Clifford’s Pancreas: You’re FIRED!

 

Okay, so it’s been 2 years 7 months and 26 days since Clifford’s pancreas decided it didn’t want the position of taking care of his insulin need’s anymore. But during those 2 long years I’ve never once let it know exactly where it stands with me.  So today is the OFFICIAL firing of his pancreas day when I let it know YOU’RE FIRED.

I’ve taken on your job for over two years now, and you do nothing but cause problems, so your gone, we’re finished, we no longer have a relationship with you. We’ll be accepting applications for a new pancreas to take you position….. (Don’t you wish it was that easy??????) Until the day of a cure the job of Clifford’s pancreas will be done by his family, and himself.

This is not a huge post for today but just my way of making light of the situation and letting the organ that has caused all these issues know where it stands.  Peace out Mr. Pancreas…..

The business of Diabetes

You know we’ve all thought it at one point or another while injecting our kids with life saving insulin, or testing their blood 15 + times a day with those pricey little $1 a pop strips. How about ketone testing with $5 strips (each)…..

How bad is is when flu season hits it scares me to my core. Why? One because the flu for those with Diabetes can be downright deadly. Two because I think of all the money that those in the business of diabetes will be making this year alone. Each day when Clifford is sick with the flu we go through at least 25 test strips ($25) 10 ketone strips ($50) not to mention the fast acting carbs to keep those #’s from dropping too fast. Testing alone costs $75 a day (at least).

I remember not to long ago adding up exactly how much it costs right now with the treatment method we’ve chosen for Clifford of being on the pump, blood ketone testing, testing blood sugar’s around 15 x a day, etc, etc. This total was well over $20,000 per year! Add onto that the cost of using a continuous glucose monitor, you’re looking at more than a full time job at minimum wage could pay for in one years time, all to keep this child healthy and alive.

As parents we will do whatever we can to ensure the safety of our children. It just seems depressing and downright pisses me off sometimes the amount of money those in the “business” are making off our children’s lives! I no longer can see a test strip as a test strip, I see it as a $ symbol. I surely hope and pray long and hard that one day their will be a cure for this gold awful disease, but deep down inside part of me thinks why would they do it when they are making loads of money, living the dream life and sipping drinks on the beach all the while our children suffer…….

Let them be a kid…..

Diabetes has already taken away their carefree childhood so aren’t they entitled to just “be a kid”?

Of course the answer to this is yes, but what happens when “being a kid” threatens their life?

For most parents you have to worry about your children getting older and experimenting with different things, dangerous activities, etc for it to really threaten their life.

Unfortunately for parents of children with diabetes every day “kid” activities can threaten their life. Activities like

• Getting an extra cupcake at a birthday party
• Eating all their Halloween Candy in one sitting
• Running around outside playing kickball from sun up to sun down
• The occasional “sneaking of a treat”…..

I am in no way saying children with diabetes cannot eat these things, because they can. These items just require insulin to cover the carbs in them. But what happens if the kids sneak them because you know they are just “being a kid” and do not give themselves insulin for them? Well their blood sugar goes through the roof! That’s what happens, it’s now to the point of endangering their life.

It’s just all part of the territory of raising a child with diabetes. You have to let them be a kid, but still somehow manage to magically protect them from every possible thing they can get their little hands on to. And sometimes, just sometimes it’s overwhelming!

Take a moment…..

When life with D kicks you down

Wipe yourself off, get back up off the ground,

and take a moment and ponder where you are,

just how far you’ve come from life so bizarre.

High blood sugars, low blood sugars, the rollercoaster of D

Hang on for the ride, don’t let time slip by, or you may not see

exactly where your headed, down the path of life,

full of love, hope, success, and perhaps a little strife.

But take a moment and review just what you’ve learned,

all those sleepless nights, full of fear and worry, badges of honor are what you’ve earned.

Stand tall, and walk with pride,

as you are among the special few that will survive.

There may be times D tries to trip you up,

but remember to take a moment, and tell it to shut up!

The Special Ones

 

They fight to keep their children alive in the wee hours of the night.

They go with no sleep, and hope with all their might.

That one day their child will be free from pain.

That a normal life they will again regain.

They go throughout their day with little to no sleep.

Always waiting for that next meter beep.

It’s the special ones who look at their children and try not to cry.

The ones that always want to ask “why”.

Why does their child suffer from an invisible disease so bad,

that at any moment can strip them of the life they had.

You never know how precious life is until you’ve almost lost your child

All the issues that were so big before, now seem so mild.

These special ones you may not know exactly who they are.

Because they wear their pain in their heart, and hide their battle scars.

These special ones are the mothers and fathers of children with diabetes.

No D Day: The other side of life

 

Today is No D Day. This is a blog prompt from : http://www.ninjabetic.com/

And the basic idea is:

That people with diabetes have a lot more going on besides diabetes. Let’s talk about, share, and mention other stuff in our lives instead of that disease that never lets us rest.

Stuff like hobbies, family, movies you like, new music, the weather, sports, favorite stuff, things that bug you, whatever!

JUST NO DIABETES TALK!!! (unless of course there is an emergency)

The other side of life for us is quite spectacular. We have 7 children, and two dogs. Our twins turn 2 years old tomorrow, and it seems like time has flown right by. There are no more babies in the house but toddlers, a preschooler, kindergartener, first , second, and third grader.  It’s crazy because we are venturing onto our 30th birthday’s (Both Chad and I, we’re pretty close in age, although I tell him he’s older than me by 1 month and 3 days), after that Abigale turns 7 and Clifford turns 9!! His last year in the single digits I told him.

Life just flies by when you least expect it if you’re having fun and living it. I like to act like turning 30 bothers me a lot. When in fact the truth is it really doesn’t sting too much. So what I’m not longer 20, but my 20s were not the greatest, (at least the early 20s, later 20s rocked). So I’m looking forward to a new decade and legendary 30s. And while the twins are no longer babies, and I miss the baby days from time to time, I will cherish the milestones of my niece who will be turning 8 months old later this month. And like the fact that my body can be all mine during my 30’s instead of spending it pregnant, or having babies like in my 20s!

So the other side of life for us is just family. We live our life the way we want, happy and healthy. Every day is a battle in some sense but we make it through. We have a large family, sometimes it’s chaotic, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Best part of it all is we are alive, and that is surely something to celebrate.