Better than Christmas

We are very lucky in that it's taken almost 2 years but we are finally getting the supplies covered (for the most part, see the CGM post) that we need. I am a big time hoarder of his supplies because you just never know with insurance if one day they will cover the 600 strips we get monthly then turn around and cut us back down. It's taken almost 2 years, we started at only 300 strips a month, then increased to 450, now to 600. It's definitely a good feeling to see our shelf that's pictured here. I
t's actually better than Christmas, because I know we have what we need, and for a good while should anything happen. It looks like our shelf is a mini pharmacy and I love it. There are a lot of people out there without insurance that have to pay out
of pocket for their D supplies and those that have insurance and can't get enough of what they need paid for. So I know how very blessed we are that Clifford's is all covered. It's truly a lifesaver (literally).

This is also an inside peek for those without Diabetes or much experience with D to see just how it looks at home. Another section of pictures are what I call the "Clifford station" this is where I keep his meters, strips, lancing devices, extra lancets, juice boxes for quick usage, glucose tabs, pixie sticks, smarties, glucagon, you name it it's probably there. But it's in a centralized location in the kitchen that works very well for us.

I am thinking once we start pumping I may have to either a.) make more room on the D supply shelf, or b.) figure out another good place in the house that works to hold supplies. (still thinking ab

out this one, just haven't figured it out yet). I also want to get some supplies (meter, glucagon, strips, juice boxes, alcohol wipes, lancets, lancing device, etc, etc) to put in Clifford's room, just need to find the perfect spot that can be locked up because little fingers (sisters) like to get into everything. So for now during night time testing I either carry juice or other carbs up with me just in case or make a run for it back downstairs to get what is needed.

In all it's a very good feeling to be stocked up. I tend to buy our juice boxes in bulk during the month. Usually the lady at Dollar General looks at me strangely because I am usually there with 10-15 (4 packs) of 4oz juice boxes, 10 of those large smarties (good to use like tabs), and a couple bags of pixie sticks. I'm probably a nerd, but I replied that in our house this is considered medicine!

Our night last night wasn't much fun. I went up to test Clifford around 12:15 after staying up late to finish up work, I decided it was bedtime for me. And what did I find? So needless to say I was up a bit later, finally testing at around the 20-25 minute mark I got a 119. I really think this number was for correcting a 209 at bedtime. I didn't think this number really should be corrected just cover for the 15 grams of carbs for snack. But endo says correction at bedtime for numbers higher than target. So with correction and coverage he got 1 unit of humalog and low and behold dive bombed. You w

ould think I would just start listening to myself more than the endo, but now I can go back and tell them once again I was correct and look what happened. Thankfully I tested and didn't let him ride it out like only testing 2 nights a week as suggested by said endo. So in all with the treating of juice with this 63, he was 110 @3am and 114 @wakeup. Pretty good numbers minus the overnight scare.

So why is night time so scary?

You may hear many parents of Type 1 kids talk about how they don't sleep much and how scary night time is. But why is night time so scary? Let's look at it this way as a person without diabetes, your pancreas is still fully working properly, you can go to bed and not have to worry about anything going wrong with your blood sugar, that's because your pancreas is working around the clock to ensure you are stable all though the night with insulin and glucagon (if you happen to get low). However with Type 1 diabetes Clifford's pancreas gave up and quit it's job. Now it's our job to function as his pancreas. Unlike a pancreas who really doesn't require sleep, we as human beings do. There are a few things I've learned about night time. 1. I dislike it, but also love my sleep. 2. It's so unpredictable with diabetes.

I've had an endo tell me once to stop testing overnight so much, that really all he needed was tested 2 nights a week. Well that didn't sit too well with me, but overworked, and sleep deprived I decided to give it a shot one time, and go to bed without testing him. Yes that might shock pretty much all of you, but we were new to this and I decided to listen to the medical professional. Well what happened you might ask? Clifford woke up at 3am and was "dizzy", after testing him he was low with a blood sugar of 50! I knew that feeling in the pit of my stomach was something to listen to when I went to bed.

So as we move on in this game I learned something else just last night. Last week before Clifford's dental surgery I talked with his diabetes educator, she wanted to get his numbers and see where to change his Lantus to before the surgery and the fasting he had to do. Well that night he was below target at 111 at 11pm, his target for bedtime is 120. So I decided to treat and give him 15g's to help get him above target. He happened to wake up a little higher at 240. The educator said with him being so close to target that he didn't need treated to help get him up. Okay well last night rolls around, I again tested him before I went to bed at 11, and he was 112, I decided NOT to treat, and went to bed, 2:30 he was tested again and he was 130, not bad. However 6:30 came around and Clifford woke up feeling "dizzy". After we tested him he was 68.

The lesson I've learned from these two experiences is one I've always knew 1. Diabetes is unstable. He could have been 112 another night and not got boosted up by juice, and still woken up high, or he could have dive bombed as he did last night. What I've learned is if I do not feel comfortable with the number prior to going to bed as I didn't last night (but listened to the educator) I will go with what I feel is best. I mean I understand that his diabetes team is very smart and educated in their field. They are however not experts at Clifford's body. Unfortunately I am no expert at his body either, but I have more of an inside look than they do in caring for him 24/7.

I think I may have sidetracked from the topic of this post, but you can probably guess as to why night time is so scary. Non -working pancreas can lead to many problems during the night, including fatal ones that cannot be undone. So every morning we Thank God that Clifford woke up alive and awake, and for that we are truly blessed.

Type one signs and symptoms

After a message from a friend today asking about Type 1 diabetes symptoms, I got to thinking that it's been awhile since I posted about the signs & symptoms of Type 1 diabetes. If even 1 person reads this and recognizes the symptoms early enough I will feel like I've accomplished something HUGE!

There was really no significant sign or symptom leading up to Clifford's diagnosis that I really thought stuck out. That is until the week prior to him being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. He had gone to visit with his dad and came home feeling a bit under the weather. The next day he had gotten sick a few times, and had what I thought was the "flu", and with what we understand about Type 1 now, he more than likely had the flu, and that is what triggered the autoimmune attack on his pancreas. He just didn't seem to get any better, he was very thirsty (wish I knew that was a symptom at the time), he lost some weight (didn't know this until diagnosis), and he was weak, and towards the time right before being diagnosed had a bit of labored breathing (which I really thought he got hit with a bit of cold on top of the flu.) Unfortunately I cannot go back and recognize the symptoms sooner, although I've wished many times over I could. But if there is a way to help someone else recognize the signs and symptoms sooner I will do my best.

The symptoms of type 1 diabetes usually develop quickly and over a brief period of time. They can be mistaken for a stomach virus because vomiting is often present at onset, especially in children. The classic symptoms of type 1 include:

• Extreme fatigue
• Frequent need to urinate
• Continual thirst despite taking fluids
• Severe hunger urges
• Unexplained weight loss

Making Sense of the Symptoms

At first glance these symptoms don’t seem related, but they are. Because your pancreas has stopped creating insulin, a hormone, which is needed to process glucose taken in from food, your body is literally starving. Hunger, weight loss and fatigue are consequences of your organs not getting the glucose they need to function properly. Frequent urination and thirst occur because your body is doing all it can to get rid of the excess glucose by dumping it into the bladder.

Anesthesia and Diabetes

Many of you may already be aware that Clifford had to have some dental surgery done that required him to go under general anesthesia. I searched the internet and asked many questions on if anyone actually had experience with this with diabetes and how that worked. I received a lot good information, and I wanted to do the same here.

The one thing we experienced was high bg#'s. This could be in part from the worrying and stress Clifford was under because he was a bit scared about what to expect from the whole procedure. It could also be in part due to he had Orange juice to help bring him up from 99 (anything under 100 as per endo orders) at 11:30pm the night before. It could be both, or it could be 100 different things that diabetes does that we cannot control. They gave him some short acting during the procedure and monitored his blood sugar to make sure it was coming down. They were concerned about the high numbers. He was given what they called "Silly juice" before getting anesthesia. This helped to relax him so he wasn't as worried going into getting his anesthesia. It definitely relaxed him, basically made him drunk without all that puking ;).

After he was in there, they gave him the choice of scent to disguise the gas smell from the anesthesia. He took a few breath's in and within a few seconds he was out. His arms and legs did a bit of a flinch or jerk, but as they explained when they start to go out they will do that with their arms, legs, and shoulders. In total I think the whole procedure took 1-1.5 hours until he was in recovery already awake for us to go see him. He was out of it and looking miserable for another 2 hours while he went into a 2nd recovery room to watch cartoons, and make sure he could keep down 4 oz of liquids. The only scary side effect was his blood pressure went a wee bit low, but that was an effect of the anesthesia.

One important tip from me is not to watch the monitors like crazy because you will concern yourself. What I thought was his PulseOx or Oxygen Sat levels were in fact not, but they were his heart rate. Otherwise I was thinking 70s & 80s for pulse ox stats were something to be concerned of. In all he got 6 baby teeth pulled some due to overcrowding in his mouth, and 4 sweet new silver teeth as we told him (stainless steel caps). He got to bring his teeth home as well too, which need washed off so he can bribe the tooth fairy with them tonight for some cash.

Back to the diabetes part of it all. Although his blood sugar was high, I was not too concerned in fact that once in awhile with Diabetes you have highs that cannot be explained, and they happen. But I also knew that once it was over and he was more comfortable in his own environment and not scared and concerned they would be better and we'd get them back down, which we have :)

What February has in store!

Normally when you think of February you think of "love" "valentines day", or living as close as we do to Punxsutawney, PA, "Groundhogs Day". Abby's already asking when it's Groundhogs day and how many more days to count down to. But when February rolls around I think of the day our lives changed in a big way. On February 28th, 2010, Clifford was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Every year after we celebrate the new year, the next thought in my head is his Dx date is coming up. This year I'd like to do something special for him to make him see that we are able to celebrate a healthy year of living with diabetes. I really started thinking more of what to do for him on this day after last night. He is scheduled for dental surgery, (baby teeth pulled, a couple fillings) on Thursday February 2nd. He is supposed to go in ahead of time because he has to fast for the general anesthesia that he will go under for the surgery, so they want to monitor his blood sugar, etc, etc. So last night we were talking more about what is going to take place, that if he wants I am allowed to follow him into the operating room (their words not mine) and be with him until he's out from the anesthesia. I think he is a bit scared by all of it. I basically explained it helped to put him to sleep so when they pulled his teeth and filled them he wouldn't feel any pain. He looked at me and asked "Why does all the bad stuff happen to me".....

That right there tells you and from previous comments that he looks at diabetes as a bad thing. I try to remain positive about it with him celebrating good numbers, etc. But it does take it's toll. So I really think this year when his diaversary comes around we need to celebrate another healthy year with diabetes. On a more positive note since he is "8" this year I got a ADA Camp brochure in the mail. I would really like for him to go to camp this summer, so here's crossing fingers that we can make that happen for him.

Sleep Deprivation... A classic normal.

I think somehow God was preparing me to handle a diabetes diagnosis in one of my children. Think about it. From before the time Clifford was born, I hardly ever slept, due to reasons out of my control, but still had a significant lack of sleep. Pregnancy didn't really help in the sleep department either. Then Clifford was born, well we all know how well newborns sleep don't we. He was in newborn sleep mode until 21 months, which btw was the time when his baby sister Abigale was born. Abby really never reached the ability to sleep through the night until she was 4, but before that time Miss Hayleigh was born and proved to be just like her siblings in the sleeping department. It wasn't until Chad helped to sleep train all of them they started sleeping through the night. But by this time I was already pregnant with the twins and uncomfortable from the get go with morning sickness that lasted all day well into 22 weeks of pregnancy. By the time the morning sickness subsided I was already too huge, and cramped inside by two bouncing baby girls that sleep just wasn't in the picture. Diabetes by the way entered into our lives shortly after we found out we were expecting.

So I like to look at the sleep deprivation as a challenge. Because if you think about it, even with diabetes in the picture I've already have been quite sleep deprived for around 9 years now. I know I can function on little to no sleep for an extended period of time. I've learned to understand just how my body works in that at the 8-9 day mark of only 2 to 3 hours of sleep per night I crash, and I crash hard. I think once I surprised myself and made it almost 2 weeks straight before hitting that sleep wall. It's pretty funny that I actually get excited when I get more than 5 hours of sleep in a night.

Although sleep deprivation is not easy for everyone. Caffeine however is our best friends in the department of lack of sleep when it comes to Diabetes. I guess in a way I am thankful for the preparation for the lack of sleep that would be created when Diabetes entered the picture, because by the time it happened, I already knew how much I could function and on how little sleep.

The Pancreas...

I've decided to dedicate this blog post to the Pancreas. you never really realize how important this little organ is until you or someone you love is hit by a diabetes diagnosis. Sure that little pancreas in the picture here seems very cute and harmless, but I have to say he's a major pain in the tushie, or fingers, arms, legs, tummy (for those with diabetes). Did you know, that little guy is only between 6 to 10 inches long... How can something so small cause such big problems?

So what exactly is the job of the Pancreas?

The pancreas is a gland organ that is located in the abdomen. It is part of the digestive system and produces important enzymes and hormones that help to break down food. The pancreas has an endocrine function because it releases juices directly into the bloodstream, and it has an exocrine function because it helps to release juices into the ducts.

Enzymes, or digestive juices, produced by the pancreas are secreted into the small intestine to further break down food after it has left the stomach. The gland also produces the hormone insulin and secretes it into the bloodstream in order to regulate the body's glucose or blood sugar level.

Hmmm it seems that little guy has HUGE responsibilities. Since you are here and this blog is mainly about type 1 diabetes, with references to the love of my life :D.. You may wonder exactly what is type 1 diabetes (the type Clifford has), and what the pancreas has to do with it.

What is type 1 diabetes???

(Information from Kidshealth.org)

Type 1 diabetes results when the pancreas loses the ability to make the hormone insulin. In type 1 diabetes, the person's own immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. once these cells are destroyed they will never make insulin again.

Although no one understands for certain why this happens, scientists think it has something to do with genes. But genes for diabetes isn't usually enough. A person probably would then have to be exposed to something else like a virus to get type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented, and there is no way to predict who will get it. There is nothing that either a parent or the child did to cause the disease. Once a person has type 1 diabetes, it does not go away and requires lifelong treatment. Kids and adults with type 1 diabetes depend on daily insulin injections or an insulin pump to control their blood glucose levels.

So basically how I like to look at it is Clifford's immune system got bored and decided just for fun to go attack his pancreas. Unfortunately because the pancreas is such a small little guy, he didn't even stand a chance against the big bad immune system and threw in the towel. So I guess in all of this if there is someone or something we want to be mad at its the immune system. I mean there are way better things to do when you're bored then to go attacking innocent organs.

So there, now you have it. That's the basic breakdown of what the pancreas is and its responsibility for what its role in type 1 diabetes is... Any questions?