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Emma's Perfect Day

Other than figuring out Emma's NPH vs. Lantus battle. Diabetes was a non factor today. It was nice. We still talked about it and Incorporated it into our daily routine. But in a way we never thought we could in the beginning. It was just a part of our life and we are feeling amazingly empowered by where we are and where we have been. And by our friends on here and friends out here.

What a great day!
Me and Mommy Played all morning while daddy caught up on his sports and sleep.
Then we went to the mall.

Shopping is fun. Especially on Momma's birthday.

I ran. I ran so much today Daddy could barely get a good picture of me.

Then we drove in inclimate weather to my friend Sasha's house for supper.

We played of course. I showed him that i can share toys. Even when they are his i pretended they were mine to share.

Then after an awesome Austrian rustic supper we chilled out on the couch and talked about playing again sometime really soon.

Dog Days of Blog Days

I have read a few blogs on here about how out to lunch some people can be towards type 1. I read them and yes i do get mad and a little confused at the same time. But i sort of written those posts off as being other peoples experiences with that issue.
Thinking if i ever did run into a situation like that i would call the spade a spade wtihout missing a step.
This today my friends happened to me:

ME: "...yea i got a flu shot the last Wednesday and my arm is extremely sore even today..."

CUSTOMER: "..why do you need a flu shot?.."

ME: "well my daughter has type 1 diabetes and sick days such as the flu will really reek havoc on her blood sugars.."

CUSTOMER (just short of cutting me off in mid sentence): "oh yea well i found out after $1200.00 that my Dog has diabetes and I'm so scared that i have to give him needles."

ME: "you know what?...I really wish my DOG had diabetes. I hear needles really hurt dogs. Have a good weekend"

AAAARGGG!!!! Things really do not bother me too much. I am Ukrainian i can let things bother me for the rest of my life and just deal with it within me. But this for some reason got me so jacked up. I couldn't believe my ears.

And why does it bother me when i am talking about Emma and her diabetes that people tend to mention their overweight uncle from the farm has type 2 diabetes and roll Emma into that ball of wax. In a sense it feels like they are insinuating we didn't take care of Emma from the beginning and this is the result. Arrrrrg (squared).

On a much less hostile side i am reading all of your blogs from the US and feel so inspired on how much you all celebrate your Thanksgiving. Its awesome!!!! Our work has basically come to a standstill because of the American Thanksgiving. I guess im thankful for that. So im entitled to some turkey now i think.

We went shopping for Mom's birthday gift which is tomorrow. If Emma didn't come it would have taken me 30 minutes. But since she was there it took us a good 2 hours. She had to stop and talk to almost everyone that would stop and talk to her. It was so frickin' adorable.

Oh yea Emma is doing quite well. However we are finding her BG's are a little higher in the morning now. Does this mean that she is possibly morphing out of her honeymoon phase? Just a little bit?

Anyhow that is it for now. I must say alot happens in between posts in terms of Emma, her diabetes, questions for readers of this blog, comments on great posts. But i dont get around to post what i mean to.

We will even have table talk (dinner converstion) regarding some of the blogs we have read. We talk as if we know you (we do but you know what i mean). Not gossip but just like "oh did you read that comment on my blog wtih the father who has a son with type 1. Yea it sounds like they hav alot figured out, that was a good one...." etc. Sorry to make you an example;) Ha ha. We love the emails and support and love to read the comments on the Rubbing Blog!

Take Care
Chris

Better Than Ezra

I am not sure what i need to say right now. Emma has been doing awesome! Absolutely tremendous!

My little angel i do not think she knows anything else other than having diabetes. She has taught us so much.

She has taught us its no big deal to test your blood sugars 3 to 5 times a day. Its just a matter of choosing a place on her finger or toe and doing it. No biggie.
She has shown us that getting an insulin dose when your still in the honeymoon phase is as good and easy as getting her milk in the morning.
She knows enough to eat her planned amount of carbs each day. Its all about the French Toast in the morning. I do make awesome french toast btw.
What an amazing little girl.

It has been a super good week. Her highs and lows have been far and few between. And it is ironic that our (mine and mom's) emotional highs and lows have gone that way too.

Even though i have not posted in a week. I have been on here keeping up to date on everyone elses posts and reading some new ones. They are awesome. everyone in my link list we check out daily pretty much. It feels like they (you) are in a good sense an extention of our family. I am very grateful to be involved with such incredible people.

As for gettting involved, i have purchased some "Cure Diabetes" bracelets and will be proudly wearing. I guess that is a start. Especially that christmas is just around the corner. I cannot remember the last time i have been so excited for the Season in my life. Thanks for that too Emma.
Sorry for such a random and choppy post but i just wanted everyone to know how things have been going.

This was taken this past summer in my UPS truck. She like everyone else just loves the truck!

A1C...A1shmee

Today was Emma's first A1C since she was dx'd. We were not worried whatsoever about it. But it was still very nice to see that it was 5.8%. That among other things reinforced that everything is going pretty good so far.
We didn't go in there today with a boat load of questions but just more or less excited to hook up with the amazing people that were there at the start of this journey.

Denise asked about celiac. And was happy with the response we got from the Nicloe (dietician) and Dr. Sellers. And we cannot sit around and worry about it. If it happens we cannot change it. So lets move on.
Another concern was Baby-sitting! Using family members is great. But its not great to use them all the time. So we asked if there would be any interest from anyone who goes to the clinic that has type 1 to baby sit for us.
Nicole basically stopped what she was doing turned around to her desk and said "yes...let me make a note to get you a baby sitter.". Ok that was easy.
We would love to have someone with type one to look after Emma. From our standpoint we would feel better leaving her with them. And to give an opportunity to someone living with this to be able to share this with us and vice versa. I would love to see how this pans out.

I have been thourgouly enjoying reading everyones blogs on here. Eveyone seems to be doing thier part. Myself i want to do more. More in terms of Diabetes volunteering, fundraising, educating people. That would make me feel better. But not sure where to start. I want to make a difference.

In the clinic today we met a couple of families in the waiting room and on the way out. I loved hearing thier stories. How they were like before, during and now. We met a 14 year old that was dx'd this past summer. This young man was inspiring. Mature and composed and very intune with his diabetes. This is how i see Emma one day.

We are lucky. So lucky we have Emma for starters. Lucky we caught this so damn early. Lucky we have a great health care system. Lucky we have a caring compassionate family. Lucky we live 10 minutes from the hospital. Lucky we are accepted in this OC. Lucky we have Emmas mom. Lucky we now do not have any cars with rust on them.

We are a lucky family indeed.

HI this is Emma,

I am almost two. And i have type 1 diabetes. But good thing for my Mom i barely know that i have it. Only when i have to get tested and get my insulin in the morining. I am getting really good at doing my test.
I help my mommy becasue she onnly has two hands and there is alot for her to do in the morning. I usually find a great spot where my toys are so i can show my dollies what i am doing.
I take out the pen and pass it to my mom. Then i unzip the zipper where the lancets are. I want to take the top off but i let my mommy doit.
I then take out the blood glucose meter and put a strip in it.
I like to get the pen ready so i pull the trigger back and give it to mom. I hold out my finger and she tests my blood. It takes 5 seconds for it to give us my reading.
Then i get my milk.
I do not know how daddy does it but breakfast is ready when were done the test and so is my 1.5 units of insulin.
I will take off my shirt for him and lay on the floor hugging my fishy then daddy says "all done" and gives me kisses and hugs. Thats the best part of the insulin.
Now i am going to have all the energy i need for the day.
Auntie Linda tests me before lunch. She is really good at testing too. And really good at alot of other things too. I love her.
I just have to eat everything that everyone tells me to eat. But if i dont eat it all up its funny because i need to get my carbs from somewhere so i get mmmmmm PUDDING! They have not caught on that i have figured this out so its still fun to me.
I guess i have been growing alot lately because my blood glucose has been a little lower than usual. But i know my mom and dad will figure this out.
My mom worries alot about me. But i counted to 7 this morning just to show her i am ok.
I love my cat. He doesn't have diabetes, but he knows i do.
Next week is my first clinic visit since i was diagnosed. I am really excited for it.

Thanks for listening

EMMA

Tag I'M It!!

I'm IT! I was tagged by Shannon so that I can divulge 5 interesting facts about myself. I will give it my best shot I am not promising they will be interesting, however this will be my first blog without mentioning Emma and her diabetes. Oops I guess it is not.

1. A few years ago I moved out west to pursue a career in Golf Course Management. There I worked at two different golf courses. The one pictured here is Swan-e-set . Those of you who have seen the movie Happy Gilmore will recognize this shot of the club house. They shot the movie there and basically closed down the resort for 3 days. Yes I did see Adam Sandler and cast.
More interesting though with all the cameras, communication devices and electronics they were using for a shot of putting on the green, they set off the satellite control for the irrigation system and turned on all of the sprinklers soaking all of the actors, extras, and equipment. But I couldn't stand there and let this happen for too long so I raced to one of the controllers and shut off the main valve! Yes I did save the day. Please hold your applause till the end.

2. I never ever thought it could be possible to love anything, another human being, anyone as much as I love my Wife and Emma. I love them so much I would do anything for them. As for my Emma if i could add up all of the needles and pokes she is going to have to take for the rest of her life and take them all at once for her. I love you Emma.

3. I still have my pooh-bear that i had when I was 3. His nose is squished in from sleeping on it (when I was younger), he has no more clothes or eyes. But still has a nose. I bet he wishes he didn't because apparently my breath is horrid in the AM. He has survived many moves. Seen my go through many changes. He has seen me grow. When I thought I lost him for good my little sister had saved him for me and gave him to me when I was in the hospital about 10 years ago.

3. My memory is like a steel trap. IM talking about my long term memory. I remember EVERYTHING! In detail, sounds, scents, colors, etc. When I say I will never forget anything, I won't. But if I am off to wal-mart to get a few things I cannot even remember my name when I get there. This may work to my advantage because my trips are far and few between now that my wife has figured this out. Especially when I come home with pie and febreeze when I am sent out to get light bulbs and pull-ups. However I will remember what I was supposed to get 2 years later and never forget it.

4. Golf. I think about golf all of the time. I set up certain cenarios in my head. Even if I am walking down the street I pick a point down the road, calculate the yardage and figure out what club would get me there. I even take into consideration lamp-posts and garbage cans as hazards.
I often get busted at the market or standing in line off in my own world gripping an imaginer club and practicing short swings to get the feel of my swing.
When I walk into Golftown my heart beats fast. I mean really fast almost like when you get into a car accident or see one. Or see someone get hit. It doesn't scare me too much until my mouth waters when I pick up a Taylor Made R7. Now that's when I have to have a seat and collect myself.

5. I love music. Music to me is my life. I love sad music. Sad music more like melodramatic no care really good writing type music. Examples of this could be cold play, james blunt, sam roberts, tragically hip.

Wow my whisky is kicking in I better sign off before I really exploit myself. This was fun, I feel awesome for being tagged now I will have to tag five peeps myself. I hope the people I have chosen have not already been tagged but the luckies are.....

Vic

Bethany

Julia

Deanna

Jill

Myths, Misconceptions, and mmmmmcandy

I am responding to a question on my previous post regarding if emma can eat sweets or not. I am vaery happy this question came up. Because i know there are people that read this that may have wanted to ask that, or just unsure of a few things them selves.

Emma can absolutely eat sweets. It is just now we have to incorporate it into her meal plan. Yes we have to limit them but so do all parents have to (should) as well. With the help of our nutritionists, doctors, and us doing research she can carry on more or less like another child without diabetes. That is when we went to that 2 day clinic just after she was diagnosed last month.

If anyone wants to "but in here" please do!

As for Halloween night we knew she was going to have candy before or around she went to bed. So in that case what we did was just fed her a low carb dinner such as eggs and toast. Eggs have no carbs in them so it freed up a portion of her carb intake to be replaced by her candy later on.

With saying that this past month it almost seems like she has had more sweets than she usually did in the past. Kind of ironic, oxy moronish, confusing to say the least. But they have a place and we have been learning alot as you have notices in past blogs and our visits. Because we know there are times when sweets are a must: if the blood sugar level drops too low, sweets (or juice, or soda) can be the surest to raise it, and prevent the onset of hypoglycemia.

And in turn to treat highs (hyperglycemia) insulin is used. But I will touch more on that after or when her Honeymoon phase is ending or has ended.

Alternatives to sweets sound to be a good idea. If you read the comments on my last post you will see shannon's comment on trading candy for toys. We will adopt something like that and i think that even may be a good practice for non diabetics as well. Especially around Halloween, Christmas, Easter..Etc.

Look at her!! How can you not give her any candy????? Ha ha.

Thanks for the question.

I know I have some questions too to other parents with kids with diabetes and other people with type 1 but at times I feel like I should know but too just afraid to ask sometimes.

6.7 with a faulty pancreas?

Well I have been trying to get pictures of Emma's first real Halloween experience on here but blogger has a different agenda.

However she was dressed as a "Punkin". I think it may have been her 3rd time since last Wednesday that she has put tea costume on. The plan was to have a low carb supper, around 10 or so grams of carbs. When she normally has 20g's. So it was eggs and toast.

Both Just Gramma and Gramma Puff came over to see her. I did not get home until about 5:45. And they were anxiously waiting for me so they can go hit a few houses. Emma left the house with her BG reading 5.4, then after her few houses she trick or treated at she came in and had a few candies. Then before bed her BG was 6.7.

Her insulin has been going awesome like i said before. But now instead of saying and insinuating "all done" she actually asks "all done?" in a tone signifying "was that it?...you gotta be serious daddy, that was nothing.

When we are with people and we talk about her. We rarely now talk about her diabetes in the terms and intensity we used to.In some cases we don't even mention it at all. And that feels amazing. It sure feels like we have come a very long.

She is easily the most adorable little girl anyone can imagine to have. We are so lucky, she is so freaking smart it blows us away.

Why does blogger spell check always suggest a different spelling for "blogger?"