Diabetes Shmiabetes

The Wedding

The wedding was easily one of the best weddings i have ever been involved in. Everything went smooth. Everyone there were such nice people. And oh yes i do have to add Generous as well.

Holy.!!!

So instead of singing, clinking of the glasses, trivia..etc... a donation was made to make the newlyweds kiss during the reception dinner. Needless to say i don't thing they have done that much kissing since he was courting her 10 years ago.

In turn Emma and her JDRF campaign benefited like i couldn't even fathom. It did help that she was running around being cute (herself) melting the hearts of all of the aunts, uncle and cousins.

So that evening The couple raised 250 big ones for Emma. When the Emcee announced at the beginning of the evening the procedure of how to make them kiss, i couldn't help but let a couple of tears trickle down my cheek. I looked over at Denise down from the head table she had one or two flowing down as well. I looked over to the Bride and Groom and just couldn't compose myself any longer. I just couldn't believe what was happening.

20's, 10's, loonies, toonies flyng in from all directions. The speeches were done i was hanging out with the Groom at the podium for a few minutes and people were lined up to give support and donate. I tried to thank all of them but there were many anonymous detonators too.

Today at the day after lunch. I was slow and groggy as i did drink a few whiskies just a few hours before. I went to get some coffee, came back to the table. Sitting there was a Styrofoam cup with some bills and change in it.

I had learned that the cousins ranging in age from 3-10 took Emma and the cup around the room and raised another $100. Very overwhelming.

People are amazing creatures. I am thrilled and honored to be in the company of such class.

Kissy Kissy$

This morning before i ran out of the house i decided to pour myself one last cup of Coffee because i knew i would need it today.

As i was pouring my cell rang. It was Leif. I am his best man at his wedding this weekend. Leif is a great friend, that is a no brainer. But this morning he did something extraordinary.

He mentioned instead of clinking glasses, telling a joke, singing a song, for the couple to kiss Saturday that they will be having a donation area for Emma with proceeds going towards the JDRF. You may want to read that over a few times.

I was blown away. I had to sit. I had tears once again swelling up. And this was before i did anything this morning. What an awesome day. What an awesome friend. I am defiantly privileged to be surrounded by people like him and his wife.

This sort of thing has rung through from him for as long as i have known him. Thank you Leif. I am honored to have you on my side.

DeeTour...sort of

I can hardly wait until summer is in full swing so i can go to the beach and show off my ab. It is sexy. I will even pour oil on it so everyone can benefit from its presence.

Isnt it funny how we use any circumstance to rationalise not doing something or doing something the way we do it. I know how much better i manage my life when i look after myself. That is a no brainer my friends.

The day of Emma's dx (September 29, 2006) about 2 hours before i got "THE CALL" (play du du du daaaa.....music here) i went to the gym at noon as i always did for years. Got changed ran up the stairs into the free weight area. Strutted (yes i strutted back then, Denise likes when i strut my stuff, usually putting my genitalia between my legs making as if i am a lady for the time being) to the flat bench threw on one plate a side (plate =45 lbs), ripped out 15 easy warm up reps. Banged the bar down on the brackets. Sprung up switched my MP3 player to megadeath - symphony of destruction (YOU TAKE A MORTAL MAN...AND YOU PUT HIM IN CONTROL...) threw on two one more plate a side (45 * 4 + 45 (bar) = 225 pounds layed down deep breath pumping out 8 clean reps.

Now where the hell did that go? Oh yea Emma has diabetes so that is the reason i cannot bench 225 anymore. I have to come home and make sure she is alive. AS IF!!!! What a dufus.

Don't you think if i was training through this whole ordeal i would be more set up to learn more and more patient with how i deal with it? Man did i ever take the easy way out.

There its in writing.

I will cure myself of this tail between my legs thinking. And i bet you dollars to doughnuts my sales increase too when i recover from "rationalitis". I am accepting pledges, and other forms of donations in quest to get my 225 chest and my 120 arm curls back. HMPH. me man ...me roar.

I was inspired by two ladies carving their names in a tree. You need inspiration from somewhere. And gosh darn it i found it. My handy old bellybutton lint catcher will be a thing of the past.

Brave New World

Tonight:

Emma - "i am brave...right Daddy?"

Me - (holding back tears) "Yes Emma you are the Bravest girl I know".

Rewind about 8 months ago. After giving her one of her first needles on our own with out her crying. I mentioned to her that she was a very good girl. Mom had heard this and we discussed it if that was the right thing to say.

If we think about it we are not praising her for taking the needle with out crying or squirming. What is going to happen when she does squirm or cry and we don't tell her she is a good girl.

Being brave is what we have to do as her parents. She is the one showing us how to be brave. We are blessed to have such a brave girl.

This past Tuesday:

Emma - (stabbing her last piece of french toast) "Momma i have to eat all my carbs....these are carbs right Momma?"

Mom - "Yes Emma my little girl you need to eat your carbs because you need your energy for play group today"

I saw her say this with her shoulders back and head up high. Proud of her brave little girl.

This is hard. It is getting harder. Are we ready? Do we have a choice but to be ready? This is it. This is what i have been talking about the past 8 months. The inevidable. We thought it would never come. But knew it was just around the corner.

We were hoping for a little more time with our Miss Emma before this fuck of a disease overtakes her fully. Why couldn't it wait longer. Is this the school of hardnocks? She shouldnt know what a carb is. Why does she confirm at 2 years old that she is brave.

She is going to be in school before we know it. Walking to class with her friends. Getting braces. Her drivers liscence. Her first date. Graduating. Fuck it i can t write anymore. This sucks. Sorry.
Bye

Out of Towner

OMFG Jamie!!!!
I was in Gladstone this afternoon. (about an hour or so northish of Brandon). I was having a late lunch around 3:00 at a bakery in this small town where i did stick out like a sore thumb at best.
I started reading Jamie's post on my Blackberry. The first thing i saw was the pic of Brooke. How adorable is that.
Then i started to read. Deeper into the post my grin was becoming the largest smile that side of Manitoba has seen in a long time.
Then came the redo rick (sp). Then came the chuckles. Then you know when your not in an appropriate spot to laugh out loud especially when your alone in a bakery 3 hours away from home eating bland celery soup sitting with the Hutterites?...yea that kind of scenario.
Then came the comments between Shannon, you, you then Shannon..oh my.

I just fell short of celery exploding through my nose. But i regained my composure. Finished lunch. And reflected on how lucky i was not to expend celery through any of my orifices....SO I THOUGHT!!!

Forty five minutes later in the middle of no-where my stomach decides it doesn't like celery in its soup form. Please..not now. I just want to get home safely. ook ok ..i get it at least let me find a fucking Esso or Husky. I don't even care if i have to ask for the key holding my ass....just get me to that porcelain pony that i want to take for a wild yet relieving ride.

VICTORY! I made it. To what WAS a clean bathroom. I don't care. Its all good. Like you don't know how good it is. Maybe you do.

Well any how with saying that i totally enjoyed and embraced My brief moment with a fellow OC'r and catch up on how our little Joys are doing.

This was actually started to be a comment on Jaimie's blog about my balls but it was looking more like a post so i cut and pasted this in here. Two birds down.

I hope to hear from all of you soon possibly on this comment section or on a new post of yours. Let me know how all of you are doing and your children too. As Denise talked to the Doctor today and started a new attack on Emma's ratio, intake, and management of it all. Feels like a new UN-charted phase we are entering.

Talk to you all soon.

Excuse me while i take a dump

Try blowing this out of proportion if you can.

Finally the sun and heat has encroached into our beautiful city. Allowing us to dust off the bikes, balls, and bar-b-q's. Ahhh summer...screeech...not so fast cowboy mother natures muffles. We all have to remember the violent snow storm that hit us 2 years ago this coming may 14th. But let us not all live in that fear.

So onward we go. Onward to our first bike ride of the year. Emma gets fastened into her seat that sits in the crotch of Mom's sport check special bike. And i pull out my Diamondback Copperhead equipped with NEX suspension forks,hayes solo disc brakes, and ncs performance crankshaft. Oh lord this is a sweet ride.

Oh i forgot to mention one slightly under inflated front tire. Damn those get you all the time.

So on the first leg of our journey Emma and Mom are ahead of me enjoying what you should on a bike ride with the family. But i am a little behind just doing a once over on my kick ass ride. Bouncing the front shocks-check, front break pressure-check, rear brake pressure-check. All is good!

Mom and Emma are still ahead of me turning left on a path with a lady pushing her child in a stroller. The lady stops, lets the girls by, and i follow as they are turning left i start my turn and being the diplomat i am i offer my thanks and excuse us as we pass. It went like this:

Me "hi, excuse u . s." ........oooaahhh hpmph scrape crash skid. Front tire going its own way and me going hard to the ground.

Lady "are you OK?" Emma starts crying, momma starts laughing and i look up at the lady with my sunglasses only covering one eye and the other part on my forehead, leg under the bike, and say:
"I am OK .....but my Pride is a little hurt" (i have always wanted to use that line)
But why would at that moment I get up as if nothing happened and continue my ride inconspicuously?
Maybe she would forget what happened.
Maybe i was just thinking all of this.
Maybe the blood running down my hand and my daughter Crying is a figment to me.

Ok that was slightly embarrassing.
But within moments we both had tears on our eyes we were laughing so damn hard.

Happy gay times.

Walk the Talk

I have mentioned before that i have been to two JDRF walks in the past. And you know that was about the extent of it. I was there. I didn't know much about the day, the people, or the disease. But now i know why I am there. My life and interests seems to have taken on a entire new purpose. I am now an advocate for Juvenile Diabetes.

Before last months seminar on the teen brain (mentioned in earlier post). Both me and Denise would be unsure on how to approach Emma's diabetes to family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances. But after being involved with this the past 6 or so months we have realized that it is safe and necessary to educate people about this. I do not hesitate anymore when discussions about family comes up or health related conversations arise. I know i need to interject and advocate for my daughter, family and friends who have all been affected by Diabetes.

Last week we were blessed with Emma's blood sugars being sureal'ly weird. Weird in terms of too perfect. Every morning i tested her at 7:30 her fasting sugar was 5.6. Yes!....Monday to Friday 5.6! It is amazing what can happen when everyone pulls together. Mom, Auntie Linda (daycare), and myself. I feel those numbers are out there for the taking. And at this point there is no reason why we cannot obtain those type of numbers on a day to day basis.

This may be a type of self affirmation. But i am writing this today on here because i believe those who read this will notice the type of work it takes raising a child with TYPE 1. And i know you all do know and go through it day to day in one capacity or another.

Please understand the impact that this online community has had on our attitude and outlook on this disease. It is not only the day to day that affects us on here it is what does Emma have in store for her down the road. Who will be her support. How will she manage her life.

It is essential that we surround ourselves with people who understand, and with people who want to understand.

Yesterday at the JDRF walk kick off we were surrounded by amazing people who care. They do not only care about their situation but want to be there for everyone else. It is nice to be a part of the masses who channel their energy the same way we do.

The problem with not posting in a long time is that there is so much to say i end up not really saying anything. I want to still be a part of this community and your lives so i owe it to you this to post more often. I like reading your stories, your daily struggles and most importantly your daily triumphs.