Day 115

 I have really enjoyed making these pump/CGM pouches.  I love getting new orders and making custom pouches for all different people.  Here is a message I received today that made my day:
"Hi Teri,
We received the package. Oh my!!! If you could have seen the look on her face. She was so thrilled. You were so amazing to include the additional two chevron pouches! I cried with joy....just to know that there are still nice people like you in the world. You made our day. You know how much these T1D kids go thru. It's so nice when something lovely comes from it! Thanks again! I have already emailed my T1D mom friends to share with them your store on etsy. Thank you for your wonderful thoughtfulness. The pouch and belt are adorable!
With appreciation,
....stacie"

I can make them for any pump and have a ton of fabric.  Just let me know what you/your child likes and I can send you fabric options!!

Like me on FB:
https://www.facebook.com/MadiolaDesigns

Or check out my etsy!!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadiolaDesigns

Day 114

this is diabetes today.. and it breaks my heart..

A kinked pump tube (cannula) :
meaning she wasnt getting insulin for who knows how long.. making her upset, hungry, sick feeling and her blood sugars in the 300s..
She woke up and came downstairs feeling "really hungry" so I checked her blood adn it was another high, so we took her site out.. and this is what it looked like.
A clear kink in the tube. 

Not a happy little girl.. my sweet Madi....I hate this disease and what it does to her..

Day 113

Landon was working on a school project where he had to artistically make a poster about his life... He did it in pencil so I traced it in a this sharpie for him.. Then I cried... Here is what he wrote about his life: 

 "When I was born I met my brother. We loved to play and were best friends. Then what seemed like a short while, my little brother was born. As we got older we learned baseball. We played in our backyerd, I loved it. I used to love school but I dont anymore. In a few years my sister was born. When she was born, I learned to care for her. But I didnt know that everything would change one night. Craig told me he had diabetes. I was confused because I didnt know what it was. But in a few months, I did. One day after school I came to the car and my mom said Madi has diabetes too. My mom cried.. Madi hates it. And that is how my life was changed. That was last year."

And now Im crying again.. No one knows how things affect each person in a family.. and how a lifelong disease affects everyone.. We have all noticed a huge change in Landon since all of this.. He is much more closed off and harsh.. It broke my heart to read this.. I love my boy so much!! My sweet Landon

Day 212

A year and a  half ago, I knew absolutely nothing about T1D.
January 2012.. Our 12 year old son craig just wasnt feeling right.  He was constantly tired and eating.  I figured he was just growing..
He was always thirsty and having to use the bathroom every 20 minutes. Thats when we knew this wasnt just a growing 12 year old, something was wrong. 
I took him to the doctor assuming he had some kind of infection or something.  I waited in the waiting room as he went in because, well he was 12 so he was "too big for mom to come".
I figured he would come out with a prescription and we would be on our way. 
The door opened and the doctor called me back.  He sat me down and said "I think your son has diabetes"
I looked at my healthy, active, young boy and wondered how this could be true.

 

The doctor explained that it was an autoimmune disease and sent us home to get some labs done the next day.
Well, the next day, he was sent to the hospital and was there for 4 days.  My heart was broken.. I wished I could take this disease from him..

Our life quickly became a lot more complicated. Days were filled with finger pokes, calculations, insulin shots and a lot of worry.
Craig was getting 6-7 shots a day, fighting highs and lows, learning to live with this lifelong disease.  He had to adjust at school, and with his baseball, he had to sit out if he was too low to play, he had to do a lot of things that most kids cant even imagine.

Just 3 and a half months later our 4 year old Madi was showing some of the same symptoms, going potty every 20 minutes.  I wouldnt let me mind go there.
I thought maybe she was just being a 4 year old who was having too much fun she didnt have time to go potty..  My husband took her to the doctor and again I really thought she would just get a prescription and be fine.. I called him to see if they had gotten to see the doctor yet and he said "well, we did and now we are on our way to the lab, they think Madi has diabetes too"
My heart broke again.. I just couldnt believe it.
That day we ended up in the hospital with her blood sugar up in the high 400s.. We were there for 3 days..

We have learned to deal with the daily struggles of Type 1.
We have learned that anything can affect a persons blood sugar.  Stress, illness, excitement, activity, even sleep.  On a daily basis they do calculations, finger pokes, shots, and struggle to keep their numbers in range.  We have had several 2 am lows, which involve their blood sugar dropping, me running downstairs to get juice and and waking them up to drink.  Their sleep is completely interrupted, their life is filled with responsibility, worry and a lot of pokes.   In one year, each child has at least 2500 finger pokes and 2000 shots.. per year. 

Anything they do, they have to constantly be checking their blood sugars and insulin to make sure they are in a safe range.

These kids cant  go swimming ,
 
 play a sport
 
or do anything without focusing on their diabetes and making sure they arent too high, or too low and have a seizure.  Their bodies go through ups and downs on a daily basis.. It is a lot for a child to worry about.

Type 1 diabetes is a 24/7 disease.. It doesnt care if its a holiday, if you have plans, are on vacation or even if its your birthday.  Madi spent her last birthday in the hospital with complications of this
disease.
 

This is why we walk and fund raise. For these 2 kids.

.and for all people with T1D around the world.
I fully believe there is a possibility for a cure in their lifetime.
There are trial happening right now, transplants, beta cell testing, bionic pancreas testing.. 
We raise money for a cure.. for research.   With your help, research can continue.

I asked Craig to tell me what a cure would mean to him..
"life with a cure would make me feel more secure.  My life would have less worries.  I could play baseball and do things I love, and do them like a normal kid.  I wouldn't have to get shots and finger prick several times a day. "

then I asked Madi, what she would say if there was a cure and she said "Yahoo!"

So this is why we do it all... we raise awareness and funds for research so they just be kids.

 http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?team_id=81558&fr_id=2410&pg=team

Day 211

yep... I now have a high schooler!!

Craig had his first day of high school today.  He had great numbers all day!!

Day 210

well Madis first few days of Kinder were a hot mess!!
seriously!!
Her numbers were crazy high the first day.. I found out she had eaten half a pack of tic tacs. ya, they are only 1 carb each, but when you eat half the box, it adds up!! little stinker.. she has been hiding stuff lately and I feel like now when she is high I just look for wrappers!!  Ive heard of people locking the pantry, but now it may be a possibility!! we dont have a ton of junk food really, but it doesnt take much to get those numbers high!
On the first day of school, She also fell in the bathroom and busted her chin open.  We had to use 2 butterfly stitches to keep it closed then she had gauze to cover it..
Here is her first day of school picture..
Lovely huh?? lol

the second day we did a site change in the nurses officer and her cannula was full of blood and kinked..No wonder she was high..

So we changed her site.. and she was still high, but she was recovering from  not getting insulin for who knows how long.. No Ketones thankfully, but still she wasnt feeling great..

So, tomorrow she goes back to school..Hoping for better numbers!!

Last week I stayed for the whole 2 days to help troubleshoot and train the teacher, aide and nurse.  

Craig starts high school tomorrow...

Thats a crazy situation too.. Before school started I contacted the school about getting his 504 situated.. They told me they dont know his classes yet, so we had to do it when school started..

SInce its a whole new school, I wasnt sure what to expect.. He got his schedule Thursday so I called right away to try to get his 504 done. I was told they wold get it done within the first 60 days of school..really???  So my son has to go to school for possible 2 months without his teachers knowing he even has diabetes?? AND he has PE and they are doing fitness tests starting wednesday..

Ya, I was not ok with this... I called and emailed the school back stating I want a meeting asap, within 7 days and also my concerns.  I did get a quick response and they said the teachers will be given his 504 from last year that I provided them. 

Also he said that he doesnt thing Craig will be able to check his blood except in the nurses office.. what?? seroiously??   

So anyway, needless to say Im not too excited about dealing with his new school.. UGH!!

I had a talk with Craig too.  I told him that his number one priority is to take care of his diabetes.. If he needs to test, do it.. It the teacher has a problem with that, he can leave class and do what he needs to.  He will not get in trouble!  Ill keep you updated on how it all goes.

And here is Madi.. She was thrilled that her pic was up at Bashas!!  cute huh?!!

I was super excited that my photography is being used for the JDRF, but she doesnt care about that..lol, she is just excited to have her picture up all over the store!!

 we bought a "shoe" and she signed her name on it!!