Welcome to Day 3 however today is supposed to be a wordless wednesday but sadly this requires some explination.
Below is Marcus’s “kit” it goes everywhere with us and it is like having a baby all over again with respect to always having to bring it with us like a diaper bag.
We have since replaced the yellow cooler with a red Frio ouch but have yet to try it out.
I have everything labelled plus a link to the product if there is one.
- Accu-Chek mobile meter
- Accu-Check replacement cartridge
- Needle Holder
- Glucagon
- Lypsol
- Needles
- Cooler
- Advil
- Dex4 Glucose Tabs
- Lancet Cartridges
- Washable snack bag (we use with insulin, needle and heathcard when out of the house for an hour or two)
- NovaRapid
- NPH
- Ketostix
Apr 03
#HAWMC Day 2 – Introductions
Well, hello again. Today is Day 2 in the #HAWMC 30 days, 30 post challenge.
Today’s prompt is:
- Introduce your condition(s) to other Health Activists. What are 5 things you want them to know about your condition/your activism?
- Share links to 3-5 of your old posts (or posts from other Health Activists!) that you think will help the newly diagnosed.
My condition is not mine, it’s my son’s and he has Type 1 Diabetes.
Marcus was diagnosed at age 5 on September 18, 2011 (the day of our first 5km run at the Army Run here in Ottawa – we never made it to the race). He is now 7. Since he is so young I manage his diabetes but he has a lot of input. I feel like I am the person who has diabetes but without the multiple finger sticks and insulin injections. (If you are a parent who has a child with diabetes you will understand exactly what I mean.) If I could take diabetes away from him I would, as any parent would. As a single mom, I do the day-to-day management on my own. I have to count the carbs in everything he eats and it gets to be a pain and I wish we get a break, but we don’t.
Here are 5 things that I think you should know about Diabetes.
- You do not get a day off – ever!
- Diabetes isn’t caused by eating too much sugar. It is caused when your body can’t use the insulin that it produces they way it needs to (Type 2) or your pancreas doesn’t make it anymore (Type 1).
- With proper care you can live a normal healthy life.
- There is no cure – yet! And insulin is only life support.
- The more people who know the signs and symptoms of highs or lows the better. Make sure you are educated and don’t be afraid to ask questions. You won’t know if you don’t ask.
There are many, many more and I could go on and on but I won’t.
Also, here are some posts and links that I think will help the newly diagnosed.
- The resource that I found the best after I got online and started reading about T1D was Leighann at D-Mom.com. Her resources are amazing.
- JDRF, Canadian Diabetes Association, TypeOne Nation, American Diabetes Association and Children With Diabetes are all great resources for life with Type 1 Diabetes.
- This one isn’t a link so much as a great piece of advice. Join Twitter (if you aren’t already on it) and search for #DOC and you will find a bunch of people in the Diabetes Online Community. Just remember, we are always there to help one another. We are a giant support system and without everyone, I don’t think I would have made it this far.
See you tomorrow!
You may have noticed two posts today. No, it is not an April Fool’s Joke. I swear!
April 1 marks the beginning of Health Activist Writer’s Month (#HAWMC)
Everyday for 30 days we are given a prompt on what to write about and today is Day 1 and we are just getting started.
Today’s prompts were:
- Why you write – tell us a little bit about why you write about your health online and what got you started.
- Why HAWMC? This is our third year of the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge – why did you get involved this year? Are you a newbie to #HAWMC or a veteran?
Why do I write? I write because I care. I care because I am a mother, a sister, daughter and a friend. I know many people that have chronic illnesses but sadly they let themselves be defined by them. Marcus won’t. He is a child who has diabetes. It is a part of him – even if we don’t like it. I believe that no one who has a (in)visable illness deserves to be treated any differently than those who don’t. You never know what it going on beneath the skin.
The number one reason I write is because I felt like I was going to explode and my therapist suggested that I keep a journal about how I was feeling and all of the good/positive things about Type 1 Diabetes. This was only 3-4 months after my 5 year old son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes and I didn’t think anything positive could ever come from my sons diagnosis. Boy, I was so wrong.
As a result of my son’s diagnosis, he has gone to Disney with Dreams Take Flight (read about it here, here and here) and he is a JDRF Youth Ambassador. I sit on the Family Development Committee here at the Ottawa JDRF office, I also created and moderate theCanDoc (an online community for Canadians with Diabetes – we host a weekly chat about life with Diabetes every Monday at 8 pm EST). Not to mention all of the wonderful people I have met because of this “disease”. My world and point of view has completely changed for the better.
I also write to give diabetes a voice. My son’s voice. Although he is only 7, he wants everyone to think about the different types of diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, Gestational and LADA) and not the stereotypical immediate questions that come to mind when you hear that someone has diabetes. “Oh, do you have it because you had too much sugar?” I will admit it, when the doctor told me he had diabetes I was floored. I didn’t know the difference then and one of my initial thoughts were “How? He isn’t allowed sugar.” That is the kind of narrow-mindedness that we want to prevent.
Writing about diabetes has helped me “come to grips” with my sons diagnosis becasue online there is always someone on Twitter who has gone through exactly (or similar) to what you are going through and it helps to have a someone on the other end of the line. The Diabetes Online Community (DOC) is such a large worldwide support network and I am extremely grateful to have found them.
While everyone has their own unique experience with T1D, I take solace in knowing that everyone is not perfect. Everyone has good days and bad with diabetes and it is difficult to maintain blood sugars in a child who is always active and grows like a weed. It is easy to feel the pressure of the constant finger pricks, the carb counting, insulin dosages and exercise. We all go through it together and while we may not be related by blood, blood is what brings us all together and we are a family.
This is my first year participating in the #HAWMC and I am looking forward to the other 29 days. 
Apr 01
No News is Good News
It has been a while since I posted and imagine my shock when I looked at my last post. It was in February. A whole month and a half has passed since then.
There have been a bunch of things that have been going on at home and with that there are ups and downs in blood sugars, endo appointment and a trip to Friends for Life in Toronto March 8-10.
With the trip to FFL in Toronto I have been meaning to write a post about it and all of the fantastic people that we met and all of the helpful things that we learned. Not to mention the few tips and tricks that have helped Marcus and I better manage his D.
With some things sorted out at home, I am hoping to get things back on track but until then there won’t be any posts Hopefully, it won’t take too long.
Feb 15
Let’s Talk – Mental Health
On February 12,
Bell Canada donated 5¢ from each text, facebook share, tweet and long distance call to mental health programs.
I love when companies donate their millions of dollars to a worthwhile cause without additional expense to its customers. That is one of the reasons why I stay with Telus. I stay with Telus because they help support JDRF and the walk each year.
Mental health issues have increasingly become more important to me since I am dealing with depression myself since Marcus was diagnosed with T1D. Read More
Oh no! I posted this late. I am sorry to those who were expecting this yesterday. Marcus was sick and I didn’t make this until last night so really this Tasty Tuesday should be named Wholesome Wednesday.
Two friends from high school were posting on facebook about this wrapped spaghetti bread thing-a-ma-bob and I thought it would be good to make it into a taco instead. Read More
This month Cherise from DSMA urged all of us in the DOC to get to know each other better. Not like a “You and your brother better get along or I am locking you in the same room.” type of get along but the friendly “I didn’t know that you _____.” type of get to know you.
I hope you play along. Here are my answers. Read More
Jan 25
Fantastic Friday ~ 1-4
I have been spending this past week recovering from the massive flu bug that infested my house. Sadly, it isn’t gone yet and Marcus doesn’t show any signs yet but it is still early.
This week I have stayed close to home with my Fantastic Friday awesomeness. {Click on the photos to be sent to the image source.}
As promised in my post yesterday, here is my fantastic news in regard to Marcus and diabetes.
I am very pleased and proud, to announce that Marcus is a JDRF Youth Ambassador.
When I got the bulletin about the application I printed it off and filled out the parent portion and brought it home and talked to Marcus about it. He just wanted to be used in print and for quotes and not so much for public speaking. but I am so very proud that he wanted to do this. It helps that he is super cute – I am not biased at all.
I am so glad that he wanted to do this and I am hoping that it will help with his self confidence.
On Monday Marcus had a supply teacher who read part of Two by Two (a book about Noah’s Ark which has religious connotations) to the class. She wasn’t supposed to but she did anyway. She even told the children she wasn’t allowed to read the book.
Books are good great but when a teacher in the public school system talks about God or anything religious other than learning about the different types of holidays that other religions celebrate, is against the rules here in Canada.
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