Saturday, July 30, 2011

Normal?

The other night Bean tested before she went up for bed...normal.

She was at 130 and wanted a snack...normal.

She went to the fridge, got a cheese, and took it upstairs to eat it...normal.

I went to the fridge later to get me a snack...normal.

This is what I saw....normal?


Did you spot it?  The tissue with the little drops of blood on it between the leftover spaghetti noodles and the cream cheese (total impulse buy the other day; still haven't opened it...maybe I will on the bagel thins below it that I got for Bean to try...sorry, stream of consciousness moment).

I'm used to seeing test strips in odd places, but this is the first time a tissue has appeared in an odd place...I'm sure it won't be the last!

Ah, the 'normals' D brings with it!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Dé hAoine Tá go maith!


Roselady over at Diapeepees started Good Fridays...
a day to reflect on the 'good' of the week, no D allowed!  
 
De' hAoine Ta' go maith!...Friday is good!
Irish this week!


1.  Bug rocked the Dentist.  Bug had a dentist appointment this week and she totally rocked it!  She sat in the chair, leaned back, opened her mouth, and let the dentist count her teeth and the assistant clean them...and she only bit her once, on accident! ;)  Other than her teeth being close together and thus braces will be in her future, everything looked great!




2.  Ubergeek has gone fishin'.  Part of this is good....the part where Ubergeek gets to hangout with some of his buddies from work and celebrate a wedding and, let's not forget, bring home some yummy salmon!!  Part of it's not so good...he left Wednesday evening and will be back, I think, Sunday. While I'm not minding the 'one less person to take care of,' I'm kinda lonely and am missing him! 


3.  Three Dollar Shoes.  So, Bean announces yesterday when getting in the car after day camp that she will be wearing brown tomorrow and needs new brown shoes because hers are too tight.  Sure, it's getting close to time to go school shoe shopping and sure, I know she's grown a lot in the past few months and sure, I verified that the brown shoes were indeed too tight, BUT I was not planning to do any shoe shopping until next week or the next.  
  Well, a coupon did come in the mail so I figured why not go and see what they had...she was going to need the shoes soon enough and I wasn't really in the mood to go home, so off we went.  They didn't have ANY school shoes in yet...not sure what the deal is since all of the stores around town have had school supplies out for a week!  
  Anyway...here's what we ended up with:


  Brown Sandals for Bean and Pink Shoes for Bug...can't get just one of them a pair!!  And, the best part?  They were both on sale for only $3!!!  Can't beat that!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

'Mama said there'd be days like this...

...there'd be days like this Mama said.'

OK, so maybe MY mama didn't say it and I can't remember if the song was about good days or bad days so maybe I should have picked another title, but I'm committed to it at this point so, WHATEVER!!

Take a gander at this:


I have never, repeat NEVER, seen a day of BG readings like this!!  
Sure, Bean's average for other days might have looked like the day was a 'good' one but if you looked at the actual readings, not so 'good.'

In the interest of full disclosure, she was at 252 when I checked her at 11pm, but that's because I didn't have her cover all of the carbs in her snack at 8:30pm when she was at 74.  And I'm totally OK with that number since I'm pondering overnight correction factors and basal rates because they seem to be 'off' again.

Yes, I'm fully aware that by putting this out there Bean's numbers could quite possibly be total CRAP for the next week, but this is the first time I've EVER gotten the chance to see numbers so pretty that I just had to share!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

If you trust ME, you can trust IT

Bean is going to a day camp this week and next.
It's at her school, with  teacher she's comfortable with because of Drama Club last school year, with the office staff back in the building for backup (at least most days), and with the care sheet I sent in to explain Highs, Lows, and Bolusing, I'm totally confident in her being in charge of her D care.

Couple of things happened today that made me question that confidence:

#1...I go to pick her up at 3 and I hear from one of the teachers that her 'thing was beeping', but she took care of it.  UM, WHAT?!?
So, I don't even talk to him and get down on Bean's eye level to talk to her.  She told me that during the story her pod alarmed and she deactivated it.  I asked her why she didn't call me and her answer was that she didn't want to interrupt the story.  UM, WHAT?!?
I told her, in front of the teachers so they would understand as well, that if that ever happened again that she MUST call me so I can do a pod change.  The teacher that told me about the alarm asked if that was something they could do and I told him while I appreciated him wanting to, it was best if I came to do it.
THANKFULLY the pod had alarmed just 45 minutes prior to me getting there, so she hadn't been too long without her basal.

#2...I was going over her records for today, entering it into the app on my phone, and I see the amount of her lunch bolus...much smaller than it should have been, even with her being at 85.  I go into the information screen and see "Suggested bolus altered by user." UM, WHAT?!?
We had had this conversation during VBS week about how she should NEVER alter her bolus unless I OKed it.  I thought she had understood how not OK it was for her to do that and thought she had truly understood and believed her when she said she wouldn't do it again.
So, I went upstairs, where she was already tucked into bed and needed to be asleep, to talk to her about what happened.  She said she lowered it because she was at 85 and she didn't trust her PDM and thought it was going to give her too much insulin.  UM, WHAT?!?
I went over, again, how the PDM knows how much to give her, knows to give her less when she's below 120 (our set number for it to 'reverse correct' and reduce the amount of insulin to cover for carbs), and she can trust it to give her what she needs.  She wasn't buying it.  So, I went over it again; and again; and again.
Then I asked her if she trusted me and she said yes.  I told her that I was the one who put all of the information into the PDM so it could calculate what amount of insulin to give her.
So if she trusts me, she can trust it.
It took a bit of convincing, but she finally agreed that she could trust it and that she wouldn't adjust her bolus again.
I'm also a bit frustrated with the teacher because it specifically says on the care sheet to NOT ADJUST the insulin amount or to allow her to do it.


Now, don't get me wrong.
I LOVE that she is tuning into her insulin needs.
 I LOVE that she is aware of what the PDM is suggesting and isn't just blindly pressing buttons to give herself her bolus.
I'm just afraid that if she thinks its OK for her to adjust it without consulting me that she might really mess things up and that scares the crap out of me!!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Oh My Silly Girls!

So, you all know Bug.  The ridiculous blue-eyed three year old Bug.  The one who says silly things like "I Love Grams!" and "I can SO go to camp 'cuz  I have diabetes, too!" (no, she couldn't because no she doesn't!)

Well, add another to the list....

Yesterday, Udergeek took the girls to church because I woke up with a KILLER headache.  He also took them to lunch after so I could have some more quiet...yeah, he's awesome like that.  Well, when they got home, Bean asked if she could have a cookie...yes, one of those yummy cookies...and asked Ubergeek if she had dosed for it with her lunch...something I usually do when I know she'll be having dessert at home as soon as we get there.  (wow, I'm liking those ... today, huh?)  When he said 'no' she hdan't dosed, she of course wanted to know if she could have one anyway and I told her she could wait just a bit and have it for snack.
Well, Bug, not one to miss out on a cookie, came up to me and said, "Can I have a cookie.  I dosed for it!"
LOVE HER!! :)

showing off a new birthday dress


The other day I had to run to the grocery store and Bean wanted to come along.  Now, I usually reserve trips to the store when Ubergeek is home for some 'me time' so my answer is almost always 'no' when the girls ask if they can come.
Well, this time I told Bean she could come along...guess I was feeling nice that day!! ;)
Can't remember why in the world we were on the clothing side of the store, but we were and of course Bean made a bee-line for the glittery display....man they know how to market to 7 year olds!!  No purchases were made, but she insisted on me taking a picture of her!!


Oh, and yes, when those hats go on sale I SOO plan to get it for her...just too cute not to!! ;)

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Those Yummy Cookies

Since I didn't bake Bug's birthday cake yesterday and since I HAVE to get Amy's pod pot in the mail TODAY (yes, there will be some in the pot!) and since I mentioned these yummy cookies last week and since lots of you asked about them....here you go!!



Denise's Yummy Cookies

1/4c butter (I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)
3/8c canned pumpkin*
3/8c peanut butter  ~  chunky or creamy, your choice...I use creamy
1 1/2c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2tsp vanilla extract
3c quick cooking oats
1c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2tsp baking powder
3/4tsp salt
1c Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola **
1c shredded coconut
1c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter, pumpkin, peanut butter, and brown sugar until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat until blended well.
Combine oats, flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to above mixture, beating until well blended.  Stir in granola, coconut, and chocolate chips.
Drop 2tbsp of dough onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Press gently to flatten a bit as they don't spread while baking.
Bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until very lightly browned.  Do not overcook.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool.

Makes 48 cookies; 18g carbs each....I said they were yummy, not carb friendly! ;)



*Since canned pumpkin only comes in ridiculously huge cans so you can make a pie with it, I portion out the rest of the can in 3/8c and put it into snack sized ziplock baggies and freeze it.  That way you are ready to go for the next batch of cookies!

**You can find the Granola at Costco and at most grocery stores in the 'natural' section.  It's really yummy mixed with yogurt, so you'll be done with the box in no time! ;)

in case you need a visual ;)
always nice to know what you are looking for!!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Vandredi se yon bon bagay!


Roselady over at Diapeepees started Good Fridays...
a day to reflect on the 'good' of the week, no D allowed!  
 
Vandredi se yon bon bagay!...Friday is good!
Haitian Creole this week!


1.  Laughing and Friends.  Last night, Ubergeek and I had the opportunity to not only get out of the house without the girls, but spent the evening laughing and visiting with friends.
     First stop was a Tim Hawkins comedy concert at our church.  O.M.stinkingGoodGravy!!!  I cannot tell you the last time I laughed so hard!  He was hilarious.  Seriously, give yourself like an hour and go to youtube and pick anything, anything...just make sure you've gone to the bathroom or you might just pee in your pants!!
     Second stop was having dinner with friends after the show.  It was great having the chance to sit and talk with a couple that we kinda know, but haven't really had the opportunity to really connect with.  (yeah, I know I shouldn't end the sentence with 'with' but it just sounds so snobby to say 'had the opportunity with which to connect.')  I had to text the babysitter (yep, had to pay for one because the grandparents are out of state!) to let her know we would be later than expected...it was that fun!


2.  Parents Who Make Things Possible.  Not going into details, just want to give a shout out to my mother and Ubergeek's parents who make things possible for us and our girls from time to time.  LOVE YOU!!


3.  BUG'S BIRTHDAY.  On this day, in 2008, at 7:02pm, Bug entered this world.  
     Interesting little tidbit...she was born with low blood sugar.  Ubergeek had the nurse double check with me while I was still on the C-section table about it being OK for them to give her formula (I'm a breastfeeding mama) to get her blood sugar up.  It only took a few hours for her to be back to 'normal' and she's been fine ever since.
     She's recently conquered the potty and is moving on to the rest of the world soon! Watch out for those blue eyes!!! ;)

early celebration last weekend with the grandparents
before they headed out...I made the cupcakes
and they were super yummy, if I do say so myself!

actual 'birthday-day' celebration today
I was going to make a cake, but she spotted these
cupcakes at Costco and HAD to have them!
NOT as yummy, if I do say so myself!!

Bean wanted to sing Happy Birthday to her 
sister while 'playing' her guitar.
It was, um, beautiful...yeah, that's what I'm going with!


Made it with an hour and 19 minutes still in 'Friday', yeah!! ;)  It's been a BUSY day!!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Pod Art and Recycling

With our shipment of pods that arrived last week, we finally received a recycling kit to be able to send the used pods back to Insulet.  (I had requested two kits, but only one came; bummer.)

We've been collecting the used pods in a Target bag in the pantry since Bean started 'podding' in October and that bag was getting big and heavy!

Here's what was in the bag:

102 used and/or alarmed pods!!
there are probably 20 that weren't in the bag for various reasons,
such as a pot for a certain someone and demos for trainings at school


Bean, of course, thought we should DO something with them before packing up 50 of them to be sent off.  Only 50 are 'allowed' in the recycling bag...which is why I wanted two...but I've already said that, haven't I?

She wanted a heart.  I added the "Bean" and "smiley face"

18 pods were not used in the making of this art project!


So now 50 of the pods are packed up in the FedEx envelope provided by Insulet, waiting for our FedEx guy to come get them.  And 52 of them are back in the Target back, in the pantry, awaiting their turn to take a ride in a special blue bag inside a FedEx bag.


Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Wilma sagt ???

(Wilma says ???)

After having our first sensor totally rock, the second one has been one royal pain in the arse!!

Might have been the placement...on Bean's tummy, not quite in the best cushiony spot available.

Might have been just a wonky sensor.

It gave us and ERR 1 on Sunday and we did the 'wait and hour and enter BG' and it came back around.

Last night, however, not so much!

ERR 1.  Bean went on to bed and I went up an hour or so later and entered a BG.

ERR 1, again.  Headed back downstairs to watch some TV and wait out the hour.

I go up to check on her before I go to bed and this is what I see...

the 'dreaded' ???, oh no! ;)

So, I attempted to enter a BG to see if it would come back around again....nope, ERR 1, again.

Wait another hour...went to bed, but couldn't go to sleep for the life of me.

Try to enter BG...nope!  

Decided to try the 'stop sensor/start sensor without actually changing it' and proceeded to lay in bed for two more hours, snoozing between Bug's calls to help her blow her nose and Ubergeek's coughs and snores.

BzzT, BzzT comes through the monitor and off I go to enter two BGs in the hopes that Wilma will come around.  

Uh, Nope.  Nothing doing.  

At this point I just shut her off because I wasn't interested in hearing anymore BzzTs and entering in BGs for naught...and I was hoping that sleep would finally come in longer than 30 minute spurts!

So, this morning we did a real sensor change and I called Dexcom to have the wonky one replaced.

This was my first experience talking with them and I was very pleased with the level of service.  A replacement is on its way, as well as our next three months' worth of sensors.  Yipee!!

The new sensor is working pretty well...not quite spot on yet, but way the heck better than ??? for sure!

Sporting a new Tallygear zipper pouch!
Bean loves her tummietote, but wanted another
option that didn't have a full band and velcro.
A girl's gotta have her options!! ;)

sorry about the not-in-focus...my phone and I don't always get along!!


Oh, have you happened upon Sweet and Sassy and our Diabetic Courage, yet?  I found her through a comment on Life is Like a Box of Chocolates.  Go check her out and spread some DOC love!! :)

Monday, July 18, 2011

ABC MeMe

Borrowed from Pam over at Wicked Sweet, who borrowed it from Hannah over at Dorkabetic.
Looked like fun, so I thought I'd give it a go...

Age:  37 ~ and, yes I did have to do the math because I can't ever remember how old I am!

Bed Size:  King.

Chore you Dislike:  Um, all of them?!?  But mostly laundry...don't mind putting it in the washer and dryer, it's the folding and putting away that seem to be the bane of my existence!

Dogs:  Grew up with one...Muffin, 3/4 collie and 1/4 who knows.  Would LOVE to have one now, but I have this weird allergy where some dogs bother me sometimes but not other times.  Can't convince Ubergeek to overlook the allergy issue at the moment.  Trust me I'm trying!!

Essential Start to your Day:  Ideally I love beging able to shower and get ready uninterrupted.  Unfortunately that means I have to get up before everyone else and I love my sleep way the heck too much for that!  Beyond that, I have a latte (16oz, skinny, decaf, 3 pump vanilla) and blueberry muffin habit I need to curtail!

Favorite Color:  
That's a hard one....clothes ~ black; accessories ~ pink or very colorful


Gold or Silver:  
Used to be exclusively gold, but now I lean more towards silver.  And I really like when they are mixed together.


Height:  
Do I need to remind you?       OK, fine...5'9"


Instruments you Play(ed):  
I played alto saxophone from 6th-12th grade.  Once I headed to  college I had to choose between orchestra or choir because they were offered at the same time and I chose choir because I enjoy singing way more than playing!

I also took  piano lessons for about three years but stopped when I realized I wouldn't ever be as good as my sister (yeah, there are issues there, whatever!).  I can still pound out a vocal part on the piano, but don't go asking me to play you anything 'real.'

Job Title:  
Mom, Pancreas.  Hopefully Teacher, again, come this school year!


Kids:  
Bean, 7 1/2, and Bug, 3 in four days.  Also had two miscarriages before Bean, so there are two angels waiting for me in Heaven.


Live:  
Yes, yes I do...just not often enough!  As far as location...Anchorage, Alaska. 


Mother's Name:
  Beverly Ann.  (Bug's middle name is Ann.)


Nicknames:  
NeeCee, NeeCee Pooh, Pooh.  My nephew (the one that just graduated) decided to call me CeeCee instead of NeeCee.  And, yes, I am still and always will be CeeCee for them, never Aunt Denise.


Overnight Hospital Stays:  
When Bean and Bug were born.  Twice with Bean ~ surgery and T1 diagnosis.


Pet Peeves:  
Dirty clothes tossed willy nilly all over the house.  Rudeness for no reason.  When there are other people around who can help, but I'm the only one the girls seem to be able to ask for help.  When the girls do things they know they aren't supposed to or the complete opposite of what they were just told to do.


Quote from a Movie:  
"Good Morning, Starshine. The Earth says Hello!"  Johnny Depp as Willie Wonka

It's my ringtone...seriously!

Righty or Lefty:  
Righty, much to the chagrin of Ubergeek who is a lefty!

Siblings:  
The a fore metioned piano playing sister, older.  Also have two older half-sisters from my dad's previous marriage, but they never lived with us.

Time you Wake Up:  
Don't you have to actually go to sleep to be able to wake up?!?! 


Underwear:  
Not the size I'd like it to be! ;)


Vegetables you Don't Like:  
Brussels sprouts, green peppers (love all the other colors, though!), and asparagus.

What Makes you Run Late:  
Everyone else in my family!!  I grew up in a house where being 'on time' was considered late, so we were trained to be at least 5-10 minutes early for everything.  That all went out the window as soon as I married Ubergeek and just got worse with the addition of the girls.  We're getting better as of late (ha!) and it's only taken almost 13 years of marriage!! 


X-rays you Have Had:  
Broken arm in 1st grade; broken arm (the other one) in 3rd grade; severely sprained ankle in 11th or 12th grade;  countless others for sinus infections growing up...why they felt the need to x-ray my head to see if my sinuses were infected is beyond me! 


Yummy Food you Make:  
black bean/corn/avocado salsa; peanut butter/oatmeal/coconut/chocolate chip cookies.


Zoo Animal Favorite:  
Ooo, that's hard.  I actually prefer aquariums to zoos.  But, I guess if I had to pick, I'd have to say monkeys.


Saturday, July 16, 2011

Wilma ist wunderbar!

(Wilma is wonderful!)

Bean has been hooked up to Wilma, our Dexcom seven+ Continuous Glucose Monitor, for two weeks today!!

We are L.O.V.I.N.G her!!

Are there times when she's off, sure.  But a little entering of the BG and she's back to pretty darn close if not spot on.

Are there times when Bean wants to have a break from having her on, sure.  But thankfully where she plays in the house is small enough that Wilma can hang out on a table and still be in communication.  Shoot, Bean went out in the backyard the other day and Wilma was on the table inside and was keeping up with her!  (Yes, we have a SMALL backyard!!)

Are there times when Wilma has buzzed at me through the new baby monitor purchased specifically for her to wake me in the middle of the night before my alarm was set to check Bean, YES.  L.O.V.E that feature...even though Wilma usually thinks Bean is lower that she really is (73 vs a real 100) I'm beyond thankful to be alerted so that when Wilma is spot on Bean will be safe!!

I'm really feeling like something needs to be tweaked, looking at her graphs.  They are quite the exciting roller coaster!  Either basals are off or ratios are off or we need to have the Apidra conversation with our ANP or a combination of some or all of the above!

It's also nice, no, make that AMAZINGLY AWESOME to see those trend arrows.  They give me way more confidence to let her hang out at 120 in the middle of the night when I see that straight across arrow or to crank the basal way more than I would have ever had the confidence to when she doesn't come down 'far enough' before she levels out after a meal.


Here's a little glimpse:
And, yes, I chose to take a picture of the graphs when they weren't so dang ugly and I realized I needed pictures for a post and when I saw the first graph, I HAD to have photographic evidence of it's loveliness!  Just need to get figure out how to get more of those pretty ones!! ;)

generally speaking, Wilma and the PDM are
less than 10 points apart
oh, and the pretty pink skin was a gift from the 
Omnipod rep out of Seattle that gave us a call
to check on us after speaking with our ANP. 
THANKS, Amy!

ooo, that's pretty


ok, I can handle a little bump after a meal


overnight basals could use a little help
not loving the dramatic drop so much


and welcome to the roller coaster!


Friday, July 15, 2011

Пятница хороша! Pyatnitsa horosha!


Roselady over at Diapeepees started Good Fridays...
a day to reflect on the 'good' of the week, no D allowed!  

Пятница хороша!  Pyatnitsa horosha!...Friday is good!
Russian this week...with phonetic spelling! :)

1.  VBS, baby!!  Not only did the girls have a fabulous time this week at VBS, it gave me almost three hours of 'alone' time each morning!  I cleaned, had a date with Ubergeek, napped, organized clothes, and took an uninterrupted shower.  It was fabulous!!



2.  The Pot is Fixed!  Remember when Amy and I had our meet up in Denali and I brought her a cute flowerpot that was decorated with pods?  And then we brought it home so I could ship it to her instead of them having to lug it around for the rest of their trip?  And when we got home and Ubergeek opened the back of the car (read large SUV! ;)) and it fell out and shattered?


   WELL, I finally had the chance to get another pot, paint it, and get it decorated!


   Now, I just have to get it in the box and sent on its way....promise it will be this weekend, Amy!! ;)


3.  Weeds, the pretty kind!   So, there's a weed in Alaska that we call Fireweed (it's found other places, too, but they call it other things) because it's one of the first things to grow after forest fires.  You can find them all over the place around town and it's just plain beautiful.  Its blooms signal the beginning of summer, summer sticks around until the blooms reach the top, and when it goes to seed and looks like it's been flocked with snow, it signals the end of summer...at least that's the way story goes around here! :)
  I've wanted some at our house since we moved in 10 years ago.  Even to the point that we tried, unsuccessfully, to transplant some from Ubergeek's parents' house.  So, when I noticed some sprouting in my barrel of irises in the front yard, I nearly jumped for joy!!  There are lots of little ones getting ready to bloom, but this guy is going strong.



Oh, and if you haven't checked out
Go on, go already...well, if you want to 
comment first, fine, go after that! ;)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

"Thank You for Being a Friend"

Yeah, you can curse me later for getting the theme song to 'Golden Girls' stuck in your head! ;)


As you know, this week the girls have been attending VBS (Vacation Bible School).  This is the same VBS that Bean has been going to since she was 3, the VBS she went to the week I had Bug and was in the hospital (thank goodness for the nesting instinct that had me get all of her outfits for the week ready Sunday night ~ they had a specific color to wear each day that summer!), the VBS that would make our summer incomplete if she didn't attend.

But I digress....this is supposed to be about being a friend...

Last year, before Bean was dx'ed, I had made plans with a mom of a classmate for Bean to hang out at their house each Monday.  There were also plans for Bean to go with them to their VBS and for the friend, we'll call her G, to attend our VBS.
When D entered the picture, I wasn't sure how those plans would pan out.

I called the mom the Sunday night we got home from the hospital to let her know that Bean wouldn't be there the next day and she told me that her sister was T1 and there was no reason Bean shouldn't or couldn't come over...well, now!  Yep, she's awesome like that!
So needless to say, Bean (and I, because Ubergeek wasn't quite as OK with it yet) went over the next afternoon and it was the first step to 'making things normal' of our D-journey.  After just a couple of Mondays with me tagging along, Bean went solo for the rest of the summer...ah, joyful normal!

G has always been OK with all things D related.  She's never had a problem with Bean testing or doing shots (when she was on MDI last summer and would eat lunch with her every Monday!).  She's helped other friends 'get over' D stuff when they've made a big deal about it and has thus helped Bean be OK with doing what needs to be done where ever and whenever it needs to be done.

G has accompanied the girls again this year to our VBS.  She has stayed to play for the afternoon Tuesday and today.

At lunch today, I witnessed something utterly amazing.

Bean was doing her normal before eating thing:  setting up to test.
G was doing her normal thing: hovering right over Bean's shoulder to watch.
Then G asked if she could help.  Um, what?
So, Bean showed her how to cock the AccuCheck Multi Clix and G cocked it.
Then Bean let G put it against her finger and then hit the button to prick her finger!!  WHAT?!?
Bean put her finger up to the strip while G commented 'wow, that was a lot of blood this time!'


It was crazy to watch/hear....I was trying to not stand there with my mouth gaping open!

It's one thing for Bean to let someone 'invade her space' while she's testing.
She's never had an issue about doing that around people or with them watching.
BUT to actually let them poke her finger?  WOW!

For G to always be supportive and OK with all things D is great.
BUT for her to want to take it a step further, from watching to DOing?  WOW!

That's a friend!



Yeah, G's totally who we'll be having over for Bean's first sleep over! ;)
 

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Some Toys, a Table, Tasty Smelling Playdough, and Two Others to Boot.

Yesterday I took advantage of some 'all by myself in the house' time while the girls were at VBS (yep, the potty training worked, so Bug is there!!) to get something done that's needed to be done for a while...not just the vacuuming and mopping and toilet cleaning, which also got done...nope, this....
ALL of these random toys and crayons were behind and under the little TV stand thing that holds all of our electronic devices and the girls use as a table for eating, coloring, playing, you name it.  INSANE.


Today, my morning was pleasantly interrupted with some much needed time with Ubergeek (our schedules have been so hectic lately it was nice to have a mid-morning date) and I even had time to find this...
My dinning room table!!  It has been piled high with random computer equipment, Bean's stuff (to include, but not limited to, a friendship bracelet, school work she wants to keep, notes to friends, markers, wristlet from selling Girl Scout cookies, and books), a couple of magazines I started reading but never finished due to numerous interruptions, etc.  It's soooo refreshing to see the surface of the table again!!


Bean had a friend over after VBS today and because the theme of VBS is cooking, Bean asked last night if they could make something.  Bean's idea was playdough, but not the kind that makes her hands itch. (Amazing to me that she remembers that because the last time I made playdough was when she was four!!)  So I jumped on Google and found a recipe for playdough made without salt.
Two cups Baking Soda;  One cup Corn Starch;  1 1/2 cups Water.  Mix until smooth.  Boil until thick.  Divide and add color to suit your taste.  I also added some almond extract because Bean and her friend thought it stank while it was cooking! ;)


And here's a couple of other pictures, since I'm sharing....

Bean sporting her Tallygear tummietote and headband while jumping her heart out on a friend's trampoline.  Wilma stayed put, but her BG took a nose dive.  Gotta love uncovered chips and Ghirardelli chocolate squares!


Bug claimed Lenny the Lion (thanks Meri!!) as her own since he arrived while Bean was at camp.  She's been sleeping with him ever since! 

Monday, July 11, 2011

What About Bean?

It's not like she has a phobia about leaving the house.

It's not like she has a contagious viral or bacterial infection.

She has Type 1 Diabetes.
  

She can test her own blood sugar.

She can fly though the screens on her PDM to give herself a bolus with her Omnipod.

She knows when something is 'off'...more with lows than highs, but she's tuning into the highs.

She's just spent an entire week away from home at camp and did great.


So, why is it that when there are conversations among our friends of girls spending the night with each other, Bean isn't included?

Just this weekend I had to listen to a mom talk about how her daughter wanted to have a friend spend the night but this one was busy and that one couldn't come over and this one had plans and that one was out of town and she finally found someone to spend the night.  Bean was nowhere on that list and eye contact with me was avoided.

Sure, I get that it can be intimidating for those who don't live our life.  But, these friends have been around and have seen how independent Bean is and always comment about how amazing it is that she is 'in control' of her diabetes.

It just makes me sad to know that she's not even a thought when these girls are going through the list of possible 'spend the night' friends.

I think I need to get the ball rolling by having Bean pick a friend to spend the night here...a bit tricky with Bug since most of the girls don't have younger siblings to 'deal with' and as any little sister does, Bug wants to be smack dab in the middle of the action.  

But, worth figuring out so Bean can have the 'normalness' of a sleep over.

Because isn't that what being a 7yr old girl is all about?

Friday, July 8, 2011

Fredag er god!!


Roselady over at Diapeepees started Good Fridays...
a day to reflect on the 'good' of the week, no D allowed!  
 
Fredag er god!...Friday is good!
Danish this week!


1.  Bean is HOME!!  I know she had a great time at camp and honestly it was nice to have a break from the sibling squabbling, but I totally missed her and am SO glad she's home!

one of her self portraits from camp
is it me or is she stinkin' cute?!?

2.  Camping with Friends.  This was our second year going camping with friends for the Fourth weekend.  It was quite the experience last year since we'd never been camping and it rained pretty much non-stop, but even so, we looked forward to doing it again this year.  Thankfully we had way more sun than rain (even had some sunburn to prove it!) and had a way better RV (amazing rental that we've already set up for next year!) and had a better handle on D (we were barely a month into it when we camped last year!!).
    It's a big group from Bean's school and we are the only ones at the camp grounds.  So we can let the kiddos wander free without worrying about who they might run into and also know that whoever might see them making some not so great choices will call them on it.  It's like a big family and it's just plain awesome!

train ride through the woods
Bug soaking wet from the puddles and LOVING it!
Bean was on her bike non-stop...hopefully next year w/o training wheels!

sunset and rainbow at 11:30pm

3.  Potty Training.  This is something I've been meaning to get to for weeks.  We've had a couple of starts and stops...yeah, I know, not the best plan of action, but life gets in the way sometimes!  So, since Bug has to be potty trained for VBS next week and I totally need those three hours a day without kiddos to get some much needed stuff done around the house, we got down to some serious business this week! ;)  She's been doing really well and hasn't had any accidents at all today.  WOOHOO!

yeah, she's stinkin' cute, too
even when she's refusing to smile for a picture!



Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Willkommen, Wilma ~ our Dexcom seven+

As you know from this Good Friday post, our Dexcom seven+  Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGM)  arrived in the mail while Bean was at camp.

That was a good thing because it gave Ubergeek and me a chance to 'check it out' before we went and stuck it on Bean!

We headed straight for our multifamily camp out as soon as we picked up Bean from D-Camp, so we waited until the next morning to hook her up.  She said it hurt way less than a pod change, so I felt good about that since I was the one inserting the sensor and I was a bit concerned with the manual insertion!

Wilma, (pronounced Vilmah) as we are calling her because it means 'protector' in German, was spot on all weekend.  There was only one time I remember that she wasn't within 10 points or less of the BG reading on the PDM (Personal Diabetes Manager ~ omnipod controller).  That was amazing!  It was really nice to have a window into Bean's BG while she was riding her bike non stop and running around with friends and partaking in traditional camp activities:

you absolutely have to roast a marshmallow
if there is a campfire!!

Now that we are home and back into a somewhat normal routine (as normal as it gets during the summer!!) I am noticing Wilma helping a lot with some needed adjustments and the way Bean's BG reacts to certain foods.  (Darn you French toast that had Bean holding steady in the high 200s and low 300s all day yesterday!)  I will be doing some basal changes and possibly some ratio adjustments soon based on the data Wilma is collecting.  Knowing that I can 'see' how those changes are doing will be fabulous!!
It's nice to have that graph and the arrows, oh the lovely, lovely arrows that show where that BG is headed is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!

Today has been a bit frustrating with the accuracy of BG readings...not just Wilma, but the PDM is feeling 'off', too.  I've pulled out our 'gold standard' OneTouch that we used when Bean was first dx'ed to do a double check a few times.

Wilma is splitting the difference, so at least that's good, right?

I know that it's unrealistic to expect exact matches and I'm dealing with that...plus the fact that when Wilma hasn't been spot on, she's at least been closer than the 'margin of error' you get between meters!
          This morning Wilma 78, PDM 167?!?!. that's when I pulled out Gold Standard and got 93.  Thus, the other comparisons though out the day just to be one the safe side!
          We did another comparison a bit later and it was Wilma 319, PDM 339, and Gold Standard 325.

Bean is loving being able to test less!  Of course we do a 'real' BG test with the whole finger prick, blood on a strip thing when she's eating or when a correction needs to be done..like in the above picture!  Man, I wish those numbers weren't that high, but that's reality!!
It's also nice for her to 'confirm' what she's feeling with a quick look at Wilma.  She's getting better at detecting her swings, but to have the additional assistance is such a valuable tool for her! 

We know that having Wilma, our wonderful Dexcom seven+, will help us help Bean stay more in range and as we all know, that is a very good thing!  Not only does it cut down on the potential for complications, it helps her to feel better, act better, and just be more like herself. (No, I haven't been asked to say nice things about this product, this is my own opinion...though I wouldn't mind a little love from Dexcom!  Just sayin')

sporting an awesome Tallygear tummietote
(notice pod-bulge on her leg...might be part of her high issue 
as she tends to run higher when the pod is on her leg)
sensor peeking out of her sleeve...arm was her choice

So, overall, being about 5 days into our life with Wilma, we are L.O.V.I.N.G  I.T!!  

Sure, I know this euphoric state might not last forever, but we are sure enjoying it while it's here!!

Promises of a better D-life for Bean...I'll take it!

rainbow at our camp out...at 11:30PM

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

"I loved, Loved, LOVED Camp!"

she got to sleep on the top bunk...such a treat!

Bean had such a great time at camp last week!!

She said she only cried once. ;)

She made lots of friends...only girls because boys are just yuck!

She jumped in the freezing cold lake to become a polar bear.

She canoed and did archery and took hikes and played games and had counselors with funny names.  (Oogie and Flounder!)


 translation: I went canoeing for the very first time.
I like camp!


she said she almost made a bulls eye
translation: she got really close to the target!!


"orts" translation: what you left on your plate after a meal
lake next to campfire 
hiking trail
sign on her bunk, name cropped out, obviously!

We are still getting bits and piece of her adventure and probably will for weeks to come as she remembers all the fun she had and as we think of questions to ask!
The most prominent comment has been that she LOVED CAMP and that she REALLY, REALLY wants to go back next year!!

Numbers wise she did really well.  She had a 500-something after a pod change (they didn't do our normal of adding to the first bolus, but it was quickly corrected, thankfully) and had a few 70s, but over all it was a pretty good numbers week.  The camp nurse did some adjusting to corrections after seeing patterns, so it was nice to know that it wasn't just 'blindly' following the PDM, but making 'logical' changes as needed.

It was a learning experience for all of us and thankfully it was an easy lesson!  No big problems, no major D-issues, no 'come pick her up' phone calls, and no Ubergeek renting a boat to stake out the camp on the lake!!

We would have paid any amount of money to have had this little video clip emailed to us, though!

we had encouraged her to vlog about her experiences
unfortunately the camera 'messed up' early in the week 
and even though it was an easy fix, it wasn't fixed
(can understand them not wanting to mess with it and break it!)
so she didn't get a chance to vlog or take many pictures

I understand why there's no communication...if they talk to someone at home they would be more likely to want to go home...but other than the letter that came the day before she got home, we heard nothing!  
I think that was the hardest part; no I KNOW that was the hardest part!

At least next year we will have a better idea of what goes on and know that she's loving every minute of it!!

Friday, July 1, 2011

Venerdì è buona!


Roselady over at Diapeepees started Good Fridays...
a day to reflect on the 'good' of the week, no D allowed!  
 
Venerdì è buona...Friday is good!
Italian this week!


1.  Stuff in the Mail.  I could actually make this all three things, well four, because it was a stellar mail week!
     
          a.  Pancreas from I Heart Guts.  I saw this over on Diabetesaliciousness the other day and had to go check it out...then I was totally sucked in by its cuteness and had to order one!  I guess if Bean can't have a functioning one, she can at least have a cute one!! ;)


          b.  Dexcom.  We are now the proud droolers of a Dexcom Seven+.  Granted, Bean doesn't even know it's here yet, but she knows it was on its way, so she'll be thrilled to hear it's arrived.  So looking forward to getting her all hooked up.  Posts to follow, of course!


          c.  Lenny the Lion and stuff.  My entry of "...so, sandwich plus grapes, carry the one...plus muffin, carry the two...um...it's gonna be...um...give me a sec...um...MERI, HELP ME!!" for what Lenny was thinking on day four of Meri's give away week won!  Here's what was in the box...
Lenny, cool letter from Meri, magnet with quote, bracelet,
Post Its and Sharpies
HAVE  FAITH  /  EXPECT  MIRACLES


          d.  Letter from Camp!!  We (well, I...Ubergeek was a bit upset that his name wasn't on the envelope or letter!) got a letter from Bean from camp!!  It was addressed by her...very cutely incorrect, but 'fixed' so it would actually get here!  I'm still smiling about it!
the front of the paper was a picture of the bus she rode to camp

"Mommy   I miss you but I am having fun."


2.  Week of Normal.  It was nice to have a week where food wasn't measured or weighed, carbs weren't counted, BGs weren't checked, and sleep was only interrupted by coughing or the need to pee.  It was quite surreal to not think about portions or worry if something wasn't eaten or if more was requested.  Yes, I totally missed Bean but I did not miss D at all!!

3.  Gas is under $4.00!!  It's so nice to see a 3 at the front of gas prices around town!  Some places are as low as $3.94!  You need to understand that I grew up in a house with a Dad that would drive a good 15 minutes out of his way to save a penny on gas...no joke!  So, when I mentioned the gas prices to Ubergeek he said that he 'hadn't noticed but of course you would'!  Some things are just ingrained in me and will never go away...and it makes me smile when I notice gas prices because it makes me think of my Daddy!
with the 'gas points' we've earned, I got a 20 cent discount!!
Woo Hoo!!


We are headed out camping for the weekend after we pick up Bean from camp, so you'll have to wait until Tuesday to hear about her adventures!!  Hope everyone has a safe and happy Fourth!

And for the record, I'm 5'9"...tall, yes, but not freakishly so like the picture of Amy, Ellie, Bean, and me makes me out to be!! ;)