World Diabetes Day Shirts... Deadline extended

We ended up having enough people order shirts to make a second run.  So if you missed out, you have until 10:00 pm CT today, October 31st.

If you want to order:

• Send me an email with how many, sizes and your address.  For a size guide, click here.

• Go to PayPal and submit your payment.  The shirts are $12 each.

• If you don't have a PayPal account, I can email you a money request so you can submit your payment via PayPal using a credit card.

And don't forget to send me your pictures of you all decked out on November 14th!

Sorta Wordless Wednesday: They're Heeeeeeeeere!

The shirts!

Coming soon to a mailbox near you!

(We're sending them out today)

Edited to add: If you missed the deadline and are sad that YOU won't be sporting an uber-cool WDD shirt on November 14, there's hope yet!  If we can get 10 more orders ASAP, the printer will do another run and we can get them out to you in time.  The price is still $12 per shirt, and you can email me at shirts@deathofapancreas.com to get your order in.

A1C Wishes and Blood Sugar Dreams

Yesterday.  Endo appointment.  Was I ready?

Yes I was!

The appointment was at 3:40.  

Dinner was made and ready to be put in the oven when I texted Fred to do so.

Mattias was napping.

Lucas was napping. I had a bottle in the fridge in case he woke up before I got home.

And the software was up and running; just waiting for Elise to get home from school so I could download her PDM and print out the logs.

WINNING!

Okay, my house was a mess, I had the leaning tower of laundry to do and my kitchen was overrun by dinner-making paraphernalia.

But still... WINNING!

Until Elise got home and I tried to download the PDM.  The software wouldn't recognize the PDM.  "No data found" it said.

Oh.  Hells. No.

Only 30 minutes until appointment time, I un-installed and re-installed software.  I restarted computers.  I called Omnipod.  I may have yelled at my computer and shaken my fist... the results were the same; "No data found."

With 5 minutes to go before the appointment (we live about 2 minutes from the clinic), I threw in the towel.  No logs today.  Sad face.

As we arrived in the parking lot, I instructed Elise to "run like a bunny" (Mo-oooom, bunnies don't run, they hop!) and I'm sure every ounce of crazy showed as we sprinted to the clinic.

Despite not having logs, the visit went great; problem areas were discussed.  Basal changes agreed upon. Pictures of ostrich races from the state fair were shown (doc, not me).

She even told me that the other day she baked a cake and decided to figure out the carb count as she did it. What she came up with sounded pretty good.  The story gave me a good chuckle.

A1C was given... .5 lower than last time, and the lowest it has ever been.  

Cut to me grinning, but trying to play it cool.  Unsuccessfully so.  Who cares?

We don't need no stinking logs.

Lights

Once there was this Mom.  She was in a very dark place.  Her heart ached and she seemed to spend most of her waking hours weeping.  She couldn't remember ever feeling so alone in all her life.  All she had were her words, so she threw them out into the void hoping that somebody, anybody was listening.

Somebody was.  Lots of somebodies.  And little by little, the door to where she was hiding inched open and lights started to shine.

Lights like Penny.  And Jill. Meri.  Laura.  Jessica. Wendy. Tracey.  Misty.  Amy. Kristi.  Lora. Heidi. Kelly. Chasiti. 

And Shamae.

I count these ladies as people who helped save me, and Shamae was one of them.  She was so positive and encouraging; as well as a fierce D-advocate.

My favourite memory of her is when she blogged about a terrible Letter to the Editor someone had written to her local newspaper. The person took issue with a little boy injecting insulin at a table in a restaurant. Shamae was fired up and wrote this blog post, encouraging us all to write the paper.  My response was published and Shamae was so sweet, sending me a copy of the paper and proclaiming me a "published writer in Idaho!"

I was shocked to find out on Sunday that she had passed away in her sleep. I am still in shock, it just doesn't seem possible.

So once again, this Mom is weeping.  For the loss of a friend.  A fellow D-mom, and a sweet soul who was taken way too soon.  I cry for her husband and three little girls; who shouldn't be saying goodbye, but have to.  

How can you mourn so deeply for someone you've never met; never even talked to, except through the written word?  I think it speaks to the bond that we D-Moms all share.

Thank you Shamae, for being a light in my very dark world.  

WDD shirts: Last call!

Since most people don't read blogs on the weekend, I'm going to do my last-call-for-shirts post today.  Sunday, October 20th is the ACTUAL last day, but I want to make sure everybody has a chance to get their order in.  Here's the info in case you've missed it:

• Just send me an email at shirts at deathofapancreas dot com.  Please specify how many shirts and what sizes.  For a handy size guide, click here. Don't forget to include your address so I know where to mail your shirt(s).

• Send your payment of $12 per shirt using Pay Pal.  The account is the same as the email address.  I promise you will get your shirt.  And if something goes horribly wrong, you will get your money back. Any profit made will be donated to the JDRF on behalf of Team Elise.

We made the number on the shirt a bit different... to see the old and new images, click here (I cannot figure out how to embed the image in my post).

If enough people want to order this shirt, but with a "Type 2" on the back instead of Type 1, we might be able to make that happen.  Just send me an email at shirts at deathofapancreas dot com.  It would take orders of about 20 shirts for it to work.  If I get enough orders, I will send you a request payment through Pay Pal.  If you don't receive anything, there wasn't enough interest.

Next year, I'm hoping to be able to offer shirts for ALL types; 1, 2, 1.5, and 3!

Remember... the deadline to order is THIS SUNDAY!

World Diabetes Day: Only 6 days left to order your shirt

Did you know that World Diabetes Day is only one month away?

And did you further know that the deadline to order your WDD shirt is less than a week away?

EEEEK!

So get your shirt orders in.  The deadline is this Sunday (Oct. 20).

Need a refresher on how to order?  

• Just send me an email at shirts at deathofapancreas dot com.  Please specify how many shirts and what sizes.  For a handy size guide, click here. Don't forget to include your address so I know where to mail your shirt(s).

• Send your payment of $12 per shirt using Pay Pal.  The account is the same as the email address.  I promise you will get your shirt.  And if something goes horribly wrong, you will get your money back. Any profit made will be donated to the JDRF on behalf of Team Elise.

It's that easy!  Order by Oct. 20, and you will have your shirt in time to celebrate World Diabetes Day in style!

I dug around in my archives and found these adorable pictures from WDD 2009:

Thankful Thursday: Nurse K

We had some school nurse drama before this year started and it made me nervous.  Lots of things seemed up in the air, and then we found out a new nurse had been hired.

We met her at our 504 plan meeting, and felt very comfortable with her from day one. She is open to feedback, willing to learn and has made learning about D a top priority.  

This morning she called during Elise's 9:00 am check:

Just wanted to let you know that Elise is 210 (this is a good number for her at that time of day. It's 2 hours after breakfast, and where she usually tops out at.  We like her to be between 180-220. That way she usually lands around 100 by lunch), but the CGM is saying slightly down.  I know this is a bit early for her to start going down, so I'll keep my eye on it.

Then she called again at 9:45:

I forgot to tell you we have a weather drill at 10:00 and I'm going to be all over the place, so I thought I'd go by and re-check Elise.  Her CGM is saying 117 slightly down now, so I thought I should give her some fruit gummies to be on the safe side.  

I love how she has learned Elise's routine.  She knows what is normal for Elise, and is starting to get comfortable with what actions to take.  She doesn't call me every check, just when something is up and she wants to double-check on what to do.  And I am so confident in her abilities, that I don't get stressed out when I haven't heard from her... it just means that all is well (we do use a logging app, and she tries very hard to enter the info as soon as she can, but her office is a zoo most days.  I've seen it myself!)

Elise loves school.  She is thriving. This separation has given her confidence that she will be okay without me. And Nurse K has given me the ability to relax and let go.

Today I am thankful for those who care for our kids when they are away from us.  

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Just a reminder... if you want to order a World Diabetes Day shirt, please do so as soon as possible!  If you left a comment on my first post, I still need you to email me your order.  Click here for a step-by-step ordering process.  And please get the word out to any D-peeps that you think would want one.

World Diabetes Day Shirts: A how to order re-post

It looks like we have enough people to go ahead with the shirts orders.  So if you really want one, here's how:

Step 1: Send me an email at shirts at deathofapancreas dot com.  Yes, even if you left a comment on my first post.  I need to have all the orders in one place to maintain what is left of my sanity. Please tell me how many and what sizes.  Not sure what size you need?  Click here. Also include your mailing address in your email.

Step 2: Now you need to pay.  I know this takes a lot of trust on your part; giving some crazy lady who lives in your computer money.  You will get your shirt.  I promise.  If something goes horribly wrong and the order doesn't happen, you'll get your money back.  I promise.  I would never rip anybody, let alone a D-peep, off.  And there are people in the DOC who know where I live who would gladly come beat my ass if I did.  

The price is $12 per shirt.  That includes shipping. The Paypal account is the same as the email.

Step 3: Do all of this before October 20th.  That is the deadline.  And if you miss it, I can't help you out. The printer is doing a one time run and there's no going back after the fact.

Step 4: After you receive your shirt and wear it on November 14th, please send me a picture so I can post it on my blog, like these fabulous people did 4 years ago.

If you want to look cool for World Diabetes Day, order now!

Things Diabetes has taught me this month... September edition

-The season of germs is upon us, and so is flu shot time.  I started looking into getting the mist for Elise and Mattias instead, but the guidelines are very unclear as to whether or not the mist is okay for people with Type 1.  Then Fred asked the question on the FB page of our local support group, and the responses muddied the waters even more... some said that their kid's endo said it's fine.  Some endos said, "no way". Some kids had the mist and experienced no problems, while others who had the shot came down with the flu.  The mist is a "live virus", but covers more strains... Commence head exploding... NOW!

Anyway, we asked Elise's endo and she was fine with Elise getting the mist... I think what it comes down to is that the mist is not for people whose diabetes is not well controlled.  Yay for one less shot!

-I wasn't sure what school was going to do to Elise's BGs, but so far her numbers have been pretty consistently good.  We get a few weird numbers here and there, but for the most part it's been great.

-I am so happy with Elise's school.  I have read horror stories out there about parents fighting with schools over accommodations, school nurses that act like they know better than the parents, and schools without nurses at all; and I realize just how lucky we are.  Elise's nurse is awesome.  And just the other day, Elise's Science/Spanish teacher emailed us about an upcoming experiment they were working on that involved candy.  She wanted to know if it was okay for Elise to eat a piece, AND she emailed me a picture of the nutritional information.  Yes, we are VERY lucky indeed.

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Just a reminder... if you want to order a World Diabetes Day shirt, please do so as soon as possible!  If you left a comment on my first post, I still need you to email me your order.  Click here for a step-by-step ordering process.  And please get the word out to any D-peeps that you think would want one.

No D-Day: Meet Lucas

It's October 1st, and according to George, that means it's No D-Day!  I always have trouble coming up with what to post on, so I'm going to do what I've always done on No D-Day... introduce you to somebody who doesn't get much mention here; This year it's Lucas's turn!


What can I say about my adorable third-born?  There's a reason one of his (many) nicknames is Cutie-cutie-cute-cute.

Almost a year ago Lucas made a very... interesting entrance into this world.  Despite the rocky start, he has fit perfectly into our family right from the beginning.  He is just such an easy baby; the only one of mine who would take a bottle.  He's a great eater, a great sleeper, and an awesome traveller.  His whole schedule was turned upside down when we went to FFL in July, and he barely batted an eyelash.

As you can see from these pictures, he is a happy little man.  They really reflect his personality.  The other day I was at Elise's soccer practice, sitting with Lucas on my lap.  He was being a bit whiny, and I explained to another Mom that he had been so cranky because he was teething.  Her response was, "really... THAT'S cranky?"  It made me laugh... and realize how spoiled I am!

He loves his brother and sister, and lights up when he sees them. Elise, of course, is amazing with him.  And even Mattias is great, calling him, "my brudder!"

 He is my little snuggle-bug.  He loves his Mama, and I love the way he wraps his arm around my neck when I'm holding him.  And his cheeks... SO KISSABLE! 

He turns 10 months in a few days, and it has been so much fun to watch his personality blossom.  I couldn't have imagined a more lovely little man as my number three.

So there you have it... Lucas, meet the DOC.  DOC, meet Lucas... the happiest baby in the world.

(Okay, one more pic... I just LOVE his blue eyes in this one)