My Life With Diabetes

Thanksgiving with D-Mom Shannon

2011-12-01T19:41:00.002-07:00

We've now spent our second holiday with the Weeks Family. Shannon kindly invited us to her parents house for games Thanksgiving Day night. Tyson was so excited to see Libby.

We played Bingo and the Candy Bar Game.

It was so much fun!

Lainey and Tyson did a quick blood sugar check before the games began.

Diabetes WALK 2011

2011-09-20T11:13:00.007-06:00

The Heath Family Team walked in JDRF's 4th annual WALK to Cure Diabetes on September 17. Our team raised over $400 for diabetes research.

I made the raffle poster.

Katy, Natalie, Shannon, and Wendy did an awesome job putting the balloon arch together.

Shamae and Stacey

Natalie's 10 year old daughter, Oakley, with her friend. Oakley's been T1 for five years!

Shamae's cuties: Sydney, Hadlee, and Morgan

Sydney has had diabetes for three years. She and her mom recently went to Washington D.C. to participate in JDRF's Children's Congress.

Anyone want a t-shirt?

I met Brooklyn's mom, Melanie. Brooklyn is four years old and was diagnosed in February.

This team had great shirts!

Lainey getting ready to cut the ribbon.

Team Saylor

We met Saylor and her mom, Jamie, at last year's WALK. Saylor's three years old and has had diabetes for over a year.

On your mark...get set...go!

The girls and I walked the 1 mile portion, and Lainey even ran part of the way. I pretty much held Libby. The wind was not kind to us and it was a little chilly.

Dustin and Libby cheered in the walkers at the finish line.

Thank you Personal Best Performance for donating your floating arch.

Lainey enjoyed the bounce house.

We ate at the potato bar for lunch. Thank you Wada Farms!

Some T1 kids had their poster on display for all the participants to see.

Our family picture

The girls got their faces painted afterwards at The Harvest Fest.

The OmniPod

2011-08-27T13:09:00.003-06:00

A few days ago we went to an OmniPod informational meeting at Leo's Place. Among eating pizza and playing arcade games, each of us got to wear a demo OmniPod pump. The girls and I wore fake ones, but Dustin wore a real one that had been filled with saline. The insertion is super easy that Dustin said felt like a "light tap". The girls and I also slept with them that night, and it didn't come off when I showered the following morning.

I really like the wireless and tubeless features, but alas, insurance won't pay for it at this time. Lainey had her heart set on getting a new pump, and when I told her we couldn't pay for it she began to cry. It broke my heart! I had a "I hate diabetes" moment, but we won't give up. Lainey will get the pump she wants one day.

The Other Diabetes: LADA, or Type 1.5

2011-08-27T12:48:00.005-06:00

This is Lainey's grandpa's 1st cousin, H.J. We met him at a family reunion in July. H.J. was diagnosed with LADA (or Type 1.5 diabetes) when he was in his early 40's.

LADA stands for "latent autoimmune diabetes in adults". Read more about it HERE. H.J. is now insulin dependent.

H.J.'s grandpa (no direct relation to Lainey and me) was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 16, which was probably in the 1930's or 40's. He lived well into his sixties.

It was interesting to talk with H.J. about his diabetes, and of course Lainey thought it was cool that there was someone like her around.

A statistic on the growth of diabetes: out of the 70 people at our family reunion, 3 had type 1 (or type 1.5) diabetes.

Our First Glucagon Experience

2011-08-27T12:13:00.002-06:00

Dustin volunteered our family to be in the play "Rockwell", a musical about the life of Porter Rockwell. We had play practice every week from March until July. We met a lot of people in our community and made some friends over the months.

Dustin was Porter, and the girls and I were chorus members.

This is Jason.

He and his family were in the play with us and became our friends. Jason and his wife are blind and they have two kids, a boy age 10 and a girl age 8.

It wasn't until July that I found out why Jason is blind. During a break in between scenes, I checked Lainey's blood sugar. Jason's daughter was sitting next to us and said, "My dad has to do that!" I didn't believe her at first and asked their neighbor, who drove them to play practice, if Jason was diabetic. Sure enough! Jason, who is now 36 years old, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of four. He went blind at age 19 because he refused to take care of his diabetes.

That same night, while all the cast members were listening to the director's notes, Jason's neighbor came to me and asked, "Your daughter is diabetic isn't she? Do you have sugar? Jason needs it." Luckily I had a juice box in my purse, but by the time I brought it over to Jason it was obvious he wouldn't be able to drink it. Jason was sweating, shaking, and incoherent. His son was shoving chocolate into his mouth saying, "Come on Dad. You need to eat," in a very panicked voice. I asked Jason's wife, who can't see what's going on, if she had his meter or his glucagon shot. She said no.

At that point, I yelled (in a calm voice Dustin later told me), "Dustin! Go home and get the glucagon!"

In a critical moment, I was unprepared. I was out of test strips, and I didn't have the glucagon with me. I had to learn this lesson the hard way unfortunately. I was an emotional wreck! Lainey was crying and I could not comfort her.

It took 10 minutes of waiting for Jason to get a glucagon shot. The paramedics were called, but by the time they got there, Jason's blood sugar had gone from 36 to 120 and he was responding. When asked if he knew where he was, Jason replied, "I'm at the church doing an awful play!" We all had to laugh at that.

This experience was very life changing for me, and I'm grateful that my first glucagon shot didn't have to be on my five year old.

Always be prepared!

Meeting up with our D-friends

2011-07-04T18:16:00.003-06:00

Shannon, Trevor, and kids came to Idaho to visit family...and their D-family. We met at the park and then spent some time together during the 4th of July festivities. My girls love Shannon's kids!

Little Man walked Libby up the hill, helped her on the playground, and pushed her in the swing. Look how they're holding hands! A match made in heaven.

Cute!

Little Princess and Lainey enjoying the sunshine.

Showing off they're insulin pumps.

Our three diabetics tested their blood sugar at the park. Lainey and Little Man both were at 84! Weird.

Shannon and Megann watching the 4th of July Parade.

Another view of the parade....diabetes style!

We love our insulin pumps and CGM's.

Race to Cure Diabetes

2011-06-27T11:04:00.002-06:00

Dustin and I entered a virtual 5K through JDRF. During the days of June 24th through 27th you run or walk 3.1 miles wherever you live. It's like a big WALK all over the United States!

Our 5K coincided with our To Bone and Back Relay Race on Saturday, June 25th.

As Tara put it, "Lets show Type 1 Diabetes who is boss. There has to be some answers out there for why this disease happens and how to cure it. There just has to be a better way so, lets get the money they need to do the research and find a cure/solution."

We love you Lainey Lou!

Mishap at LEGOLAND

2011-05-24T18:35:00.003-06:00

Lainey's uncle got married in Los Angeles in April. We decided to enjoy a few days before the wedding at the beach and at LEGOLAND. Lainey and her dad loved riding the roller coasters. After they finished riding "The Dragon", Lainey's dad came to me holding Lainey's pump...site attached and all! Somehow the tubing got caught and the site came out of Lainey's arm. Bummer!

We usually use numbing cream with a site change, but this particular day required something quick.

Lainey was so brave. She had a new site put in without using numbing cream!

We changed her site right in the middle of the parking lot of LEGOLAND. We counted to 3, she took a deep breath, and there we go. Great job Lainey!

Happy Birthday Diabetes

2011-03-04T09:31:00.008-07:00

On February 22, four years ago, Lainey was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. To celebrate diabetes' 4th birthday, she and I drove to Ogden for her Endocrinologist appointment. We left at 5:45 in the morning to make it to "Dr. Chad's" office by 9am.

We like to stop at the gas station on the way, use the bathroom, and pick up a treat. Lainey chose Fun Dip.

Lainey and Mommy waiting for the Physician's Assistant, "Dr. Chad".

Lainey has a huge crush on Dr. Chad. When she first saw him, she hid behind me. Then she popped her head around me, said hi, and started blushing. Blushing! I've never seen Lainey blush before. Dr. Chad asked about her birthday, since she turned 5 on January 30th, and Lainey couldn't stop giggling.

At the end of the check up, Dr. Chad asked Lainey if she had any questions. Lainey nodded her head and was silent for a minute. I could tell Dr. Chad was getting very serious, thinking she had some deep diabetes-related question. Then Lainey leaned a little closer, and in a quiet voice said, "Do you have any Barbie's?" She was wondering if Dr. Chad had Barbie dolls at his house since he has two daughters. He and I both chuckled about that one!

Height: 44.5 inches or 3'7.

Weight: 49 pounds

Blood Pressure: 86/60

We've been struggling with high numbers and a growth spurt the last few months, so I wasn't too surprised that Lainey's A1C was 7.8%, up from 7.1%. Dr. Chad made some adjustments to her pump, and her 7 day blood glucose average is 169, which is fantastic!

Lainey's Grandpa Richey

2011-01-28T20:00:00.002-07:00

We have a new Super Hero when it comes to diabetes.

Lainey's Grandpa Richey.

While in Arizona over Christmas Break, I enjoyed sleeping in while my parents fed my kids in the morning. I'd usually get up soon after the girls did in order to give Lainey her breakfast insulin. However, one morning I really slept in and raced into the kitchen to check on the breakfast status. My dad calmly explained, "Lainey showed me how to use her pump, and I already gave her insulin." I was dumbfounded! I guess Lainey has watched me show people how to bolus her enough times to know the drill.

On a side note: Since Lainey began preschool in September, she's been checking her own blood sugar before lunch and before she gets on the bus to come home. She's taken on a lot of responsibility and we're so proud of her in how she's managing her diabetes.

It seems as though we have another Super Hero in the house.

Her name is Lainey.

Bubble Gum

2010-10-02T21:33:00.001-06:00

You know the jingle, "Bubble gum. Bubble gum. In a dish"? Libby creatively made up her own words to this tune.
"Underwear. Underwear. Where your diaper. How many pieces do you wish?"

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

2010 JDRF WALK TO CURE DIABETES

2010-09-18T22:24:00.004-06:00

How appropriate that my 100th post on this blog is about the JDRF WALK!

I was the committee member in charge of accumulating items for the raffle. I was very pleased with the amount and types of items that were donated.

One of our volunteer's made this banner of some of the local kiddos.

Setting up the balloon arch.

Great job Shannon and Wendy!

The Registration Table

Shamae, Me, Shannon

Stacey, and Wendy

Me, Suzy, and Suzy's sis-in-law Kim

Katy, Trish, Manny, Me
Laura (Executive Director of JDRF Utah Chapter)

I met a Facebook D-Mom for the first time: Natalie Hawkins and her type 1 daughter Oakley.

Cutting the ribbon at the starting line.

Wendy and Shannon carefully moving the balloon arch to the finish line.

Lainey and Saylor playing in the leftover ice. Saylor's mom is Jamie Nielsen, who is another Facebook and Blog D-Mom. They had the best t-shirts!

Meeting Wendy Cooper

2010-09-18T22:15:00.002-06:00

A D-mom came to Idaho to meet me! I was very excited to meet Wendy Cooper for the first time this weekend. We met up for dinner, along with Stacey, Shannon, and Shamae. So many laughs and so much fun! Thanks for the great time ladies!

2010-09-11T21:03:00.003-06:00

On November 18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the violinist, came on
stage to give a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center
in New York City. If you have ever been to a Perlman concert,
you know that getting on stage is no small achievement for
him. He was stricken with polio as a child, and so he has
braces on both legs and walks with the aid of two crutches.
To see him walk across the stage one step at a time,
painfully and slowly, is an awesome sight.

He walks painfully, yet majestically, until he reaches his chair.
Then he sits down, slowly, puts his crutches on the floor,
undoes the clasps on his legs, tucks one foot back and
extends the other foot forward. Then he bends down and
picks up the violin, puts it under his chin, nods to the
conductor and proceeds to play.

By now, the audience is used to this ritual. They sit quietly
while he makes his way across the stage to his chair. They
remain reverently silent while he undoes the clasps on his
legs. They wait until he is ready to play.

But this time, something went wrong. Just as he finished
the first few bars, one of the strings on his violin broke.
You could hear it snap-it went off like gunfire across
the room. There was no mistaking what that sound
meant.There was no mistaking what he had to do. We
figured that he would have to get up, put on the
clasps again, pick up the crutches and limp his way
off stage-to either find another violin or else find
another string for this one.

But he didn't. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his
eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again.

The orchestra began, and he played from where he had
left off. And he played with such passion and such
power and such purity as they had never heard before.

Of course, anyone knows that it is impossible to play a
symphonic work with just three strings. I know that,
and you know that,but that night Itzhak Perlman
refused to know that.

You could see him modulating, changing, re-composing the
piece in his head. At one point, it sounded like he was
de-tuning the strings to get new sounds from them that
they had never made before. When he finished, there was
an awesome silence in the room. And then people rose
and cheered. There was an extraordinary outburst
of applause from every corner of the auditorium.
We were all on our feet, screaming and cheering, doing
everything we could to show how much we appreciated what
he had done.

He smiled, wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to
quiet us, and then he said - not boastfully, but in a quiet,
pensive, reverent tone - "You know, sometimes it is the
artist's task to find out how much music you can still make
with what you have left."

What a powerful line that is. It has stayed in my mind ever
since I heard it. And who knows? Perhaps that is the
definition of life - not just for artists but for all of us.

Here is a man who has prepared all his life to make music
on a violin of four strings, who, all of a sudden, in the
middle of a concert, finds himself with only three strings;
so he makes music with three strings, and the music he
made that night with just three strings was more beautiful,
more sacred, more memorable, than any that he had ever
made before, when he had four strings.

So, perhaps our task in this shaky, fast-changing,
bewildering world in which we live is to make music...
at first with all that we have , and then, when that is no
longer possible, to make music with what we have left.

1st Day of School

2010-09-07T14:37:00.002-06:00

Lainey's first day of preschool went pretty well.

I drove her to school so I could stay and help her with lunch. While waiting for food to be served, I met with the nurse and her teacher to go over diabetic stuff. They are great and very helpful. Lainey's BG was at 114 before lunch, and after she ate, I showed her teacher how to use the insulin pump and gave her her lunch dose. Ms. Barb has a diabetic daughter and is familiar with the whole sha-bang, but hasn't used an Animas Pump before.

Lainey rode the bus home (2 hours after lunch sugar check and dose) and when I checked her BG, she was at 49. I kept asking her if she felt low at school and she said no.

Hmmmm.

Not sure what to do about that one.

A Wonderful Sight!

2010-09-06T20:14:00.003-06:00

Some of my FB friends will remember the story behind this picture, but I'll give a short recap. A few months back, we saw this truck on the highway. I wanted to get a picture for my D-moms whose kids have celiac disease. I made my hubby slow down the car, we got flipped the bird from a guy in a camaro, and I never got my picture.

As fate would have it, we were driving the back country roads in Dustin's hometown this weekend and what do ya know? The same truck I saw a few months ago right in front of us! Happy Day!

Another wonderful picture, just a few blocks from our house.
THANK YOU KFC!

Meeting Chasiti

2010-09-06T19:29:00.003-06:00

Better late than never!

On July 29, 2010 we had the pleasure of meeting one of our D-moms: Chasiti and her sweet girls at Red Robin in Portland, Oregon.

Alivia and Lainey

Me and Chasiti

Sweet Baby Addison! I could NOT get enough of those chubby cheeks!

All the girlies.

My hubby tagged along and felt out numbered.

These two had so much fun together. It was friends at first sight. I wished we lived closer to Chasiti and her family so our girls could play together.

Diabetes Camp 2010

2010-07-23T19:04:00.003-06:00

For the last two summers we've taken Lainey to Sweet Kids Day Camp in Boise. It's a three day camp, hosted by Humphrey's Diabetes Center, for kids ages 3-7. I'd drop Lainey off at 9am and pick her up at 2pm. Every day was filled with different activities: clowns, games, the zoo. She had a blast!

Emily, Lainey, and Kristen.
These were Lainey's camp counselors. They were in charge of the girls ages 4 and 5. Kristen, on the right, has had diabetes for 9 years. Emily has a sibling with diabetes. Lainey was in very capable hands.

I will always remember 4 year old Miles. We met him in the waiting room of Humphrey's the day before camp. I noticed his camp shirt and struck up a conversation with his mom. When Miles' mom told him Lainey had diabetes, he exclaims, "YOU HAVE DIABETES TOO!" while holding up his hand to Lainey for a high five.

The next morning at camp, when he saw us, Miles asks, "Are you following me?"

Love this kid!

The camp had an Indian theme. Lainey struck this pose at the last second for the camera. What a crack up!

This is Sue, a RN at Humphrey's and one of the directors of the camp. Silly me, I forgot to bring Lainey's pump case to Boise. Sue saved us by giving Lainey a donated pump pack. Lainey thought this was the coolest gift and really took to Sue for the rest of the camp.

Lainey made this headband and drum at camp.

Lainey's friend Katrin. They loved to hula hoop together.

Graduation

Meeting Lora

2010-07-23T18:08:00.002-06:00

Lora and her boys came to visit from California. We met at the park by my house, and while the kids played, we talked our little hearts out about diabetes.

Lainey, Jonah, and Willie

Our diabetics: Lainey (4) and Willie (2).

Lora and I met over a year ago by email. Her aunt and I go to the same church, and when Willie was diagnosed, she exchanged Lora's info with me. It was wonderful to finally meet in person. Lora is an amazing mom!

Swing Set

2010-07-08T11:51:00.002-06:00

Lainey got into a "tangle" with our backyard swing.

She put up a good fight....

But in the end, the swing won.

School is Cool

2010-06-17T21:25:00.005-06:00

Many of you know that my daughter, Libby, has health problems that have delayed her developmentally. Because of this, she will start a developmental preschool with our school district in the fall.

I had Lainey accessed to be a "peer model" for the developmental preschool a couple months ago. She was accepted, and she and Libby will be in the same class this coming fall. They'll attend 4 days a week, 2 1/2 hours a day, be fed lunch, and ride the bus home. Of course I'm ecstatic, but also concerned about "the diabetes thing" for Lainey.

There are only 2 schools in the district that offer preschool, so naturally I chose to send the girls to the one closest to our house.

Last month at our school eligibility meeting we met the girls' new teacher, "Ms. Barb", among other teachers, specialists, coordinators and therapists. Libby turned on the charm, and everyone fell in love with her. Lainey was there too and acted very grown up.

During the meeting my concerns for Lainey's diabetic care were brought up, and quickly put to rest when I was told, "Ms. Barb has a diabetic daughter." I literally began crying when the specialist said that! Someone already knows what I'm going through!

Here we are, in a town of 50,000 people, and I pick the ONE out of two schools that offer preschool, and the ONLY special education teacher in that school is a mother of a diabetic child.

Divine Intervention?

I think so.

D-Family Gathering May 2010

2010-06-17T20:45:00.005-06:00

Last month, while visiting family in Arizona, we had a barbecue at Donna's house. Five families were able to come and join the fun. What a great bonding experience!

Dinner time!

Libby, Lainey, Justin, and Jillian

Blowing Bubbles
Jillian and Lainey

Teeter Totter

Libby, Lainey, and Zane

Tracy's awesome license plate!

The whole gang

Overbay's, Ripley's, Heath's, Kinzie's, and Pahnke's

The D-mom's...and Libby

Danielle, Tracy, me, Donna, and Kristi

Only at our barbecue.

Blood sugar check!

1st Belly Pump Site

2010-05-16T12:39:00.002-06:00

Lainey wanted her new site in her belly last night!
Thanks to those who have posted pictures of their kids with belly sites (namely Chasiti and Kristi). We couldn't have done it without you!

New Pizza Crust

2010-05-16T12:31:00.003-06:00

You Won't Believe it's Cauliflower Pizza Crust

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower*
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp fennel
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley

**pizza or Alfredo sauce

toppings (make sure meats are cooked)
mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray.

In a medium bowl, combine cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Press evenly on the pan. Sprinkle evenly with fennel, oregano and parsley.

Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe).

Remove the pan from the oven. To the crust, add sauce, then toppings and cheese.

Place under a broiler (grill for the Europeans) at high heat just until cheese is melted **.

*I use frozen cauliflower prepared according to package directions. After cooked and slightly cooled, I shred cauliflower with a cheese grater, and then measure for the recipe. (Don't pack down the cup with cauliflower. Just fill it with a spoon or the cup itself.)

** The pizza sauce I use is Great Value Pizza sauce from Wal-Mart. At only 3 net carbs per quarter cup, you get a lot of punch for little carbohydrate pow.

*** You can try re-baking the pizza at 450 once you add toppings if desired, but the crust is not quite as crusty. There is a minimal difference, so see what works best for you.

Reheats nicely and can still be held in the hand, even the next day.

Pizza crusts can be frozen after the initial baking and used later.

Makes 4, 1-slice servings. Can be doubled for a larger pizza (double nutritional information).

Nutritional Information for the entire crust:
calories: 434, fat: 25 g, carbohydrates: 8 (net), 13 if counting all, fiber: 5 g, protein: 41 g.

Nutritional Information for one serving: 109 calories, 7 grams fat, 2 net carbs, 1.5 grams fiber, 10 grams protein.

1st Arm Pump Site

2010-05-02T18:17:00.002-06:00

After meeting Shannon and her Little Princess, Lainey wanted her "pump in my arm just like my friend." So we did and she loves it. Lainey is very proud and has been showing everyone she sees, lifting up her sleeve so they can get a good look.

I'm so proud of my brave little girl.

Meeting D-Moms

2010-04-22T08:08:00.002-06:00

I met Shannon! The girls and I went over to Shannon's house for a play date. Lainey loved the trampoline. Libby did NOT like Roxy (the family cat).

Proof to Shannon's husband that I am not an imaginary friend.

Lainey would not sit with us for a picture. The little stinker.

Here's proof that she was actually there!

So I'm too lazy to post about my Vegas trip with Wendy and Shamae. Since they did such a great job on their posts, I'm stealing them, and saving them for future reference. It was an unforgettable experience! Click HERE and HERE.

What's your A1C?

2010-04-03T14:34:00.002-06:00

Lainey goes to the Endocrinologist (a doctor who specializes in diabetes care) for a check up every three months. While there, the nurse checks her blood for an A1C level. It's basically a way to see how well we're managing Lainey's diabetes. It's an average number of Lainey's blood sugars over a 3 month time period. To me it feels like a test to see if I pass or fail. I study diabetes for 3 months, then go take a blood test, and the A1C is my grade. Did I get an A, B, or C+? Since Lainey is too young to manage her diabetes by herself, I feel that this "grade" all comes down to me. How well do I manage Lainey's diabetes?

I know that's a lot of pressure to put on one's self, and those who walk in my shoes know that we shouldn't think that way, but we do anyway. We also know that diabetes is NOT a predicable disease. ANYTHING and ANY number can happen on ANY given day. Even if we ate the same foods, did the same activities every day, blood sugars will not be the same. Diabetes is a constant roller coaster.

For a diabetic, who is Lainey's age, a good A1C level is anywhere between 7.0 and 8.0. A non-diabetic's A1C is somewhere in the 4 or 5 levels (please correct me if I'm wrong). When we went to the Endo last September, Lainey's A1C was 7.1! Great number. Then in December, her A1C was again 7.1! I was very surprised and extremely happy that her blood sugars had been steady for 6 months.

Last Monday was our appt. with the Endo. I went there with very low expectations because Lainey's blood sugars have been on the high side lately. I expected a higher A1C, but believe it or not, Lainey's A1C was AGAIN 7.1! She's had steady blood sugars for the last 9 months.

Now I'm not writing about this to brag or ask for a pat on the back. I feel very blessed that my daughter is living a healthy life with an unhealthy disease. I don't feel alone in Lainey's diabetes care. I'm surrounded with a wonderful support system: a spouse, family, friends, D-moms, and doctors.

But I wouldn't be able to see these amazing A1C numbers if I didn't give credit to God. I know He helps us as parents. He loves His children, and He protects them and cares for their needs through other people.

I feel very blessed to have Him in my life.

Went to the Gym

2010-03-26T20:40:00.003-06:00

My husband and I regularly exercise at the YMCA. We love that place because they provide child care for our kids. Our girls love it too and continually ask to go "eck-er-size". Today was no different; I took the girls to the Y.

While I was running on the treadmill two ladies came in. They hung up their coats and were getting ready for their workout. One of the ladies turned and I saw this on her hip:

She was wearing an insulin pump! I would've jumped off my treadmill to say hi, but as fate would have it, she got on the machine next to mine. I told her I noticed her pump and would like my daughter to meet her. This lady was so bubbly and happily consented to my request.

After meeting Lainey, and talking for a few minutes, I learned that Dancia is a reporter for the local news station. How cool is that? She moved here recently from California so I didn't recognize her. I told her about the JDRF Walk in September and she said, "Oh yeah, I'll definitely cover that event."
Another reason I love the YMCA!

Tuesday Night

2010-03-07T19:35:00.002-07:00

Last Tuesday, Lainey and I went to speak about diabetes to a group of young girls. Lainey's Aunt Desiree is in charge of a group of 11 year old girls at church, and wanted to talk about nutrition, the food pyramid, and nutrition facts, as well as diabetes. Lainey acted so grown up while showing them how to check her sugar. Then the girls planned a "dinner" for Lainey and counted her carbs. We had a very fun night.

Introducing Charmin

2010-03-03T19:29:00.002-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to a cute little girl. Her blog name is "Charmin" and she's almost 10 years old. She was diagnosed with type 1 when she was only 17 months old.

Charmin's mom, Amy, visited us in the hospital when Lainey was diagnosed, introduced us to our Endo, has changed pump sites while Dustin and I went on vacation, answered 11pm phone calls from a distressed mother (me), and let us borrow a pump cap when ours broke. The list goes on! Amy's just been there!

Amy recently entered the blogging world: www.thetoosweettugofwar.blogspot.com

Please stop by and say hello to my friends!

A Day of HOPE

2010-03-01T15:24:00.002-07:00

March 1st--A Day of HOPE

A day to bring awareness to type 1 diabetes.

Last year over 600 people wrote HOPE on their hands or displayed it in other ways like t-shirts and "Make Your Own" Coffee mugs to bring awareness to Type 1 Diabetes.

This year we doubled our HOPE to 1,200 people.

One day there will be a cure.

Happy Birthday Diabetes

2010-02-22T12:33:00.003-07:00

Three years ago today, diabetes made its debut in our lives. It was a day of heavy emotion; a day of mourning what had been; and a day of learning in the medical world.

Today, it is a day of celebration; a day to educate others; and a day to acknowledge how special Lainey is.

Lainey had preschool this morning, so I thought it'd be fun to bring brownies and sing Happy Birthday to diabetes with Lainey's classmates.

My friend, Karlene, wanted to make it extra special by having a lesson about our bodies, showing pictures of our organs, and letting Lainey have a show-and-tell about diabetes. Lainey ate up the attention! She loved showing her classmates her pump, her meter, and how to check her blood sugar. All the kids gathered around while I pricked Lainey's finger, and she placed the blood on the test strip. Then we read the blood sugar number together, which was 261. One little boy was afraid of the blood on Lainey's finger, and ran to his mom crying, "I don't want to do that!" The other kids thought it was cool and I think they were surprised how brave Lainey was about getting her finger pricked.

I explained to the class that we each have an organ called a pancreas inside our bodies. Lainey's pancreas is "lazy" and doesn't work how it's supposed to, so that's why she has to wear a pump. The pump is her pancreas on the outside of her body.

The kids and moms sang "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Diabetes, Happy Birthday to you!" Then Karlene yells, "And many more---until there's a cure!" Lainey blew out 3 candles.

Lainey, her classmates, and siblings enjoying their brownies.
I tried to explain to Karlene how much this "birthday" meant to me. To have Lainey, not only be included, but to have her "unique difference" shown in a positive light among her peers made me so happy. It meant the world to me. "Thank you" is not enough.

I thought this was too cute. Hannah, Lainey, and Rachel are drawing on the Leap Frog.

For Lainey's diagnosis story read HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Enjoy!

Valentine's Party

2010-02-16T20:13:00.002-07:00

Lainey's preschool class had a Valentine's exchange, which was hosted at our house. Lainey and Libby decorated these cute teddy bear boxes.

Lainey's preschool class, along with younger siblings.
Back L to R: Brynnan, Will, Lainey, Jonas, Parker
Front L to R: Libby, Macie, Carter, Beckham

Lainey's Latest Adventure

2010-02-06T12:20:00.001-07:00

To read a cute story about Lainey, click HERE

Happy Birthday Lainey!

2010-01-30T22:25:00.003-07:00

Lainey turned 4 years old today.

Gramie Richey gave her a princess puzzle and coloring book, paints, and books. Lainey loved the puzzle and has mastered it already.

Lainey and Daddy playing a princess game. (Do you see a theme going on here?)

Lainey with her gifts.

Last Saturday Lainey had a birthday party with her cousins.

The Heath family is musical, so when we sing "Happy Birthday" it sounds pretty dang good.

Lainey with her cousins, who also had birthdays this month.

The Heath Cousins at the indoor play ground. They are worn out from all that playing.

The Waiting is Over

2010-01-19T22:14:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents of Elizabeth Heath,

Recently, Elizabeth Heath took part in screening on December 17, 2009 for the TrialNet Natural History study for the development of Type 1 Diabetes and was tested for diabetes-related autoantibodies.

The result of Elizabeth's screening test was negative. This means that no diabetes related autoantibodies are present at this time.

Wanna let me hear an "OH YEAH!"

Libby

2010-01-17T08:53:00.004-07:00

Libby is 18 months younger than Lainey and wants to do everything her older sister does; she even says everything that Lainey says, so I get to hear the same sentence twice several times throughout the day.

Like I said, Libby wants to be, do, and say everything Lainey does.

Libby even wants diabetes.

Over the last couple of months, I've posted about Libby's understanding of diabetes. You can read it HERE and HERE.

This last week, I've noticed that Libby's perspective has grown.

While eating lunch Libby says, "Mommy? I'm low." Mom says, "Really? Then eat your sandwich."
Libby climbs onto my lap and says, "Mommy? I'm high. Need to eat." (Obviously when your BG is high, you need insulin instead of food, but I'm not going to try to explain that to a two year old.)
After checking Lainey's sugar, Libby wants a turn. I pretend to check her by cocking the 'poker' and pushing the button. When she hears the click, she says, "Ouch" even though I didn't really poke her. Then she looks at the meter and says, "One-Two-Three." Usually she just leaves it at that, but this morning she said, "Mommy? I'm low."

Maybe when Libby's older I'll explain that with her having a shunt and a pacemaker, I have enough to worry about. We don't need to add diabetes to the mix!

Peter Piper Pizza in Phoenix

2010-01-05T20:28:00.003-07:00

That title has too many letter P's in it! This post is long over due. After Christmas I had the opportunity to meet two D-moms for lunch--Wendy and Tracy. I had the best afternoon! Thanks coming ladies! For more pictures and details check out Wendy's blog, which no doubt you've already seen.

Me, Wendy, and Tracy

Our children (from left to right)
Libby, Lainey, Kaelyn, Addy, Maya, Zane, & Savannah

The D-dads: Dustin and Rod

Dustin taking the girls on the roller coaster.

Libby on the carousel.

Enjoying ice cream cones.

Post-it Notes

2010-01-02T07:03:00.005-07:00

My husband is the comic relief in our household. He's a nut; he's a 12 year old in a 28 year old body; he's a kid at heart.

Here he is, Christmas morning, taking pictures of himself opening his presents.
We joke that he is my 3rd child---diabetes being my 4th.

Background: Dustin is one of 4 boys. He's number 3. When the brothers get together, it is LOUD. If you're part of the group, don't bother talking because you can't get a word in--even with your best effort. The atmosphere is filled with jokes, sarcasm, and laughs galore! Marrying into this family was a huge shock to me because I grew up in the complete opposite.

So when Laura sent us those post-it notes, I knew he'd get a good laugh. No doubt, we ALL did. There are days I feel a "strong drink" would do me good!

Dustin decided it would be funny to post that quote on his Facebook profile.
And so for his first post of the New Year, he writes, "I'll have a café mocha vodka valium latte to go please!"

When Dustin's younger brother saw it, 8 hours later, he replies, "Those things are soooo fattening!"

Happy New Year Everyone~here's to some laughs.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-22T04:53:00.001-07:00

To all my wonderful, amazing D moms:

Merry Christmas!

I ran out of cards--

I ran out of stamps--

I'm sorry if you didn't get one by mail!

The Circle of Friends Award

2009-12-10T12:18:00.004-07:00

Shamae tagged me with "The Circle of Friends Award". It been long time since I've been tagged, so I'm very excited to take part. Here's my list of 5 things that I love (in no particular order):

1. I love strawberry yogurt mixed with vanilla flavored granola and dried cran-strawberries.

2. I love listening to my girls giggle.

3. I love reading a book during my girls' nap time.

4. I love dancing with my husband.

5. I love watching "Community" on Thursday nights.

I'm sure everyone has been tagged by now....I'm a little behind in posting this.

Rufus, The Bear With Diabetes

2009-12-10T09:10:00.004-07:00

I found this book buried in the hall closet last week. At first I wanted to throw it away, because of my "anti-diabetes" attitude as of late. But after second thoughts, I placed it in the book drawer in Lainey's bedroom.

The following day, Lainey found it and has been looking through it 2-3 times a day. She'd show me pictures of the boy who was "sick" and had to "go to the hospital". I didn't take the time to explain anything, nor did I think she'd make a connection that the boy and her had the same sickness---diabetes. I should have realized it was on her mind, since yesterday she got out her stuffed "Rufus Bear" and asked for a syringe. (See this POST about Rufus.)

Last night, after Dustin put the girls to bed, he related to me this story. I asked him to write it down so I could blog about it. After reading it, I'm glad I asked him to put it into words. It's not often that you hear how diabetes affects a dad.

"Tonight I went to put the girls to bed. I went through our normal routine of singing a few songs and reading a book. Lainey picked out a book called “Rufus Comes Home” . It is about a boy who gets sick and goes to the doctor. At the doctor his family discovers he has diabetes. The rest of the book tells the story about how he learns to take care of himself, and about the “diabetic” teddy bear that helps him learn that he is not the only one with diabetes.

After the story was over Lainey broke down crying. This is simply not like her. I asked her what was wrong. She said, “I don’t want to get sick.” It occurred to me that she believed that having diabetes would make her sick. Lainey defines “sick” as throwing up, so she was concerned that this would happen to her. She laid her head on my arm sobbing, and I was ready to cry myself.
I sat her up and explained to her that she isn’t sick anymore because we are taking care of her. I opened the book again and showed her that the boy was sick when he didn’t have his insulin, but once he had that, and tools like his meter, he was happy and healthy again. I tried to help her understand that she would be sick if she didn’t have these things, but she is okay.
It has been interesting watching Lainey gain a better understanding of her situation. Often she takes things in stride and learns a little as she goes, but once in a while a realization hits her pretty hard, and it is scary for her. It is times like these that I wish the most that she didn’t have this disease. It is so hard to see my 3 year old daughter worry about things that are so real.
Lainey finally calmed down, and seemed to understand that diabetes would not make her throw up, but it can make her feel bad. She knows that her pump and her meter are tools that help her condition. Most importantly, she knows that we are here to support her, along with her Diabetic Teddy Bear that she has named 'Lainey'."

I just wanted to say a big "Thank You" to all my diabetic moms in the blogging world. Thanks for the comments on my post last night. They buoyed me up. You are all truly wonderful people, and I'm grateful to be apart of "our family". Those comments made me realize how much I've missed you.

We're Still Here

2009-12-09T18:45:00.002-07:00

This pic is from Lainey's dance recital a couple days ago.

We're alive and well. I'm just being a slacker in the D world-- with blogging, Facebook, and the Sunday Night Chat.

These last two weeks, I just don't want to talk about diabetes. Any of you feel like that? Probably everyday, huh. Some days it's all I can do to check Lainey's sugar and give her a dose of insulin. I don't want diabetes to be the #1 thing in our lives, but sometimes that can't be helped.

Lainey's numbers have been higher than normal too. We see the Endo at the end of the month, and I'm not looking forward to her A1C result.

Ah well...

I'm just typing what's on my mind.

Lainey is very excited about Christmas: the tree, the lights, her presents. We're gluing cotton balls on Santa's beard to count the days until Christmas. And the best part--we're going to AZ for the holidays. I need some warm weather!

SuperNanny

2009-11-28T13:04:00.002-07:00

Did anyone watch SuperNanny on Friday night? I caught a few clips of it here and there. The family had a 5 year old son with Type 1. He was a very defiant child, who wouldn't eat when his blood sugar was low. The parents pitied him when he was first diagnosed, that they failed to discipline him when needed. So now he ruled the house. The other children felt neglected because the parents were so focused on the 5 year old.

Here's the clip if you care to watch it.

Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-28T12:55:00.002-07:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving Dinner. We certainly did. Grandma and Grandpa Heath had the family over to their house. I was surprised with Lainey's BG numbers. She was high right before our Thanksgiving meal, but stayed in a good range for the rest of the day.

Lainey and Libby enjoying appetizers.

Lainey with her cousins.

Grandma made Lainey an "I love you" card.

More cousins waiting for their food.

Surprise

2009-11-25T20:59:00.002-07:00

Today we haven't been on top of checking Lainey's blood sugar like we should have. Ever have one of those days? Where you don't check, but you still count carbs and give insulin doses? Please reassure me that I'm not the only one.

This evening Lainey kept asking for water and drinking a lot, so I thought it best be time to check her sugar. I thought she'd be high. To my surprise, her BG was 72. This is the conversation that followed:

"Seventy-two!?!?!"

"Oh. Lainey's high?"

"No, you're low."

"Yay! I get to eat bologna!!!"

"Bologna?"

"I do it! I do it!"

Well that definitely won't boost her sugar, but I doubt she'd understand. So I just laughed and let her eat bologna.

What Do You Think?

2009-11-24T21:03:00.002-07:00

I've seen some comments and blog posts about TrialNet. How many of you have participated? Have you liked it? Been happy with it? I want to sign up for The Natural History Study. I completed the online screening this morning. I guess I wait for a phone call??? Just wanted to know your thoughts about it.

Sometimes I think she's got it.

2009-11-23T20:32:00.002-07:00

Watching the movie "Coraline" in 3D.

Saturday night we went shopping at the mall. Lainey loves shopping, much to Dustin's dismay. I don't mind a bit! Anyway, we stopped by Subway for dinner and about 10 minutes after we sat down to eat Lainey said, "Here Mom. My pump," unclips her pump and hands it to me. She made that connection that since she was eating, she needed insulin. Yay!

Then the other day, as we're checking Lainey's sugar, she looks at the meter that read 344 and said, "Oh. Lainey's low."

Sometimes I think she's got it.

Other times I know she doesn't.

Comforting Words

2009-11-22T21:34:00.005-07:00

Okay, I'd like to think that most (if not all) of us in the D community are Christians. If not, I apologize up front if I've offended any of you with this post. It's not my intention. I just wanted to express my belief that, in some of my darkest hours, I know God is there for me.

The year 2007 was...well a year of emotional lows to say the least. Let me summarize: Lainey was diagnosed with type 1 in February; I learned in April that the baby I was carrying had severe health problems and may not survive; in May and June I was back and forth to Utah for doctors appointments, hearing the worst case scenarios; in July Libby was born with brain and heart problems, but was alive; from August to November we practically lived at Primary Children's, watching my baby go through and recovering from 4 surgeries in order to say alive. Anyway...you get the picture. I had many dark hours during that year.

Sometime during that year, my mom gave me a magnet that had the words of a church hymn on it. Those words brought me so much comfort, I can't even explain it. Let me share some of the words of that hymn:

Fear not, I am with thee;
oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God
and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee,
help thee,
and cause thee to stand...

Today we sang that hymn in church.

And after two years, I still can't sing that hymn without crying.

A Smile for the Day

2009-11-21T11:54:00.002-07:00

It seems as though some of us could use a good laugh.

This is Lainey's Uncle, my brother, Ben. He is 19 years old and has Down's Syndrome. This boy is a charmer. He proposed to me on bended knee at least once a week before I left for college. When I brought Dustin home for the first time, Ben took an instant dislike to him. He'd say to me, "You, Dustin, break up!" (and then do the sign for break up). For our first year of marriage, Ben barely spoke to him.

Ben drove my car once, blew up the microwave when heating a fork, and called 911 when he couldn't find the remote control. He keeps us going--in more ways than one. Ben is friends with everyone he comes in contact with. He loves to give hugs and kisses. He's a big fan of "High School Musical". He loves to comb my wet hair (now that's love on my part, because he's not gentle). He is sensitive to the needs of others and wants to 'help' in any way he can. Ben loves to have fun and include people in activities.

He doesn't sweat the small stuff.

He enjoys life to the fullest.

I should do that too.

1,000 Days

2009-11-19T23:19:00.003-07:00

I’m fascinated with numbers. I like those programs where you can figure a time between two dates, down to the second. I think I get this fascination from my grandma.

I remember in elementary school celebrating the first 100 days of school. We’d play games, count out 100 pennies, and make a fun day out of it. I couldn’t believe that I’d been in school that long.

About a month ago I got on the internet and found a program that’d calculate the number of days. My start day was February 22, 2007. My end day came up as November 18, 2009.

Lainey has had diabetes for 1,000 days.

At first I wanted to make a party out of it, some sort of celebration. A “look and see how far we’ve come” sort of thing. But as the day drew closer, I found myself wanting to ignore it. Forget it. Let it pass us by without remembrance.

Because, you see, Lainey has only been alive for 1,390 days.

There are times I wish we could go back to those first 390 days; when life seemed simpler; when counting carbs in food was nonexistent; when I was afraid of needles; when I didn’t have to see blood multiple times a day.

But then I think back to these last 1,000 days; how my weaknesses don’t seems like weaknesses anymore; what my daughter has taught me about courage; how we’ve both grown to become stronger individuals, along this diabetic journey that is now our life.

Sure, I can mourn what used to be. Or I can celebrate and enjoy the present.

The choice is mine.

Lainey's 1st Dance Recital

2009-11-18T20:40:00.003-07:00

Lainey danced at The Festival of Trees tonight. Here are just a few pictures. For a video of her performance click HERE

Doing make-up

Curling hair

Cheeeeze!

Pretty skirt

Full-length shot

Lainey's Grandpa

2009-11-17T21:33:00.003-07:00

This is Lainey's Grandpa Heath. The two of them have a special connection---the connection being diabetes. Although Grandpa has type 2 diabetes, he still has to check his sugar and give himself insulin shots like Lainey does. He knows, better than I do, how Lainey feels.

Before Lainey had her insulin pump, we were at Grandpa's house (a 1/2 hour away from our home) and realized we were out of syringes. "Hey Dad?" Dustin asks, "Can we borrow one of your syringes for Lainey?" There is even a 'diabetic cupboard' at his house stocked with necessities for treating low blood sugars. We can usually find cheese sticks at Grandpa's house too, courtesy of Grandma of course.

Yep, Grandpa is a good guy to have around.

"I Knew You Could!" by Craig Dorfman

2009-11-16T21:10:00.005-07:00

A friend of mine gave me this book and said, "When I read it, I thought of you."

I read it.

And it made me think of all my blogging mommy friends.

This is a children's book that is part of "The Little Engine That Could" series. It's a book to 'celebrate all the stops' in life, to choose a track, and experience different things on that track. Here are a few excerpts from the book:

"I knew you could! And you knew it, too--
That you'd come out on top after all you've been through.
And from here you'll go farther and see brand-new sights.
You'll face brand-new hills that rise to new heights.

.....Sometimes you'll look up and see planes in the sky.
And you'll think to yourself, "I wish I could fly."
The cars on the road will seem quick and free--
You'll feel stuck on your track and think, "I wish that were me."

......But the plane might wish he could get out of the air.
Saying, "I wish I could travel like that train down there."

......Don't worry about not being a car or a plane,
Just enjoy the trip you'll take as a train.

.....On the days that you're sad and feel you can't go,
Speak up and ask a friend for a tow......

.....Try to remember the world is so wide,
Full of all kinds of people with their own trains to ride.
Just stay true to yourself as you travel your track,
With no second-guessing and no looking back.

.....When belief in yourself doesn't feel quite so pure,
And your "I think I can" doesn't quite sound so sure,

......That's when to push and to strive and to strain,
To show the world you're not a giving-up train.
And you're wise if you know that doing your best
Means that sometimes you should slow down and rest.

.....There's more to life that you'll learn as you go,
Because figuring things out on your own helps you grow.
Just trust in yourself, and you'll climb every hill.
Say, "I think I can" and you know what?

You will!"

Lainey's 1st Stitches

2009-11-15T16:36:00.003-07:00

Lainey got her first set of stitches today. For pictures and the full story go HERE.

Happy World Diabetes Day

2009-11-14T22:49:00.002-07:00

Most people are better with words than I am. In honor of World Diabetes Day, I'd like to "blog-nap" the beautiful words of Wendy

Dear TOday’s 40,

TOday yOur life changed fOrever. In the days tO cOme, yOu will learn hOw tO pOke yOur finger, cOunt carbs, take a shOt, and check ketOnes. YOu will be Overwhelmed with infOrmation and yOu might wOnder hOw yOu’ll ever learn all that yOu need tO knOw in Order tO stay alive. YOu will ride a rOllercoaster Of emOtiOn as yOu face the reality Of yOur Type 1 Diabetes diagnOsis. HOwever, there is a strength inside Of yOurself that yOu are abOut tO discOver. YOu are nOt alOne. There are peOple whO are walking this same rOad and they will help yOu thrOugh this jOurney. Believe it Or nOt, One day, yOu will help sOmeOne else tOO.

When yOu lOOk arOund and see blue circles everywhere, take cOmfort knOwing that we’re in this tOgether.

Everyday, 40 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.

The World Diabetes Day logo is the blue circle - the global symbol for diabetes which was developed as part of the Unite for Diabetes awareness campaign. The logo was adopted in 2007 to mark the passage of the United Nations World Diabetes Day Resolution. The significance of the blue circle symbol is overwhelmingly positive. Across cultures, the circle symbolizes life and health. The colour blue reflects the sky that unites all nations and is the colour of the United Nations flag. The blue circle signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.

November 14, 2009
World Diabetes Day
www.worlddiabetesday.org

Thanks Wendy.
Wish I were in your sunny weather right now.

Checking Sugar

2009-11-14T21:29:00.002-07:00

Last night I went through 3 test strips while trying to check Lainey's sugar. I even had to prick 3 different fingers. I just couldn't get enough blood on the test strip. Isn't that frustrating? Luckily Lainey's a good sport about it. She'll let out the frustrated sigh with me and will ask, "It's yellow?" (I once told her that the test strip needs to be all red with no yellow showing. The explanation stuck.)

I hate wasting test strips; it's like throwing away money. The cost of a vile of 25 test strips is between $25-$30, without insurance. That's roughly $1 per test strip, and when you check sugar about 7 times per day...well the $$ adds up. If you do the math, since I'm a number person, you're looking at paying $2,600-$3,000 annually for test strips (without insurance). And that's just for test strips, not to mention all the other supplies you need for one diabetic child. What about families with multiple diabetics?

I remember the first time I wasted a test strip. It was soon after coming home from the hospital after diagnosis. I swore (gasp). I swore in-front-of-my-mother.

I didn't regret it.

Sometimes it feels good to swear.

Squirrel Watching

2009-11-13T22:46:00.002-07:00

Our neighbor has a plum tree that hangs over the fence and onto our property. Recently we've been seeing many squirrels having a grand ol' time in that tree. Today, while at the grocery store, I came across some "critter food" and asked Lainey if she'd like to feed the squirrels. Of course she thought that would be the coolest thing ever.

When we got home, Lainey and I set to work in making a dish out of cardboard, attaching string, pouring food into it, and securing it into the tree. I had to laugh when she yelled, "Squirrels! It's time for eat." Then we watched from her bedroom window to see what would happen. A squirrel, whom she named "Daddy Squirrel", climbed up the tree to partake of the goodness we bought for him.

Being the diabetic mom that I am, I was curious to know if squirrels got diabetes. So I researched and apparently "diabetes has been reported in numerous domestic and wild mammals". In this particular study the squirrel's BG got up to 475! Interesting. And yes, perhaps a little silly on my part. I have many other things I could, and should, be doing with my time other than researching squirrels.

How many carbs to you suppose is in "critter food"?

Babysitters

2009-11-12T21:32:00.003-07:00

As T1 Moms, we know how difficult it is to leave our diabetic with someone else. So it's time for me to give credit to those family members who have given me a break---and who ROCK at doing diabetes.

Lainey's Aunt Meridith

Lainey's Cousin Lauren and Great-Aunt Linda

Lainey's Aunt Desiree

Lainey's Grandma Heath

Lainey's Aunt Courtney

Lainey's Grandpa Richey

Thank you all so much for your help! Words can not express my gratitude.

Lainey's Daddy

2009-11-11T22:23:00.002-07:00

June 2006--Lainey, 5 months old

Lainey's has a daddy who loves her very much. When she was first born, Dad was the first one who got to hold her. Lainey was crying, but the second she heard his voice she settled down. He was there for her first bath and even picked out the bows for the nurse to glue on her head. Dad and Lainey bonded over late night feeds during those first two months.

Lainey loves to show things she made to her dad and tell him about her day when he gets home from work. They love to play chase games with one another. She'll tell me throughout the day, "Lainey misses Daddy." She loves him so much!

When Lainey was first diagnosed, I was very stressed about getting up in the night to check her sugar. I don't fall asleep easily, nor do I stay asleep easily. So when I do actually sleep, those are precious minutes to me. Dustin saw my stress and came to the rescue by offering to do the nighttime sugar checks. He's done about 90 percent of them over the last 2 years. He's the one who gets her through those occasional nighttime lows and he does very well.

Yep, Lainey has one special Daddy.

Through Children's Eyes

2009-11-10T21:54:00.004-07:00

Lainey took this pic of Libbs. Not bad.

It never ceases to amaze me how observant children are, especially when it comes to diabetes. I get asked by 3-5 year olds, "What's that she has?" "Why are you doing that?" I try to explain in simple terms, but sometimes I don't know what to say, and so I started including observers in the check sugar/insulin dose process.

Lainey attends weekly nursery at church. When they have snack time, of course 'Lainey's Mommy' comes in with the little black case to prick her finger. One particular Sunday, I was asked by a 3 year old if he could have a turn. So I pretended to prick his finger, put imaginary blood on a test strip, and I told him "You're 76. You are just right!" Then I proceeded to 'check' the next 7 kids around the snack table.

Nowadays when I come to check sugar during snack time, random kids will hold up their finger and point it at me to 'check'. They don't see Lainey as different, and they sort of understand that she needs 'medicine' every time she eats. I'm grateful she feels included and comfortable around other children.

Today, as I was putting the girls down for a nap, I got out Lainey's meter to check her. My cute 2 year old sits up in bed and asks, "Mommy? Keck Nay-nee's egua?" (Translation: Mommy? Check Lainey's sugar?) I answered yes. Then Libby said "Oh" and laid back down.

She knows more than most kids her age.

Another picture, courtesy of Lainey.

I Can't Believe It

2009-11-09T20:43:00.003-07:00

Dustin wrote this on his Facebook profile. I'm still so upset by the whole thing that I can't put it into words.

"Lainey woke up from her nap with an unspeakable need to use the bathroom, but her blood sugar was low and she was not thinking clearly enough to go sit on the toilet. Instead she began peeing her pants in the kitchen leaving a generous puddle. Then, before finishing she ran through the hall and into our bedroom leaving a trail of urine and a second puddle in the carpet next to our bed. It was fun to clean up."

We've never experience a confused low like this before. It totally threw me for a loop.

(SIGH) Diabetes...

There's a reason I'm the mom.

2009-11-08T21:30:00.004-07:00

I went away this weekend...by-my-self. (I went to my 10 year High School Reunion in Arizona.) Dad stayed home with the girls. Here are some conversations we had about Lainey's diabetes:

The morning I left---Me: "Will you check Lainey's sugar?"

5 minutes later---Me: "What was she at?"

Dad: "187"

Since she's eating breakfast---Me: "Did you dose her?"

Dad: "Nope. You just asked me to check her sugar."

Now I'm totally not mad at my husband. He's just very forgetful and gets distracted easily, which is typical when you have children. I just laugh and we joke that it's a good thing I stay home with the girls because Lainey's BG numbers would be...well you get the idea.

Saturday morning, 10:00 am, while talking on the phone with me---Dad: "Oh! I didn't dose Lainey for breakfast."

Breakfast was 2 hours earlier.

I arrived home this evening. The girls were still alive, for which I'm grateful. My husband and I were catching up on the events of the weekend:

Dad: "Well, I might as well tell you since you'll find out anyway."

Me: "What?"

Dad: "Yesterday morning Lainey went from 587 to 33 in a matter of a couple hours."

Me: "You do remember that you dosed her for breakfast at 10:00 yesterday morning."

Dad: "What? Ohhhh. Well that explains it."

(He had dosed her, forgot, checked her sugar 5 mins. later, and dosed her again.)

There's a reason I'm the mom.

Joys of Shopping

2009-11-07T17:06:00.003-07:00

Clothes shopping turned into a whole new experience when Lainey got her insulin pump. Many of you, who don't have a child with diabetes, may not have consider this.
An insulin pump is small enough to fit in a pocket, or you can attach a clip and hang it on a waistband. There have been many times when I have picked up an item of clothing and thought, "Oh the waistband is too thin and flimsy" or "These pockets aren't deep enough." I even look for long shirts to hang over the pump. That's hard to come by when you have a 3 foot, 6 inch-tall three year old. Jeans and pants with zippers are much more practical to buy than sweatpants.
When Lainey wears a dress to church, I safety pin a pouch on the inside of her dress seam to put her pump in. The pump is too heavy to clip to her underwear waistband.
There's even custom made clothes for pump wearers. Take a look at this website and one mom's story.

So Unpredictable

2009-11-06T16:02:00.002-07:00

Just when I think I understand Lainey's blood sugars and how she'll respond to different types of food and dosages, I get thrown for a loop.
The other day---
7:30a.m: breakfast and dose
9:30a.m: dosed for 229 BG
10:00a.m: ate cupcake with an inch of frosting
forgot to dose
11:30a.m: checked sugar BG was 47

How in the world did that happen??
I just don't get it.
Blood sugars are never predictable when you have diabetes. Obviously when you eat something with a lot of carbs and don't have insulin, your BG will go high.
But sometimes you go low and don't know why.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-05T15:28:00.004-07:00

Ah...another Halloween come and gone.

I'm so tired of all the candy, treats, and junk food. But I have to admit it was a fun week of activities...and a fun week of crazy blood sugars.

I'm late in posting these (um obviously, it's only November), but I wanted to show off my friend's amazing pictures that I stole from her blog. Thanks!

Before we set out on our candy consuming adventure.

Lainey didn't want her picture taken.

This is my neighbor who is everybody's aunt. She is so good with kids.

These neighbors have a diabetic grandson and gave Lainey cheese sticks when we came knocking. So sweet! Another friend gave Lainey play-doh.

Here's my grumpy Tinker Bell.

I remember when Lainey was first diagnosed being terrified about many things, mainly food and events. Every event that's celebrated revolves around food. I was especially terrified of Halloween. I read in a book about trading your child's candy for money and thought that was a cool idea. I also found these tips on childrenwithdiabetes.com

1. Exchange some of the candy collected while trick-or-treating with something else, such as a small toy or money. Younger kids might like this, especially since they can get something more permanent than candy.
2. Donate some of the candy collected to a local children's hospital or your local American Diabetes Association. Older kids might feel good about helping other kids.
3. Keep selected candy and fit it into your child's meal plan.

Alternatives to Candy
You may even wish to choose non-candy treats to give away. Some families give out Halloween-themed pencils, small plastic bugs, glow-in-the-dark rubber balls, or other small toys instead of candy. These kinds of items are readily available at local party-supply stores.

Visit Rite Aid

2009-11-04T19:08:00.002-07:00

During American Diabetes Month, Rite Aid is selling Stop Diabetes Pin-Ups for a $1.00. The $1.00 donation will go directly to the American Diabetes Association. And, they are providing a free educational booklet, “Diabetes Care”, to help you better understand diabetes and offer some everyday solutions for managing your health. Stop by your local Rite Aid to learn more about diabetes and buy a Pin-up to support the movement.

Sir Frederick Banting

2009-11-03T16:01:00.006-07:00

On October 31, 1920, Sir Frederick Banting awoke to scribble down some notes regarding an idea he had that involved separating a hormone produced by the pancreas. These "scribbles" along with the ideas of Charles Best, J.J.R. Macleod, and J.B. Collip developed into what the world now knows as insulin.

In January 1922, Leonard Thompson, a 14 year old boy with diabetes, laid dying in Toronto General Hospital. The young boy had been diabetic since 1919. He weighed only 65 pounds and was about to slip into a coma and die, but hope was on his side. Thompson became the first human being to receive an insulin injection. Because of this miracle, he lived another 13 years. Thompson died from pneumonia at age 27.
In the 1920's children dying from diabetic keto-acidosis were kept in large wards, often with 50 or more patients in a ward, mostly comatose. Grieving family members were often in attendance, awaiting the inevitable death. In one of medicine's more dramatic moments Banting, Best, and Collip went from bed to bed, injecting an entire ward with insulin. Before they had reached the last dying child, the first few were awakening from their coma, to the joyous exclamations of their families.

Do I love diabetes? No. Am I grateful for diabetes? Not really. But I am grateful that it is now a disease that is managed and not a disease that kills.
Sir Frederick Banting was born November 14, 1891.
November 14 is also World Diabetes Day.
Because of this man's accomplishment he saved, and continues to save, millions of lives.
My daughter is one of those millions.

Lainey's Sister

2009-11-02T19:23:00.002-07:00

This is Lainey's 2 year old sister, Libby, who wants to do anything and everything that Lainey does. One morning over breakfast I heard this conversation:

Libby: "My numbers!" (talking about Lainey's BG number on her meter)

Lainey: "No, Libby. That's my numbers."

Libby: "No. MINE!"

Lainey: "Libby, you don't have die-a-be-bees (diabetes). You're too little."

Diabetes Month

2009-11-01T10:02:00.008-07:00

In lieu of American Diabetes Month, I'll be posting a little tid-bit everyday about diabetes and how it effects our family.

Here's some info written by the American Diabetes Association. CLICK

To get involved in Community Events in your area, click HERE

Don't forget to change the time on your child's meter and pump!

Our Trip to Holland

2009-10-27T10:41:00.002-06:00

Many of you have inspired me to share my trip to Holland. I posted it HERE.

Dear Mr. Barber

2009-10-26T23:27:00.004-06:00

Oh, Mr. Barber. You do not fully understand how many T1 Moms you've upset!

My friend, Shamae, posted this on her blog.
I opened my Sunday paper today and flipped to one of my favorite sections, the Letters to the Editor. I was shocked and angered to read this letter:
Complaint
On Oct. 3, myself and my girlfriend were eating lunch at Burger King. A family came in and sat across the aisle from us. While the father was ordering food, we were shocked and appalled to see a boy inject himself with whatever medication, in front of God and everybody all while sitting at the table. We found this extremely offensive. That sort of business should be done in private. How about a little respect for those around you. Other than the obvious fact that it's not sanitary for those who use the table next, you have no idea how something like that can affect people. People go through a lot in their life and things like that may bring up certain feelings and memories best forgotten. I would like to thank those that day for totally ruining my meal.

If you'd like to read some of the reponses to this complaint, take your pick:
Shamae, mother of Sydney
Meri, mother of 3 diabetic boys
Joanne, mother of baby Elise

Wendy, mother to Adalyne

Jen, mother of baby Addison

PhoneLady

What's a Mom to Do?

2009-10-26T22:17:00.002-06:00

I remember talking to a mom, when Lainey was a baby, about how great it was that her kids were old enough to get themselves a bowl of cereal without waking her up in the morning. That's cool right? Your kid is independent enough to feed themself and mom can sleep in. Well no, it's not cool when that kid is a diabetic.

For the last two mornings my girls will get out of bed, go downstairs, and turn on the T.V. I don't get bothered and enjoy an extra hour or so of sleep. When I've finally drag my behind out of bed and get the girls some breakfast, I've gotten the surprise of my life. Lainey's BG is in the 400's! She is rarely high in the mornings. Totally out of the norm. So I go downstairs to investigate and find a bag of cereal in front of the T.V.

What's a mom to do?

I don't want to battle over food. I don't want to put locks on the kitchen cupboards. I don't want my daughter to starve while I sleep. She thinks she's doing me a favor by not waking her mother up. And she is! A HUGE favor! I like sleeping until 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning. I've done my best to teach Lainey that we check her sugar before she eats and she needs insulin with her food. But she's only 3!

Any advice from you moms who've been there?

Swine Flu Vaccine or Not?

2009-10-01T13:12:00.002-06:00

I took Lainey to her Endocrinologist appointment a couple weeks ago. The doctor "recommend" that Lainey receive the swine flu vaccination along with her regular flu shot. The moment he said it, I got that bad feeling; the feeling where your stomach rises to your throat. I truly believe in "that feeling", whether you call it mother's intuition, the Holy Spirit, God, or what. Modern medicine is amazing, but only a mother knows her child.

So I did a little Internet research on the swine flu, the symptoms, location of outbreaks, vaccinations, history, etc. It's hard to know where to stand, but I'm 95 percent sure I won't be taking Lainey to get the swine flu vaccination. My impressions were confirmed when I called my pediatrician's office and they said they weren't offering the vaccination.

I'd like to know what other T1 Moms think. What are your opinions?

I know diabetics immune systems are more susceptible to sickness and hospitalization, and I 100 percent believe in the flu vaccine. I'm comforted in knowing that it's been around for 20+ years and there have been little side effects.

My concerns about the swine flu and swine flu vaccinations:

Has enough research been done?
There have only been clinical trials completed with the vaccination.
Is there too much media hype concerning people and making them paranoid?
The swine flu and influenza have the same symptoms. Which is which?
This is the 1st year of the swine flu vaccination. Will it work? Is it too early to know?
People can die from all different types of influenza.
Are pharmaceutical companies just trying to make a buck?
What happened to common sense: hand washing and proper hygiene.

Thoughts? Even if you don't agree with me, I'd like to know.

You Let Her Do What?

2009-09-24T19:11:00.002-06:00

What mother lets her 3 year old play with syringes?

We T1 Moms do!

Lainey wanted me to take pictures of her bear, while she followed me around taking pictures with her Disney Princess camera. We did this for a half an hour. She was very creative finding different back drops and poses for her bear.

Morning Lows

2009-09-22T21:35:00.002-06:00

Lainey usually wakes me in the morning to eat breakfast. A few mornings ago I woke up at 8:30 and thought how strange it was that Lainey hadn't come into my bedroom. I opened my door, walked down the hall, and heard Lainey crying in the living room. She ran to me and wouldn't let go! I held her for 10 minutes, asking her what was wrong, but all I heard was jibberish. It didn't occur to me her BG was low. I thought she may have had a bad dream.

Eventually, I got her a bowl of cereal and she ate the entire bowl before I was able to check her sugar, which came up as 57. And that was after 15 carbs.

Diabetes Forecast

2009-09-17T19:22:00.002-06:00

Lainey's Grandpa got her and me a subscription to Diabetes Forecast. Lainey likes to look through it and look at the meters, pokers, and pump ads. There are some great recipes in there. I haven't tried any, but I should. It's a great and very informative magazine.

2009 JDRF WALK to Cure Diabetes

2009-09-12T14:25:00.005-06:00

Our 2009 JDRF WALK to Cure Diabetes was September 12. A big THANK YOU to all those who made donations. Our team raised $1,225 towards finding a cure.

Our faithful volunteers--I was excited to be a part of your group this year.

(The following pictures are in no particular order.)

Firing up the grills for our hamburger and hot dog lunch.

Bounce Houses for the kiddos

The Informational Health Fair

Getting geared up at the starting line

Lainey and her friend, Sydney, got to help the Mayor cut the ribbon at the starting line.

Dustin crossing the finish line with the girls.

Our Heath Family Team:

Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Jared, Aunt Courtney, Cousin Mackenzie, Cousin Alexis, and Cousin Eli. Thanks for coming!

The t-shirt table

Each walker who raises $100 is entitled to a shirt.

The signs

The starting line

The registration table

The raffle table

Shamae and I were in charge of collecting items, selling tickets, and manning the table. I was even nominated to call out the numbers for the winners. That'll get you out of your comfort zone real quick!

The official numbers aren't in, but I heard that our city raised close to $30,000!

Sick Day Guidelines

2009-09-01T22:29:00.003-06:00

Lainey started throwing up tonight. Isn't that wonderful? My life is so good right now.

While on the phone with my dad tonight, he asked what we did when Lainey was sick. I did not explain it well, so I told him I'd blog about it.

The Basics:

check sugar every hour
check ketones every time child urinates
drink at least 4 oz of water every 3 hours
keep sugars in the 150-250 range

Ketones are acids that build up in the blood and appear in the urine when your body doesn't have enough insulin. Ketones can poison the body. They are a warning sign that you are getting sick. Ketones can be measured in the urine with a visually read strip, and in the blood by using the Precision Xtra® meter. (Although measuring ketones in blood are more accurate than in urine, it's way cheaper. The Precision meter costs $65, but the strips run $3.75 a piece; whereas the urine strips cost $.40 a piece.)

Situations Where You Could Have Ketones

High blood glucose: High blood glucose means you don't have enough insulin to allow the glucose to get into the cells, so the glucose is piling up in the blood and/or being excreted in the urine. Your body needs insulin to use glucose for energy. So if you don't have enough insulin, your body will start to burn fat for energy.

Illness/stress: When you are under physical or emotional stress, your body needs extra energy to fight it. Hormones are triggered, which tell the body to release stored glucose in an attempt to give you more energy. If you don't have enough insulin to help this glucose get into your cells, your body will again burn fat for energy.

When ketones are a concern with high blood glucose:

If you don't have enough insulin available in your body, and the blood glucose rises, your body will eliminate the glucose by passing it into your urine. As your body takes fluid from everywhere it can to help dilute the urine and pass the sugar out, you'll get dehydrated. Because the glucose is passing out through the urine, the body is starving and fat will burn. If the body burns too much fat too quickly, ketones will accumulate in your bloodstream. Ketones make your body too acidic, which will upset the body's chemical balance. Your body might not be able to excrete the ketones adequately. In this setting, if your glucose is high, you are dehydrated, and your ketones are large, then your body's chemical balance is disrupted and you could develop a life-threatening condition called ketoacidosis.

Here are three basic reasons for moderate or large amounts of ketones:

1. Not getting enough insulin. Maybe you did not inject enough insulin. Or your body could need more insulin than usual because of illness. If there is not enough insulin, your body begins to break down body fat for energy.
2. Not enough food. When people are sick, they often do not feel like eating. Then, high ketones may result. High ketones may also occur when someone misses a meal.
3. An insulin reaction (low blood glucose). When blood glucose levels fall too low, the body must use fat to get energy. If testing shows high ketones in the morning, the person may have had an insulin reaction while asleep.

When Lainey has ketones we follow the ketone correction factor, not the glucose correction factor stored in her pump.

Small Ketones (0.6-.09 blood ketones): give 3/4 units of insulin every 3 hours.
Moderate Ketones (0.9-1.5): give 1 unit of insulin every 2-3 hours.
Large Ketones (1.5-2.5): give 1 1/4-1 1/2 units of insulin every 2-3 hours.

It is the hardest thing to get your sick child to eat, but if they're a sick diabetic it's crucial. If they have ketones, you need to give them insulin, which drops their blood sugar. But if their BG is below 150 you need to give them something to eat to bring it back up.

And that, Dad, was what I was trying to explain to you.

Volcanic Agave Nectar

2009-08-31T21:24:00.003-06:00

Some friends of ours gave us a bottle of Volcanic Agave Nectar. It's a low glycemic sugar substitute. Tonight we made Agave Nutty Choco-Chip Cookies

They turned out great!

Do Type 1 Moms keeps track of foods' Glycemic Index? I don't. I pretty much let Lainey eat whatever she wants, but after researching the Glycemic Index and GI Database I was very intrigued.

"Not all carbohydrate foods are created equal, in fact they behave quite differently in our bodies. The glycemic index or GI describes this difference by ranking carbohydrates according to their effect on our blood glucose levels.

Eating a lot of high GI foods can be detrimental to your health because it pushes your body to extremes. Switching to eating mainly low GI carbs that slowly trickle glucose into your blood stream keeps your energy levels balanced and means you will feel fuller for longer between meals."

Low GI diets help people lose and control weight
Low GI diets increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
Low GI carbs improve diabetes control
Low GI carbs reduce the risk of heart disease
Low GI carbs reduce blood cholesterol levels
Low GI carbs reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
Low GI carbs prolong physical endurance

A low GI diet would include:

breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and bran
breads with wholegrains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat

fruit and vegetables
Basmati or Doongara rice
pasta, noodles, quinoa
salad vegetables with a vinaigrette dressing

Glycemic Index of Sugars

Corn Syrup (89)
Honey (83)
Safe for Diabetics (<55)
Volcanic Nectar (27)

Honestly, I don't know how motivated I am to change my family's diet. However, I do like this Volcanic Agave Nectar and will bake more with it.

Here's the website if you're interested http://www.volcanicnectar.com/

The Big Brother She'll Never Have

2009-08-29T20:39:00.002-06:00

Lainey spent the last 3 days in Utah with her cousins.

Lainey really took to her 8 year old cousin, Jake. He was so good playing with her and Lainey was his shadow! After spending the day with him, Lainey told me, "Mommy, that's my Jake."

Lainey and Jake played outside for an hour--swinging, jumping on the trampoline, and playing with the dog. Jake gave Lainey piggyback rides around the house. They watched movies and ate ice cream cones.

Jake and his brother kindly gave up their bedroom for us. Jake insisted that Lainey sleep in his bed. He had a hard time going to school because all he wanted to do was stay home and play with Lainey.
Jake's mom babysat Lainey for a couple days. Lainey's BG numbers were awesome while she was in her care. My aunt is a dietitian and is really good at counting carbs. Lainey's BG numbers were between 72 to 151 for two days! I was thinking I should leave Lainey in her care all the time because my aunt does a better job than I do.
As we were driving away Lainey said, "Mommy, had fun at Jake's house." It was hard to say goodbye, and I know Lainey will miss her 'big brother' very much.

Lainey's 1st Manicure

2009-08-11T04:46:00.002-06:00

Sometimes it's nice to forget that our lives are centered around diabetes (and to post something different once in awhile). This was one of those moments.

I was driving in the area, so I stopped at the nail salon to schedule a pedicure appointment for myself. As we're walking out, a man asks Lainey if she wanted her nails painted. Of course she said yes! And before I realized what was going on, she had her pink nail polish picked out and was sitting in the chair across from the coolest man she ever met!

He was even cooler when he put white polka dots on two of her fingers. Then he led her to the dryer light. Lainey was taking this all in with big eyes of wonder. She then noticed women soaking their feet and asked me what they're doing. When I explained they were getting their toenails painted, she asked to have hers done. "Maybe next time Honey," while thinking I've unintentionally introduced her to a very expensive hobby 15 years too early.

Luckily I was only charged $5 because it wasn't a full, blown out manicure just a paint job.

When we got home, she posed for pictures.
Then we checked her sugar---304.
We were brought back to reality.

JDRF Walk Booth

2009-08-07T17:13:00.002-06:00

This weekend was the Roaring Youth Jam, a 3 day event sponsored by the Arts Council. It's a family festival of art, theater, and music for all ages. The JDRF was able to secure a booth to promote the Walk for the Cure on September 12. Our family volunteered for a 3 hour shift to hand out pamphlets and spread awareness.

Lainey had more fun playing and painting xylophones than handing out pamphlets.

...and more fun swinging hula hoops.

Daddy and Libbs hangin' out.

Not a Good BG Day

2009-08-01T18:06:00.002-06:00

Here are some BG numbers from today:

4am--293

9am--332

10:45am--537

It finally donned on me that she wasn't getting her insulin. Sure enough, her pump site was infected. We put some numbing cream on, gave her a syringe shot of 2 units (very traumatic!) and left to play with cousins at Blast Off.

12:15pm--Lainey comes to me crying. We get her pump back on and check her sugar. 39!!! She began consuming food like crazy: fruit snacks, fish crackers, apple juice, Cheetos. After about 2o minutes she was back running and playing in the ball pit.

I can't get over the fact that she went from 537 to 39 in an hour and a half! We've never had anything that drastic happen like that before. I shouldn't have given her 2 units of insulin since she would be running around and getting exercise, but how was I to know what would happen. That's just what diabetes is--a guessing game of the unknown.

Oh, what a day....

Lainey's Pink Pump

2009-08-01T18:01:00.002-06:00

Last week at Diabetes Camp there were some displays set up by the different pump companies. Animas came out with a new accessory called "pump skin", which is a rubber cover to protect the pump. There are many colors available so you can look stylish too. Lainey is obsessed with the color pink and thought a pink pump would be the great thing ever. Being the softy that I am, I ordered a pump skin and it arrived in the mail yesterday. She was so excited to wear it and show it off for the family.

Diabetes Camp Day 3

2009-07-27T21:25:00.002-06:00

The kids visited the zoo.

Lainey drew this picture with help from her camp volunteer.

Parents got to eat lunch with the kids.

Lainey received a graduation certificate.

Lainey and her team accepting their certificates.

Diabetes Camp Day 2

2009-07-22T21:23:00.002-06:00

9:00--Practice Camp Song
9:10--3-a-Day
9:20--Anytime Foods vs. Sometime Foods/Snack Races
9:50--Hand Washing Song/Bathroom/Bolus
10:00--Snack
10:15--Color and Put Together Activity Cubes
10:35--Play with Activity Cubes
10:45--Some Body Game
10:45--Hokey Pokey Muscles and Bones
11:00--Puppet Show
11:30--Listen to Your Body and Stretching
11:45--Hand Washing/Bathroom/Bolus
12:00--Lunch
12:30--Shots
1:00--Ambulance/Emergency Preparedness
2:00--Snack/Bolus/Parents Pick-up

Diabetes Camp Day 1

2009-07-21T21:23:00.002-06:00

Lainey's team table: The Celtics. She was given a purple backpack and a pink water bottle. There are 4 girls and 2 volunteers on The Celtics. One of the girls is a sibling of one of the diabetic kids. Maybe next year Libby can stay and participate with Lainey.

One of the volunteers is a nurse, named Isabel, and the other, Ky, has had diabetes for 10 years. Lainey is in very good hands. She has to wear her camp shirt everyday.

The kids have very structured activities. There are about 35 kids participating in the camp and they are divided into groups of 5, with 2 volunteers per group.

Jeannee, Judy, and Sue
They are the diabetic educators in charge of the camp. They began the morning helping the kids learn a camp song. The dog puppet is the camp's mascot.

The kids made beaded necklaces, colored, and threw water balloons. There are snack times, sugar check times, insulin dosage times, bathroom times, and wash hands times.

After lunch some clowns came to entertain the kids.

Lainey asked the clown to paint pink flowers on her arm.

Update

2009-07-20T20:00:00.002-06:00

Hi Everyone,
My mom signed me up for diabetes camp and it starts tomorrow. I'm excited to meet new friends who have pumps just like me. There will be crafts, story time, playing on the play ground, lunch, snacks, and a trip to the zoo! I'll be back in a few days to post some pictures.

Love,
Lainey

Type 1 vs. Type 2

2009-07-19T20:11:00.006-06:00

You may have heard the terms: type 1 and/or type 2 diabetes. Many assume that because the word "diabetes" is tact on the end, that type 1 and type 2 are the same. Well, they are NOT! They are very different in cause, management and control. Here are some facts as to not confuse the two.

Type 2 Diabetes:
-more common in adults aged 50 and older (although it can occur in children and adolescents as well).
-caused by being overweight, obese, poor diet, or lack of exercise. 80 percent of type 2 are overweight.
-Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95% of all diabetes cases in America.
-most people with type 2 diabetes are still able to produce insulin and don't need insulin shots every time they eat (or at all).
-Individuals who have a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes have 10 to 15% chance of developing the disease.
-Hypertension. High blood pressure of 140/90 mm Hg or higher.
-Poor cholesterol profile. HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) levels of 35 or lower and/or triglyceride levels of 250 or higher.
-Approximately 18.4% of Americans over age 65 have type 2 diabetes.
-Treatment: mainly controlled with diet, exercise, and/or oral medications, but some need insulin injections and blood sugar testing.

Type 1 Diabetes:
-an autoimmune disease that affects 0.3% on average.
-a result of destruction of beta cells in the pancreas resulting in the body no longer able to produce insulin.
-may be genetic, due to poor diet, or a virus, toxin, or drug affecting the pancreas.
-A child that has a parent or sibling with type 1 diabetes has a 2 to 6% risk of developing the disease. 80% of people with type 1 diabetes do not have another relative with type 1 diabetes.
-exposure to cow’s milk or cow’s milk-based formula before one year of age may increase diabetes risk.
-Treatment: insulin injections with syringe or pump, blood sugar testing, carb counting, exercise.

Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes:
-about 10-15% in United States are suffering with juvenile diabetes.
-Approximately 35 American children are diagnosed with juvenile diabetes every day.
-Nearly 21 percent of the population will develop diabetes. Less than .05 percent will develop juvenile diabetes.

Lainey Went to Yellowstone

2009-07-15T17:32:00.002-06:00

Our family went to West Yellowstone for a couple of days. Lainey had fun with Aunt Heidi and Grandma.

The Rustic Candy Shop is the best place ever! They have an entire section of candy for diabetics.

They make their own taffy, which is fun to watch.

Daddy took Lainey to the Candy Shop and this is the "sugar-free" candy she picked out.

Lainey showing me her candy.

Favorite Summertime Snacks

2009-07-12T19:14:00.004-06:00

This tastes almost as good as the real thing.

We make homemade Popsicles using Crystal Light instead of juice. I found the plastic containers at a craft store.

We like to eat Jell-o with Lite Cool Whip.

Lot's of different flavors...and good too.

Del Monte sliced peach cups are only 6 carbs per cup!

Here's a Jell-o recipe a neighbor gave me. I don't know the name of it, but it has become our favorite. I'll half the recipe if I'm making it for our little family of 4, but if you're having a BBQ or a potluck it's a great dish for lots of people. My guess-ti-mate is 1 cup equals about 10 carbs.

2 cups boiling water

3 small packages of any flavor sugar free Jell-o (I use strawberry)

1 quart buttermilk

16 oz. Lite Cool Whip

Dissolve Jell-o in boiling water. Let cool slightly. Add buttermilk. Fold in cool whip. Let set in refrigerator.

4th of July Parade

2009-07-05T21:52:00.002-06:00

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation decorated a float for the 4th of July parade. Shamae's cute little family rode on the float to help promote this year's Walk theme "Be A Hero. Help Find a Cure".

That's a statement isn't it?

Walking in the parade.

Way to go T1 Families!

Lainey's Grandma

2009-07-03T22:22:00.003-06:00

I'm very grateful for the support of both mine and Dustin's families with Lainey's diabetes. Since we live closer to Dustin's parents, Lainey's Grandma has been called on many times to babysit. It was very hard for me to pass on Lainey's diabetic care to someone besides Dustin, but I soon realized it was necessary if Dustin and I ever wanted to get away together. Grandma has learned how to check Lainey's sugar, count carbs, and give insulin doses. For the last 2 years, Dustin and I have gone to California for Spring Break, just the two of us. Dustin's mom was kind enough to volunteer to watch the girls for an entire week! This is not an easy job! For this last trip, I trained Betty how to change Lainey's pump site. We practiced several times and she did great. Lainey was in good hands while we were gone. Thank you Grandma!

A Confession of Guilt

2009-06-28T22:28:00.002-06:00

It seems as though my girls are going through a growth spurt, and Lainey is no exception. She eats all the time! An hour after breakfast, which includes 3 bowls of cereal, she's asking me to eat again. On some days she eats lunch at 10:30 a.m.

So obviously it's been harder for me to control her blood sugars. For dinner, one night, her sugar was in the 300's and she ate a 19 carb corn dog. I ended up giving her a big dose of insulin.

And then, what'd you know, she's asking to eat a couple hours later. "No!" I say, "You just ate. You don't need anything." This little exchange goes on for at least a half an hour.

Then the diabetic mom comes out in me, and I think to myself, "What if she really needs something to eat?" I grab Lainey's meter, prick her finger, squeeze the blood onto the test strip, and wait for the reading: 40

Well, don't I feel like a great mom? Guilt immediately sets in. For the last half an hour Lainey's been wanting to eat because she feels low. She is low! And why did it take me so long to figure it out?

Oh, has any other T1 Mom done that? I can't wait for the day when Lainey is old enough to describe to me how she's feeling. It can't come soon enough!

Lainey's Endocrinologist

2009-06-23T20:16:00.000-06:00

Every 3 months we drive to Utah to see Lainey's Pediatric Endocrinologist. The doctor checks her height and weight, her A1C, and makes adjustments to her insulin pump so that we can better control her diabetes. Today her A1C was 7.6, which means her sugars have been a little too high. We'd like her A1C levels to be between 7.0 and 7.5 percent. We've been seeing Dr. Swinyard since Lainey's diagnosis and have been very happy with him. He is a very understanding doctor, since he also has type 1 diabetes.

This is a picture of Lainey with "Dr. Chad". Chad Barnet is Dr. Swinyard's PA.

Lainey's expression says it all, doesn't it?

The nurses are very kind to us and let Lainey color pictures to hang on the wall. She insisted that her new picture be taped next to her old picture (dated Oct. 14, 2008). Lainey also gets to pick out toys and stickers from the treasure box.

We usually make the 3 hour drive, there and back, in one day. After the appointment we'll go out to lunch and to the playground at the mall. Today I took Lainey to the Treehouse Museum instead. It was awesome!

Introducing FUZE

2009-06-20T23:35:00.000-06:00

I tried this new drink--FUZE. It's like vitamin water and I love it! The best part...the entire bottle is only 4 carbs.

JDRF Family Kickoff

2009-06-20T23:18:00.000-06:00

Today we met at the park for a JDRF Family Kickoff to promote the Walk in September. Lainey got to meet some people who had insulin pumps just like her. She thought that was pretty cool.

The Lyon's talking with Cindy.

Manny brought sandwiches, donated from Subway, for us to eat. I met Manny last year at the Greenbelt, while he was at a booth promoting JDRF. He's the one who gave me the Walk info and got me started with my team and donations.

I didn't officially meet this cute family, but I'm sure I'll see them again this summer. The mom is trying to put together a Summer Camp for diabetic kids under 10 years of age.

I put together a cake walk for the kids to play. You can only do so much on the play ground, although Lainey could've swung on the swings the entire time.

Nutrition Facts Label

2009-06-16T12:23:00.000-06:00

When we stayed in the hospital, after Lainey's diagnosis, we had a crash course from a nutritionist about food. The question isn't "What can't she eat?" but "What can she eat?" Now I'm not going to give you a health lesson, because I don't know much myself, but carbohydrates turn your food into sugar to give your body energy. If you want to read up on it more, I've posted some links on the side of our blog.

On the nutrition facts label, we always look at the total number of carbs to calculate what Lainey's eating and how much insulin she'll need.

We also need to check her blood sugar to determine what she can eat. If her blood sugar is low, any number less than 70, she needs to eat at least 15 carbs worth of food to get her sugar up. If she's high, any number over 180, we want to limit her carb intake. Example: The other night Lainey wanted to eat a cookie. I said, "Let's check your sugar." It was in the 400's. So I gave her insulin and told her she had to wait to eat a cookie. After about a 1/2 hour I gave her a cookie (when the insulin has had time to bring her sugar down) and gave her extra insulin to cover the carbs of the cookie.

Lainey gets mad when I tell her she can't have a cookie or donut because she's "too high". She'll yell at me, "No! Lainey's not high! Lainey's low!" At least she understands that when her blood sugar is low, she gets to eat something sweet.

Here's a model on how to "count carbs". I can't imagine not having the nutrition facts label as a reference. I spoke to someone who's children were diagnosed with diabetes in the '70's and '80's when it wasn't mandatory to have this label on food packages. We would be lost without it! Most serving sizes are 1/2, 3/4, or 1 cup, but when you're feeding a 14 month old you're not going to give her a full up of cereal. I remember calling Dustin at work one day because I couldn't figure out the carbs to serving ratio. I was almost in tears I was so frustrated, but he eventually told me how many carbs were in a 1/8 cup of a 3/4 cup serving size.

A couple months ago my parents watched my girls for me. My dad asked to borrow the carb counting book for a reference. I told him I didn't bring it. "How do you know the carbs of certain foods then," he asked. "It's all up here," I said, pointing to my head.

I can't tell you how many servings sizes to carb ratios I have memorized.

Just FYI

2009-06-15T20:39:00.000-06:00

A couple months ago these little red bumps showed up on Lainey's feet. At first I thought they were blisters. They were not getting worse, but they were not getting better. I finally took her to a dermatologist.

It kind of looks like ring worm, but it's not. The doctor said it's Granuloma Annulare. I know. Gran-u-what? I just call it an immune system reaction. No one knows the cause of it, but it is common in diabetics. There are no symptoms other than a spot on your skin, which will eventually disappear. No treatment is needed, and the spots will go away on their own. It could take months, sometimes years.

Just thought you'd like to know....