Saturday was the end-of-season pizza party for L's soccer team. I was wearing my Big Blue Test shirt, and as I approached the parents' table, one of the dads asked me about it.
Him: Big Blue Test, huh? Is that a Michigan thing? Is there a game today?
Me: No, it's a diabetes thing. November is diabetes awareness month, and the Big Blue Test is where you test your blood sugar, then exercise, then test again and share the results online. For every result shared, a person with diabetes in need gets help and supplies.
Him: Oh man, I guess I should know about that stuff, I'm a diabetic.
Me: Oh yeah?
Him: Well, that's what my doc says, but I kinda refuse to believe it.
Me: Oh, so you're a DENIAL-betic then? j/k lol
Him: Yeah, for sure. I know I have it, but I refuse to admit it.
We then got into a rather detailed conversation (for a pizza party anyway) about how he was diagnosed and what his BGs have been and what meds he's on and how they're not really working, even though he's lost weight, etc etc and eventually I was just like, "Look dude. I don't mean to get heavy on you in the middle of this joyous occasion, but there's a possibility that you may have been misdiagnosed with Type 2 when you might actually have Type 1.5 or LADA." He had never heard of it, so I encouraged him to ask his endocrinologist about it. Then he told me he didn't actually have an endo.
Long story short(ish), later that night I sent him some links and hopefully he'll find a good doc that can dig a little deeper and get to the bottom of what's really going on. Oh and I also told him to come by and pick up some ketone strips if he wanted to. Because I just can't leave it at pizza party advocacy; I have to take it to the maybe-you-should-pee-on-a-stick-to-make-sure-you're-not-gonna-go-into-DKA level.
Because, if you're gonna have the conversation, then you know, HAVE the conversation. (warning: boobs)
Monday, November 7, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
an unexpected murmuration
I just watched this video that left me breathless. For anyone who needs two minutes of pure beauty and wonder today. Recorded in County Clare, Ireland. Enjoy.
Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
diabetes awareness month 2011
Today is 11.1.11 (or 1.11.11, depending on where you live) and that means it's the inaugural T1Day! My dad sent me an email this morning that said: This morning on "TODAY" a group of women with Blue foam rubber "I'm #1" hands on declared today was JDRF day. Every little bit helps. Aww, thanks dad. (note: my dad does not actually read my blog.)
So even though I didn't really do anything for T1Day, I am pretty stoked that Diabetes Awareness Month is finally here, because there are so many things to look forward to.
+ The WDD Postcard Exchange
+ The World Diabetes Day celebrations
+ The Big Blue Test, in which I plan on participating multiple times in the next couple of weeks. Because every time you test/move/test/share, that means a life-saving donation for a diabetic in need.
+ Wearing my Diabetes Hands Foundation shirt for Blue Fridays. And Blue Mondays. And everything in between, including Blue Weekends! In case you haven't heard, I'm wearing the *same blue shirt* every day in November. You have Jacquie to thank/blame. If you're interested in following along, I'll be posting daily pics over here. But if you can't be arsed to visit yet another website every day, no worries, I'll post anything really interesting right here. And at the end of the month I'll compile a little video with all my daily pics. Because if there's one thing the world needs, it's some midwest housewife thinking she's the next Noah Kalina or something. IT'S FOR DIABETES AWARENESS, OKAY.
To get us started off, here's a pic of me and L, in matching shirts with matching cupcakes.
So even though I didn't really do anything for T1Day, I am pretty stoked that Diabetes Awareness Month is finally here, because there are so many things to look forward to.
+ The WDD Postcard Exchange
+ The World Diabetes Day celebrations
+ The Big Blue Test, in which I plan on participating multiple times in the next couple of weeks. Because every time you test/move/test/share, that means a life-saving donation for a diabetic in need.
+ Wearing my Diabetes Hands Foundation shirt for Blue Fridays. And Blue Mondays. And everything in between, including Blue Weekends! In case you haven't heard, I'm wearing the *same blue shirt* every day in November. You have Jacquie to thank/blame. If you're interested in following along, I'll be posting daily pics over here. But if you can't be arsed to visit yet another website every day, no worries, I'll post anything really interesting right here. And at the end of the month I'll compile a little video with all my daily pics. Because if there's one thing the world needs, it's some midwest housewife thinking she's the next Noah Kalina or something. IT'S FOR DIABETES AWARENESS, OKAY.
To get us started off, here's a pic of me and L, in matching shirts with matching cupcakes.
halloween 2011
You knew I wouldn't forget to post pics of my kid on Halloween, right? I mean, I even considered doing a "Twelve Days of Halloween" thing where I posted pics of all her Halloweens past, one per day, culminating last night. (Unfortch, I didn't have that brilliant idea until it was too late. But I'm gonna make it happen next year, so brace yourselves). In the meantime, please enjoy some pics from this year.
Our friends' dog, dressed as a kitty.
L's pumpkin (far right, bottom) was originally a Hunger Games logo, but it collapsed, so she turned it into a pukey punkin.
from L - R:
A, dressed as Nimway/Nimue from Merlin aka 'The Lady of the Lake'
A, dressed as a baby
L, dressed as Kate Wetherall, from The Mysterious Benedict Society book series
Ooooh, doesn't that blood look realistic? It is. very. *shudder*
They had a bunch o' fun, and even had to come back home a few times to drop off candy so they had room for more. Hope all you ghouls and goblins had a great night too! :)
A, dressed as Nimway/Nimue from Merlin aka 'The Lady of the Lake'
A, dressed as a baby
L, dressed as Kate Wetherall, from The Mysterious Benedict Society book series
They had a bunch o' fun, and even had to come back home a few times to drop off candy so they had room for more. Hope all you ghouls and goblins had a great night too! :)
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
heavy on links. and parentheses.
You wanna hear me and John yammer on for about 15 minutes about diabetes? Why wouldn't you. Thanks to VJ at Diabetic365, now you can!
You can find the video at his blog here. I wish I could tell you we were as adorable as that old couple trying to work a webcam, but it's just not true (maybe next time). Of course, L was sitting on the other side of the computer, listening to the whole thing. See if you can spot the moments she was making faces at me and I smiled back at her.
While you're over there, why not check out some other interviews VJ has conducted with some very cool people: Jason or Bernard or Jacquie or Meri or Wendy or Chris or Ginger or Scott or Michael or Reyna or Kim (as well as a whole bunch of other people who I am sure are also very cool, I just don't actually know them).
(Not that I actually "know" the people I linked to, of course. Apart from reading their blogs. And exchanging emails. And saying hi at FFL. And whatnot.)
(But you know what I mean.)
(Parentheses.)
But really, if you only have time to watch one 15-minute video interview about diabetes, skip mine and go straight to Jason's. He speaks very openly about the islet transplants he has received and how they have changed his life. John and I were very affected by his story and I think you will be too. Unless you've heard it already, in which case, never mind.
You can find the video at his blog here. I wish I could tell you we were as adorable as that old couple trying to work a webcam, but it's just not true (maybe next time). Of course, L was sitting on the other side of the computer, listening to the whole thing. See if you can spot the moments she was making faces at me and I smiled back at her.
While you're over there, why not check out some other interviews VJ has conducted with some very cool people: Jason or Bernard or Jacquie or Meri or Wendy or Chris or Ginger or Scott or Michael or Reyna or Kim (as well as a whole bunch of other people who I am sure are also very cool, I just don't actually know them).
(Not that I actually "know" the people I linked to, of course. Apart from reading their blogs. And exchanging emails. And saying hi at FFL. And whatnot.)
(But you know what I mean.)
(Parentheses.)
But really, if you only have time to watch one 15-minute video interview about diabetes, skip mine and go straight to Jason's. He speaks very openly about the islet transplants he has received and how they have changed his life. John and I were very affected by his story and I think you will be too. Unless you've heard it already, in which case, never mind.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Friday, October 21, 2011
21 oct 1947
Twenty years ago today, my mom turned 44. She'd been diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 1989. At that time, they told her they weren't sure how long she had. Maybe three months, maybe three years. She underwent chemo and radiation, which sent the cancer into remission. But in the spring of 1991, the cancer came back. And it had spread to the brain. So again with the chemo and radiation. She even went through a few rounds of an experimental drug treatment. But her health began to decline. Eventually, the side effects were so bad that she decided to forgo any more treatment and just focus on keeping her quality of life as high as possible. On her 44th birthday, she had a doctor's appointment. He told her she wouldn't live to see Thanksgiving. She died at home 3 weeks later.
Twenty years ago today, my mom turned 44. I was 20. Now I'm 40. It seems impossible that she's been gone that long. For several years after she died, I would become depressed around this time of year. Her birthday, the anniversary of when she passed, the memories of her final weeks, it was all too much. But twelve years ago, something changed. I became pregnant with my daughter. And finally I had something to celebrate again. I was no longer a motherless daughter; I became a mother to a daughter. I brought a photo of my mom into the delivery room, and I felt her there when L was born. John and I named L after my mom - the strongest and funniest woman I have ever known.
I'm glad I had even 20 years with my mom. Some people don't get that much. I think of her and thank her every day. Happy birthday, mom.
September 1972
September 2001
Twenty years ago today, my mom turned 44. I was 20. Now I'm 40. It seems impossible that she's been gone that long. For several years after she died, I would become depressed around this time of year. Her birthday, the anniversary of when she passed, the memories of her final weeks, it was all too much. But twelve years ago, something changed. I became pregnant with my daughter. And finally I had something to celebrate again. I was no longer a motherless daughter; I became a mother to a daughter. I brought a photo of my mom into the delivery room, and I felt her there when L was born. John and I named L after my mom - the strongest and funniest woman I have ever known.
I'm glad I had even 20 years with my mom. Some people don't get that much. I think of her and thank her every day. Happy birthday, mom.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
WHERE BLUE?
November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and Cherise thought that a good way to raise said awareness would be ask everyone to wear blue every Friday in November. Sounds cool to me - blue is my favorite color. Then she got a bunch of people together to make this fun video to promote Blue Fridays.
I gotta say, toward the end when it starts to get a little crazy, it seems like everyone is trying to find that dog from Blue's Clues. WHERE BLUE? WEAR BLUE!
Then Jacquie threw down the gauntlet by saying: I would like to challenge someone to wear the SAME blue shirt every single day in November. THAT would raise #diabetes awareness.
Well, Jacquie, all I gotta say is: Challenge...accepted!
I gotta say, toward the end when it starts to get a little crazy, it seems like everyone is trying to find that dog from Blue's Clues. WHERE BLUE? WEAR BLUE!
Then Jacquie threw down the gauntlet by saying: I would like to challenge someone to wear the SAME blue shirt every single day in November. THAT would raise #diabetes awareness.
Well, Jacquie, all I gotta say is: Challenge...accepted!
Friday, October 14, 2011
wdd postcard exchange
On the off (off, off!) chance that there are some d-peeps out there who read my blog but do not also follow Lee Ann and/or Kerri, consider this a signal boost for a very cool project to bring us all a little closer together.
You can hit up Lee Ann's blog for the deets (she's the mastermind behind it all), but in a nutshell, the idea is that one way we can celebrate World Diabetes Day (one month from today!), is to exchange crafty postcards between people affected by diabetes all over the world. Lee Ann put it best: My vision is of blue circle postcards spinning around the world, connecting each of us with another individual or family living with diabetes.
How cool is that? Spoiler: Very Cool. So head on over to The Butter Compartment to sign up.
Do it. Do it. DO IT.
You can hit up Lee Ann's blog for the deets (she's the mastermind behind it all), but in a nutshell, the idea is that one way we can celebrate World Diabetes Day (one month from today!), is to exchange crafty postcards between people affected by diabetes all over the world. Lee Ann put it best: My vision is of blue circle postcards spinning around the world, connecting each of us with another individual or family living with diabetes.
How cool is that? Spoiler: Very Cool. So head on over to The Butter Compartment to sign up.
Do it. Do it. DO IT.
Friday, October 7, 2011
living in the future
As a kid in the 70's, my family made many long road trips; two to four each year. Being an only child, I had the luxury of the whole backseat for myself. We would listen to the radio fading in and out between towns. Sometimes I would look at my dad's giant road atlas and trace my finger along the routes as we drove from California to New Mexico or Virginia to Alabama. Mostly I read, and filled up those game books with highlighters you could buy at gas stations. Which were few and far between, and we'd need to plan those stops in advance because it really sucked to have to pee on the side of the road in the desert (one word: cactus). And if we were going to be late, we'd need to track down a pay phone to let our friends or family know not to wait up for us.
At one point, my parents bought a small portable TV, and it would ride in the backseat with me. Whenever we got close enough to a big city, I would flip that clunky knob back and forth between channels, watching through static and snow for as long as we were in antenna range. But hey, I was watching TV! In the car! I felt like I was in an episode of the Jetsons.
A few weeks ago, my grandma celebrated her 85th birthday with a big party in Maryland. John and L and I made the nine hour drive after school got out one Friday. We programmed our destination into our GPS, which told us the exact roads to take, and re-routed us to avoid traffic. It also told us where the nearest gas station was, and how to get there. We listened to music through our iPod, which allows us to access our entire musical library with just a few finger swipes. When it got too dark for L to read any more, she used her laptop to watch movies and play video games, and when she got bored with that, she logged into Skype and chatted with her friends.
People. We were speeding down the interstate and my kid was talking to her friends back home on her computer while we listened to a recording of a concert that took place halfway around the world just the previous night, all while being directed to our destination by a posh British voice that was getting directions from a satellite rocketing through the sky and beaming the information back to our car. And when we got hungry for dinner, but didn't want to eat at the McBKendy's at the next exit, I used my phone to find a mom and pop joint a few towns away that had plenty of positive reviews on Yelp. And when we were running late, I pulled up the confirmation email on my phone and clicked on the hotel's number and was immediately connected. Then I sent my relatives a text message so they wouldn't worry. But if I had wanted to, I could have called them and actually had a face-to-face chat.
Because we are living in the future. And it's pretty freaking rad.
behold! four generations of awesomeness!
At one point, my parents bought a small portable TV, and it would ride in the backseat with me. Whenever we got close enough to a big city, I would flip that clunky knob back and forth between channels, watching through static and snow for as long as we were in antenna range. But hey, I was watching TV! In the car! I felt like I was in an episode of the Jetsons.
A few weeks ago, my grandma celebrated her 85th birthday with a big party in Maryland. John and L and I made the nine hour drive after school got out one Friday. We programmed our destination into our GPS, which told us the exact roads to take, and re-routed us to avoid traffic. It also told us where the nearest gas station was, and how to get there. We listened to music through our iPod, which allows us to access our entire musical library with just a few finger swipes. When it got too dark for L to read any more, she used her laptop to watch movies and play video games, and when she got bored with that, she logged into Skype and chatted with her friends.
People. We were speeding down the interstate and my kid was talking to her friends back home on her computer while we listened to a recording of a concert that took place halfway around the world just the previous night, all while being directed to our destination by a posh British voice that was getting directions from a satellite rocketing through the sky and beaming the information back to our car. And when we got hungry for dinner, but didn't want to eat at the McBKendy's at the next exit, I used my phone to find a mom and pop joint a few towns away that had plenty of positive reviews on Yelp. And when we were running late, I pulled up the confirmation email on my phone and clicked on the hotel's number and was immediately connected. Then I sent my relatives a text message so they wouldn't worry. But if I had wanted to, I could have called them and actually had a face-to-face chat.
Because we are living in the future. And it's pretty freaking rad.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
rash decision
Last week L had a small blister on her ear, which her pediatrician diagnosed as bullous impetigo. L started taking antibiotics and everything was cool. Then this week she began experiencing extreme pain from a bump in the back of her head that radiated down into her neck, shoulders and back. The doctor said it appeared to be a swollen lymph node, but it wasn't infected, and she couldn't figure out why the pain was so intense. The next day, the rash appeared. Within 24 hours, it covered her from head to toe. Again the doctor was puzzled, but after doing a strep swab (negative), she said it was probably just an allergic reaction to the antibiotic. Luckily, the itching seems to have subsided for the most part and things are basically back to normal, except for a week of wicked high BGs (no ketones, thankfully).
So I'm wondering, could the swollen lymph node have been an early sign of allergic reaction to the antibiotic? Her pediatrician said 'probably not'. The pain went away with Advil and once she stopped taking the antibiotic. She's fine now and I'm cool with chalking everything up to a medication allergy, but I thought I'd consult with the panel of experts in the DOC to see if any of you guys had ever experienced anything along these lines. Was this a case of normal-people sick, or can we blame her janky immune system for any part of this? Anecdotally speaking, of course. I'm sure you guys all realize I am not seeking medical advice, just curious is all. /disclaimer
In other news, tomorrow is NO D DAY.
I had so much fun reading the non-D posts from everyone last year, and I'm super stoked to check more blogs out tomorrow. Thanks G.
So I'm wondering, could the swollen lymph node have been an early sign of allergic reaction to the antibiotic? Her pediatrician said 'probably not'. The pain went away with Advil and once she stopped taking the antibiotic. She's fine now and I'm cool with chalking everything up to a medication allergy, but I thought I'd consult with the panel of experts in the DOC to see if any of you guys had ever experienced anything along these lines. Was this a case of normal-people sick, or can we blame her janky immune system for any part of this? Anecdotally speaking, of course. I'm sure you guys all realize I am not seeking medical advice, just curious is all. /disclaimer
In other news, tomorrow is NO D DAY.
I had so much fun reading the non-D posts from everyone last year, and I'm super stoked to check more blogs out tomorrow. Thanks G.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
diabetes art day 2011
Last year L and I participated in the first Diabetes Art Day, an event created by Lee Ann as a way for people affected by diabetes to express their feelings in an artistic and ultimately therapeutic fashion. You can find my contribution from last year here.
I have such fond memories of L and I creating art side by side last year, so I asked her if she was interested in participating again. But she said she was too busy with the beginning of the school year and soccer and everything. Wah wahhhh. Maybe next year. I didn't let that stop me from getting my art on.
I had an idea to use the many (many!) inserts we get in each box of diabetes supplies. For some reason I thought of paper doll chains. It seems so simple and obvious that I can't imagine someone hasn't already done something similar for their D art project. If you have and you're out there, please consider this my apology/hat-tip. :)
So I made my paper dolls. Then I colored them in, to give them some definition from one another. That was a suggestion from John. He was great to bounce ideas off of. (You can click on all the pics to make them bigger.)
we are the same, but different. and we're all connected.
Then I found a circular pattern for paper dolls, which I really loved, so I made one from that, and added the World Diabetes Day symbol.
representing kids and adults with diabetes here and around the world.
Having created all the elements of the piece, I needed to find a way to present them so my message was clear. I struggled with this aspect the most, until John suggested that I create an interlocking circle with the colorful paper figures, so that they were engaged in a "group hug" of sorts. With all of them standing together, they were strong enough to keep one another steady, as well as support others.
we get to
carry each other
Thanks to Lee Ann for D Art Day, thanks to John for seeing the bigger picture, and thanks to my network of paper dolls for having my back.
I have such fond memories of L and I creating art side by side last year, so I asked her if she was interested in participating again. But she said she was too busy with the beginning of the school year and soccer and everything. Wah wahhhh. Maybe next year. I didn't let that stop me from getting my art on.
I had an idea to use the many (many!) inserts we get in each box of diabetes supplies. For some reason I thought of paper doll chains. It seems so simple and obvious that I can't imagine someone hasn't already done something similar for their D art project. If you have and you're out there, please consider this my apology/hat-tip. :)
So I made my paper dolls. Then I colored them in, to give them some definition from one another. That was a suggestion from John. He was great to bounce ideas off of. (You can click on all the pics to make them bigger.)
Then I found a circular pattern for paper dolls, which I really loved, so I made one from that, and added the World Diabetes Day symbol.
Having created all the elements of the piece, I needed to find a way to present them so my message was clear. I struggled with this aspect the most, until John suggested that I create an interlocking circle with the colorful paper figures, so that they were engaged in a "group hug" of sorts. With all of them standing together, they were strong enough to keep one another steady, as well as support others.
carry each other
Thanks to Lee Ann for D Art Day, thanks to John for seeing the bigger picture, and thanks to my network of paper dolls for having my back.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
more firsts
In the past couple of weeks we've had some notable firsts that I'd like to share.
+ First time for L to insert her own infusion set at school. She wanted to show her new teacher and the school nurse in our 504 meeting. Awesome.
+ First time for L to wear a site on her arm. I think seeing so many peeps wearing them at FFL and camp swung her over to the other side. I am thrilled that we now have twice as much real estate to choose from during site changes.
rockin' the arm site on our last visit to the pool for the summer.
+ First time we completely spaced and forgot all about L's diagnosis anniversary. One night earlier this week after she had been in bed for a while, we heard her shuffle down the hallway and she poked her head into our room. "Uh...guys? We totally forgot today was my 2 year d-versary." LOL WHUT. We had it on our calendar, it just completely slipped our minds. She decided to fully celebrate it the following day by eating the highest carb meal she wanted for dinner (Manicotti from Carrabba's, which wasn't very high at all actually), followed by the highest carb dessert she could think of. (Dairy Queen's Brownie Earthquake = 119 carbs)
so bolus-worthy
I actually find it reassuring that it flew under our radar this year. Maybe it means the diabetski is settling in to be just another thing for our family to deal with, rather than the OMG ABSOLUTE FOCUS OF EVERYTHING it once was. And don't get me wrong, we still have days like that. But surprisingly the anniversary wasn't one of them. :)
+ First time for L to insert her own infusion set at school. She wanted to show her new teacher and the school nurse in our 504 meeting. Awesome.
+ First time for L to wear a site on her arm. I think seeing so many peeps wearing them at FFL and camp swung her over to the other side. I am thrilled that we now have twice as much real estate to choose from during site changes.
+ First time we completely spaced and forgot all about L's diagnosis anniversary. One night earlier this week after she had been in bed for a while, we heard her shuffle down the hallway and she poked her head into our room. "Uh...guys? We totally forgot today was my 2 year d-versary." LOL WHUT. We had it on our calendar, it just completely slipped our minds. She decided to fully celebrate it the following day by eating the highest carb meal she wanted for dinner (Manicotti from Carrabba's, which wasn't very high at all actually), followed by the highest carb dessert she could think of. (Dairy Queen's Brownie Earthquake = 119 carbs)
I actually find it reassuring that it flew under our radar this year. Maybe it means the diabetski is settling in to be just another thing for our family to deal with, rather than the OMG ABSOLUTE FOCUS OF EVERYTHING it once was. And don't get me wrong, we still have days like that. But surprisingly the anniversary wasn't one of them. :)
Monday, August 29, 2011
back to school 2011
For back to school pics from 2004-2010, check out this post. Below please enjoy the many faces of L on her first day of 6th grade.
trademark crazy face due to John making her laugh behind my head
loaded down
lightened up
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
site change change
L got home from diabetes camp on Saturday. It was her second year and she had an amazing week and came home exhausted but happy. On Sunday it was time for a site change.
Backstory: We use the Mio infusion set and rotate sites on her belly. She and John have gotten it down to a science. When we started using the Mio around this time last year, it was a 10-15 minute (sometimes longer) process, with me on one side of her as she clutched my hand tightly, and John on the other, lightly resting the inserter against her belly, waiting for her to tell him "okay". Some nights there would be tears. But over time, the process has gotten shorter and easier, and she no longer needs me to hold her hand or even be present. She and John can get through it in under 5 minutes usually, depending on how she's feeling.
So, cut to Sunday. He's got the Mio resting against her belly and she's doing the psyching herself up thing. She says, all casual like, "Hey, can I see that for a second?" John and I both think she's checking his placement of it or making sure the tubing is facing the right way. He hands her the Mio and she just goes *CLICK*, thereby inserting the new infusion set by herself.
!!!
Startled joyful laughter escapes my face and doesn't stop for at least five minutes. John is left just sitting there, staring at her belly, completely in shock, like he cannot believe his eyes. But L's reaction was the best. Just, total pride and giddiness at pulling one over on us. Brilliant.
Every kid grows at their own pace and the time was right for L to start doing this for herself, even if we didn't realize it. I doubt it would have come as soon without camp last week (she did her first one there on day 2, and had been plotting this big surprise ever since). I usually extoll the virtues of all the psychological support she gets at d-camp, and it seems I forgot that she's afforded opportunities to grow more independent in her own care as well. Double awesome.
[Edited to add: In case you're not familiar with the Mio, here's a demonstration. Jump to 4:20 for visual aid.]
dropping her off at camp. she's rolling her eyes at me.
Backstory: We use the Mio infusion set and rotate sites on her belly. She and John have gotten it down to a science. When we started using the Mio around this time last year, it was a 10-15 minute (sometimes longer) process, with me on one side of her as she clutched my hand tightly, and John on the other, lightly resting the inserter against her belly, waiting for her to tell him "okay". Some nights there would be tears. But over time, the process has gotten shorter and easier, and she no longer needs me to hold her hand or even be present. She and John can get through it in under 5 minutes usually, depending on how she's feeling.
So, cut to Sunday. He's got the Mio resting against her belly and she's doing the psyching herself up thing. She says, all casual like, "Hey, can I see that for a second?" John and I both think she's checking his placement of it or making sure the tubing is facing the right way. He hands her the Mio and she just goes *CLICK*, thereby inserting the new infusion set by herself.
!!!
Startled joyful laughter escapes my face and doesn't stop for at least five minutes. John is left just sitting there, staring at her belly, completely in shock, like he cannot believe his eyes. But L's reaction was the best. Just, total pride and giddiness at pulling one over on us. Brilliant.
Every kid grows at their own pace and the time was right for L to start doing this for herself, even if we didn't realize it. I doubt it would have come as soon without camp last week (she did her first one there on day 2, and had been plotting this big surprise ever since). I usually extoll the virtues of all the psychological support she gets at d-camp, and it seems I forgot that she's afforded opportunities to grow more independent in her own care as well. Double awesome.
[Edited to add: In case you're not familiar with the Mio, here's a demonstration. Jump to 4:20 for visual aid.]
Friday, August 5, 2011
winner winner chicken dinner
Congratulations, Reyna! You were randomly chosen as the winner of the possibly-in-poor-taste-but-I-can't-help-it-if-it-makes-me-laugh t-shirt giveaway. Drop me an email at shannon.neurotic.city(at)gmail.com with your address and I'll get it in the mail to you. May you enjoy it in good health. Better luck next time, Amy and Kristen. :)
And so the rest of y'all don't leave my blog empty-handed, please enjoy this video of some talented dudes dancing on a street corner in the rain. It's been around for a while, so it may not be new to you, but as many times as I've watched it, it never fails to put a smile on my face. Happy weekend, guys.
And so the rest of y'all don't leave my blog empty-handed, please enjoy this video of some talented dudes dancing on a street corner in the rain. It's been around for a while, so it may not be new to you, but as many times as I've watched it, it never fails to put a smile on my face. Happy weekend, guys.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
t-shirt giveaway
When she opened it, she laughed, and said it would be great to wear to diabetes camp next year. So when we were packing for FFL I said, "hey, how about that shirt?" And she was like, "nah". And when she was packing for d-camp last weekend, I was all, "hey! hilarious shirt alert!" And she gave me the scrunchy face head shake. I said, "I thought you thought it was funny?" and she said, "Not so much, I guess." So I asked her if it was cool with her if I asked if anyone on my blog was interested in it and she thought it was a great idea.
Here are some models of varying size to help you decide if it will fit you or your child.
John's rocking the Brimley face there.
So, if you're interested, drop me a comment and I'll use that random number generator thing that all the cool bloggers use and I'll pick a winner. "Pick me a winner!" - my dad, to me, every time my finger is anywhere near my nose. It never gets old.
Oh yeah, deadline is, uh, Friday morning? 5 August? Noon EST? I've never done this before, obvs. Good luck!
Monday, August 1, 2011
my first mirror mantra
Every Monday, Mike over at What Some Would Call Lies shares his weekly motivation in the form of a post-it note on his mirror. I've been wanting to join in, but I've had trouble coming up with a sufficiently inspirational phrase. Until now. A pal of mine reblogged this image and I knew it was the mantra for me.
Speaking of things that are badass, please enjoy this video about creativity. It's not really for kids, unless your kid is kinda twisted like mine. YKTMV.
Speaking of things that are badass, please enjoy this video about creativity. It's not really for kids, unless your kid is kinda twisted like mine. YKTMV.
Don't Hug Me I'm Scared from This Is It on Vimeo.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
27.07.1921
90 years ago today two Canadian scientists, Frederick Banting and Charles Best, successfully isolated insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas.
If my kid had been born a hundred years ago, her diabetes diagnosis would have meant an automatic death sentence.
I am so grateful that she was born in this time and place.
I was profoundly moved by an interview I heard last week that was conducted with Professor Jean Claude Mbanya, President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). I've been trying to find the words to make a post about some insights he shared with those of us participating in the live chat, but have been unable to do so. Luckily, there are others in the DOC who make good words, so please allow me to link to Martin's excellent post entitled Imagine. If you can't be arsed to click on the link, I've reproduced an excerpt below:
+ + +
Friends, if you're affected at all by these small snapshots into what life can be like for those not lucky enough to have been born in the same time and place as we were, please take the time to visit the links below to learn more about how you can help. (This section was also nicked from Martin's post. Thanks for doing the heavy lifting, dude.)
+ + +
where you live should not decide
whether you live or whether you die
+ + +
look out Scott and Colin, she's still got both of her FFL wristbands on.
If my kid had been born a hundred years ago, her diabetes diagnosis would have meant an automatic death sentence.
I am so grateful that she was born in this time and place.
I was profoundly moved by an interview I heard last week that was conducted with Professor Jean Claude Mbanya, President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). I've been trying to find the words to make a post about some insights he shared with those of us participating in the live chat, but have been unable to do so. Luckily, there are others in the DOC who make good words, so please allow me to link to Martin's excellent post entitled Imagine. If you can't be arsed to click on the link, I've reproduced an excerpt below:
Something that [Professor Mbanya said that] really jumped out at me was what he shared about the stigma of diabetes, especially in less fortunate countries where oppression, starvation, corruption, overpopulation, and poverty reign.
Professor Mbanya shared with us the story of a man whom he met in a hospital that had four children, one of which was a daughter who had type 1 diabetes. Despite what help he could get from the hospital, the man was always sad and never smiled. One day Professor Mbanya went away on a trip, and when he returned and happen to run into the man, he was happy, and had a smile on his face. Professor Mbanya asked him, "Why are you so happy?" The man answered that his daughter with type 1 diabetes had died. Professor Mbanya, unable to understand why the death of a child would bring a smile to the father's face, asked, "Then why are you smiling?" The man answered, "Professor, it was better that my daughter should die, so that the rest of the family can live, for when she was alive we couldn't eat, the other children had to drop out of school, and now I have changed and put on weight because we are able to eat."
Imagine.
Among some tribal people in the undeveloped world, diabetes is not viewed as a medical condition, or a sickness, or even a disease. It is viewed as a curse. Professor Mbanya explained to us that in those cultures, the family of a child with diabetes is viewed as having the disease as much as the child, where parents take their children and commit suicide or infanticide because of the profound negative stigma of diabetes.
Imagine.
In 1979, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping enacted the One Child Law for urban areas of China in an effort to control population. The basic premise of the law states that couples are limited to only one child per family. However, if that one child develops type 1 diabetes, then an exemption is allowed so that the parents may essentially try again, because the expectation is that the child with diabetes will die.
Imagine.
Professor Mbanya said it, and I couldn't agree with him more: "No child should die of diabetes. All children should have adequate access to insulin, monitors, supplies, and education needed to have a happy and quality life."
Imagine.
Friends, if you're affected at all by these small snapshots into what life can be like for those not lucky enough to have been born in the same time and place as we were, please take the time to visit the links below to learn more about how you can help. (This section was also nicked from Martin's post. Thanks for doing the heavy lifting, dude.)
* O is for Outrage
The topic of the United Nation's 2nd summit on global health issues is non-communicable diseases (NCDs), of which diabetes is one. Create a postcard right now to send to United States President Barack Obama, and ask him to represent us at the UN Summit on September 19-20, 2011. The IDF is taking care of all of the shipping costs. (P.S. - I don't care what political affiliation you are or whether or not you approve of President Obama. This isn't political. This is necessary.)
* I Agree
Do this now. Just click the "I Agree" link above. Just by doing that, you are telling the IDF, the UN, and the world that you support essential care for people with diabetes. People should not have to choose between starvation and living life with diabetes. Not anywhere.
* Life For A Child
Saving the lives of children in the developing world. As Professor Mbanya said in his time with us on DSMA Life, "No child should die from diabetes."
* World Diabetes Day
November 14 is World Diabetes Day. Wear blue on this day, attend or host an event, and increase awareness of diabetes worldwide.
where you live should not decide
whether you live or whether you die
+ + +
Friday, July 15, 2011
kin folks
John and I had an awesome time chatting with the Ninjabetic in the expo hall at FFL last week. It was right before he was about to get his photo taken with his "cousin" Kendall Simmons. Talk turned to all the other Simmonses that could be his kinfolk and an idea was born. Unfortch, my photomanip skillz are basically nonexistent, but hopefully you can still enjoy this quick and dirty offering. (that's what she said)
Simmons Family Reunion 2011
(Click to embiggen. It looks better/worse that way.)
(Click to embiggen. It looks better/worse that way.)
Monday, July 11, 2011
cwd ffl 2011
This time last week, we had just arrived in Florida for the Children With Diabetes - Friends For Life conference. We were "First Timers". We got a special ribbon attached to our name badges announcing our newbie-ness. That way, if we ever looked lost or confused, one of the old timers could reach out to us and see if we needed a little help. Also, it helped us identify other families who might be in the same boat as us. From our first moments at registration on Wednesday, down to the goodbye breakfast on Sunday, we were lucky enough to be in the company of some of the most generous people I've ever met.
Last year, when I was considering making this our big family summer vacation, I sent a comment to Bennet at YDMV, saying I'd heard that the conference is like a big diabetes camp for the whole family. His reply was: FFL is like diabetes camp for kids, parents and adults with type 1 on steroids, bitten by the spider that got Peter Parker in an Iron Man's suit. How could I resist after a claim as bold as that? They should print that on the brochures!
Since my brain is still scrambled from all the awesome, this recap will take the form of bullet points, because that's all I can manage at the moment. Enjoy!
+ At registration, we were all issued wristbands. People with diabetes got green ones, everyone else got orange ones. (There was also a yellow one for peeps with celiac, and even a separate buffet area for them, to avoid cross-contamination. Awesome.) The type 1 "celebrity" guests also wore the green bracelets, like American Idoler Crystal Bowersox, Ironmanner Jay Hewitt, Footballer Kendall Simmons, and Top Cheffer Sam Talbot. I can't explain why, but seeing Crystal up there with her bracelet, saying "You can be anything you want to be. You can work a camera like that dude, or work behind a soundboard like that person, or you can write songs like me, or whatever it is you want to do!", made me a little teary. Good thing there was a box of tissues at each table.
+ Geeking out when I saw some of my fave d-bloggers in the flesh.
+ L recognized Kerri before I did.
+ Kerri introduced us to Scott; luckily he's a hugger like me.
+ When I first saw Jacquie, I wasn't sure if it was her or not, since she did not have shafts of golden light emanating from behind her head as she stood in front of the soda machine, but as soon as she smiled I knew it was her. Me: "I love your blog!" Her: "I love your hair!" Awwww.
+ George is even more awesome in person than on his blog (hard to imagine, I know). Super proud of his family and so so funny.
+ I got to thank Kim in person for starting the "You Can Do This Project" and she was very humble.
+ I was perhaps too enthusiastic giving the excited-wave-in-passing to Lee Ann and Karen, since I'd not even said a proper hello to them. But I was happy to be able to chat with Karen and her husband a bit at the Farewell Breakfast.
+ Finally met Bennet and his wife and told him he pushed me over the edge about coming to FFL and he was like, "in a good way, I hope! I've been known to push people over the edge in the bad way." For sure!
+ Called out to Lorraine as she passed by with her kids, and got to chat briefly with the only other mom blogger I ever saw there, though I'm sure there had to be more. I was happy to have a quick visit, but we'll definitely need to plan to get together for real next time.
+ Martin, Jess and Sara, three new-to-me d-bloggers who always seemed to be having such a great time whenever I saw them. In fact, one time John and I were waiting in the hallway for the next session to begin, and I heard a loud rumbling coming from behind me. I thought it might be a group of teenagers but when I turned to look, I realized it was...The Bloggers.
+ Speaking of Martin, John told me a great story of how he brought sanity back to a session that was rife with tension by way of his quiet confidence. Well played, sir. Well played.
+ I considered wrenching the green wristband from my kid's arm so I could get into the Sam Talbot panel, which was exclusively for adults with type 1 wah wah wahhhh. I look forward to Jacquie's forthcoming blog post about her experience. Use as many adjectives as you deem necessary, mkay?
+ By the second day, L had made fast friends with a few girls in her age group and barely checked in with us between sessions. She spent lunch and breaks with her new posse of pals and begged us to keep at least 200 feet of distance from the room where the tween social took place on Friday night. Me: "Can I hang out in the hallway outside of the room?" L: "No! Someone might see you!" Me: "What about around the corner?" L: "No! I don't want you anywhere near there!" Parental Restraining Order in full effect. I was not offended in the least. I was happy she had found her people. Walking home from the party she said to John, "Best. Dance. Ever." Rock.
+ GACs (Guest Assistance Cards) are basically, like, the best thing ever. Between the hours of 8am and 12 midnight on Tuesday, July 5th, we went to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot, and rode on everything we wanted to, some of them more than once. A long time ago, shortly after L was diagnosed, we were reading a blog where a kid was asked what the best thing about diabetes was, and they answered "the special pass we get to use at Disneyland!" and I have to say, I couldn't agree more. Besides the friends we've made due to diabetes, the GAC is for sure the best thing about this whole diabetski bisnatch.
+ The Social Media session was really great, (aside from the moment when I misguidedly tried to explain what a hashtag was to one of the bloggers who was asking for a definition in case anyone else in the room was confused), and it produced one of my favorite sentiments from the weekend. This is not an exact quote, so please forgive me for butchering Kerri's original poetry: If having diabetes makes you feel like a freak, when you discover others on the internet going through the same things as you, it makes you feel less like a freak show, more like a traveling circus. Scott put it another way in his answer to a gentleman who wondered what the "purpose" of "social" "media" was: You know how amazing it feels to be here at FFL and sit across the table from someone who gets it? That's what the DOC is like, except it's not just for one week a year. And on the internet, there's always someone awake in the middle of the night if you need to talk.
+ "Air" "Quotes" aka "Bunny" "Ears" = The Ninjabetic's gang sign of choice. Also, his dad is not Richard Simmons, so don't even go there.
+ I should have snapped a photo of Kerri in front of the twitter wall displaying her recent #FFL11 tweet and then posted it to twitter, but I fear the resulting meta-meta-madness would have caused the internet to collapse into itself.
+ Crystal Bowersox is so freaking rad. She did a photo op session on Thursday, and right before it was our turn to get our pic snapped, I heard her tell her assistant that she needed something to eat, and the assistant was like, "Do you need some sugar?" And Crystal was like, "No, I'm not low, it's just normal people hungry." Consider that added to our family lexicon! She was scheduled to perform after the big banquet that night, but she spent most of her time onstage fielding questions from the kids gathered around the front of the stage.
Q: Did anyone ever tell you you couldn’t do something because of your diabetes?
A: Sure, all the time. And I’ve proved all of them wrong. And you can too!
Q: What's the best thing about having diabetes?
A: (long pause) Coming here to play for you guys. And showing you that having diabetes won't stop you from reaching your goals.
Q: How did it feel when Lee DeWyze won American Idol?
A: I tell you what. When they announced his name, I looked up at the ceiling, and all the confetti started coming down. And I picked out one piece, MY piece. And I watched it float down, and I caught it. And I still have it to this day. And I feel like I won too.
Q: You OWNED American Idol
A: THANK YOU!
+ They were giving out free sno-cones in the expo center and when I asked if they knew how many carbs were in them they replied: "No carbs! This is a diabetes conference, after all!" I said, "You'd be surprised at the things I've seen served at other diabetes events." Boxes of donuts with no carb info at the JDRF walk, for starters.
+ L played soccer in the sports room on the first night and was thrilled when she discovered after the fact that she had scored two goals on a member of the Chicago Fire. :)
+ Low overnight BGs seemed par for the course here. All the activity and excitement (see above) made overnight basal changes necessary (40% in three hour intervals seemed to do the trick).
+ Where has Joe Solo been all my life? Does he have a blog? I'd like a daily dose of that dude. Does he even exist outside of CWD FFL? Or is he just a magical soul who is apparated when thousands of PWDs get together and think happy thoughts? No, the best part is knowing that he DOES exist outside of FFL. He's out there, doing his Joe Solo thing, day after day.
+ Oliver Double, stand-up comic from the UK. Lanky British dude with charming wife and clever kids, telling jokes about diabetes? Where have YOU been my whole life? He did a bit of stand-up to open the conference, which included reading responses to a poll he posted on the CWD site and the most hilarious answers were from the DOC's own Scott Strange. Sweet sassy molassy it was funny. I would watch an entire show written by Strange and performed by Double. They could call it the Double Strange Traveling Show. I would go to every gig. Maybe I could work the merch stand. When I met Oliver briefly, I told him I liked his opening speech and he laughed when he noticed my badge said I was from Neurotic City. I told him it was the name of my blog and he said "great name for a blog!". WHY THANK YOU OLLIE, MAKE MINE A DOUBLE.
+ We have clearly reached the part of the recap where I devolve into embarrassing admissions and ALLCAPSclamations. Which is typically my cue to wrap things up.
So. Thank you to every person who reached out to this deer-in-the-headlights first timer. Thank you to all the volunteers who donated their time to keep things rolling smoothly. Thank you to all the mentors and staff who showed my kid such a good time that she was compelled to ask if we could come again next year, before this trip was even finished. Thanks to all the bloggers I bum-rushed for being so kind to me, even though it's unlikely you had any clue who I was. Thanks to Crystal Bowersox for calling me "Mama" in her inimitable way. Thanks to John for taking care of L during the 50% of the vacation that I was sick in bed. Thanks to L for sticking it out in the beginning when she thought this whole thing was gonna be sooo booooring. And thank you to the creators of the CWD FFL conference for creating a place that brings the camaraderie and support of the DOC to life in all it's educating, entertaining, inspiring, exhausting, sometimes schmoopy and occasionally messy glory, and allows us to strengthen those bonds face to face, over refillable cups of Diet Coke and coffee and poolside with a pack of other pumpers. My hope for everyone reading this is that you can attend or create a similar gathering yourselves. Peace, love and insulin, maaaan. <3
Last year, when I was considering making this our big family summer vacation, I sent a comment to Bennet at YDMV, saying I'd heard that the conference is like a big diabetes camp for the whole family. His reply was: FFL is like diabetes camp for kids, parents and adults with type 1 on steroids, bitten by the spider that got Peter Parker in an Iron Man's suit. How could I resist after a claim as bold as that? They should print that on the brochures!
Since my brain is still scrambled from all the awesome, this recap will take the form of bullet points, because that's all I can manage at the moment. Enjoy!
+ At registration, we were all issued wristbands. People with diabetes got green ones, everyone else got orange ones. (There was also a yellow one for peeps with celiac, and even a separate buffet area for them, to avoid cross-contamination. Awesome.) The type 1 "celebrity" guests also wore the green bracelets, like American Idoler Crystal Bowersox, Ironmanner Jay Hewitt, Footballer Kendall Simmons, and Top Cheffer Sam Talbot. I can't explain why, but seeing Crystal up there with her bracelet, saying "You can be anything you want to be. You can work a camera like that dude, or work behind a soundboard like that person, or you can write songs like me, or whatever it is you want to do!", made me a little teary. Good thing there was a box of tissues at each table.
+ Geeking out when I saw some of my fave d-bloggers in the flesh.
+ L recognized Kerri before I did.
+ Kerri introduced us to Scott; luckily he's a hugger like me.
+ When I first saw Jacquie, I wasn't sure if it was her or not, since she did not have shafts of golden light emanating from behind her head as she stood in front of the soda machine, but as soon as she smiled I knew it was her. Me: "I love your blog!" Her: "I love your hair!" Awwww.
+ George is even more awesome in person than on his blog (hard to imagine, I know). Super proud of his family and so so funny.
+ I got to thank Kim in person for starting the "You Can Do This Project" and she was very humble.
+ I was perhaps too enthusiastic giving the excited-wave-in-passing to Lee Ann and Karen, since I'd not even said a proper hello to them. But I was happy to be able to chat with Karen and her husband a bit at the Farewell Breakfast.
+ Finally met Bennet and his wife and told him he pushed me over the edge about coming to FFL and he was like, "in a good way, I hope! I've been known to push people over the edge in the bad way." For sure!
+ Called out to Lorraine as she passed by with her kids, and got to chat briefly with the only other mom blogger I ever saw there, though I'm sure there had to be more. I was happy to have a quick visit, but we'll definitely need to plan to get together for real next time.
+ Martin, Jess and Sara, three new-to-me d-bloggers who always seemed to be having such a great time whenever I saw them. In fact, one time John and I were waiting in the hallway for the next session to begin, and I heard a loud rumbling coming from behind me. I thought it might be a group of teenagers but when I turned to look, I realized it was...The Bloggers.
+ Speaking of Martin, John told me a great story of how he brought sanity back to a session that was rife with tension by way of his quiet confidence. Well played, sir. Well played.
+ I considered wrenching the green wristband from my kid's arm so I could get into the Sam Talbot panel, which was exclusively for adults with type 1 wah wah wahhhh. I look forward to Jacquie's forthcoming blog post about her experience. Use as many adjectives as you deem necessary, mkay?
+ By the second day, L had made fast friends with a few girls in her age group and barely checked in with us between sessions. She spent lunch and breaks with her new posse of pals and begged us to keep at least 200 feet of distance from the room where the tween social took place on Friday night. Me: "Can I hang out in the hallway outside of the room?" L: "No! Someone might see you!" Me: "What about around the corner?" L: "No! I don't want you anywhere near there!" Parental Restraining Order in full effect. I was not offended in the least. I was happy she had found her people. Walking home from the party she said to John, "Best. Dance. Ever." Rock.
+ GACs (Guest Assistance Cards) are basically, like, the best thing ever. Between the hours of 8am and 12 midnight on Tuesday, July 5th, we went to Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot, and rode on everything we wanted to, some of them more than once. A long time ago, shortly after L was diagnosed, we were reading a blog where a kid was asked what the best thing about diabetes was, and they answered "the special pass we get to use at Disneyland!" and I have to say, I couldn't agree more. Besides the friends we've made due to diabetes, the GAC is for sure the best thing about this whole diabetski bisnatch.
+ The Social Media session was really great, (aside from the moment when I misguidedly tried to explain what a hashtag was to one of the bloggers who was asking for a definition in case anyone else in the room was confused), and it produced one of my favorite sentiments from the weekend. This is not an exact quote, so please forgive me for butchering Kerri's original poetry: If having diabetes makes you feel like a freak, when you discover others on the internet going through the same things as you, it makes you feel less like a freak show, more like a traveling circus. Scott put it another way in his answer to a gentleman who wondered what the "purpose" of "social" "media" was: You know how amazing it feels to be here at FFL and sit across the table from someone who gets it? That's what the DOC is like, except it's not just for one week a year. And on the internet, there's always someone awake in the middle of the night if you need to talk.
+ "Air" "Quotes" aka "Bunny" "Ears" = The Ninjabetic's gang sign of choice. Also, his dad is not Richard Simmons, so don't even go there.
+ I should have snapped a photo of Kerri in front of the twitter wall displaying her recent #FFL11 tweet and then posted it to twitter, but I fear the resulting meta-meta-madness would have caused the internet to collapse into itself.
+ Crystal Bowersox is so freaking rad. She did a photo op session on Thursday, and right before it was our turn to get our pic snapped, I heard her tell her assistant that she needed something to eat, and the assistant was like, "Do you need some sugar?" And Crystal was like, "No, I'm not low, it's just normal people hungry." Consider that added to our family lexicon! She was scheduled to perform after the big banquet that night, but she spent most of her time onstage fielding questions from the kids gathered around the front of the stage.
Q: Did anyone ever tell you you couldn’t do something because of your diabetes?
A: Sure, all the time. And I’ve proved all of them wrong. And you can too!
Q: What's the best thing about having diabetes?
A: (long pause) Coming here to play for you guys. And showing you that having diabetes won't stop you from reaching your goals.
Q: How did it feel when Lee DeWyze won American Idol?
A: I tell you what. When they announced his name, I looked up at the ceiling, and all the confetti started coming down. And I picked out one piece, MY piece. And I watched it float down, and I caught it. And I still have it to this day. And I feel like I won too.
Q: You OWNED American Idol
A: THANK YOU!
+ They were giving out free sno-cones in the expo center and when I asked if they knew how many carbs were in them they replied: "No carbs! This is a diabetes conference, after all!" I said, "You'd be surprised at the things I've seen served at other diabetes events." Boxes of donuts with no carb info at the JDRF walk, for starters.
+ L played soccer in the sports room on the first night and was thrilled when she discovered after the fact that she had scored two goals on a member of the Chicago Fire. :)
+ Low overnight BGs seemed par for the course here. All the activity and excitement (see above) made overnight basal changes necessary (40% in three hour intervals seemed to do the trick).
+ Where has Joe Solo been all my life? Does he have a blog? I'd like a daily dose of that dude. Does he even exist outside of CWD FFL? Or is he just a magical soul who is apparated when thousands of PWDs get together and think happy thoughts? No, the best part is knowing that he DOES exist outside of FFL. He's out there, doing his Joe Solo thing, day after day.
+ Oliver Double, stand-up comic from the UK. Lanky British dude with charming wife and clever kids, telling jokes about diabetes? Where have YOU been my whole life? He did a bit of stand-up to open the conference, which included reading responses to a poll he posted on the CWD site and the most hilarious answers were from the DOC's own Scott Strange. Sweet sassy molassy it was funny. I would watch an entire show written by Strange and performed by Double. They could call it the Double Strange Traveling Show. I would go to every gig. Maybe I could work the merch stand. When I met Oliver briefly, I told him I liked his opening speech and he laughed when he noticed my badge said I was from Neurotic City. I told him it was the name of my blog and he said "great name for a blog!". WHY THANK YOU OLLIE, MAKE MINE A DOUBLE.
+ We have clearly reached the part of the recap where I devolve into embarrassing admissions and ALLCAPSclamations. Which is typically my cue to wrap things up.
So. Thank you to every person who reached out to this deer-in-the-headlights first timer. Thank you to all the volunteers who donated their time to keep things rolling smoothly. Thank you to all the mentors and staff who showed my kid such a good time that she was compelled to ask if we could come again next year, before this trip was even finished. Thanks to all the bloggers I bum-rushed for being so kind to me, even though it's unlikely you had any clue who I was. Thanks to Crystal Bowersox for calling me "Mama" in her inimitable way. Thanks to John for taking care of L during the 50% of the vacation that I was sick in bed. Thanks to L for sticking it out in the beginning when she thought this whole thing was gonna be sooo booooring. And thank you to the creators of the CWD FFL conference for creating a place that brings the camaraderie and support of the DOC to life in all it's educating, entertaining, inspiring, exhausting, sometimes schmoopy and occasionally messy glory, and allows us to strengthen those bonds face to face, over refillable cups of Diet Coke and coffee and poolside with a pack of other pumpers. My hope for everyone reading this is that you can attend or create a similar gathering yourselves. Peace, love and insulin, maaaan. <3
Thursday, July 7, 2011
better late than never
Prior to any large gathering of internet nerds, it is customary to let those friends that live inside your computer know you will be attending, so as to make plans to at least say a quick hello at some point. I had certainly planned to let all my diapeoples know I'd be attending the Children with Diabetes - Friends for Life conference. But the universe conspired against my ability to do so in a timely fashion.
Over the last couple of weeks I have traveled to 4 states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Michigan and Tennessee) to see multiple concerts (Glen Hansard x 3, U2 x 2, Eddie Vedder x 1.5, Mark Geary x 1), which rendered me unable to make this blog post in a timely fashion.
So hey! Here I am in FLA! I've already run into some of my fave D bloggers: Kerri, Scott, George, Lee Ann, Jacquie, and Kim. I'm pretty sure none of them had a clue who I actually was, but they were very kind to me anyway. When I introduced myself to Kerri as "Shannon from Neurotic City", she thought I meant that was my actual hometown, and suggested I change my name tag to reflect that. So I did. And when I bum-rushed George and Lee Ann at the buffet by saying "HI, I'M FROM THE INTERNET", they were nice enough to not seem too disturbed by me.
Kerri and Scott led an awesome panel about Social Media, and I am sure there were more bloggers in the room I didn't get a chance to creepily introduce myself to. But there's always the buffet tonight. Bennet, I'm looking at you.
So, if there's anyone else out there reading this who happens to be at the conference right now, drop me an email or a comment if you wanna say hey in person. I think I saw a photo of Caleb on the welcome collage so Lorraine, if you're here and you see this before Sunday, drop me a note! Also, I totally had a D-Tales sighting, when one of Jack's pieces of artwork was used in the keynote speech. Anyone else I might know up in here? HOLLA!
Over the last couple of weeks I have traveled to 4 states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Michigan and Tennessee) to see multiple concerts (Glen Hansard x 3, U2 x 2, Eddie Vedder x 1.5, Mark Geary x 1), which rendered me unable to make this blog post in a timely fashion.
So hey! Here I am in FLA! I've already run into some of my fave D bloggers: Kerri, Scott, George, Lee Ann, Jacquie, and Kim. I'm pretty sure none of them had a clue who I actually was, but they were very kind to me anyway. When I introduced myself to Kerri as "Shannon from Neurotic City", she thought I meant that was my actual hometown, and suggested I change my name tag to reflect that. So I did. And when I bum-rushed George and Lee Ann at the buffet by saying "HI, I'M FROM THE INTERNET", they were nice enough to not seem too disturbed by me.
Kerri and Scott led an awesome panel about Social Media, and I am sure there were more bloggers in the room I didn't get a chance to creepily introduce myself to. But there's always the buffet tonight. Bennet, I'm looking at you.
So, if there's anyone else out there reading this who happens to be at the conference right now, drop me an email or a comment if you wanna say hey in person. I think I saw a photo of Caleb on the welcome collage so Lorraine, if you're here and you see this before Sunday, drop me a note! Also, I totally had a D-Tales sighting, when one of Jack's pieces of artwork was used in the keynote speech. Anyone else I might know up in here? HOLLA!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
you can do this
So Kim at Texting My Pancreas was inspired by the It Gets Better project, and decided to start a similar movement in the Diabetes Online Community (DOC). Today my blog reader is filled with videos to watch, posted by people putting themselves out there in an effort to help someone on the other side of their computer screen.
I sat down to record my own a few days ago and it quickly shifted from me making a heartfelt and encouraging video to me pulling faces and using funny voices, which is how I cope with feeling nervous or anxious, apparently. So instead of a video, I'm putting it down in text. I hope it still fits the spirit of the project.
+ + +
Dear parent of a child recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes,
You know how when your baby was born they sent you home from the hospital after a couple of days, without so much as a pamphlet on how to raise your kid? Well, when my daughter was discharged from Children's Hospital after her diabetes diagnosis, my husband and I joked that at least this time around, we had been trained on how to care for her. We had just graduated from several days of diabetes boot camp and they even gave us a massive binder to take home with us that outlined everything we needed to remember.
Much like the first few weeks of dealing with a newborn, the first weeks and months after L's diagnosis passed by in a blur. We were in the trenches, just trying to get to the end of each day alive. But once we fell into a routine, the fog began to lift and I realized that it wasn't enough to just survive. I wanted my daughter to thrive.
So I decided to search the internet for other people in the same situation. Since I began keeping an online journal in 2002, I knew there had to be diabetes bloggers out there. Maybe even other parents of kids with diabetes. But what I found was more than I could have imagined. And I have received support I never even knew I needed, from every different type of person and background and situation you can think of, and even some you might not.
Moms, dads, single parents and grandparents of diabetics; teens and adults with diabetes; some families with only one diabetic in their entire history, and others with 2, 3, 4 or more diabetics in their immediate family; newly diagnosed and those who have been dealing with it for decades, and on and on.
We all have different voices. We all have different stories. But beneath the noise, below the din, it all comes down to this:
Of science and the human heart, there is no limit
There is no failure here, sweetheart
Just when you quit.
Whatever you're going through. Whatever you're feeling. You are not alone. Someone has been through it before, and they can help you find your way out. Here's a story:
This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.
A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'
Yeah, I just linked to a U2 video and quoted an old episode of "The West Wing". That's how I roll.
So, dear parent of a child recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes:
I don't know how you found me, but I'm glad you did. You can do this.
Shannon :)
P.S. Thank you, Kim.
I sat down to record my own a few days ago and it quickly shifted from me making a heartfelt and encouraging video to me pulling faces and using funny voices, which is how I cope with feeling nervous or anxious, apparently. So instead of a video, I'm putting it down in text. I hope it still fits the spirit of the project.
+ + +
Dear parent of a child recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes,
You know how when your baby was born they sent you home from the hospital after a couple of days, without so much as a pamphlet on how to raise your kid? Well, when my daughter was discharged from Children's Hospital after her diabetes diagnosis, my husband and I joked that at least this time around, we had been trained on how to care for her. We had just graduated from several days of diabetes boot camp and they even gave us a massive binder to take home with us that outlined everything we needed to remember.
Much like the first few weeks of dealing with a newborn, the first weeks and months after L's diagnosis passed by in a blur. We were in the trenches, just trying to get to the end of each day alive. But once we fell into a routine, the fog began to lift and I realized that it wasn't enough to just survive. I wanted my daughter to thrive.
So I decided to search the internet for other people in the same situation. Since I began keeping an online journal in 2002, I knew there had to be diabetes bloggers out there. Maybe even other parents of kids with diabetes. But what I found was more than I could have imagined. And I have received support I never even knew I needed, from every different type of person and background and situation you can think of, and even some you might not.
Moms, dads, single parents and grandparents of diabetics; teens and adults with diabetes; some families with only one diabetic in their entire history, and others with 2, 3, 4 or more diabetics in their immediate family; newly diagnosed and those who have been dealing with it for decades, and on and on.
We all have different voices. We all have different stories. But beneath the noise, below the din, it all comes down to this:
Of science and the human heart, there is no limit
There is no failure here, sweetheart
Just when you quit.
Whatever you're going through. Whatever you're feeling. You are not alone. Someone has been through it before, and they can help you find your way out. Here's a story:
This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.
A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on.
Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.'
Yeah, I just linked to a U2 video and quoted an old episode of "The West Wing". That's how I roll.
So, dear parent of a child recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes:
I don't know how you found me, but I'm glad you did. You can do this.
Shannon :)
P.S. Thank you, Kim.
Monday, June 6, 2011
lazy pancreas (the re-postening)
So our local JDRF walk is this weekend. We didn't make a video this year, so instead I'm just gonna re-post the one we made last year. It was inspired by the SNL Digital Short Lazy Sunday, and it includes other pop culture touchstones such as Laser Cats, Hans and Franz, Liz Lemon, Christiane Amanpour, Oprah's inability to distinguish between type 1 and type 2, and the inspired rhyming of the words 'site' and 'sight' (credit to the kid for that couplet). We hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did making it. :)
Here are the lyrics, in case you have trouble deciphering them.
Lazy Sunday, wake up in the late afternoon
My dad calls me up just to see how I'm doin'
Yo, let's rap about a funky fundraiser
And make a video like those cats shooting lasers
The cause is diabetes, with which she is afflicted
It's lame how the media chooses to depict it
There's more than one type of diabetes, Oprah
No more words really rhyme with Oprah, Oprah, Oprah
Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, half a dozen
How much should I bolus for a cupcake, cousin?
Gotta poke your finger just to get it to bleed
Too bad sometimes it's way more than you need
The EMLA cream looks like Toaster Strudel
I wanna eat it. True dat, double trudel!
It would be wack if my pump blew up
Hans and Franz want to pump you up!
Diabetes! What? Gonna find a cure!
Stop at the deli for some cheese and meats
Whipped cream and Jell-o are my carb-free treats
I can eat anything, but it should be nutritious
French Fries + Frosty = Crazy Delicious!
If my sugar's low, I gotta eat some vittles
Starburst, jelly beans, or some Skittles
I also like Twix and the Head of a Lemon
What if your head really was a lemon, lemon, lemon
If I keep it in control I can avoid a complication
One thing that works is this daily affirmation:
As long as I always change my site
I won't have to worry about losing my sight
On April 24th, we'll be walking for a cure
A rhyme for this line is Christiane Amanpour
If you dig this vid, we'd like your support
Type 1 diabetes, one day we'll thwart!
Diabetes! What? Gonna find a cure!
Here are the lyrics, in case you have trouble deciphering them.
Lazy Sunday, wake up in the late afternoon
My dad calls me up just to see how I'm doin'
Yo, let's rap about a funky fundraiser
And make a video like those cats shooting lasers
The cause is diabetes, with which she is afflicted
It's lame how the media chooses to depict it
There's more than one type of diabetes, Oprah
No more words really rhyme with Oprah, Oprah, Oprah
Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, half a dozen
How much should I bolus for a cupcake, cousin?
Gotta poke your finger just to get it to bleed
Too bad sometimes it's way more than you need
The EMLA cream looks like Toaster Strudel
I wanna eat it. True dat, double trudel!
It would be wack if my pump blew up
Hans and Franz want to pump you up!
Diabetes! What? Gonna find a cure!
Stop at the deli for some cheese and meats
Whipped cream and Jell-o are my carb-free treats
I can eat anything, but it should be nutritious
French Fries + Frosty = Crazy Delicious!
If my sugar's low, I gotta eat some vittles
Starburst, jelly beans, or some Skittles
I also like Twix and the Head of a Lemon
What if your head really was a lemon, lemon, lemon
If I keep it in control I can avoid a complication
One thing that works is this daily affirmation:
As long as I always change my site
I won't have to worry about losing my sight
On April 24th, we'll be walking for a cure
A rhyme for this line is Christiane Amanpour
If you dig this vid, we'd like your support
Type 1 diabetes, one day we'll thwart!
Diabetes! What? Gonna find a cure!
Friday, June 3, 2011
cgm calibration question
Hey guys, long time, no post. I've got a question for ya'll. I remember reading a blog entry several months ago wherein the author stated that when calibrating a CGM, you might be tempted to do it more frequently than indicated, but that actually is a not-so-great idea, due to some scientific stuff that escapes me at the moment. It was one of those things where it seems like more is better, like if you calibrate it more frequently, then you are improving the accuracy, but in fact the opposite was true. Does this ring a bell with any of ya'll? If so, can you drop me a link in the comments? Thanks.
I've been out of the blogging loop for a while, but thanks to the recent Diabetes Blog Week, I've been doing a bit more reading and commenting. Now I just need to get back to posting. We've got our local JDRF walk coming up next weekend, so look forward to a thrilling recap some time thereafter.
I've been out of the blogging loop for a while, but thanks to the recent Diabetes Blog Week, I've been doing a bit more reading and commenting. Now I just need to get back to posting. We've got our local JDRF walk coming up next weekend, so look forward to a thrilling recap some time thereafter.
Friday, March 18, 2011
thank you
[This post has been languishing in my drafts folder for over a month. I've just now had time to finish and post it. Yikes! Hope you're all well.]
Thanks to everyone who offered supportive comments and advice on how to deal with L's ski trip. Especially Reyna, Meri, FeltFinland and Kim, who sent me detailed instructions on how she dealt with altitude change. But everyone's comments helped me feel more confident about the trip, which turned out quite well for everyone involved.
We stayed in the same hotel as the kids and the general manager checked us in about a half hour before L's bus got there. When they arrived, the GM called our room and just said, "They're here. Don't come to the lobby!" and hung up. I felt like we were in a spy movie. John and I had joked with L about getting disguises and exaggeratedly tiptoeing between potted plants and shrubbery as she had breakfast in the lobby, but we always slept in way later than the kids did anyway.
The chaperon acting as the nurse kept in close contact with us throughout the trip, texting us every time L tested her BG (every 2 hours while exercising, and before meals, natch). The two scenarios we were most worried about were her going low while skiing/water parking and having a delayed low overnight.
Luckily she didn't have any lows on the slopes or in the water park, though on the second day during her ski lesson, she did feel low and treated it accordingly. Basically she handled everything on the trip by herself exactly as we would have had we been with her. Which made us tremendously proud.
But of course she had to sleep. And then all bets were off. Since we check her overnight at home, and she has slept through alarms she has set at sleepovers, we decided we would need a plan with several backup plans. It turns out we used them all!
1. She set her phone alarm to wake her up 3 hours after her last test, at bedtime. It didn't wake her up.
2. We set our alarm to wake us up 3 hours after her last test, in case we didn't hear from her. We didn't.
3. We call her cell phone to wake her up. It doesn't.
4. We call her on the room phone to wake up up. It doesn't.
5. We hope that the ringing of the room phone wakes up one of her 3 roommates so they can wake her up. It doesn't.
6. The next step was to call her chaperon on her cell phone to get her to go into L's room and wake her up, but we never had to do this, because the ringing of L's room phone was so long and loud it woke her chaperon up in the next room and she entered and woke L up while we were still calling on her room phone. Crazy!
Luckily she didn't have any overnight lows and the whole trip went off without a hitch. We didn't see her at all until she got off the bus back at school on Sunday night, along with the rest of the kids. A fantastic experience for us and her. Thanks again for all your help.
L is on spring break right now so my computer time is more limited than usual, but I hope to get caught up on my blog reading once she goes back to school, at the end of the month. Until then, Happy Spring, ya'll!
Photo from a snow day back in January
Thanks to everyone who offered supportive comments and advice on how to deal with L's ski trip. Especially Reyna, Meri, FeltFinland and Kim, who sent me detailed instructions on how she dealt with altitude change. But everyone's comments helped me feel more confident about the trip, which turned out quite well for everyone involved.
We stayed in the same hotel as the kids and the general manager checked us in about a half hour before L's bus got there. When they arrived, the GM called our room and just said, "They're here. Don't come to the lobby!" and hung up. I felt like we were in a spy movie. John and I had joked with L about getting disguises and exaggeratedly tiptoeing between potted plants and shrubbery as she had breakfast in the lobby, but we always slept in way later than the kids did anyway.
The chaperon acting as the nurse kept in close contact with us throughout the trip, texting us every time L tested her BG (every 2 hours while exercising, and before meals, natch). The two scenarios we were most worried about were her going low while skiing/water parking and having a delayed low overnight.
Luckily she didn't have any lows on the slopes or in the water park, though on the second day during her ski lesson, she did feel low and treated it accordingly. Basically she handled everything on the trip by herself exactly as we would have had we been with her. Which made us tremendously proud.
But of course she had to sleep. And then all bets were off. Since we check her overnight at home, and she has slept through alarms she has set at sleepovers, we decided we would need a plan with several backup plans. It turns out we used them all!
1. She set her phone alarm to wake her up 3 hours after her last test, at bedtime. It didn't wake her up.
2. We set our alarm to wake us up 3 hours after her last test, in case we didn't hear from her. We didn't.
3. We call her cell phone to wake her up. It doesn't.
4. We call her on the room phone to wake up up. It doesn't.
5. We hope that the ringing of the room phone wakes up one of her 3 roommates so they can wake her up. It doesn't.
6. The next step was to call her chaperon on her cell phone to get her to go into L's room and wake her up, but we never had to do this, because the ringing of L's room phone was so long and loud it woke her chaperon up in the next room and she entered and woke L up while we were still calling on her room phone. Crazy!
Luckily she didn't have any overnight lows and the whole trip went off without a hitch. We didn't see her at all until she got off the bus back at school on Sunday night, along with the rest of the kids. A fantastic experience for us and her. Thanks again for all your help.
L is on spring break right now so my computer time is more limited than usual, but I hope to get caught up on my blog reading once she goes back to school, at the end of the month. Until then, Happy Spring, ya'll!
Photo from a snow day back in January
Friday, January 21, 2011
ski trip advice
Hello friends,
I have been out of the blogging loop since well before Thanksgiving, due to wonderful adventures and holiday celebrations and winter break, and a broken computer, and the list goes on and on. So I have no idea how you all have been for the last couple of months, but I hope this finds you well.
And I realize it is poor form to post asking for advice when I've been MIA for weeks upon weeks but that is just what I am here to do. I hope to catch up with your lives as soon as I can, but I have a rather pressing question in the meantime.
L is going on a school ski trip next weekend. John and I volunteered to be chaperons, but there are no parents allowed, so as to foster independence and responsibility amongst the 5th graders. Which is awesome. Except for the fact that the ski lodge is 6 hours away from here. And she will be skiing all day Saturday and Sunday, AND going to an indoor water park on Saturday night, not to mention the 7 meals she'll have while she's away.
So, the ski trip organizers have bent the rules and graciously allowed us to come along to serve as a safety net, tucked away in case of emergency. L and the chaperons know we'll be there, but her classmates do not. And if all goes well, we will not see her at all over the weekend. But if something does happen that requires our immediate attention, we will be nearby and not 6 hours away. This is a tremendous relief to us, as you can imagine.
So what I'd like to know from you guys is, have you ever sent your kid away on a trip like this? A couple of days and nights away from home with a very intense amount of physical activity occurring for much of that time? If so, do you have any helpful hints?
We plan to tell her to program a temp basal while she's on the slopes. But we're wondering if it should be 20%? 25%? 50%? (I realize this is a very personalized decision and of course we're consulting her endo as well.) The school nurse suggested that she carry her glucagon on her person, but we're not sold on the idea. What if she falls on top of it and crushes it/it bruises her (she's never skied before). Also, even if she has it in her pocket if she passes out, will a ski resort medic know what to do? There will be a chaperon acting as a nurse on the trip who is trained in glucagon administration, but she will not be by L's side every moment of every day, nor do we want her to be.
Basically, I'm interested in hearing if your child has done anything similar and if so, what precautions you took or what you learned from the experience that you may not have thought about beforehand.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. I hope to get back to posting and reading regularly sooner rather than later. And as I said, I hope the new year is treating you well. :)
I have been out of the blogging loop since well before Thanksgiving, due to wonderful adventures and holiday celebrations and winter break, and a broken computer, and the list goes on and on. So I have no idea how you all have been for the last couple of months, but I hope this finds you well.
And I realize it is poor form to post asking for advice when I've been MIA for weeks upon weeks but that is just what I am here to do. I hope to catch up with your lives as soon as I can, but I have a rather pressing question in the meantime.
L is going on a school ski trip next weekend. John and I volunteered to be chaperons, but there are no parents allowed, so as to foster independence and responsibility amongst the 5th graders. Which is awesome. Except for the fact that the ski lodge is 6 hours away from here. And she will be skiing all day Saturday and Sunday, AND going to an indoor water park on Saturday night, not to mention the 7 meals she'll have while she's away.
So, the ski trip organizers have bent the rules and graciously allowed us to come along to serve as a safety net, tucked away in case of emergency. L and the chaperons know we'll be there, but her classmates do not. And if all goes well, we will not see her at all over the weekend. But if something does happen that requires our immediate attention, we will be nearby and not 6 hours away. This is a tremendous relief to us, as you can imagine.
So what I'd like to know from you guys is, have you ever sent your kid away on a trip like this? A couple of days and nights away from home with a very intense amount of physical activity occurring for much of that time? If so, do you have any helpful hints?
We plan to tell her to program a temp basal while she's on the slopes. But we're wondering if it should be 20%? 25%? 50%? (I realize this is a very personalized decision and of course we're consulting her endo as well.) The school nurse suggested that she carry her glucagon on her person, but we're not sold on the idea. What if she falls on top of it and crushes it/it bruises her (she's never skied before). Also, even if she has it in her pocket if she passes out, will a ski resort medic know what to do? There will be a chaperon acting as a nurse on the trip who is trained in glucagon administration, but she will not be by L's side every moment of every day, nor do we want her to be.
Basically, I'm interested in hearing if your child has done anything similar and if so, what precautions you took or what you learned from the experience that you may not have thought about beforehand.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this. I hope to get back to posting and reading regularly sooner rather than later. And as I said, I hope the new year is treating you well. :)
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