Could Get Much Simpler

CGMS

Acronyms baby, what does this one stand for?

 

Can't Get Much Sleep!

Could Get Mommy Sleep?

Connor Gets Monitored Soon!

 

These are all true, but what it really stands for is:

 

Continuous Glucose Monitoring System

 

If you are a diabetic, then you know this acronym along with about 20 others.  It's like we are living on a military base and speaking in acronym code-talk to one another.

 

Today was a BIG BIG day for us, as we went as a family to visit Connor's Pediatric Endocrinologist!  We received our report card and also spoke to the doctor about moving onto electronic devices to help us better manage Connor's blood sugar.

 

First thing was first, we received Connor's A1c number, OUR REPORT CARD.  The A1c number measures how much glucose has attached itself to the red blood cells during the previous 2-3 months.  This number indicates how well Connor's blood sugar has been controlled, which ultimately serves as a good predictor of overall health.  Friends, I will give myself an A+, I mean I knew that I was kicking ass in the blood sugar management department, but didn't realize how well!  For Connor's age group, they want him in a 7.5-8.5 A1c range, and Connor was at 8.8.  However, per the blood sugar trends shown on his blood sugar meter for the last 6 weeks, the doctor said we should see him at around 8.3 in 1 month.  The doc remarked that I was doing a great job being Connor's full-time pancreas based on how he eats and how often he gets insulin injections.  We did a bit of celebrating in the doctor's office......I mean, this kid came home from the hospital at 9.9, so a predicted A1c of 8.3 in a month sounds like pure bliss, "oh yeah, sookie sookie!"

 

 

The doctor then handed me a large pamphlet to discuss the Continuous Glucose Monitor, and I literally was like:

 

Can you imagine being randomly dropped off in let's say, Uzbekistan, and being told that you'd have to figure out the language, currency and geography.......oh, and you don't know a soul.  That's kind of what navigating the world of CGMS is like.....the pamphlet that was handed to me might as well be written in Cantonese, cause it was acronyms and numbers and I didn't know what the heck they meant.  So, I put down the pamphlet and bombarded the doctor with questions.

 

I learned a few things today: the CGMS will give me the ability to remotely check Connor's blood, oh sweet Hallelujah!  I am so done with the constant finger pricks and blood test strips (I know that Connor is too)!  When it is 4:18AM and you are looking for test strips and you cannot get enough blood onto the strip, one becomes a wee bit cranky!  The CGM also has an alarm function that goes off if his blood sugar goes low.....do you know what this means???  I CAN FINALLY GET SOME RESTFUL SLEEP!!!!  Since Connor's diagnosis, I don't sleep, I mean I am up on average 4-5 times/night for blood checks, it's honestly worse than having a newborn.  The idea of Connor having a seizure in his sleep is my absolute worst nightmare, and I am willing to do anything to prevent it!  Connor is normally just 'fine', but some nights he unexpectedly drops low or on the flip side, he shoots through the roof.  High numbers=bed wetting like you wouldn't believe & also a very cranky little monster waking up!!!  Trying to get this kid ready for school waking up with a blood sugar in the high 300s is like trying to dress the possessed girl from The Exorcist....evil, mean and combative!  The CGMS also provides overall blood sugar trends that will help me better manage Connor's blood sugar, AND it lets me know if his number is falling or going up.  This means that if I press the button and his blood sugar is at 194, I will know if it is falling or if that number is on its way up (indicating that we many have to give him a shot).  I normally have no way of knowing this without testing Connor's blood over and over again, so the CGMS = my new bestie!

 

Not only did we get a great report card, but it also gave me a little hope for help :).  To have just a little help in the daily process, just a little, sounds like beautiful heaven to me. 
We have an appointment to get Connor fitted & to learn more about the CGMS in a couple of weeks.  Life just Could Get Much Simpler for us, and I couldn't be more excited about this!

 

Here is the gang waiting for the doc this morning:

 

 

 



Sweet Success!

Hi Friends,

I hope you all had a great weekend! 

What is this?

Yes, my deck, some pepper and tomato plants..........but it's also SUNLIGHT!!!  I almost ran my white Irish butt outside stark naked to bask in the sunlight and soak in some vitamin D around 11:00am this morning.  If you are not from this area, then you are probably unaware that it has been a complete deluge for 9 consecutive days.

I've never been that concerned with the weather, but you see, I made it my mission to buy coats for a local homeless shelter this past weekend.  Our town-wide yard sales were this past Saturday & Sunday morning, and the rain certainly put a damper on things (sorry, couldn't help myself).  I was worried sick that they'd be postponed, or worse, canceled.  Alas, the amazing folks of Purcellville pushed through and sold their old possessions under the shelter of EZ-UP Tents, umbrellas and garages.

Regardless of the rain and conditions, WE DID IT YOU GUYS, TAKE A LOOK:

 

 

These 2 are incredible helpers by the way!  They helped me lay the coats out, count and take inventory.

On Saturday, my husband and I left at 8:30am and didn't get home until 1:30pm.  Let me tell you, we met the nicest people, and it made me so proud to live in this town!  Once they saw my extensive coat list, many people would inquire about why I was looking for so many coats, I would explain, and then they would immediately lower their prices.  One lady actually GAVE me a couple of beautiful coats......I was ready to give her big hugs and tell her how much I loved her, but then I realized how weird that would be, so instead I just thanked her profusely :)!  I got 2 free snow-bibs and 2 free puffy vests for small children as well.

Can I tell you that I've never been so in love with my husband as I was on Saturday morning?  Todd spent his hard-earned dollars and hours of his time standing in the rain negotiating coat prices on behalf of individuals whom he has never met.  He is just incredible!

We are dropping off the coats tomorrow, and I am as pleased as punch with our sweet success!  I certainly hope that everyone loves their coat.

Warm Hug

Have you ever had a nagging thought or feeling that you just couldn't ignore?  I experienced that about 3 weeks ago when my husband went "shopping" at a local community yard sale on a Saturday morning.  My husband (who LOVES shopping at yard-sales btw) was able to score dozens of books, clothing, shoes and toys for my children.  They were delighted when what appeared to be Santa Claus came 'HO HO HOing' through the front door with bags full of goodies.  I stood by while they dove into their gifts with glee and just couldn't ignore that feeling.  Nope, damnit, by Sunday afternoon, I still couldn't ignore it.  What was that feeling?  That my family has so much, that all of our basic needs are met, and that there are so many people who are struggling and just aren't as fortunate.  So I finally addressed that feeling and contacted the director of a local homeless shelter.  I had an idea.......since our entire TOWN's yard sale is this Saturday, October 12th, I could go shopping for anybody in the shelter that was in need.  The director got back to me rather quickly and explained that they were in desperate need of coats.  You guys, they need 32 coats, 20 of these coats are for small children.  This breaks my heart! 

Many of these women and children have faced very trying & difficult times, many struggled for years before they finally decided to enter the doors of this homeless shelter.  Their stories are not for me to know, nor to judge.  What I am to know is that basic human needs are not being met and that my help is needed.

I am hoping & praying that everyone participating in this year's town yard sale is selling a coat!  I am going to get my children involved and have them help me sort the coats and then also come with me to drop the coats off at the shelter.  You are never too young to think beyond yourself and learn that we belong to each other, that our job while we're on this journey is to love and help one another. 

 

So this Saturday morning my mission will be to find coats and jackets for children and adults to wear as they brave the winter chill.  My hope is that each time they reach for their coat, place their arms in the sleeves, wrap it around their torso and zip it up, they know that this coat was a stranger's way of wrapping her arms around them and giving them a warm hug all winter long. 

If you are interested in helping, my email address is: mnugent@live.com.  Please visit their website (or your local shelter's website), as they have an incredible list of volunteer opportunities: http://www.goodshepherdalliance.org/

p.s. Happy Birthday Mom, I love you more and more each year! :)

This song is dedicated to the mothers and children in the shelter.  I know that life is trying right now, but over that rainbow.....blue birds fly, dreams really do come true.  I hope and pray that life will only get easier for you.

 

ROAR

 

I look down at the meter and say "Ohhhh yeaaahhh buddy, that's a good number!!!"  Lately, this has become a reoccurring comment.  Let me tell you, I am becoming a blood sugar management specialist and am feeling like a bad ass!  For the past few weeks I have been dancing like a wild thing and singing Katy Perry's ROAR at the top of my lungs, it's the song that I have dedicated to Type 1 Diabetes....."I let you push me passed the breaking point......'cause I am a champion and you're gonna hear me ROAR!"

The Pediatric Endocrinologist wants Connor's blood in a 80-200 range, and to keep it steady, my husband and I had to learn the following:

-The amount of carbohydrates in every piece of food in existence (we've got most memorized)
-How much correction he needs
-That Connor's blood sugar elevates everyday that he goes to school because he's so excited to be there
-That Connor's blood sugar elevates while he exercises
-That Connor's blood sugar reacts differently when it comes to 20g of natural sugars vs. 20g of processed sugars
-How to order multiple prescriptions and have them ready in 15 minutes....LOVE you Walgreens!
-That his long-lasting insulin peaks everyday 2.5 hours - 3 hours after his injections, be aware, he could go low
-That every night his growth hormone elevates his blood sugar while he sleeps and that he will drop back down
-That Connor's blood sugar elevates if he gets mad
-That Connor is as white as a ghost if his blood sugar is below 70
-I can now give you a range of his low number based on his symptoms and coloring
-When Connor's blood gets above 300 he is mean, irritable and emotional, for every 100 above that he becomes meaner and even more emotional
-That a vial of Lantus or Humalog can be "bad" upon opening and completely ineffective
-That just a .5 unit of insulin will make all the difference in the world....how can a tiny drop make such a difference?
-The importance of shot rotation!
-That Connor's wounds take A LOT longer to heal than they used to
-Where to "click" on Connor's fingers to draw the most amount of blood
-That if the insulin says it expires in 28 days.....it expires in 28 days, you're not gonna make it to day 29
-That the "Honeymoon Period" is absolute hell on earth, nothing comes close!
-That as a family we are in this together, we will get through it, we are champions!!!

There is such a steep learning curve with this disease and please know that this list doesn't pertain to all diabetics, no, every person is different.  You have to know your diabetic child and figure this out on your own and when you finally do, it's magical!  This list didn't 'just happen', nope, there were soooooo many tears on my part!  There were consecutive days and nights of high blood sugar that left me punching the couch and yelling expletives due to deep frustration and worry.  You can't just tell yourself, "oh well, he's at 450, we will get his blood sugar better tomorrow," no, his tiny organs are relying on you to get things right TODAY.  It has been 7 months since Connor's diagnosis and I can finally say that I feel confident! 

When Katy Perry's song comes on the radio you better believe that I belt those lyrics out loudly and fist pump like I'm on an episode of Jersey Shore.......if I can do this, then I can do anything!

To all the parents of children with disabilities, listen to this song, belt it out & fist pump, 'cause we're all champions!!!  What difficulties were you forced to overcome or what have you accomplished in your life that made you feel like a bad ass, like you could ROAR?

Dear Diabetes,

You held me down, but I got up (hey!)
Already brushing off the dust
You hear my voice, your hear that sound
Like thunder, gonna shake the ground
You held me down, but I got up
Get ready 'cause I've had enough
I see it all, I see it now

I got the eye of the tiger, the fire
Dancing through the fire
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!
Louder, louder than a lion
'Cause I am a champion, and you're gonna hear me roar!

Now I'm floating like a butterfly
Stinging like a bee I earned my stripes
I went from zero, to my own hero

FALLing out of Love

Have you ever watched a leaf fall to the earth?  It begins with that moment of release from its branch, when its purpose and beauty are no longer required.  Its abrupt demise is followed by a slow fall to earth in which it dances through the air.  It drifts left to right, floats gracefully as it puts on a performance as a last tribute to the tree which gave it life.  The wind determines where it will ultimately land, where its final resting place will be.  That single leaf began as a tiny bud just short 6 months prior, grew & grew, changed colors and now, in its final pigment of brown, is falling to the earth's floor, which will lovingly welcome it home.  One single leaf on a tree doesn't single-handedly create the beauty that is the tree, no, it's the thousands upon thousands of leaves that work in collaboration to give the tree its shape, its canopy, its life.  You appreciate and admire every single unique leaf, as each one served it's purpose and without it, the tree would not be complete.  The leaf's transformation and existence were short-lived, but you know that come next spring the cycle will begin again.

That one leaf had an incredible journey, and as you ponder its life you very slowly look up at the rest of your yard to be greeted by approximately 3.21 billion of that leaf's brothers, sisters, cousins and 2nd cousins twice removed.  You stop.  You stare.  You think to yourself, oh, sweet baby Jesus, these 3.21 billion leaves need to be removed, all of these leaves have made MY damn yard their graveyard.  You take a look around and appreciate how outnumbered you are.  You then begin to count the amount of trees on your property....one, two, three, six, nine, HOW THE HELL DO YOU OWN 9 TREES!?!!?  Why did we not do a tree count before putting an offer in on this house?  These once shade-providing, privacy-producing, bird-housing beauties of nature are now your enemies.  "DAMN YOU TREES!!!" you bellow, as you are now on both knees and waving your fists toward the heavens.  You then realize that you are falling out of love with the same trees that brought you so much joy all summer long.

How will you remove all of this leaf debris?  First thing is first, you pull out your trusty property survey to confirm that the large patches of grass immediately touching & surrounding your home are in fact your property.  Could there be a mistake, maybe all of this grass belongs to the county or a neighbor somehow.  Okay, confirmed, every square inch of "your yard," is in fact your yard.  Hmmm, what are the odds that a powerful rogue wind will descend upon your home and remove the billions of leaves from your yard and "conveniently place" them in your neighbors?  You imagine the conversation with neighbor Bob, "Oh, sorry, Bob, really strange that this wind-thing happened, that's really terrible luck, mother nature, you just never know what she's gonna do!"  Knowing that this 'rogue wind luck' would only occur with God's interference, you accept that He's probably too busy to assist with leaf removal, and explore other options.  After doing further research you have concluded that your HOA will NOT allow you to burn your yard as a method of leaf removal.  You also know that those HOA tyrants will be sending you a certified letter in approximately 36.2 hours if the 3.21 billion leaves aren't removed promptly.  'Prompt leaf removal' is stipulated in clause# 458.A.1.2 of your HOA documents, and you know that they're ready to pounce and fine your broke ass!  You quickly take note that you'll either need to hire 24 large-able-bodied-men to work 18 hours/day, 7 days/week to keep up with the removal....or you'll need the largest beast of a leaf-blower-sucker-upper-thing that you ever did lay your eyes on.  Also, you will want to purchase roughly 2,487 Home Depot yard waste bags to accommodate the amount of leaf debris you will be cultivating.  Your ass is as broke as a joke, but you are willing to sell your first born to get your hands on that leaf-blower-sucker-upper-contraption!  Once again you find yourself shouting, "DAMN YOU TREES AND YOUR REINDEER GAMES!", as your little fists pound away at it's bark.  They say that necessity is the mother of invention, and EUREKA!, you've got it.  You will arrange 11 large rakes abreast and weave dozens of bungee cords through the handles as to create a massive sweeping rake that can comb your yard in one fell swoop.  You will put your husband in charge of pulling this device through your yard.  Will this work?  Are you willing to buy 10 more rakes and lots of bungee cords?  No. 

It's been a love/hate relationship with these leaf dropping ba$tards.  They lovingly reduced your A/C bill all summer long, provided the shade for your summer picnics with your children, created a sanctuary for the birds that serenaded you, and now they are leaving you with more back-breaking work than a 340 acre tobacco farm.  You are now considering beaver-gnawing at them with your bare teeth to bring them down if you have to.

You take one more look around, assess the damage, and wait, you forgot to look up.................OH HELLS NO, the trees still have 80% of their leaves.  These leaves are hanging on by a thread, taunting you, you are at their mercy, you know that with one light breeze, thousands will begin their final dance to the earth's floor......your yard.  If this is only 20%, what the hell will 100% look like?  In 6 more days, you will be standing ass-deep in leaves, you also realize that you would instantly lose your 2 small children in leaves upon exiting your home.  You concede, that leaf-blower-sucker-upper-thing & 2,487 Home Depot yard waste bags will have to be purchased.  To the Home Depot you go, hello credit card! The cost doesn't matter, sanity is worth every penny, right?  You may have fallen out of love with these trees this Fall, but come next spring you know you'll be back in love.

Unplug

It was about 6 o'clock, there was a warm breeze and the smell of fall in the air.  "We will only go to that playground if you and Chelsea behave."  Connor responded, "We will Mommy, I promise!"  We embarked on our evening family walk and headed toward the W&OD Trail.  The leaves, beginning to change colors created a rainbow effect above us, and the smell from the woods was intoxicating. 
Connor, knowing where the playground is located, was sitting at the edge of the stroller seat, ready to run out as soon as we arrived.  As we slowly approached the isolated playground located a couple yards away from the trail, I saw a woman sitting on the stairs to the entrance of the playground equipment staring at her cell phone.  It took us about 3 minutes to arrive (we are slow walkers!) and I realized that she was not acknowledging us or likely to move from her location.  Considering my children would not be able to use the playground equipment, I told them that we'd continue to walk and come back in 10 minutes.  We were in front of the playground for about 2 minutes, I checked Connor's blood sugar and reassured him and Chels that we would come back.  The woman never looked up, not once.  As we continued to walk away, to my shock and surprise I saw that there was a young boy with her, he appeared to be about 6 or 7 and he stared very intently at us as we walked off.  "Hmmm, strange!" I thought, she was so disengaged from her surroundings that I had only assumed she was at the playground alone.  We walked for an additional 10 minutes and slowly re-approached the playground.  I was disappointed to see her still in the same exact position so engrossed in her phone that she never looked up to see who was arriving, again.  Connor ran to one of the 2 swings and the little boy sprinted over and pushed my daughter to the ground to get to the 2nd swing.  I wasn't mad at him because his actions told my husband and I that he just wanted attention.  I looked back at his mother who never looked up from her phone.  My husband put our son on the swing (which was very high off the ground) and was going to offer to put the little boy on the swing as well, but wanted his mother's approval.  Problem was, his mom never looked up.  We were at that playground for a total of 6 minutes.  Do you know that she never looked up.  She never even knew that the 3 children at the playground (2 of which were mine) could not use the playground equipment because she blocked the entrance, because she never looked up.  At one point the little boy said, "Hey, Mom."  No answer.  "Hey, Mom." No answer.  "Hey, Mom." No answer.  At this point my husband and I are staring at her with baited breath as she is staring at her phone.........just answer him I wanted to shout!  "Mom, I'm talking to you."  No answer. "Mom, I'm talking to you." No answer.  "Mom, can you answer me?"  At which point she finally said, "What?"  She never looked up.  The little boy boasted about something that he wanted to show her..........she never responded and she never looked up.  I was so disturbed by the whole thing that I got up from the bench I was sitting on and loudly proclaimed to my children who were just standing there (because they could NOT use the equipment) that we had to leave and go to another playground.  It didn't phase her, she never looked up.  By the time my feet landed back on the pavement of the W&OD Trail, my heart felt so heavy & saddened for that little boy.  Their very nice SUV was parked in the distance, they were both well dressed & she certainly held a fancy cell phone in her hands, and ALL that child wanted was 1 minute of her attention.  As we walked away I kept looking back and he just stared at us in silence.  He was lonely.  He was physically there with someone, not just someone, his MOM, but he was craving attention and company.  I wanted to ask this mother a thought-provoking question, if she were to invite a friend to the park, would she ignore that friend and dismiss them as if they were not worth even a minute of her time?  If the answer is "no", then why do you think that your child deserves less respect?  Just because a child can't eloquently request your attention or convey how much it hurts their feelings, doesn't mean that it doesn't. 

Let me go ahead and say this: I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE WITNESSED ANYTHING LIKE THIS, nothing even remotely close, but I wonder, is this the beginning of what will be "the norm"?  I hope this situation serves as a reminder to all of us, (myself definitely included) to the parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, nannies and babysitters, of these little people, that all they want is your attention, acknowledgment, praise, recognition for just a minute or two.  They don't need you glued to their every move for every second of every day, but just a minute or two to engage them in conversation, ask them to show you how well they can do something, laugh with them, play hide & seek, and you know what?  You will see their little spirits soar, they just want a little bit of attention. 

In this woman's defense, maybe there was something very pressing or urgent that was occurring in her life that required her undivided attention via her cell phone for a long period of time.  Maybe she is completely unaware of how her actions, or more like lack of actions, are impacting her child.  Maybe, if she were an outsider viewing the same scenario, she'd be appalled.  Maybe, just maybe, had I not witnessed this situation first-hand, I could've been this woman in a year or two, totally disengaged from my surroundings and unaware of how my lack of interest in anything but what was occurring online was affecting my children.

I grew up in a generation, and if you're reading this, so did you, that didn't have any portable electronic devices.  Our parents were not distracted with online games, Facebook, e-mail, work phone calls, Twitter, and blogs, they were at the playgrounds watching & engaging us.  They were fully aware of what was going on......they made eye contact with strangers, said "hello."  They taught us how to be polite and mannerly by setting an example; everywhere we went with them we learned the art of small chat, how to converse with adults, to not speak too loudly in public settings, and you better believe that our bad behavior was corrected.  We were taught how to introduce ourselves, how to politely ask another child his/her name and if they wanted to play.  After last night's incident, I've been pondering, if we are so frequently disengaged from our little people, then who will teach them how to be polite and engaging, how are they to learn?

Beyond our children, we are ignoring each other too!  I recently witnessed a new mother who was pushing her stroller walking behind a young man who was looking down at his phone as he was entering a store.  He was so engrossed in his phone that he literally dropped the door on her stroller.......something must have grabbed his attention because he realized what he had done and ran back to hold the door for her.  If he had just looked up from his phone and took a look around he would have seen her.  Believe you me, it is no easy feat maneuvering a stroller through a doorway trying to keep the door open, and I'm sure she was hoping for someone to help!  I worry that we are all becoming so plugged into an online world that we are losing touch with politeness and connectedness in the real world. 

I am very thankful for that mother at the playground last night, she certainly opened my eyes.  I am going to be more cognizant of how much screen-time I am engaging in everyday, especially when my children are present.  I will be sure to always make eye contact with my children, let them know how much they impress me and how loved they are.  I will always do my best to be polite to strangers, hold doors, say "hi", drive courteously with my phone out of sight..........I am going to do what we all need to do from time-to-time, UNPLUG!  Aaaannnddd, on that note, I'm closing my computer for the day, I hope that everyone has a terrific day, thanks for stopping by! :)

Smile

I woke up this morning in one cranky mood and for my children's sake I'm trying to cheer myself up!  Who the heck wants to be near an impatient & unpleasant person, I know that I don't, and I figure that they don't either.  My husband didn't get home until almost 8:30pm last night, leaving me with dinner & pre-bedtime duties = chaos and stress!  Both kids have raging head-colds and have short fuses with one another, so if you can imagine it was argument after argument, tears and more tears, several tantrums, yes, this went on for HOURS.  I was also wiping noses every minute because it's an absolute snot-fest in here, and I'm almost to the point of encouraging them to just use their sleeves (gross, I know, but I just can't keep wiping).  By 7:15pm, I contemplated locking myself in a closet, but I figured it wouldn't be the best idea considering the neighbors would hear the incessant blood-curdling screams from the children and probably would call Child Protective Services.  Sooooo, I did what any A+ mother would do.......I poured myself a very large glass of wine, said 874 prayers and dug deep to keep my cool.  I woke up this morning to our dinner dishes, more dirty laundry and a grocery list that is as long as the Great Wall of China, so I was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

To cheer up and change my sour mood, I purchased these beauties for myself home at the grocery store (Sunflowers are one of my favorite flowers!):

and baked these delicious Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies:

Sometimes a girl just needs to buy herself flowers and bake a half-dozen chocolate chip cookies (that she'll eat gluttonously) in order to smile.  I'm determined to make this a good day!  I hope that everyone has a wonderful Tuesday as well......go ahead, do a little something nice for yourself, we all deserve to smile. :)  Josh Groban sang it best........................