1 is caused by my kids having too much sugar...or me having too much sugar while pregnant.. here is the fact..Neither of those could be true because type 1 is not caused by an intake of sugar... revert back to top quote:)

Myth # 2: Having type 1 diabetes greatly restricts the type and amount of foods you can eat, especially foods with sugar.

Truth: People with diabetes can eat virtually any food they want as long as they mindful of portion sizes. The more carbohydrates eaten, the more blood glucose will rise. Some foods raise blood sugar faster than others, according to the glycemic index. A healthy meal plan for people with diabetes is the same for those without diabetes: mostly vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean meats with modest amounts of salt and sugar.
 http://type1diabetes.about.com/od/managingtype1diabetes/p/7-Diabetes-Myths-The-Truth-Behind-The-Misconceptions.htm


And the truth about what they can now eat...anything.. anything anyone else can eat or drink..  Just try your hardest to be healthy..but if my kids want ice cream, they can have it..of course anything is unhealthy if in excess though:)

Day 70

Madi has been very high lately..We thought it was because of her cold she had, but we still decided to keep a log...Whenever numbers change or look weird, we log them for a few days..

Well today I called the doctor with her numbers over the past 5 days..

They said that a sickness (like a cold) can really change the honeymoon period ..

Ok, so whats a honeymoon period..

Well, when a child is diagnosed with type 1, their pancreas is being attacked by their cells.. They are not producing the insulin they should be..SO their bodies have been in stress..And their pancreas is working SO hard to produce insulin as its being attacked...Its working really hard...

Well, they start to get insulin by injection, their pancreas gets a little break..It will start to produce a little more insulin and that time period is called the honeymoon phase..

During this phase, the child will not need very much insulin..

But as time goes by and they cells fight the pancreas, and eventually kill it off completely, the child will then only be getting insulin from injections..

SO... (I know its a little confusing..) The honeymoon phase is the time where the pancreas gets a little break before it gets killed off:) ha..

So anyway, now you know what that term means...in diabetes terms..

So today Madi had to change her calculations..meaning her honeymoon phase may be slowly ending.. meaning she needs more insulin..

Her carb ratio stayed the same, but she will be getting more Lantus..The long acting insulin.. 1 unit a day..She was only getting half a unit...

We caught her symptoms so early..Craig was getting 13 units of lantus in the hospital and then went down to 7 in his honeymoon phase (still on going)...
But he hid his symptoms from us because he was embarrassed.. Madi was too little to hide anything...And we caught on to something being wrong faster.

They changed another calculation as well which is her blood sugar correction calculation..

Our kids have 2 calculations they do every time they eat..

One is they add up all of the carbs they want to eat and divide that by a number..Craigs is 20 and Madis is 50.. That gives you a decimal number A

Then they check their blood, and  do another calculation..They take their blood sugar and subtract 150(their goal blood sugar), then divide it by a number...and that gives you another decimal number B
Add A and B together and that tells you how much insulin they need....

So if Madi wants 43 carbs, we take 42 and divide by 50 to get .84,

 then we checked her blood and it was 235, so we do 235-150/250 and get .34

Add those together...and you get 1.18. That means she will get 1 unit of insulin before she eats.

Yes, they do this every time they eat!

Sound crazy? ya, try doing it when 4 kids are waiting to eat!! The first few nights Craig was home was insane!! Loud..and very hectic!! But now we have it down pretty much:)

Day 69

HHmm... I wasnt sure what to write because we have been pretty busy lately.. I missed yesterday..oops, sorry:)

Well the kids are feeling better, so thats a relief, and no one else got it either, so thats good too!

I did want to do a post on the importance of a good relationship with schools.. Craig has been SO lucky to have a great relationship with his school.. Last school year about mid year was when he was diagnosed..

We met with the school right away and trained staff and started his 504.. It actually took us a while to actually finish it... mostly because it was the first for the school, and for us...Apparently they have another student with type 1, but no 504 for him and also no parent involvement with the staff.  But we got it squared away and the school was great with any issues we had during the year.

When the school year started this year, we met and added a few things to his 504, signed it and touched base on a few changed Craig has had and that was that.  The principal and staff have been awesome with Craig and his diabetes needs.  They are very understanding and notice when he is gone...

The school has also agreed to do a fundraiser school wide for the JDRF and support Craig in his Walk For a Cure this November..

How great..

And what a great feeling for Craig to know he is supported by so many people. 

The school will have a school wide education day in April and have a mini school walk as well.  I am pretty excited about this..

why?

Because educating people is SO important.. Even people who "think" they know what Type 1 is,  usually dont..so the more people we can educate, the better! Ther eare so many thoughts about what Type 1 is and how you get it and how you manage it that are completely wrong...false... not true...
So to get the education out there is just awesome!!

I am so glad I can be a part of this and that his school has been so supportive of him and his challenges with Type 1...

If you dont know your school staff, I would totally encourage you to get in there! Go meet with them and be open about anything you want.  Chances are, they will want to help. 

I feel like we have been very blessed with a great school system for Craig and Im so stressing changing schools next year for High School...
And Madi starting Kinder next year too.. What stress!!!

I can only hope for the best though and hope its as good as Craigs school has been to us. 

Day 68

well today Craig woke up pretty sick... Should have known since he was high a lot yesterday..But I didnt know because he was actually not home..he was at Boy Scouts..So while he was there (with his very high numbers) he drank a lot of water and tried to stay hydrated...

So a family member reading this was very concerned when they saw the highs that Madi had before she got sick..

Yes they were high, and they do raise red flags, but unless they have consistent highs for a long period of time, they will be ok...unless they have ketones..

Numbers that high are not good, but they arent terrible either..You just have to stay on top of things..Highs mean they need more insulin or their body is trying to fight something off....One thing you have to do with numbers that high is check for Ketones..

Ketones are chemicals produced when the body breaks down fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. Ketone production happens all of the time, but when ketones are present in the urine, it is usually an indication of an illness or an extreme change in diet.

Read more: What Illnesses Can Cause Ketones to Be in Urine? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5381714_illnesses-can-cause-ketones-urine.html#ixzz242GZshxf

Ketosis in diabetic patients (mainly in type 1 diabetes) is called ketoacidosis. This is a dangerous situation because it can lead to a diabetic coma or death. Ketones in a diabetic's urine means there is not enough insulin in the body, which means the diabetes is uncontrolled, according to the American Diabetic Association. It might also be a result of low blood glucose, as a result of an insulin reaction.Treatment for diabetics usually takes place in a hospital.

Read more: What Illnesses Can Cause Ketones to Be in Urine? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5381714_illnesses-can-cause-ketones-urine.html#ixzz242GkcICr

When Craig was diagnosed, he had Ketones..but he was not in Ketoacidosis (thank goodness!), meaning he did have ketones, but they were not so high for so long...Ketoacidosis can damage the Liver and make a person VERY sick...

Ketones are usually present in the urine when the body is starving. When the body is starved, several hormones, such as glucagon, epinephrine and growth hormone, can cause fatty acids to be released from body fat into the blood. The levels of these hormones increase during a state of starvation, according to the National Institutes of Health.  In this situation, ketosis is dangerous because it's an indication that the body is starving.
Read more: What Illnesses Can Cause Ketones to Be in Urine? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5381714_illnesses-can-cause-ketones-urine.html#ixzz242FMynk8

Craig had Ketones because essentially he was starving.. Does this make sense??

 It didnt to me at first because he was eating ALL the time..
But because his body was not producing insulin, he was not getting any energy from anything he ate.. SO he was starving...

Signs of Type 1 diabetes: hunger,thirst, frequent urination...

We didnt know his body was suffering until we took him to the doctor and found out he had diabetes..
So now that both our Type 1-ers are sick today, they have to check for ketones every few hours.. So far so good....no ketones:)

 Craig had the stomach flu a few months ago and ended up in the hospital because he had high ketones and we couldnt get rid of them because he kept puking and couldnt stay hydrated..At that point, the hospital puts him on an IV and he felt so much better after a few hours..

When kids (or people in general) with type 1 get sick, its very serious and a lot of work.. Things can get bad..quick.. So its very important for us to keep the kids away from sickness and keep things as clean as possible..
Of course as a mom of 4 I try to do that anyway, but now we do it even more so, because if anyone gets sick, and passes it to the 2 type 1 kids, it makes things so much more difficult...
We cant just give the kids cough medicine and call it good..They have to check their blood and ketones frequently, stay hydrated and keep on top of their numbers..

Craig feels pretty miserable, so I didnt want to take his picture.. I hope this helps you understand a little more about diabetes..Its a lot of information thats for sure!!

Day 67

586

259

376

412

173

245

262

and

254


Its like some sort of code...These are Madis numbers the past 3 days...What does this tell us??
Well, it either means she needs more insulin, or that her body is trying to fight something off..meaning she will be sick any day now..She did wake up today with a cough and runny nose..She also took a nap the past 3 days and she NEVER does that! ha
So as much as we dont like these high numbers, they tell us something..
She has to check for Ketones as well and so far so good, no ketones... Just gotta keep her hydrated adn keep an eye on her numbers...

Day 66

Well today I took Madi to the Zoo... It was nice out so I though we had better go before it got 116 degrees again!!

 Cell phone pics:)

Madi has had a lot of high numbers the past 2 days.. 1 of them in the 500s...SO>.we are waiting to see if she end up sick this weekend, or if we need to change numbers.. She wakes up at a good number every day, so that is good... We will see what the numbers "tell" us...

Also after school today, Craig goes off to a Boy Scout camp out.. That has been one hard thing about this whole Type 1.. He has his regular camp pack he carries like everyone else with his clothes, sleeping bag, supplies ect..But he also has to carry an extra bag with all of his diabetes supplies.. When he is off in the wilderness, he really has to be sure to have all he needs and "just in case" items.. He carries extra water and gatorade packets, his meter, insulin, needles and wipes, carb/protien snacks, quick sugars, Glucagon and more.. I always worry when he goes.. But he has great leaders and friends so I know he will be ok.. He is pretty good with all of his stuff and keeps on top off things pretty good too, so that helps! Im so glad he still can participate in all of the activities that he enjoys:)

 

Day 65

Brownie vs Beef Jerky

Well I know I would want the brownie!! yum..And if I wanted it, I could have it with no problem (besides me wanting to exersize after to make up for it!! ha)

But for someone with Type 1 like Madi, a brownie means a shot....and Jerky, well that means no shot, its pure protien..

Well Madi had preschool today and its going okay.. The first day she had so much fun and I checked her right wen I picked her up and she was 64... Not good..

So I made sure the teacher knew that Madi needed to check before she eats snack, not just if she is showing symptoms of being low.. 

I had already told her this, but its a lot of information, so I wasnt upset that they didnt check it before snack that first day..

Live and learn..

So she had preschool again today and yes, they checked her blood before snack.

She was 150..Right on target... 

But.....

Her teacher does not give shots, and I dont really expect her to..... 

So as madis friends were having a juice box and a yummy brownie......

Madi had...Beef Jerky...

Ugh....

Although it maybe shouldn't make me sad, and maybe Im  little emotional lately, it really did make me sad...She told me she was sad that everybody got a brownie but her..
I totally cried... I just felt helpless for her.. really  its just a stupid brownie right?? no..All I kept seeing in my head was Madi sitting there watching all of her friends eating a brownie and her being sad about it...

.It does make me sad that at such a young age, Madi HAS to worry about numbers, shots, snacks and when everyone else is having something that most kids would want, and I know Madi would have wanted a brownie...she couldnt have one..she had to have a protein snack (or free snack) because she needed insulin for it...

It pretty much just stinks...

I know, theres nothing I can do about it.. but I wish I could... I wish she could have sat with all of her friends and enjoyed a yummy brownie and juice box..

But as those items may not affect her friends, they affect Madi in a bad way unless she gets insulin...

Its the same with Craig of course..Last year he was newly diagnosed (well he kind of still is newly)..He had to go to the nurses office every day before lunch and calculate then get his dose.. Im so glad that this year he has the pen and is completely independent with it.  He goes to lunch with his friends and just gets his shot with them around..He has great friends who are understanding about it..He doesnt feel left out with his school friends because they are just so good about it..

Sometimes this is an emotional roller coaster.. for the kids its more of both emotional and physical...but I feel like a mess lately.. Because even though I am truly thankful my kids have a disease that we can manage..it is still a lot of work, stress, sadness and a lot of worry.....

But you cant just sit there and worry..because as "mom" you have to keep it together and take care of everyone.... so you push it all back and then it piles up..Its rough...Today was just rough.....

Day 64

Meters...

We use One Touch Ultra Mini..

Its very small, can fit in a pocket and we have like 10 of them!

 All different colors..

Actually when Madi was diagnosed, she was very excited to get a purple one!!


We started out with 2.. but with baseball, school, scouts, and all of the running around we do, we needed more..

Craig has one in his backpack all the time, so he will not forget it..
Madi has one in her backpack for preschool as well.
 I have one in my purse at all times.
There is one in the diabetes backpack that Craig grabs when he goes out to the park, scouts ect.. W
e used to have one in the car, but at 116 degrees outside, the meter doesnt work if it gets too hot, so we cannot do that anymore, thats why I keep one in my purse because I always have that with me..
Craig has another one in this baseball bag as well with all of his gear.


We have 3 usually around the house too...

Sometime we feel like we cannot find one!

So we got these Command Hooks.. I have actually never used them, but they are SO convenient! We hung them inside the pantry and they are perfect! We know right where they are... They are not stuffed in a cupboard or on the counter..

 Our stocked cabinet..Because we cant just "run out" of supplies for the kids, we try to keep it organized and stocked..

Day 63

Today was hard.. I knew it was coming..but still it was hard..

Okay, okay so all it was was my daughters first day of preschool.. But still!!!!

She was very excited..I have already met with her teacher and given her the low down..
Madis back pack has all of her essentials in it, meter, jerky, juice, snacks, hand sanitizer and an info card as well with her stats....

When we got in the car she says "WAIT!! mom, what about my diabetes?"

I almost wondered what exactly she meant.. but I told her that her teacher knows and can help her, but that she has to be able to do her meter by herself today if the teacher is busy.. Madi can check her glucose by herself, but she prefers not to.  I want to be there to help her...And I really hope she feels comfortable there.. My little baby...she looks so bug..she IS so big...

I dont know what to do with myself with no little ones at home.. Sending your last kiddo off to preschool is hard, but sending them with type 1 is making me so nervous.. It is a year away, but Kindergarten is making me crazy already..Im a worrier..and I worry!!

Having control of diabetes is hard.. but then trusting someone else with your childs life, oh, that is hard.. Especially such a small child..Craig is 12 and I totally trust him and his school..A lot of it is communication and the schools willingness to listen and be proactive..but a lot of it is also that Craig is very responsible with his diabetes.. He is on top of his highs and lows and can "feel" when they are there.... Madi cannot...She will be playing like nothing is bothering her and Ill check her and he is very low...She does tend to get cranky when she gets low, but not always... The other day she said she was hungry..so I checked her and she was low..Its just very hard..and to put that trust into someone else is very hard....Im not sure Im quite ready for this....

Day 62

 Our 50 bags we donated today.. They brought 1 wagon and we actually needed 3:) There is no way we could have donated so much without the help of our friends and family!! Next month we will donate hopefully another 50 bags!!

 The best part about it is helping kids who are going through the same thing we have gone through twice this year.... I am so glad my kids can see that they can help others and make others feel better...

 Madi was very excited they gave her a certificate for helping other kids and this super soft bear:) Her name is "Apple"..ha..

Our "Family" has diabetes.....

"Kids are affected by diabetes whether it's personally or through a family member. No matter how it touches them, they all understand the disease in their own way."
 https://www.facebook.com/diabetesribbon?sk=timeline

When I read this I really thought about our family...When Craig was diagnosed, we were all learning about it and just trying to cope with everything while trying to keep life as normal as possible (pretty much an impossible feat) for everyone else..

But then a few short moths later when Madi was diagnosed, everything piled up..

It wasnt just our two type 1-ers who were affected.. The whole family was affected..

Our 8 year old had (has, this is very present time..and ongoing) a very hard time with it in his own way.. Lets start with Craig..Craig was diagnosed on our 8 year olds birthday and I left him home..on his birthday to get Craigs blood tests done..then a few short hours later I left him home again..for 4 days while I rushed Craig to the hospital and stayed there for the 4 days... My husband was home, but thats not the same as mom being there...And he was driving back and forth to the hospital to see Craig too..SO not only was I not around on his birthday, I did not get to celebrate with him at all because I was gone for 4 days...then when I came home the stress and craziness of keeping track of craig and learning everything we needed to, kind of put him to the side burner..I really felt terrible....my husband took him out to dinner, but I knew he was still sad that his birthday wasnt as great as it should have been...

The Madi..Well Madi ended up in the hospital and I was again there with her the whole time...while I was there, our 8 year old had his Mothers Day lunch that he was SO excited about..And yes, I missed it..because I was at the hospital..Again, I felt terrible..because although I was not going to leave Madi alone, I really wanted to be there for our 8 year old and his special day....He gets very excited about those things and takes school very seriously..He was just anticipating the fun lunch we would have..and all the other moms were there, but me..All I kept thinking about was how sad he would be without his mom there...

He has been very emotional, has break downs frequently and is very needy..He needs a lot of hugs and crys a lot...I can see how he is affected.. He is completely affected by diabetes..even though he does not have the disease....He has very much been affected by it... Its hard to juggle all of this and make sure no one gets left out..but when you are gone days at a time..and having meetings with Craigs school, and hospital visits when they are sick and buying "special" foods ect, the other kids feel left out and that is totally understandable..

Its just so hard..Its hard to see your kids suffer, and its hard to see your other kids feel not as important....It makes me very sad..

Our 10 year old has not shown too many upsets from all of this, but Im sure it is hard for him as well..he actually is very helpful and helps out a lot..He worries about Craig and especially Madi..

I wish there were some easy way of dealing with everything sometimes, but there isnt... We have to hold on together as a family and just hold on tight.. Just do our best...thats all we can do...

Day 62

Here is a quick update on our family service project.. We now have 50 bags that we get to donate, filled with toys, games, cards, color books and crayons/colored pencils, stickers, playdough and more!!

Thats 50 kids who will have that much of an easier time in the hospital..

50 kids who will be able to take their mind off of the constant shots if only for a moment!

 

 

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH..

You are helping so many kids and supporting our 2 little ones who have been there and done that at the hospital...

As you can see, we still have some donations..We have a lot of crayons and color books..We have just a few packs of cards left and a few other LEGO sets as well..

So what we are in need of now are board/childrens books, small games, cards, hot wheels, stuff like that. 

The hospital will let me know when they run out of the first 50 bags and then we hopefully will be ready for another donation.

Again thank you everyone who donated! And thank you Felten family for the games cool fun tubes, cards and huge color books!! I was actually SO glad you did not donate crayons because my husband picked up the bag of donations while he was at work then accidentally left the bag in his squad car in 116 degree heat!!...  Crayons may not have lived through it!!! ha

Day 61

I thought I would share an experience we had the other day and I forgot to post about it..

We were having dinner at a restraunt and we got our food.

 Craig checked his glucose and got his insulin pen out. 

He pulled his sleeve up and gave himself a shot and started to eat, just like he always does..
Without even really thinking about it much..

All of the sudden an old man came up and told Craig he was SO brave and how proud he was of him  for getting his insulin so well.

 We all kind of just stared at him because he was very shaky and just was very friendly and talking about baseball and asking Craig questions (Craig had his baseball uniform on because we were on our way to a scrimmage) ..

It was very sweet of this man to come up to Craig and because he had to get shots, he realized how difficult it is and he wanted Craig to know he wasnt alone...
I almost could have cried besides the fact that my husband would have really given me a hard time about it:)

It just made me think of how much diabetes really is for a child..

Although it almost becomes more routine with time, it is still constant needles piercing their skin several times every day...

And I dont think that would ever really be routine...

Buying certain foods, picking up insulin, making it to doctors appointments, always making sure we are prepared and have backup of test strips and stuff have become more "routine"..

And I say "routine" SO lightly just because it is a lot of work..and can only become routine to a small scale, but it is our life and our routine...

I am SO proud of both of our Type 1-ers..

They fight through this disease every day. 

They bravely withstand the pokes and shots and constant worry of glucose numbers.

 They take the time out of lunch to check their glucose as their friends are chowing down..They are checking and dosing while their meals are getting cold and their siblings are eating..

They sit out at the pool because their numbers run low while everyone else is swimming and laughing without any of these worries..

They dont get invited to things because people dont know what they can have and they think they cannot have cake or whatever..

I wish I could just change it for them.. honestly..I just wish it wasnt something they had to worry about for  the...rest...of...their....lives.

Its not fun..and it is a lot for a child or anyone to worry about ..but I am so proud of my kids..and their sweet spirits..  

They are an inspiration to me...

And I love all of my children so much.

Day 60

Well today I was shopping..and now when I go shopping I have to look for a lot of "certain" things..

I try to stock up on things as well, which can be hard because lets face it, these "certain" things are not cheap! When you have diabetes, your snack options are VERY limited unless you get a shot for it..so we are always on the look out for new things for the kids to try because no one wants to eat the same thing all the time.

The things I was looking for today were:

• snacks for Madi that have under 15 carbs because she can have 1 of these inbetween meals for "free" or with out a shot
• snacks that have under 15 carbs but also have protien
• quick sugars for lows like juice and candies
• gatorade for Craig when he is playing baseball
• snacks for all of the kids because the truth is that diabetes sucks, but when your siblings who DO have diabetes get all the "good" snacks, that stinks too!!
• Just protein snacks, or "free" items the kids can have without shots...

For our family I really need snack sized things, we are so busy that we need grab and go items...
The kids have to pack lunches, I have things in my purse, madi always has to have things with her..so for me its really about convenience.

A few items we like are:

Under 15 carb snacks for Madi :

 

These are really just snack sized items..Most of them are about 15 carbs..We get snack size packages of goldfish, graham bites, granola bars, mini cookies and crackers. Snack packaged chips are also under 15 carbs normally.  Yes I know I can buy a large bag and divide it into snack bags in ziplocks, but that is just not convenient.. Occasionally I will do that, but usually not too much:)

These Cuties are great! They are small easy to peel and Madi loves them! Well all of our kids like them, 

Carb/protien snacks:

We are always looking for new things because no one wants to eat the SAME thing all the time... We like crackers and peanut butter..I bought a store brand once and Craig couldnt eat them because he said they were way too salty..weird.. So anyway I get these:

Here is a new thing out right now.Honey Maid Grahamfuls....They are graham crackers and peanut butter in between (they also have pb and chocolate and banana cream) All of my kids love them and they have carb and protein so its great! After a low, they have to have a carb and protein snack to help keep their numbers up also before bed its a good snack. Before bed they like to have milk as well..

Quick Sugars:

 

Okay for these we would always get 4 oz boxed juice..Its 15 carbs like they need and a quick sugar..Well Walmart stopped carrying them so now they are more expensive at the grocery and in Arizona they get hot so they are not the best items to keep in your purse, backpack or car.. Also we found it hard for Madi (4) to drink  a whole juice box when she maybe wasnt even hungry..  So we do have juice at home in a large jug, but we also look for easy candies like these mini packs of skittles..I will definately be looking for them after holidays now to stock up..

Gatorade:

 

This is fairly self explanatory, but we do like to get small bottles and we will water them down a little now.. He can add half a bottle to his water bottle so sipping while playing doesnt get him too high, but will still help him stay high enough to be able to play.
We also found these..I think at Target.. They are packets, somewhat like crystal light//A powder that you add to a water bottle. These are great for Craig especially for Boy Scout hikes and outings..They are light weight but he can add to his water bottles if he needs to instead of carrying both a bottle of gatorade and a bottle of water.  We also found gatorade gummies which have carbs but not caffeine (like other sports chews)..They were good for scout camp as well. light weight and small.

Just protein snacks:

 We love these small packs of peanut butter..I hate when the kids take peanut butter to school in a small Tupperware then throw it in the sink..Peanut butter does not rinse out easily! so annoying! So these small sizes are awesome! They can grab one with apple slices or a small bag of crackers. Got these at Costco!

 Well these would include cheese sticks which we buy a lot of and Beef Jerky, which all of my kids love.. Beef Jerky is expensive! We have found the best prices at Costco.. Certain Costcos have these..They are individual snack packs of jerky. I think you get like 12 packets for $14 and stores sell these small packets for almost $5 each!! .. Perfect for baseball games, fits in my purse, a backpack, ect! But only certain costcos have them..The closest Costco to us does not carry them so we drive  a llittle further adn stock up on them because its SO worth it for the price and convenience! Its the same with the peanut butter packets..The farther Costco has them so we stock up when we go there..
Almonds are another great snack that is free..Luckily my kids like these things:)

Water!!
The kids do drink a lot of water..I never buy soda for any of my kids and they only get soda if we go out to dinner or something like that.. But other than water, they do like crystal light because they can have that with out a shot unlike fruit juice.. Also we found these Mio..They are flavors in liquid form..So you can add as much as you want..Instead of using half a crystal light packet them having the other half spill in your purse or in the cupboard, these Mio are great!

Got the Mio from Target..

Day 59

Oh how I love to see Craig active and happy! He loves the game of baseball...and I am so glad Type 1 didnt take that away from him.....

Day 58

These little strips.....are pretty crazy..

• They are $1 each strip
• They take the blood from the finger to put in the meter to check blood glucose
•  They are pretty tiny..about quarter inch wide, inch long and slimmer than a credit card.

I looked it up, wondering how exactly these little strips work, I found this:

" Glucose test strips are made of plastic. The end of the strip is coated with enzymes, either glucose oxidase or glucose dehydrogenase. A drop of blood, usually taken from a prick in the finger, is placed on the reagent end of the strip. The enzyme chemically reacts with the glucose in the blood, and the strength of the reaction depends on the glucose concentration. The strip is then placed into a meter that reads and then displays the blood sugar concentration
 The glucose in the blood turns either to gluconic acid or gluconolactone, depending on the type of reagent used on the strip. This chemical reaction produces electrons. When the strip is placed in the meter, the test meter sends an electric current through the sample. The amount of electric current the test strip can transmit is related to the amount of glucose in the blood. This amount of current is calculated to a blood glucose reading that the meter displays on the screen.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/65971-diabetes-test-strips-work/#ixzz230z5j1Lh"

Pretty interesting.. Our kids use about 450 strips a month..guess how much that costs?? yep, simple math..$450!!

Luckily our insurance covers 100% of the strips and we only pay for insulin and doctor copays, but wow, diabetes is very expensive!

We are very careful with our test strips:) ha