Spitting Through My Fingers

Ptui, Ptui, Ptui! Three times. Keep away, bad luck. It's one of those old country things, a funky superstition evil eye warder-offer.

Here's when I want to do it: Every time Daniel says, "Hey mom, my numbers have been really great these past few days."

TrialNet

We participate in the TrialNet Natural History study. Nora & Dominic are siblings of a person with Type 1 diabetes, so they have their blood tested every year to check for autoantibodies. We do this because, according to studies, relatives of people with type 1 diabetes have a 10 to 15 times greater risk for developing the disease than people with no family history.

Last year Nora, Dominic & I all were tested. Luckily, we all had a negative result. Now I'm too old for the study (sob!) so only Nora & Dominic were tested. We'll get the results in a month or so.

Last year it was difficult, to say the least, to get Dominic to give blood. He bucked like a bronco and ended up with an enormous bruise, even though we prepared and "practiced" beforehand. What a difference one year makes. This year he held out his arm and didn't even say ouch! He said that his arm hurt a little, but it was from the elastic that they tied his arm with more than the needle. Nora & Dominic got bags of prizes, which also helped ease the pain! We were all very proud of him.

Later in the day we went to a playground to run off some energy. At one point Dominic fell off a swing and bumped his back & head. I brushed him off & hugged him, and then he decided to sit by me for a while. He said, "Mom, I could have cried when I fell, but I didn't."

"Why didn't you cry?"

"I thought about how brave I was when I gave my blood today."

He's growing up!!!

June is Bustin' Out All Over!

The weather has slipped into something glorious. Pools beckon, blue water winking in the sun. School is almost out! Blood sugars cruising in mostly normal ranges, even with graduation party barbecue goodness.

Yesterday our neighbors had a graduation party for their youngest daughter. I've never seen so much meat! Roast pork, sausages, chicken kebabs, lamb kebab, kibbe on sticks, and 30 or so side dishes. Daniel chewed his way to protein bliss without bolusing. Everything was made from scratch, so we didn't have to worry about glutened marinades. Picky Nora even found food to love, and Dominic was too busy trying to swing upside down in the hammock to think about food. Until the cake came.

Today is another graduation party. Tomorrow must be diet day! :) A steady diet of sunshine and swimming this week would suit me just fine.

I have a couple of interviews coming up in the next few days, so I'm nervous and excited, but I've got a smile stuck on my face for the first time since the old job went to hell. Keep your fingers crossed folks, and let's hope for the best.

Raise Your Voice

Today is Type 1 Diabetes Awareness Day. Raise your voice!

We have been intimately aware of diabetes for almost a year now. A year ago -- lets see -- Daniel started complaining of needing the bathroom quite often. Having to get up a few times in the middle of the night. We didn't recognize the symptoms. We had no connection with Type 1 diabetes. Now I try to spread the word!!

Excessive thirst
Dramatic weight loss
Frequent urination
"Fruity" breath
Fatigue

These are all signs of Type 1 diabetes. Listen up! It's not like you have to have diabetes in the family to get this! It's seemingly random; we don't know what triggers it. But if you or your child has any of these symptoms, get to the doctor and get your blood sugar checked.

There is no cure for diabetes. It is a disease that needs to be managed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There are no breaks, no vacations. Diabetics and their parents are frequently up at all hours of the night checking blood sugars or correcting blood sugar highs and lows.

But thank goodness it can be managed. Insulin is not a cure, but with proper care and attention it can keep blood sugar levels in range, which helps to prevent a host of other problems like blindness, neuropathy, and heart issues, to name a few.

Diabetes is difficult. It is heartbreaking. I'm so thankful for the diabetes online community, which has saved my sanity more than once, and has offered love, support, suggestions, and surprise gifts to me over the last year. I don't know what I would have done without them, and I hope to be able to pay all this kindness forward to others who in the years to come will be looking for the same lifeline. Until we find a cure.

Tired tired tired

I can't think straight. So much to blog about, but with the sleep deprivation I've had a disconnect between brain & fingers. We are testing blood sugars before meals, 2 hours after meals, bed time, 12 midnight, and 3 a.m. For about a week and a half now. Thank goodness Daniel seems to be able to go back to sleep. When his numbers are high, my brain churns.

And then this morning at 3:45, Dominic came in our room saying he had a bad dream. WAAAHHH!!

When the sugars & ratios & overnights are back under control, I'll be back online...