Diabetes came into our lives just a month or so before Halloween last year.  Nate came down with a stomach bug and it landed us back in the hospital just a week before the big candy fest.  So, pretty much all that taken into account and the fact that Nate was only 15-months old - Halloween was pretty much a non-issue for our family.

Nate had a costume last year but he HATED it so he didn't even wear it to go trick or treating --

No devil costumes for Nate!!

Nate & Jim Trick or Treating 2009

OH BOY! How things have changed in a year!  Nate is is now 2 and we've been living with D for just over 1 year now.  Oh yea and did I mention that Nate LOVES candy, cookies, cupcakes -- well, pretty much anything sweet?!?  Biggest Sweet Tooth EVER!

So, this year I am quite sure he will partake in the family tradition of chili dogs, trick or treating and then the candy fest!  This year he is ready to GO - - -

I promise he is going to wear pants on Sunday!

Trick or Treat - GIVE ME ALL YOUR CANDY!!

I know it will be trial and error but this year we will just do the same thing we have done for the girls every year.  We trick or treat until their little hearts are content and then head home to pass out the candy we just received to all of the trick or treaters that come to our door.  Don't get me wrong --- we eat plenty of candy too but we always get SO much there is no possible way that we could eat it all.  And - Hello it saves me money by not having to purchase Halloween candy. The girls have always been allowed to eat their candy in moderation and I see no reason to make any changes here for Nate.


I mean really - do you really think little Emma could have eaten all of that?  Ok, maybe she could now but NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!!  She got to pick out her favorites, we handed out the rest and then Jim and I devoured all of the leftovers after she went to bed!!  :)


Am pretty sure Sophie would have loved to eat all of that candy!  Instead she ate a few that she picked out and we handed out the rest to all of the little urchins that came to our door.  :)


All of that to say Halloween is not a huge issue with our family.  I sweat a lot of things (Christmas and Thanksgiving are currently more stressful because of the excitement of the day causing high bgs and just overall timing of it all with extended family in the mix - - blah blah blah) but Halloween I can handle.  Everything in moderation and we'll be just fine.  Plus if it is anything like Easter - - - Nate was low for hours from all of the running around looking for eggs that he got to happily munch on many treats throughout the afternoon.

I believe this is just another one of the things that everyone handles differently.  What works for me may not work for you and what works for you may not work for me.  That's what I love so much about the DOC -- it's about sharing your experiences and not pushing your theories, ideas or beliefs.  Just sharing and trying to help one another.

Oh Mercy!
12a - 830a: 1:20  Breakfast
830a - 1030a: 1:28 Snack
1030a - 730p: 1:26 Lunch and Dinner
730p - 12a: 1:27  Anything in between! 

Before Nate was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes I knew nothing of it -
I remember my dad telling me adults have type 2 and children have type 1.  That's it - end of story.  I never gave it a second thought. Ever.

Then on September 17, 2009 Nate was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and now I can tell you just about anything and everything you want (or do not want) to know about it. I wonder often if when I get so frustrated with my friends and family for not understanding what I go through on a daily basis if it makes me a hypocrite?

My cousin was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 10 years ago --- he was very private about it but I never took the time to understand what he had or how to help.  I hate to admit it but I actually remember feeling frustrated with him one Christmas (I was hosting our VERY large family for Christmas day) when he asked me if I had Splenda for his tea.  What?  Hello - can't you see I'm busy here.  NO - I don't have any stupid Splenda for your tea.  Ok - hopefully he's not reading this because I'm pretty sure he never knew I felt that way.  I was a little overwhelmed by my ENTIRE family being in my house, preparing a meal (ok, an entree or two), having my kids running around and all of the usual stresses that come with the holidays.  No Excuse.  If I had known then what I know now I would have had Splenda and whatever else he needed to make things easier for him. Carb counts - heck yes! Splenda - yep!  I would have done more.

Here we are 1-year after diagnosis and I am so frustrated that people still don't get it.  Although just a few years ago I didn't get it.

I am trying to educate, advocate, share our story, and teach my friends and family.
My frustration comes when I see that now not just 1 but 2 family members have Type 1 and my family still doesn't 'get it'.

We count carbohydrates - not just occasionally but every single gram that goes in Nate's mouth.  It doesn't matter if it is "sugar free", "diabetic friendly", or "reduced sugar" -- we still count every gram of carbs that go into his mouth.  Insulin keeps Nate alive.  Insulin can kill Nate.  A high bg make his tummy hurt and makes him very grumpy.  A low bg makes him sweaty, shaky, weak and lethargic.  Nate has a very important schedule.  We still eat at around the same time every. single day.  A schedule is important (in my opinion) for any child but it is even more important for a type 1 child.  Nate doesn't get to eat whenever and whatever he wants AND there are times when he really shouldn't eat.  It's hard - it's complicated but it is our life.

All of these things are important.  They are important to me, to Jim and to our family.  These things help us keep Nate safe and healthy.  Clearly, unless you live this life you don't get it and it doesn't mean much to you.

We plan everything.  We do not expect our extended family to revolve around Nate or our family but assistance with accommodating our schedule is always appreciated.  We do not have the luxury of being all willy nilly with our plans.  Keeping our son alive is our priority.  What happens during his day directly effects what happens during his night and what happens during his night directly effects what happens during his day. It is non-stop.

I really do not think anyone outside of this life understands.  I have no idea who in my family reads my blog but am sure if they are reading this one I will catch all kinds of grief.  This is my place!  This is my blog.  This is where I let loose.  So, if you are reading this and are offended -- please don't be.  Or stop reading now before it gets worse. :)

This weekend we are having a family get together which we do every year to celebrate Halloween.  It is always in the late afternoon/evening.  We grill hot dogs, make chili, bob for apples - - - it's a lot of fun and the kids LOVE IT.  This year we were told that we would need to move the time up to 2p because there was a chance that the Rangers would be in the World Series (Woot-Woot!!).  Ummmm - yea - I'm super happy about the Rangers this year too but I'm sorry - my family doesn't have the luxury of planning events around a baseball game.  It's just not that easy for us.  We compromised on 3p which is still early for Nate's schedule but we don't want to be a major pain.

Hey - guess what??  The Rangers are in the World Series and it was mentioned that it would be better if we could move the time back up to 2p which we cannot do.  Not even possible for us.  Nate naps at that time and if it is at 2p --- what time would we eat?  How would that effect his bg?  How would the rest of the night go?  What if he's high - what if he's low? See - everything is about diabetes in our world and although it is the most important thing to us --- it clearly is not even on the radar of others.  It's such a hard balance.  I'm totally stressed because I know I come off as looking like a hard ass that won't budge but it's just not that easy.

Now I'm consumed with Thanksgiving and Christmas and what those days will hold with family.  What time will we eat, how will we control Nate's diabetes those days?  Should I just ease up and let him have an off day?  One day won't hurt him ---- or will it?  I just don't know and it is not worth the chance.  I work so hard to keep him healthy, his numbers in range and am always thinking about how each and every number effects his little body.  I find it very difficult to just relax and roll with it when it comes to Nate's health.

Don't get me wrong Nate's OmniPod makes life much easier than it was when he was on MDI but he still naps and is very grumpy if he doesn't and we still need to stay on a schedule so that I can keep my sanity.  :)
What's left of it anyway?!?!!?

How do you balance it and make everyone happy?

I'm such a hypocrite.  Two years ago I didn't give a flip. Why should I expect the others around me to care when  not so long ago ---- I was one of the others?!?!

It's time for me to come back to my blog. I've missed it and I have a lot to write about ---- so much to share but my heart is still heavy from the loss of Eilish, a 13 year old little girl that passed away in her sleep last week.  Eilish had type 1 diabetes and is believed to have passed away from Dead in Bed Syndrome.

For a mom it is very hard to hear about any child losing their life.  I. Cannot. Imagine.
I've been staring at the screen for hours and really cannot find the words --- I'm at a loss.

I don't worry any more or any less about Nate's diabetes because of this passing.  The fear has always been there.  So many people are not aware of the of what goes on in the life of a mom with a child with diabetes.

The fear, the worry, the exhaustion, the schedule, the math, the counting, the dosing, the never-ending work. 

The hard part is knowing that you can do it all right.  You can count every carb, weigh ever gram of food, accurately dose insulin, and repeatedly check blood sugar and still this disease is never really in your control.

Last week I did not cry at the news of Eilish's passing.  Since Nate's diagnosis I have read about several children passing away from the complications that are associated with diabetes.  I somewhat stayed away from the blogger community and kept to myself.  I think this was my way of ignoring the situation in an attempt at not having to deal with the reality of an all too real situation. 

Last night I stepped back in and have been completely blown away by the compassion, grief, and overwhelming sorrow that I am now feeling.  My tears are flowing freely for a little girl that I have never met.  I cry for Eilish, her mother, her father and for her little sister, Ella.  I also cry for Jesse Alswager's family, for Alec Temple's family, for Trent Nicholson's family, and Chantal Driver's family. 

You see I am not looking for answers --- I know that diabetes does not play fair.  I know these parents did everything right and still diabetes took their children.  I know that this very easily could be my family one day.  I live with that reality every day as do all of the other parents living with diabetes.  I only hope that all of the families that are struggling with the loss of their children know that there is a very large community thinking about you, loving you and lifting you up every single day. 

The outpouring of love and support has been amazing -

I have posted several times about my love for the OmniPod Insulin Management System. Today I would like to share the reasons why we chose the OmniPod and why I love the OmniPod so much I am thinking about marrying it. :)

Just about 2 weeks after Nate was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes our family participated in the JDRF Walk for a Cure. While at the walk my friend, Kimberly introduced me to the OmniPod representative, Rainne Brandt. We discussed the OmniPod briefly at that time but I was still completely overwhelmed by Nate's diagnosis so she gave me her card and some sample pods & I moved on.

When our family started thinking about pumping I thoroughly investigated and researched all of the insulin pumps currently on the market. All the while these little pods were sitting on my desk staring at me every time I sat down. After narrowing it down to the 3 most popular pumps: OmniPod, Ping and MiniMed it was such a clear choice for our family. We had to have the OmniPod!

* Probably the most obvious reason that we chose the OmniPod is NO TUBING. I spoke with several other D-Moms about their experiences with tubing all of which were positive but still the tubing was 100% an issue for Nate. I knew from the beginning that we needed to be tube free but I wanted to get all of the facts. I was honestly afraid my crazy boy would rip out that tubing and try to lasso his sisters with it - - - seriously, would not surprise me one little bit!


* Selfish, selfish me! Let me tell you why . . .
I hate shots! I hate getting shots and I hate giving shots. When the the nurse in the hospital made me give Jim a practice shot I nearly passed out. It was awful! The thought of inserting something larger than that little syringe into my son almost made me want to die. I watched several videos (over and over) of different people doing site changes and I knew I could not do it. Nope, not going to happen! When I saw a video of the OmniPod with its AUTO-INSERTION ---- it had me at Hello!!!! The pod sticks to Nate's little body, I push a button, count to 5 and DONE.

Priming the Pod

Auto Insertion Video



Disclaimer: Site changes for Nate are hit or miss. Some nights they are no big deal and some nights he screams and cries. This night it was 50/50 but i t is the only video I've got of site change night. Welcome to my chaotic life - - - !!!!

* Although I did not love the Freestyle meter when we got it --- I seriously love it now. It is built into the PDM and the strip requires the smallest amount of blood. I actually moved Nate's lancet from a 2 to a 1 and it is the perfect amount of blood. The strips have two sides so there is NO MORE ERROR 5 and can I just say that the little light on the end of the meter totally rocks for all of our nighttime checks.

* The PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager) is by far the easiest remote control that we have in the house. The screen is large, bright and very easy to read. It asks simple questions like "Are you going to eat now?" and "Would you like to change your pod now?". Once it asked "Would you like to marry me?" I said "Yes" and we have been together ever since. :)~

Here is a picture I took of Nate today. We were in the truck on the way to gymnastics. I had just checked his BG on the built in meter. He was a nice 150 (with a decreased basal (by 50%) for gymnastics) but I thought he needed a few carbs to keep him steady during his 1 hour class so I bolused him at a red light and gave him some cookies! The cookies were 15g and I wanted about 10g to be free for gymnastics. SO EASY!


* The BEST SALES REP EVER - Rainne Brandt. I mentioned her earlier in this post but let me just tell you how absolutely spectacular she is:

• She has been with us every step of the way. We started talking with Rainne long before we made a decision on which pump we wanted and she was always available to answer any and all of my questions
• She delivers. She came to our house and delivered stickers for Nate to 'pimp his pods', she brought us samples of different products to help with Nate's sensitive skin and products to help keep his pod in place.
• She texts! Rainne and I have had an entire text conversation while I was bathing the kids and then I called her back at 11:00 PM and we talked a little more!
  
• She is Type 1 and she wears the OmniPod.
• She let me do a site change on her before I had to do one on Nate.
• She knows her stuff and I trust her completely.
• She cares about Nate, she knows his na me and his diagnosis date and didn't stop calling or caring after she made the sell.

All in all there is so much more I could say about the OmniPod and I am sure as time goes on I will come back and add things to this post. I would love to discuss IOB, Temp Basals, Suspending Insulin and so much more but I will have to save it for another day. As I am sure you have figured out by now Hallie, Meri and I decided to do this post together as a Parade of Pumps and we set a deadline which I must meet today! :)

But, before I go I wanted to share with you what my pumping partner in crime, Jessica had to say about her love for the OmniPod:

1st --- I want to say that I thought all of the No D-Day Posts were greatness.  I really enjoyed reading and learning more about the people that blog about D (yes, you people that live in my computer - I'm talking about you!!).

Way to go Ninjabetic!!  Congratulations on a very successful No D campaign!

2nd --- I would like to thank everyone for all of the kind words about our home.  I love to decorate and am excited to be able to find that passion again after a year absence.  And for those of you that thought my house was tidy - - - please know it's all in the angle of the camera!!  Just so that you don't think I'm a big, fat liar --- here is a picture of my office.  OMG - are you ready for this??  It's embarrassing! 





Yep - - - that's where I'm sitting RIGHT NOW!!  No wonder my posts are always so crazy - look at my work area.  If it doesn't have a home - - - it somehow always ends up in this room.  I may or may not clean it out this weekend - - - that remains to be seen.  :)



3rd --- I forgot to thank Reyna over at Beta Buddies and Hallie at The Princess and the Pump for giving me the idea of a home tour for my non-D post.  Thanks, Ladies. 


4th --- Check out Jen's Sugar Bolus over at I Am Your Pancreas.
 It's a good one so GO CHECK IT OUT!!

I PROMISE HE HAD CLOTHES ON WHEN I PUT HIM IN THERE!

THE BOY IS OBSESSED WITH BEING NAKEDY!!

I'M TELLING YOU - HE ENJOYS NAKED!