tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43107653958635921822024-02-21T06:46:16.890-03:30Diabetes AdvocacyThe ranting of a mother and advocate for Type one diabetes. The founder of www.diabetesadvocacy.com welcomes you to journey through life with a son with Type 1Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.comBlogger578125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-78683352081048572212014-08-27T09:46:00.002-02:302014-08-27T09:46:43.441-02:30A Bucket of Gratitude<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We all have seen how insanely popular the Ice Bucket Challenge has
become. Stories of how much money ALS has raised since this went viral
versus how much money it had raised in previous years are astounding.
What is equally moving is the stories of families touched by ALS. I
dare you to watch any of them without a box of Kleenex.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last week on the </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/diabetesadvocacywebsite" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diabetes Advocacy Facebook page</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I shared with you </span><a href="http://asweetlife.org/feature/does-diabetes-need-an-ice-bucket-challenge/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moira McCarthy’s</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> thoughts on this phenomenon and whether diabetes should be doing something similar. Reading about how ALS had touched </span><a href="http://www.despitediabetes.com/last-breaths-the-story-that-needs-to-be-shared-the-one-about-michaels-dad/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">her family</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> brought tears to my eyes and I was so glad that my son “only has diabetes”.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have not watched many of the ice bucket videos. I have seen a few
that have auto-started on my Facebook feed but for the most part I
simply have said “I hope that they are donating” and “Better them than
me but it is for a good cause.” There are a few from friends who state
that they have a personal connections to ALS that I do make sure that I watch
.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe that is why I played this next video. It was from a Facebook
Friend who had a child with diabetes who said that ALS had come to
call. I was curious. Would it be her father? Grandmother? I was sure
that it would be sad but I had been following the many blessings in
their lives. They had recently moved across the country into a dream
house. They had enjoyed an amazing summer spent traveling throughout
this great country of ours. Life was very good for them, wasn’t it?
After listening to her tell </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=kssOg9GnZ6s&u=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWw8a5N_W4QY%26feature%3Dshare" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">her family’s story,</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> well let’s just say that I was again left very grateful that all my son had to deal with was diabetes.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know that diabetes kills. I know that diabetes is serious. I know
that things can change in the blink of an eye. In the past month we
have seen depression kill Robin Williams. We have seen countless
stories of how ALS has impacted and destroyed lives. I have seen a
family devastated when a father tried to save his drowning daughter only
to be killed instead. Life and death happen. We deal with the cards
that we are dealt but some of us have greater challenges to face than
others.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a blink of an eye it could be worse–so much worse. Diabetes can be
cruel but life with diabetes is getting better. Highs are still brutal
in their destruction of the body. Lows are still deadly especially when
they happen at night or when a person with diabetes is alone. There is
hope however. Technology has created major changes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have the</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheBionicPancreas" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> bionic</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and artificial pancreas projects. We have CGMs, rapid insulin, and smart pumps. We have apps to </span><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/calorieking-food-search/id454930992?mt=8" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">count carbs</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and apps to </span><a href="http://helparound.co/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">get us out of trouble</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. We have a wonderful </span><a href="https://m.facebook.com/mallowsfortype1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">community of people</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> living with diabetes </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDJVtQOute8&list=UUjU0-8AIRhzJYKskEccOj0w" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">who get it</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
and support us every day. Diabetes sucks but after seeing what others
live with…well I will take diabetes with a bucket of gratitude.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/gratitude-bucket.jpg"><img alt="gratitude bucket" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-566" height="180" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/gratitude-bucket-300x180.jpg" width="300" /></a>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-27528187035903046742014-08-13T09:30:00.001-02:302014-08-13T09:30:34.136-02:30What's in a Name? <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there is one positive thing to come out of the tragic passing of
Robin Williams, its the fact that so many people are talking about
depression. There is a huge effort to help people to understand the
dark insidious nature of this disease--and the fact that it is a real
disease not just a feeling of melancholy that we all experience now and
then.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/depression-and-diabetes/" href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/depression-and-diabetes/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clinical depression</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
is a prolong sadness that has a chemical component that most often
requires specific medications to begin to improve. It requires the use
of a medical doctor and can be physically debilitating.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most
interesting thing that I have read in the past 36 hours or so since I
heard about Robin Williams' passing is a debate that I hear in the world
of diabetes all of the time--people would pay more attention to this
disease if it had a different name. People think of depression as
fitting things like "rain on your wedding day and a free ride when you
already paid" to quote </span><a data-mce-href="http://alanis.com/" href="http://alanis.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alanis Morrisette</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.
These are not exactly issues that lead a person to take their own
life...unless they are already experiencing a much deeper pain. There
is a feeling of a need to disassociate the mental illness from the
emotion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the world of diabetes, we see this same desire often.
People feel that the label Type 1 diabetes does not go far enough. It
doesn't show the true nature of this disease. It does not remove itself
far enough away from another condition that is often associated with
poor diet and the ability to be "cured" with diet and exercise.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personally
I am always led back to Shakespeare when this debate is brought up.
"What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would
smell as sweet." Okay, diabetes is not as pretty as a rose and when you
can smell "sweet" when dealing with diabetes we know that you are in
serious trouble but you get the point. A name means nothing. It is all
about the awareness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Type 2 diabetes is not limited to people who
are overweight. It is not magically cured by diet and exercise, but it
is able to be managed that way unlike Type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes
will not be cured with insulin. Wearing an insulin pump does not mean
that you don't have to think about diabetes ever again.
Misconceptions. Fallacies. Misinformation. It happens with every
disease.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The general public is ignorant about many things. I knew
nothing about diabetes until it tried to steal my son in March of 2000.
I now know more than some medical professionals but I know little about
Multiple Sclerosis or other diseases. We educate ourselves to what is
important to us. It is our job as people who have become experts is to
educate the outside world to the important parts of our conditions.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They
do not need to know how to carb count but we must work to teach the
general public that there is no known cure for diabetes...unless you are
a mouse. An insulin pump does not mean that you have diabetes "really
bad" and it does not cure your diabetes. It is a management tool that
requires work and fine-tuning but is preferable by many to help maintain
better blood glucose levels. Myths must be debunked to create better
understanding and support.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Much of the same can be said for
depression. It is important that the stigma be removed--just as the
stigma of diabetes needs to be gone. No one "caused" either condition.
Both require medical attention and serious work to be able to manage.
Ironically depression is twice as common in people living with diabetes
as it is in the general population and if you have depression but don't
currently have diabetes, don't worry because people living with clinical
depression are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Robin
Williams is getting people talking about depression. Mary Tyler Moore,
Brett Michaels, and Nick Jonahs have all done the same thing in the
world of Type 1 diabetes. Our goal as people who live with these
conditions each day is to make sure that the conversations do not end
and to take this opportunity to educate people on the realities and
dispel the fantasies.</span><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/rose.jpg" href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/rose.jpg"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="rose" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-557" data-mce-src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/rose-300x232.jpg" height="232" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/rose-300x232.jpg" width="300" /></span></a><em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Please
remember that if you are experiencing a prolonged sense of sadness that
is impacting your daily routine or having thoughts of suicide, please <span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">contact a medical professional</span>. If you are having trouble dealing with life with diabetes, a counselor or </span><a data-mce-href="http://http://diabetesadvocacy.com/LifeCoach.htm" href="http://http//diabetesadvocacy.com/LifeCoach.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">life coach</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> may help you to find new coping mechanisms.</span> </em>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-45929918062445712272014-08-12T09:58:00.000-02:302014-08-12T09:58:19.032-02:30Diabetes and Depression<em><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t want to get out of bed. What difference does it make any
way? I am tired. I don’t matter. I can’t take it any more. I can’t lift
this dark cloud that hangs over me. I am poor company. My family is much
better off without me. I don’t make a difference in the world. I am
just taking up space. No one would miss me. What is the point?</span></em><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></em><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does any of that sound familiar? Many of us have had some or all of
these thoughts to varying degrees. Yesterday’s passing of Robin Williams
showed us that money, fame, and talent do not protect you from the
devastating reach of depression. Sadly, if you live with diabetes, you
are also twice as likely as the rest of the general population to be
effected by depression.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
characterizes clinical depression “as having five of more of the
following symptoms during a 2 week period and represents a change from
previous functioning with at least one of the symptoms being a depressed
mood or loss of interest or pleasure. The other symptoms included a
diminished interest or pleasure in almost all activities most of the
day, may appear tearful, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or
hypersomnia nearly every day, psycho-motor agitation or retardation
never every day, fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day, feeling
worthless or excessive or inappropriate guilt, diminished ability to
think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, recurrent thoughts of death,
recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan or suicide attempt.
These symptoms are not brought on by medication or other physical
condition and impair ones social, occupational or other important areas
of functioning. ”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone has those days when the world seems dark and bleak. People
living with diabetes however are cautioned by experts to watch a bit
closer for signs of clinical depression in their own lives. Gary
Scheiner mentions this issue in his book “</span><a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/until-there-is-a-cure-a-book-review/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until There is a Cure</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“.
He and others note that the pressure that comes with diabetes care, the
need to “get it right”, and be the perfect diabetic can lead to failure
and a deep sadness that can spiral into clinical depression.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are also reminded that the people with diabetes are not the only
potential victims. Parents of children with diabetes may also find
themselves in a pit from which they cannot see the light. We often
experience our own guilt for first somehow allowing our child to develop
this disease. There is the guilt over nagging them to test or inject.
The feelings that we are robbing our children of a “normal” childhood by
forcing them to take responsibility for their diabetes care too soon
can be overwhelming. The list of reasons for sadness go on in both those
living with diabetes and those who care for them. The challenge is to
recognize the symptoms and get help.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mayo Clinic feels so strongly in this that their website
specifically cautions people living with diabetes to be very alert to
signs of depression. If you feel that you are suffering from clinical
depression, please see your doctor. Just as you take insulin to deal
with the imbalance in your body thanks to a non-functioning pancreas, it
is important to take medication that can help to work with brain
chemistry that has somehow found itself out of balance as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Counseling, therapy, and even</span><a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/LifeCoach.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> life coaching </span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">can
help to deal with the daily stressors of diabetes care. They can help
you to deal with triggers and create coping strategies but they will not
fix the chemistry if you suffer from clinical depression. If you are
struggling with a diabetes diagnosis, please look for support from
others. If you feel that the depression and sadness has become prolonged
or overwhelming, please see your doctor. Together you can create a </span><a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/LifeCoach.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">plan</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to help you find your way forward again.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_553" style="width: 310px;">
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/robinwilliams.jpg"><img alt="robin williams" class="wp-image-553 size-medium" height="208" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/robinwilliams-300x208.jpg" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
Thank
you for the years of enjoyment and sharing your talent. May you find
the peace in death that you were unable to find in life. RIP</div>
</div>
<br />
Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-13978555104253751112014-08-06T10:08:00.000-02:302014-08-06T10:08:15.548-02:30Summit Diabetes<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Earlier this summer, I received an email from a young lady who was
embarking on an adventure that looked really interesting. I meant to
take a much closer look sooner but the email came in while I was away
and then managed to get lost in my inbox. Today I decided to seek it
out again and see what she was up to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The young lady’s name is Haley Maurice. She is now 15 and was
diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 7. Her plan for this
summer was adventurous for any teen but even more exceptional when you
remember that she is living with type 1 diabetes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“On July 16th, my brother Ethan and I will be backpacking
221 miles from Yosemite National Park to the top of the highest peak in
the continental United States, Mt. Whitney, to raise funds for JDRF.</span></strong></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’ll be trekking in this high alpine terrain for an
estimated three weeks, conquering over 46,000 ft of elevation gain and
venturing deep into the back country of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
It’ll be just us out there, with only two resupply points along the way
to pick up more diabetic supplies and food to fuel us for the entire
duration of the hike. We’ve been vigorously training and setting up our
fundraiser for the past three months and are aspiring to reach our
fundraising goal of $1000 per mile ($221,000) for JDRF.”</span></strong></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few days ago, I hiked a </span><a href="http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/planyourtrip/Detail/15012376"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1.7km trail</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
that has a 500 ft decent. That was enough of a challenge for me. I
can’t begin to imagine 221 miles and 46,000 feet with blood glucose
testing, site changes, insulin adjustments, treating lows, and carrying
food and shelter. I further was not sure how I would feel if it was my
child with diabetes doing this.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Silly, of course I know how I would feel. I would be nervous and
proud. I would be terrified of all that could go wrong but would trust
in the other sibling to help out in emergencies. I would be proud that
my child would take on such an amazing adventure for a good cause. I am
guessing that Haley and Ethan’s parents probably felt much the same
way.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In looking at the </span><a href="http://www.summitdiabetes.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Summit Diabetes website</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
and exploring some of their social media posts, I see that the two
siblings were for the most part successful in their journey. Yesterday
they noted…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<br />
<em><strong><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“We made it!!! 221 miles of hiking from Yosemite to Mount Whitney!</span></span></strong></em><br />
<br />
<em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></strong></em><br />
<em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, we didn’t make the top of
Whitney as a freak snowstorm nearly froze us to death this morning just a
quarter mile from the top.”</span></strong></em><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What an amazing feat! I am so impressed by these young people. I am
impressed by their courage, dedication and stamina. When Haley
contacted me, she was asking for only one thing, for me to share her
story and that is what I hope to do here. Please look at their </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPmWuD1vbk8" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">video</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, check out their </span><a href="http://www.summitdiabetes.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">website</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and the amazing pictures of their adventure. If you can, also </span><a href="http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?px=9166488&pg=personal&fr_id=3462" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">contribute</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to their goal of raising $1000 for every one mile that they hiked this summer.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Congratulations Haley and Ethan!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/summit.jpg"><img alt="summit" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-550" height="225" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/summit-300x225.jpg" width="300" /></a>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-34858537254859109022014-07-25T11:45:00.000-02:302014-07-25T11:45:43.786-02:30The Bionic Pancreas Moves Closer to Reality<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the past year or so we have been hearing clips about the </span><a href="http://www.artificialpancreas.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bionic Pancreas Project</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. I was lucky enough to have heard Dr. Ed Damiano present about his work at the </span><a href="http://diabetesadvocacycom.blogspot.ca/2013/03/ffl-canada-makes-difference.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CWD Friends for Life Conference in Toronto</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. It was the first time that I was truly excited by what was happening in diabetes research.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a project that was privately funded and motivated by a
father’s love. There was no political agenda to hold things up. There
was only his passion and desire to see his son safe when he could no
longer be there to watch him at night. His drive pulled at my heart and
for the first time gave me hope.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This summer, clinical trials are continuing. More adults are getting
to experience life with the bionic pancreas. More children are getting
to experience it as well. According to the latest video, they are now
reaching the stage to change the design making things more streamline.
This is moving quickly to become a reality!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being me, and spending so many years </span><a href="http://chn.ge/RRGWDX" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">advocating for access </span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">to
better treatments regardless of income or insurance coverage, I can’t
help but wonder what direction this project will take. To me, and I am
sure to Dr. Damiano, this device is the diabetes equivalent of a
pacemaker and should come under the larger umbrella of our health care
system making it available to everyone who is insulin dependent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At this stage, they are far from knowing how things will proceed in
terms of distribution. We will have to wait. While we wait, I will
continue to work to see </span><a href="http://chn.ge/RRGWDX" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">access to insulin pumps and CGMs for all people with diabetes regardless of age</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. I will continue to put money into my son’s </span><a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/RDSP.htm" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RDSP</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
just in case he does have to purchase the system out-of-pocket to begin
with. If need be, we will advocate for access for everyone to this
life changing technology but for now, I will watch and cheer from the
sidelines. I will hope that this will be the technology that changes
the life of my son and all of our children with diabetes (no matter what
their age).</span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_3aSRscC4Cg" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-52230908129825680782014-07-15T10:05:00.002-02:302014-07-15T10:05:55.839-02:30Support in the Strangest of Places<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am an avid reader. I have loved to read since I was a child. If I
could find a way to read for a living, I would be a very happy and
ideally very rich person. I read everything. I read action books,
mysteries, spiritual books, diabetes books, and most recently a book
about a mother of a girl who has anorexia.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not exactly sure
what made me decide to open this book and read it. Perhaps it is my own
struggle with my body image. Perhaps it was the fact that is was a
mother telling a story of her struggle with her child's potentially
lethal disease. Whatever it was, this book quickly showed me that being
a parent of a child with a disease--any disease, sadly puts you in a
club with more similarities than differences.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Brave Girl Eating</span> by </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.harrietbrown.com/" href="http://www.harrietbrown.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Harriet Brown</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, first hit home when she wrote "<strong><em>you're not to blame, you're not alone, and you can make a difference in your child's life</em></strong>".
What a powerful statement! It needs to be a poster in our diabetes
clinics. It is a statement that each and every parent of a child with
diabetes needs to fully understand and embrace. As I have said before,
we carry our own </span><a data-mce-href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/the-weight-of-guilt/" href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/the-weight-of-guilt/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">guilt</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
and are further burdened by the misconceptions of others. We need to
know that we are doing our very best and that is all that any one can
ask.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For some reason, Ms. Brown seemed to make more than one
comparison of life with anorexia and life with diabetes. I am not sure
if she knew someone living with diabetes or in her research she found
some similarities but she does make reference to living with the disease
on more than one occasion. She also makes many statements that could
easily apply to living with a child with diabetes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She talks about
feeling overwhelmed by her daughter's illness and then feeling guilty
about it. "I can take a walk, read a book, shut out the anorexia for a
little while. But its insider her. She can't get away, not for a
second." How many parents of children with diabetes have felt that
exact same way? How often have we felt guilty because we could sleep
through the night when our child went away to camp or when we went on
vacation and left them with a responsible parent or loved one? It hurts
us to know that we can leave it behind but our children can't.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She
talks about things like her daughter lying to her about food and again
the issue crosses over easily into life with diabetes. In our case, our
children tend to reach an age where they lie about food intake, insulin
dosing, or bg level readings. The violation of our trust is
devastating either way and in both cases the lie is brought about by
frustrations with a disease. It isn't any better no matter where it
comes from. The pain and sadness as a parent is equally overwhelming.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms.
Brown talks about wondering if her daughter's behavior is because of
anorexia or simply because she is a teen? When my son was small and
would fall asleep during the day, I would panic and test him. Was he
sleeping because he was a toddler who was tired or was he low and had
passed out? If he threw a tantrum, was he being a child full of spite
and temper or was his rage fueled by high blood glucose and therefore he
may not completely responsible for his actions? How did I decide? How
did I find a balance with punishment? Like the author, I struggled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In <span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">Brave Girl Eating</span>, the author also talks about stigma. In this case the stigma of a mental illness. In diabetes, we know that there are many </span><a data-mce-href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/my-sexy-pancreas/" href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/my-sexy-pancreas/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">stigmas</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
and fighting the public's misconceptions can often be almost as
difficult as battling bg levels. To make things even worse, there are
an increased number of people living with diabetes who also are dealing
with eating disorders (is it any wonder when their lives revolve around
food 24/7) as well as depression. They must understand this book in
more ways than I can begin to imagine. How painful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms. Brown
also speaks to the idea that anorexia has taught her to live in the
moment. Ironically diabetes has had a similar effect on my own life.
Learning to live life </span><a data-mce-href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/four-hours-just-four-hours/" href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/four-hours-just-four-hours/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">four hours</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
at a time was the only way for me to cope. Nothing else mattered.
Tomorrow was too far away but his NovoRapid would kick in within four
hours and it could fix that high, maintain his perfect reading or be
just enough to send him low and create more havoc for me. Four
hours--just get through four hours and then go forward.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I
mentioned, ironically she notes the similarity to diabetes more than
once. In learning to live with the new normal of life with anorexia, she
wrote, "I told her if she had diabetes, she'd have to test her blood
sugar every day; at first it would be a pain, but she'd get used to it.
It would become just one of those things she had to do, like brushing
her teeth. It would become part of "normal" for her." We know that
diabetes is a bit more than testing daily. We know that you never
really get used to lancing your finger each day, but it is something
that has to be done...like brushing your teeth. It is something that
you somehow have to come to accept in order to move forward with your
life.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Its funny where you find inspiration and camaraderie. I
started this book because I was in part looking for insight into my own
body image issues. I finished this book realizing that parents of
children fighting illnesses may have many more similarities than we
thought possible. When we open our minds and our hearts, we find
support in the strangest of places.</span><br />
<a data-mce-href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/eating.jpg" href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/eating.jpg"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="eating" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-535" data-mce-src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/eating.jpg" height="175" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/eating.jpg" width="115" /></span></a>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-12743301437532471722014-06-11T12:12:00.004-02:302014-06-11T12:12:50.320-02:30The Weight of Guilt<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I started to read Ginger Vieira’s book </span><a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/dealing-with-diabetes-burnout-a-book-review/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diabetes Burnout</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,
I was hit by an incredible sense of guilt. Did I push my son too hard?
Did I expect too much? I was later vindicated but I was reminded the
overwhelming guilt that comes with being a parent of a child with
diabetes…or maybe its just me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well meaning people share with us many “reasons” that children
develop diabetes and somewhere in the back of our mind’s ( well my mind
anyway) we ask was that it? Was that why my son developed this disease?
Did I not breast feed my son long enough? Did I feed him cow’s milk too
soon? Was vaccinating on schedule a bad thing? Was there a family
history that we missed? I know that I didn’t feed him too much junk. I
know that it wasn’t two years of chocolate bars that did this to him but
maybe that first time that he seemed off months before I should have
realized that he was seriously ill and that it wasn’t just the flu?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eventually I realized that I couldn’t spend all of my energy feeling
guilty about the “what ifs”. Diabetes took up enough of my energy on
its own…but that led me to a new source of guilt. Had I denied my other
son because diabetes took so much of my energy? My older son never
complained but it was a question that popped into my head now and
again. We went to diabetes related events and he met many new friends.
He always seemed to have more fun than my child with diabetes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was there for my oldest son in his events and activities. He knew
that when there was an issue that required someone to stand beside him, I
always did. I was also there for the softball games, school events,
report card days, sick days, and driving school. I was pretty sure that
I had successfully found a balance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what about a balance with diabetes and my youngest son? Did it
take over everything? Did he hate me because I punished him for diabetes
related offenses? Did he feel that I had robbed him of his childhood by
focusing on testing and injecting when he wanted to play and forget it
all?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My children seem to be well-adjusted. We have memories of family
vacations and times spent with each other. We communicate regularly. I
guess I didn’t scar them too badly–I hope.I didn’t have to feel guilty
about robbing my children of their childhoods. Diabetes changed things
but it didn’t destroy it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One other area of guilt seems to always flutter on the sidelines. I
know I am not alone in with this one. I have heard other parents mention
it. Its the guilt that comes when our children go away and take
diabetes with them. It’s that time when they go to the other parent’s
house, spend the night with a friend or with grandparents. It’s that
time when they go to camp for a week or move away from home. It is then
that a new guilt moves in. I no longer have to think about diabetes
24/7. Oh I still wake at night. I still look at a meal and
automatically count the carbs and dose insulin in my head. I wonder
what my child’s blood glucose level is at any given time. I worry and
wonder if he is taking proper care of himself, but I have a break. I
don’t really have to be awake at night. I can enjoy that extra glass of
wine without fear of dealing with a low later that evening. I don’t
have to remember to test after that walk. I have it easy. It’s not
fair. The guilt becomes stifling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a parent, I want to carry the burden of this disease for my son
but I can’t. I want to give him a break but I can’t even if I get one!
It doesn’t seem right. I must be a terrible parent…but maybe I am not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When my son is with me, I help him with care when he wants. When he
has an issue and he is away from me, he calls and asks for help. We
talk about readings…when he is ready. We talk about other things as
well. I work hard to make diabetes the last thing I ask him about not
the first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guilt doesn’t get me anywhere. It’s a backwards looking emotion. Life
didn’t come with a guidebook. My children were not born with a manual
attached. I do my best. We all do. Guilt must be released not
harbored…and I do. I have made mistakes but my kids are okay. They are
strong. They are relatively healthy. They are smart. They do me
proud. Why waste energy with guilt? Move forward and smile. It’s the
only way to go.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_517" style="width: 310px;">
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/pendant.jpg"><img alt="Gifts like this make me realize that all is very well indeed." class="size-medium wp-image-517" height="285" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/pendant-300x285.jpg" width="300" /></a><div class="wp-caption-text">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gifts like this make me realize that all is very well indeed.</span></div>
</div>
Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-11462708959255071142014-06-05T10:17:00.001-02:302014-06-05T10:17:20.424-02:30Dealing with Diabetes Burnout..A Book Review<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ginger Vieira recently released her third book called <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dealing-Diabetes-Burnout-Frustrated-Overwhelmed/dp/1936303590" target="_blank"> Dealing with Diabetes Burnout, </a> How to Recharge and Get Back on Track When You Feel Frustrated and Overwhelmed by Diabetes.</span>
I was once again lucky enough to be given a copy of the book to read.
As I prepared to write my overview of the book, I took a glance at how
many pages of interest I had marked off. A lot! That means that this was
a wonderful book with many excellent points for me to share!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I began reading this book.
What would I learn? Would much of it apply to me? Who would this book
fit? Well, I learned quite a bit. I gained a new perspective and I can
think of quite a few people who this book would help. Most importantly
however, it is a great hands on resource for people who live with
diabetes–Type 1 or Type 2.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This book doesn’t just give you a bunch of information and feel good
stories. It is filled with exercises and activities that Ginger
challenges you to do to help you deal with your own diabetes burnout.
She doesn’t chastise you for the fact that “I haven’t checked my blood
sugar in three weeks (ehh…months)” –a fabulous title of one of the
chapters of the book. Instead she reminds you that you are being asked
to manage something that your body is supposed to do on its own based on
a variety of other physiological and hormonal processes. (page 21).
She tells you to look at all of the great things that you are doing and
praise yourself for the one thing you are getting right. “developing
the ability to step back and see what wasn’t working–rather than blaming
yourself–is the trick to creating a new plan that will lead you to your
goal.” (Page 33)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This theme is further emphasized by all of the great chapter titles
like “I want to be perfect by tomorrow (or I’m giving up!) where Ginger
notes that some times are not ideal for change. She suggests that you
create your own personalized “pick up plan” to help you refocus in times
of stress.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ginger offers tips on how to handle support from well-meaning people
who really don’t get it as well as how to best make use of people who do
get it and do want to help. She shows you how to use technology to
make your life a bit easier as well as great real life tips for those of
us who would just like to live a healthier lifestyle but find ourselves
giving up too soon.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Being a parent of a child with diabetes, as I began to read this book
I felt horrible. I was a failure. I was the parent who struggled to
understand how you could “forget” to do something that you have done all
of your life. Did I push too hard? Should I have been calmer when his
doctor praised him for testing more than once per day and I was looking
to see 8-12 readings per day? I was sure that I had totally ruined my
son’s childhood.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thankfully I got some reprieve from my incredible guilt when I moved
into the chapter called “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”. Here Ginger
talks about raising a child with diabetes and how truly difficult it is
to do. She highlights many of the fears that we have. The torture we go
through when our child is low and disoriented or the failure we feel
when they are high and we are positive that we alone are responsible for
the kidney damage they may one day have. She offers more wisdom and
options to dealing with our children and how to get through to our
teens. I was left knowing that I hadn’t scared my child completely…well
at least not in that realm.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nearing the end of the book, I came across one of the very best
quotes I have ever read on the issue of diabetes care and one that
should be framed and read by everyone dealing with this disease
(especially us guilt laden parents)….</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><strong>“Doing the best any of us can do in life with diabetes
does not have to mean perfect blood sugars all the time. Sometimes our
best is awesome and sometimes it’s not quite so awesome but it’s still
our best in that moment. And that’s okay. It has to be, because
“perfection” is a crazy expectation.” </strong></em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Dealing with Diabetes Burnout</span>
is a fabulous resource. If I had one criticism of the book it would be
having too many personal stories illustrating various points in the
book. Reading through page after page of examples of other people’s
burnout was taxing on my incredibly shrinking attention span. That said
however, I have no clue as to how I would have cut back on some of the
submissions that were used. They were often very powerful stories that
needed to be shared.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Who should read this book? Anyone living with diabetes because as
Ginger Vieira notes, at one point you will go through some form of
burnout. To a lesser degree, parents of children of diabetes (no matter
what age your “child” may be). This book will give you insight into
the emotions that your child may be dealing with and will also give you a
few tips to help you in your own life as well.</span><br />
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/diabetes-burnout-book.png"><img alt="diabetes burnout book" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-512" height="300" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/diabetes-burnout-book-211x300.png" width="211" /></a>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-16457631485598294122014-06-03T10:15:00.004-02:302014-06-03T10:15:53.257-02:30Diabetes Greeting Cards <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, you read that right...Diabetes Greeting Cards!
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I often get requests from people who want to share a post on my blog. They want to write about how to cure your diabetes by eating their miracle food. They want to tell my readers all about their awesome socks that will instantly cure all that ails you and things that you didn't even know were ailing you. Once in a blue moon, someone will send me something relevant and I will think about posting what they send me.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
A few weeks ago I received a request from a woman who wanted to promote her greeting cards. My first thought was...wow! She called me Barb and not "Dear Advocacy". I decided to read a bit further. They had a really interesting concepts, they were cards for people with diabetes but they weren't stupid. They were actually kind of cute. Enough from me on the subject though....
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
I'm Nene Adams and I'm an insulin dependent Type II diabetic. I've also been a greeting card designer since 2007.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Following a stay of several weeks in the hospital for a diabetes related medical problem, I was inspired to do some research into diabetes. I learned a lot, including the fact that there seemed to be very few greeting cards designed specifically for diabetics.I thought there needed to be more and better choices for a group of people the mainstream card retailers were ignoring.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Me and my partner, Corrie Kuipers, have teamed up with a few other talented artists - Doreen Erhardt, Betsy Cush and Sharon Fernleaf - to create a line of greeting cards for children and teenagers/young adults with diabetes. The messages are positive and supportive, not just a generic "get well." The images are colorful and often humorous in each artist's distinctive style.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
We hope these cards will help inspire and encourage diabetic kids and their loved ones.
http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/get-well-feel-better-cards/diabetes</span>
<a href="http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/get-well-feel-better-cards/diabetes/sour-day-encouragement-for-1275818?gcu=41261014753"><img src="http://images.greetingcarduniverse.com/images/csphoto/1107/00/00/13/13/38//1275818_3d.jpg" style="border: currentColor;" /></a>
<a href="http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/get-well-feel-better-cards/diabetes/support-for-child-with-diabetes-1279134?gcu=41261014753"><img src="http://images.greetingcarduniverse.com/images/csphoto/1107/00/00/13/13/20//1279134_3d.jpg" style="border: currentColor;" /></a>
<a href="http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/get-well-feel-better-cards/diabetes/diabetes-get-well-for-an-1280010?gcu=41261014753"><img src="http://images.greetingcarduniverse.com/images/csphoto/1107/00/00/13/70/17//1280010-1_3d.jpg" style="border: currentColor;" /></a>
<a href="http://www.greetingcarduniverse.com/get-well-feel-better-cards/diabetes/diabetes-encouragement-feel-better-crown-1279410?gcu=41261014753"><img src="http://images.greetingcarduniverse.com/images/csphoto/1107/00/00/14/51/02//1279410-1_3d.jpg" style="border: currentColor;" /></a>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-18776383203364596512014-05-29T09:41:00.000-02:302014-05-29T09:41:17.292-02:30Mom! It looks like I've Been Shot...Again<b><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In honor of Throwback Thursday, here is a humorous post from <a href="http://diabetesadvocacycom.blogspot.ca/2010/05/mom-i-look-like-i-have-been-shot.html" target="_blank">May 4th, 2010</a>. Enjoy!</span></i></b><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last
night I wrestled my son to the ground and later heard about the
consequences. You see said child, admitted that no he hadn't been
spending his time mulling over the perfect gifts to purchase for his
devoted mother for either Mother's Day or her birthday. In some
countries I am sure his actions would have constituted a hanging offense
but in our house in meant that I tackled him, interrupted his Wii game,
pinned him down and tickled him. Thankfully I still have a few pounds
and an inch or two on him so I can still win. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
downside to this fun when you have a child on an insulin pump who wears
sites in his leg is obvious to those of us who live there. After the
screams of "I've gotta pee!!!!", came the grumblings of "You pulled out
my site!". With the cost of pump supplies being covered for us, it felt
good to say "Well, just go and change it." Once upon a time, I would
have cried at the $20+ that I had just wasted even if it was in the name
of fun. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being
a teen, my son was in no rush to change the site and Mom had visions of
highs for the rest of the evening. The longer he waited, the less
insulin he would get, the higher his bg levels would climb I was sure.
Again, being a teen and being my son, he stated that the site was
salvageable and he had simply taped it in place. I was worried. Was
the site really still in? Yes he assured me as he headed off to the
shower. His grumbling about being bested by his mother had been
replaced by the comment that if Mom could wrestle him then wrestling
with his brother should once again be allowed (It was discontinued after
brother's elbow met son's eye and left a nasty shiner). I attempted to
burst his bubble but he still was quite proud of his logic as he headed
off for his marathon shower. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once
he undressed he proclaimed "Mom, I look like I have been shot!" What
did that mean? He told me that there was blood all over his leg. I said
that was it, the site was gone! He had to change it. He proceeded to
shower and I never got to really check out the damage. He kindly left
the dead and bloodied site in the shower for me though. Ironically he
was disgusted when he found it on top of an envelope later. I had taken
a picture and left it for him. He told me that the site should be in
the garbage! Um, who left it in the shower to start with? Oy!</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FkiFl0b_Yu6SQdMdkmTUGSWaY9EigGwfZp5N6DwSRU4oPGP-EMQMGEjskwZVd6vJUWCwzdq5Ar7GqPFRBTVR9RgtyQxjYy-Wl5zTsv1h9JKzRY4axX5YDN2jn-qImGgMgi-YgcarICs/s1600/blood.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FkiFl0b_Yu6SQdMdkmTUGSWaY9EigGwfZp5N6DwSRU4oPGP-EMQMGEjskwZVd6vJUWCwzdq5Ar7GqPFRBTVR9RgtyQxjYy-Wl5zTsv1h9JKzRY4axX5YDN2jn-qImGgMgi-YgcarICs/s320/blood.jpg" /></a></div>
Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-61298542482543077452014-05-26T13:58:00.000-02:302014-05-26T13:58:10.140-02:30Another Corner Turned<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The weekly bg reading review that I had dictated in September has
long gone by the wayside. I occasionally ask about readings on the phone
or over text conversations but I try to keep it to a minimal. If my
son gets into real trouble, he calls or texts me with his SOS. Diabetes
care is remaining in the periphery of our relationship as he strives to
make it on his own. We still talk about care and I still like to know
what is going on but I think I truly have turned a corner in my new role
and acceptance of it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A couple of weeks ago, I suggested that we have a phone conversation
about his readings in the coming days. My son told me that he had an
upcoming appointment with his CDE. I then suggested that we wait until
after the appointment and then we could discuss what was or wasn’t done
and see how we felt about it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My son thought that was a great idea and we set our new date to
chat. Last week that day arrived. I knew that my son’s readings had
been uploaded by his educator (my son has managed to lose two cables for
his pump and I feel bad contacting our rep for a third one). I went
online to see what the readings looked like.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I opened the screen I laughed and laughed. There were a lot of
boluses and insulin cartridge fills but I only saw two readings. I
laughed some more! For a change, it was not me who got to look at no
data and try to sort things out. It wasn’t me to go…”What gives?” only
to be told that he had used other meters but didn’t have them with him.
This was not my problem. I laughed some more</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It felt good to have that burden lifted. Whether there were or were
not readings, I was not the one who would bang their head in frustration
and begin the tedious task of trying to track down information. The
smile remained on my face.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Later that evening I called my son and we discussed his appointment.
It had gone well. He had readings on a different meter and the two of
them had discussed the area my son knew was a problem. My son was
pleased that he wasn’t told what to do but asked his opinion on the
problem. Suggestions were made by both parties and my son left happy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mom wasn’t needed. For a change, that felt okay. My son was happy.
He had made his own decisions. He had been able to talk to someone about
his care and share his knowledge. It was a win-win situation as far as I
could tell.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I will still call and talk readings. I will still be here to
troubleshoot and to cheer from the sidelines but my son really is taking
charge. He can do this. I always knew he could but the fact that he <strong><em>is</em></strong> doing it makes me feel a bit better…well for today anyway.</span><br />
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/corner.jpg"><img alt="corner" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-496" height="275" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/corner.jpg" width="183" /></a>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-43920298924899716152014-05-23T11:06:00.000-02:302014-05-23T11:06:32.358-02:30Age Shouldn't Matter<div class="entry-content">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last week, during blog week, I told you about things that get my <a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/three-things-that-raise-my-dander/" target="_blank">dander up</a>
and make me want to scream from the roof tops until they are fixed. One
of those things was access to insulin pumps and supplies. Since the day
that I realized that there were more options available to my son than
the insulin regimen we were currently on, I was adamant that all people
with diabetes should have choice in their treatment options.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">People living with diabetes should be able to decide if they want to
use Lantus over NPH. They should be able to choose Apirdra over regular
insulin. They should be able to see if a Continuous Glucose Monitor or
an insulin pump is for them without having to sell their home. That
sounds extreme doesn’t it? Sadly it isn’t. Despite living in Canada
with its socialized medicine, Canadians are still not always able to
access the best treatment options for them. They may not have private
health insurance or their insurance may not cover the devices that they
desire to use. The result is that they go without or go to extreme
measures to get the medical tools that they desire to keep them healthy.
For me, that is not acceptable.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My son began using an insulin pump 11 years ago. I had wanted a pump
for him since the first time I heard of the flexibility that it allowed
but financially it was not an option. His father had medical insurance
but insulin pumps were not covered. What changed 11 years ago? My
family stepped in and said that they would come together to pay for the
pump. They wanted the very best for my son. It is a moment that I will
never forget.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Over time things have changed thankfully. Provinces have begun to
cover insulin pumps–for children. Those over 18 have had to find good
insurance, high paying jobs, go back to injections out of necessity
rather than choice or move to Ontario (the first province to cover all
people with Type 1 diabetes who wished to use insulin pump therapy). In
my own province of Newfoundland and Labrador, changes have been made as
well, the age limit for assistance was moved to 25.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today my son is 16. He is heading into his final year of high school
and looking at career options. The most important part of his career
choice is to find one that is either very high paying or offers great
benefits. What he enjoys seems to be second on our list. That is
discouraging and gets my dander up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If a person wishes to use an insulin pump to best control their
diabetes care, then they should have that option. Age, financial
status, or occupation should not dictate what type of therapy they can
receive. With this in mind, advocates in provinces like<a href="http://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/british-columbia-ministry-of-health-fund-insulin-pumps-for-all-diabetics-that-cannot-afford-the-device" target="_blank"> British Columbia </a>have
created petitions to ask their government to expand coverage and remove
age restrictions. Pensioners are having to go back to injections
because their private health care coverage ends at retirement. Young
adults who are beginning careers and new families are having to rethink
how they will move forward because of cost constraints brought on by
managing their diabetes care</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is not right. Age should not dictate whether you get an insulin
pump or not. Insulin pumps provide just as many benefits to adults as
it does to children. Adults with type 1 diabetes who are using insulin
pumps often find shift work much more manageable. They tend to see less
diabetes related down time because they can micro manage their disease
with greater ease. The addition of Continuous Glucose Monitoring
systems to their care can help them to anticipate dangerous highs or
lows that could have otherwise sent them home for the day. Increased
productivity and work time for people with diabetes has a larger impact
on society as well. People living with diabetes who are able to work are
able to contribute to the provincial tax coffers through their
employable earnings. They are less likely to have complications or
dangerous blood glucose swings that could send them to the hospital.
Our young people with diabetes are able to look at jobs in the province
rather than having to move to areas with better pay and better benefits.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The rewards definitely outweigh the costs to the provincial
governments and our health care systems. With this in mind, I have
created a <a href="https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/government-of-newfoundland-and-labrador-provide-funding-for-the-latest-insulin-pump-cgm-devices-their-supplies-for-those-with-diabetes-regardless-of-age?recruiter=12310591&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition" target="_blank">petition</a>
that will ultimately be presented to the government of Newfoundland and
Labrador asking that they expand their insulin pump program.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/government-of-newfoundland-and-labrador-provide-funding-for-the-latest-insulin-pump-cgm-devices-their-supplies-for-those-with-diabetes-regardless-of-age?recruiter=12310591&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition" target="_blank">Please consider signing and sharing this petition</a>.
The more voices we have, the stronger we are. This is a very serious
and real issue. The stories and needs behind the petition are heart
breaking. I have spoken to a government employee who have had to rent
out her homes so that she can have extra money to be able to afford her
diabetes supplies. I have listened to medical personnel who have had to
rely on financial help from a life partner in order to continue
pumping. I have sat down with members of the police services who pay
the equivalent of an extra car payment each month just to keep
themselves pumping and healthy. There are also people who are in
minimum wage jobs who have no choice but return to injections after they
turn 25 because they just can’t afford to pay for their rent and their
insulin pump.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This needs to change. With your help it will. Please <a href="https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/government-of-newfoundland-and-labrador-provide-funding-for-the-latest-insulin-pump-cgm-devices-their-supplies-for-those-with-diabetes-regardless-of-age?recruiter=12310591&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition" target="_blank">support</a> this initiative for all of those who choose to use an insulin pump.</span><br />
<img alt="NL pump petition" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-493" height="168" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/NL-pump-petition-300x168.jpg" width="300" /><br />
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Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-45393860767172498782014-05-22T09:41:00.005-02:302014-05-22T09:41:56.016-02:30The Bad Kind<div class="entry-content">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The other day, I sat down to begin reading Ginger Vieira’s new book “<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dealing-Diabetes-Burnout-Frustrated-Overwhelmed/dp/1936303590/ref=la_B008ZPEGQ6_1_1/187-7963212-2911565?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400756811&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Dealing with Diabetes Burn-out</a>“.
I had only read the introduction when I wanted to cry. Why is there so
much judgement surrounding diabetes? Why do people living with diabetes
feel that they are either good or bad? Well, as Ginger points out, its
because there is so much good and bad mentioned when talking about the
disease.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Your readings are good or bad. They are not the result of a carb
counting error or a pending illness that you cannot foresee. They are a
good reading or a bad one. The food you eat is either good food or its
bad and a diabetic shouldn’t eat it. Your A1c when you see the doctor
is either good or bad.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The constant judgement does not end there. I was listening to a
conversation a few weeks ago and quietly cringed as I heard someone
mention that a person had diabetes “really bad”. Another person had
mentioned that someone had died because they had the “bad kind of
diabetes”. I wanted to say that there is no good kind! You can only
hope and pray that a person with diabetes has all of the knowledge,
supports and tools that they need to care for themselves in the best
possible way. It wasn’t my place to educate at that time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The good kind I assume, is the kind that is managed by diet and
exercise but is it really that good? You still have to live with guilt
for each piece of food that enters your mouth. You must be constantly
wondering when that bullet will hit its target and you will get the
dreaded sentence–”You have the bad kind of diabetes”.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is the “bad kind of diabetes”? Is it when you have to have
needles? Is it when you are on pills? Is it when you are overweight? Is
it when you are two and don’t know why you have to be stabbed and poked
at all of the time? Is it when you have to be hooked up to a machine
24/7? When does it become “bad”?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Personally, it is always bad. In all of those cases, our bodies have
rebelled against us and are not working as they should. We have to
fight and struggle to compensate. Using insulin actually can make it
easier not worse. Modern insulins allow people with diabetes to be able
to match insulin to food amounts in a way that their body, without
insulin, can’t. That’s not such a bad thing. It allows them to have
that piece of chocolate cake without concern of a crazy high a few hours
later.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This distinction between “good and bad” actually has a negative
impact on treatment as well. While insulin injections or insulin pumps
are not an option for a person living with Type 1 diabetes, it is often
seen as a last resort for a person with Type 2 diabetes. Sadly this is
not the case. Studies have shown that giving a person with Type 2
diabetes insulin earlier can actually preserve some of their beta cell
functioning and make their lives a little easier. Unfortunately, that
“good and bad” issue stops that from happening. People fear that they
will be “bad” if they are on insulin. This further translates to the
thought that those who live with Type 1 diabetes and need an external
source of insulin to keep them alive must have it “really bad”.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I thought about other diseases and wondered if any others have it
“bad”. Cancer has stages. Diseases like MS are referred to has having
“full blown MS” versus the early stages. I could not think of any other
disease that allows people to have the “good kind” or the “bad kind”.
Is it the lifestyle component but if it is why do we not hold that same
standard for other “life style” related diseases? Is it because in the
other diseases they understand that lifestyle is only a small component?
People will say that Type 1 diabetes is NOT a lifestyle related disease
but that does not stop the public from blaming the lifestyle of the
mother of a person with diabetes. We are blamed for things like not
breastfeeding long enough and other equally ridiculous notions.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is the answer? How do we fix this? I don’t think that there is a
quick fix. I think that we continue as we have been. We educate people
who ask us if we have the “bad kind of diabetes”. We work with the
media when they try to get it right. We are kind but firm with those
people who are ignorant of the facts because we may have once been
ignorant as well. Finally, we find a cure so that no one ever again has
to be judged because their body has failed them.</span><br />
<img alt="blame" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-489" height="300" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/blame-212x300.jpg" width="212" /><br />
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Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-45669386340451718812014-05-17T10:39:00.001-02:302014-05-17T10:39:49.213-02:30Looking from a distance<!-- .comments-link --> <!-- .entry-header --> <br />
<div class="entry-content">
<img alt="Diabetes Blog Week" scale="0" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" style="border-image: none; border: 0px currentColor;" title="Diabetes Blog Week" width="600" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today is Saturday’s snapshots. At first I was a bit troubled by this. What does my life with diabetes look like these days? Well its different than even one year ago. Should I show pictures of my son’s life? I decided that I shouldn’t. My pictures would be of my life with diabetes…living with it at a distance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now when I find test strips at the bottom of my purse, I don’t swear and wonder how they got there, I think of my youngest son and smile instead.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjuP8jm0xms4v6Ot6gre_ikvbHvRqwOO3BI0b6b8puHsdkenx1Y18Mi9uFf4sPYfoPtqN9weXu2zD8-s9dr2mdPlfqWKR0tQ5DnfuprkzedmFT0fl8DNQsfshiCiRSKR4aZWaeku1Qxi2Zr9tvf_wuKsj87Ay5XNILyHUSo-orvMqWxivKj85nhDMGx54dTAiA=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_1553" border="0" class="aligncenter wp-image-482 size-medium" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_1553-300x300.jpg" height="300" scale="0" width="300" /></a><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_1554" class="aligncenter wp-image-483 size-medium" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_1554-215x300.jpg" height="300" scale="0" width="215" /></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My conversations are often done via text rather than in person…</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgF0CeL1NQqjm3euT8zLtg-M9-FlYu8xzovTxranjcq7kAPtb4_BNX6C2MW52GleqcteNUWIpHjeVJYDJf_dC4jnFTfazW1giOy6UMuWz15eGiHskeLiIxfsPJmg0tpAOPML_AwhpYqNDKYfx9DCj7suzGlsvGsKpxOVQGMegZi1glhTlSEycmSGsaouiERYhw=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_1494" border="0" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-484" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/IMG_1494-300x300.jpg" height="300" scale="0" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But we still get a chance to spend time together and share care when we can</span>.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>Write a short story personifying a diabetes tool you use on a
daily basis. A meter, syringe, pump, pill, etc. Give it a personality
and a name and let it speak through you. What would it be happy about,
upset about, mad about? (Thank you Heather of <a href="http://www.unexpectedblues.com/" target="_blank">Unexpected Blues</a> for this topic.)</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Hello, my name is Fred and I am a glucometer. You would think with a
job as important as mine that I would get a lot of respect but I
don’t. I am shoved in dark pockets, thrown around and basically taken
for granted. Its a very rough life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am expected to be ready for service at all times of the day. It
doesn’t matter if I worked hard all day, they still expect me to be
bright-eyed and shining at three in the morning. And when I say shining,
I mean that they really want me to light up all nice and bright showing
them glowing pretty numbers. When they are done with me, they just toss
me off to the side again.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My job is tireless. They smear blood all over me. They curse at me
when they don’t like what the reading is. Like that is my fault? How is
it that <i><b>I</b></i> control what <b><i>their</i> </b>blood glucose is going to be? I deserve a lot more respect.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The only time I get respect is when the parents or the doctor take a
look at me. They know how important I am. They look at my display as
if they are reading a holy gospel. They value me and my knowledge. My
owner? Well, he looks at me like I am a rock, a burden that he is forced
to carry around. I am the unwanted younger brother that he <b><i>has</i></b> to take everywhere.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why does he have to think of me that way? It hurts my feelings. I am
just trying to do my job. I am trying to work with him to keep him
healthy. I know that it can be tedious. It’s not picnic for me either. I
mean, I have to be on all of the time! There is no time when I can be
just a little less accurate. I have to bring my A-game every time we
meet. Its exhausting but I don’t get any praise or appreciation.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He just doesn’t get it and some times I get mad as well and when I
do, I get even in my own way. When he just grumpily and shoves a strip
in me and expects me to instantly produce results, I come back and tell
him “Error 4″. Oh does that get his goat! He has to retest and take his
time to treat me a little nicer–getting all of his blood just so on the
test strip so that I will read it for him. After he has done that, I
reward him by saying “HI” but he doesn’t often see the humor in that
one. I don’t understand why. Isn’t it important to be friendly now and
then? Perhaps if he could be a little nicer, we could work together a
bit better and I wouldn’t have to resort to cheap jibes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maybe one day he will get it. One day he might understand how
important I am! Oh well, at least he takes me most places. I usually
only hear about the spots that we go to from the inside of a pocket but
at least I get to tag along. It’s not easy being me. I guess it’s not
easy being him either, but I still say, “work with me dude! It will make
things so much easier!” Darn! I shouldn’t have said that so loud, here
comes another check. Back to work!</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/hi-meter.jpg"><img alt="hi meter" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-479" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/hi-meter-300x225.jpg" height="225" width="300" /></a><br />
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Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-68829231092066780622014-05-15T09:53:00.001-02:302014-05-15T09:53:32.976-02:30Four Hours, Just Four Hours<div class="entry-content">
<img alt="Diabetes Blog Week" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" style="border-width: 0px;" title="Diabetes Blog Week" width="600" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em>Yesterday
we opened up about how diabetes can bring us down. Today let’s share
what gets us through a hard day. Or more specifically, a hard diabetes
day. Is there something positive you tell yourself? Are there mantras
that you fall back on to get you through? Is there something specific
you do when your mood needs a boost? Maybe we’ve done that and we can
help others do it too? (Thanks to Meri of <a href="http://www.ourdiabeticlife.com/" target="_blank">Our Diabetic Life</a> for suggesting this topic.)</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Is there a mantra that I fall back on to get me through a hard
diabetes day? Absolutely! It is one that I share with newly diagnosed
adults and parents who are struggling to get through. I remind them to
look at life in four-hour blocks. If you take everything in four-hour
strides and you can ride through anything.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When diabetes seems to be kicking your butt every morning, look at
how things are going between lunch and supper. Are things okay? Give
yourself a mental high-five and celebrate that victory rather than
dwelling on the post-breakfast spike that this threatening to drive you
over the edge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Do overnights seem overwhelming? Again, break it down. How are
things from snack until 12 or 1am? What is life like in the deepest part
of the night? Are things settled before breakfast or has chaos been
awakened in those four hours? If you break it down into six four-hour
periods, life becomes a bit more manageable and instead of seeing all of
the bad, you can savor some of the good.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why do I have a four-hour mantra? Because early on I learned that my
son’s Humalog was supposed to last about 4 hours. He was injected at
8am for breakfast, then at noon for lunch, around 5pm for supper and
then again at 9pm for his nighttime snack. I was going crazy trying to
see a perfect 24 hour day. I realized that looking at a complete day was
never going to make me happy. The only way to see success was to look
at small chunks of time. Coincidentally, that was also how we would
make changes to his regimen. Was his breakfast ratio of carbs to
insulin off? How about at bedtime? Life was naturally being broken down
into 4 hour chunks for me so why not work with that?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I know some of you will say, but we are using a pump so that
won’t work for me. Yes it will! Chances are high that you are still
doing things like having breakfast, lunch and supper. You are probably
still going to bed at one point as well. All of these events can be
broken down and again my four-hour mantra applied. Was I a successful
pancreas this afternoon? Yes? AWESOME!! Let’s break out the happy
dance!!! Did I have an issue after supper? Okay, let’s look at what can
be done.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Life is less overwhelming in four-hour shots. It can be applied it
outside of diabetes as well. Are you wanting to change your eating
habits? Did you have a great breakfast? Pat yourself on the back. Over
did it at lunch? Do better tomorrow. Can you see how easily this works?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Life can be overwhelming. As we discussed <a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/fighting-the-darkness/">yesterday</a>,
life with diabetes can make it worse. Taking life four hours at a time
has allowed me to focus on what I need to change and to praise myself
when I get it right…and we all need a lot more praise in our lives.</span><br />
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/clock.jpg"><img alt="clock" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-476" height="168" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/clock-300x168.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
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Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-36214662808912234852014-05-14T10:10:00.001-02:302014-05-14T10:10:43.760-02:30Fighting the Darkness<div class="entry-content">
<img alt="Diabetes Blog Week" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Diabetes Blog Week" width="600" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em> </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em>May is <a href="http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may" target="_blank">Mental Health Month</a>
so now seems like a great time to explore the emotional side of living
with, or caring for someone with, diabetes. What things can make dealing
with diabetes an emotional issue for you and / or your loved one, and
how do you cope? (Thanks go out to Scott of <a href="http://strangelydiabetic.com/" target="_blank">Strangely Diabetic</a> for coordinating this topic.)</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I love being part of Diabetes Blog Week because of the vast array of
topics that make you stretch yourself, think and explore new avenues.
Today’s topic is one that is very personal and very difficult. I have
dealt with some of the dark issues surrounding being a parent and living
with a child with diabetes in last year’s webinar “<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/Normalwebinar.htm">Normal is Just a Setting on the Dryer</a>” as well as throughout my blog over the years.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Most likely you have heard about the strong correlation of diabetes
and depression for people living with the disease. Diabetes presents
many management challenges in learning how to be a pancreas. It
presents financial challenges in being able to afford the best care to
be able to obtain your best bg levels. Diabetes is often looked upon as
something that the patient themselves caused. Bg levels and A1cs are
often judged as “good” or “bad”. It is therefore not surprising that
the stigmas and challenges of the disease can quickly become
overwhelming.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a parent, we do not have the same direct issues as our children
with live with diabetes but in some respects perhaps its a bit worse
because we carry the blame for it all. We ache when our child is having
to deal with any of those issues. We desperately want to take all of the
pain away from them. We feel that we would gladly carry this disease
to save them such pain and anguish.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Parents struggle with their guilt. How did we let this happen to our
child? What could we have done differently? Should we have breastfed
longer? Was it a vaccine that caused this? Did we pass along faulty
genes? It is our job to protect our children and we may feel that we
have failed to protect them in the most profound of ways…we allowed them
to develop type 1 diabetes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now I know intuitively that this is not the case. I know that I did
not cause my son’s disease but was it my fault that he was so sick
before he went into the hospital? I am educated. Shouldn’t I have known
something was wrong? If I am honest, I did know that something was
wrong. One day in the summer prior he was pale and sick…but it was just
one day and we assumed he had a bug. Before his diagnosis when he had
thrush and was not himself, we had taken him to the doctor. He said my
son was fine. I did take him back to my own doctor a few days later
when things did not improve. I could not have prevented this but still
the guilt lurks.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The guilt can get in the way of parenting a child with diabetes as
well. We have so many issues swarming in our heads. We have failed our
children once by allowing them to get diabetes (yes, parents may have a
bit of a God complex), so now it is vital that we work to keep them as
healthy as possible. We get frustrated when our children lapse in their
care. We become terrified when they are in the care of someone else.
Will they be able to manage? We struggle to find a balance between
allowing our children to learn on their own and the need to look after
them at all costs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In my own case, there were times that I would reprimand my son for
forgetting a meter or strips when I really should have thought of them
myself. The frustrations of not being able to keep his bg levels always
perfect, of seeing him sitting inside waiting for a low to come up when
his friends were playing outside, the injustice of him having to carry
so many supplies and medical devices just to go to a friend’s house
would overwhelm me and boil over into anger at the silliest things. I
would then worry that I had left my child with nothing but horrid
memories of an ogre parent.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As my son has grown, I have come to my biggest challenge yet…letting
go and finding my new place. For the past 14 years, my one focus has
been being a mom. I managed to stay at home with both of my boys as
they grew. I was able to devote a lot of my time to diabetes advocacy
efforts and the care of my children which included 24/7 diabetes care
for my youngest son. My nights were spent fighting highs and lows. My
days were spent reminding him to test and bolus and helping him to count
carbs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One day it all changed. My son decided to move back to his home town
and felt it was time for him to learn to care for himself. I was lost. I
would wake up in the night and there was no one to test. I would sit
down at a meal and I didn’t need to count those carbs. Yes, the world of
diabetes advocacy still existed but did it still need me? There were
many new parents who were just as passionate and they had children at
home to speak about.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had experienced depression before when dealing with a child with
diabetes. As I mentioned, the frustration, guilt and anxiety can be
overwhelming. I got through with the help of some amazing online
friends as well as supports in my life that were there to pull me out
when I got too far down. It was important for me to talk to people who
lived there and got it, as well as people who had no clue but just
wanted me to enjoy life with them. That balance saved me on more than
one occasion.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Having my son move away was different. Yes, I had many friends how
also had children move away but their children had moved away for
school. Their children were out of high school and they seemed to have
strong identities of their own. I didn’t feel that way. Yes, I had a
strong identity but in part that was because I was a parent of a child
with diabetes and I spoke firsthand of bg testing and the challenges of
raising him. Who was I now? I was not sure. I had started to expand
myself and create a new business venture but it was not heading the way I
wanted it to…and then my son was leaving. I was now a complete failure.
I had no idea how to get out of the darkness this time.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once again, my heart knew I wasn’t a complete failure or a bad parent (just as it said I was <em>not</em>
the reason my son was diagnosed in the first place) but I still felt
that way. The move wasn’t personal it was about a young boy wanting to
stretch his wings and go back with lifelong friends rather than continue
to hang out with his mother in a city that had not provided the same
life-long friends. I had to get over myself. It has taken a lot to get
used to the change. It has taken a lot to find my new place even in his
life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don’t have a cure to get out of the darkness that can accompany
raising a child with diabetes. I don’t have an answer that has worked
for me. I still stumble and wonder “what do I do now?” I am lucky in
that I have a very supportive partner who is patient. I am slowly
dipping my foot back into a bit of advocacy work. I am working to find
my way in life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Diabetes is a challenge in itself but it also brings many hidden
challenges for those who live with the disease inside of them as well as
for those of us who just carry it in our hearts. The only thing we can
do is move forward. Seek help when you need it–from friends, from
family and even from the medical or <a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/LifeCoach.htm">counseling</a>
community. There is nothing wrong with support. It is the only thing
that gets us through and its strength can carry us through anything.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/candle.jpg"><img alt="candle" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-473" height="183" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/candle.jpg" width="276" /></a></span><br />
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Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-27526980383900776272014-05-13T16:42:00.001-02:302014-05-13T16:42:23.719-02:30Ode to a Needle<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><img alt="Diabetes Blog Week" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="Diabetes Blog Week" width="600" /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Day two of this year’s blog week asks that we create poetry. I have not
done poetry since high school and sadly that was not yesterday. I
therefore cheated and enlisted the help of my children.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is what we came up with…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/syringe.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="syringe" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-470" height="300" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/syringe-260x300.jpg" width="260" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Needles are wonderful<br />
Needles are fine<br />
They poke and jab and and puncture me,<br />
But keep me alive.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Some folks thinks needles are scary;<br />
With that I must agree<br />
But the needles that I must use<br />
Allow me to continue to laugh, and play and be this awesome person–me!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">By Liam and Barb…and don’t worry folks, we will not be taking up poetry as a full-time thing</span>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-26601037621336878992014-05-12T16:30:00.001-02:302014-05-12T16:30:47.174-02:30Three Things that Raise My Dander<div class="entry-content">
<img alt="Diabetes Blog Week" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" style="border-width: 0px;" title="Diabetes Blog Week" width="600" /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><em>Its Diabetes Blog week once again and I am so excited to be able to participate once again! Today’s topic comes for Kim of <a href="http://www.textingmypancreas.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color: #8fd845;">Texting my Pancreas</span></strong></a> and asks us to discuss diabetes issues that get us really fired up!</em></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since I began my <a href="http://www.diabetesadvocacy.com/" target="_blank">website</a>
many years ago, the issues that I have been passionate about have grown
but have always retained one common thread–improving the lives of
people living with diabetes. There have been some successes and there
is still a long way to go but watching the diabetes community come
together and create change has been the best part of the journey.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first issue that got my dander up was the inequity I saw years
ago in the way people with diabetes were treated when it came to the <a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/DTC.htm">Disability Tax Credit</a>.
As I worked on this issue, I saw that those who were approved for the
credit were people who were able to stand up to the government and were
willing to fight for this issue. If you were uncertain or did not know
how to take on this battle, you would be denied the credit while your
neighbor was approved. There seemed to be no other logic behind how
this credit was applied to people living with diabetes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">With a lot of help from other people living with diabetes and a
fabulous mentor, I was able to see this issue change dramatically.
Fairness was obtained and change happened to the legislation surrounding
this issue. I was very proud of all the works that was done here but
there were still more issues to tackle.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As I learned about diabetes and became more involved in the world of
advocacy, I came to realize how difficult it was to get an insulin pump
if you didn’t have the very best insurance coverage. Once again I was
outraged. Why should it matter what sort of job you have or where you
work to get the best possible care for your diabetes?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Since I first began dealing with this issue, things have changed.
Most provinces in Canada now offer provincial health care coverage for
insulin pumps and supplies for all children under the age of 18. That
was great but what about older children who are just starting out in the
workforce? Some provinces decided to give these young adults until age
25 to get better insurance…some provinces didn’t. Today, I continue to
work with others to see that all people living with diabetes have access
to the best devices available to manage their diabetes care regardless
of age. This means that I would like all governments to cover insulin
pumps, supplies and Continuous Glucose Monitors for people with diabetes
regardless of age. This will happen in time. I am confident.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">No matter what your age or where you live, you deserve access to the
very best in medical care. It is important for governments (and
insurance companies) to understand the broad sweeping benefits that come
from best care practices. If a person with diabetes is able to maintain
their bg control to a close to normal range and they are able to
anticipate highs and lows with the aid of CGM technology they are better
able to perform at work (which means less down time and more money paid
to the government in terms of personal tax), they are less likely to be
in the hospital (costing the government money), and more likely to have
a better overall life satisfaction which in turn further leads to
increased productivity and once again an increase in taxes paid to
governments. The cost outlay is far outweighed by the benefits to the
system as a whole.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">At the moment, I live in a province that covers insulin pumps for
people with Type 1 diabetes until they reach the age of 25. It does not
cover CGM technology. I have less than 9 years to advocate for
increased funding to cover all people with diabetes regardless of age.
In 9 years my own son will be in the position of having to make very
serious and real choices about his diabetes care. We will see this
change–for him and for all of the other adults struggling to maintain
their health despite the heavy financial costs.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because my son is still in school and has had diabetes since before
he went to school, the third issue that I am passionate about is that of
children with diabetes in <a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/going_to_school.htm" target="_blank">schools</a>.
This issue has seen major changes since I first began talking about it
over 10 years ago. In BC, we have seen the power of grassroots parent
organizations who have pressured the government into changing its policy
on children with diabetes in schools. I have seen many more individual
boards and provinces begin to seriously look at the issue of protecting
the rights of children with diabetes in schools.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Once again, this is an issue that many parents and children are not
able to stand up and voice their concerns about themselves. I felt that
it was therefore my job to help them. I would (and do) speak to parents
on<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/things-to-remember-when-sending-a-child-with-diabetes-to-school/" target="_blank"> how best to tackle their schools and their issues</a>.
I work with boards to help them understand what needs to be done to
create change that is fair and just to all parties involved. This is a
very complex issue here in Canada. Our children are not protected by a
disabilities act. They are protected by the voices of their parents and
other concerned adults…but these voices are powerful and making a
difference.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Advocacy has always been something that I am very passionate about. I
have felt a strong need to stand up for those who may not be able to
stand up for themselves. I have worked for the past 14 years to ensure
that people living with diabetes are all treated fairly with equal
access to education, medical devices and supplies. This is a long
road. It has seen many battles won and I am proud to be able to
continue fighting the war along side many incredible people.</span><br />
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<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/change2.gif"><img alt="change2" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-467" height="241" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/change2-300x241.gif" width="300" /></a><br />
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Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-66997575556961265172014-04-28T13:14:00.001-02:302014-04-28T13:14:34.411-02:30A Salute to the D-Warriors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet74STmen9J9vyNC7UTA4zjEedHQq6UkMcIEYjKEBJoUODK27fbQLb_4hWL2S3HhE2Ppr-uiLANgByA6DGxO1wiPJh97ovRGoL99vi61s-ZmgJ-2ZhbMvYI74irsnefgGsw0oEn0kbwo/s1600/d+child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet74STmen9J9vyNC7UTA4zjEedHQq6UkMcIEYjKEBJoUODK27fbQLb_4hWL2S3HhE2Ppr-uiLANgByA6DGxO1wiPJh97ovRGoL99vi61s-ZmgJ-2ZhbMvYI74irsnefgGsw0oEn0kbwo/s1600/d+child.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to it. Back to that new normal life…where diabetes isn’t in it 24/7. It is still strange but this past week with my son was also a bit of an awakening. One in which perhaps more people should be exposed to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes over 14 years ago. He lived with me the bulk of that time. In September he chose to move to finish high school with his lifelong friends. It killed me inside but it was a choice that he had to make.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the past six months, I have not had to get up in the middle of the night to test bg levels, but I still wake up. I haven’t had to worry about site changes but I still am in charge of ordering supplies. My role has changed. It is still taking some getting used to.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was thrown back into the fray last week. Diabetes came back into my life in a huge way. It gave me a new respect for my son and for all people with diabetes. It brought a new pain to my heart. I wished that others could have seen what I saw and experienced what my son experienced. Perhaps if more people did, then more doctors would fully get it. Perhaps if more people did then more politicians and insurance companies would understand. Perhaps then more research projects would be funded and there would be a greater understanding and drive for a cure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My son arrived on a Monday after a 10 hour day of driving. He was high. I asked him what was up. He explained. “I should have set an increased basal rate to cover all of that inactivity driving in the truck. I ate at a fast food restaurant but the meal I chose wasn’t too high in fat. I may also need a site change.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I looked up the meal that he had eaten. It was a lot higher in fat than he had thought. We discussed extending boluses to cover those high fat meals. We talked formulas and I hoped that he might remember the concept the next time he ate out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because of those small oversights, he was high for the rest of the evening. He went through gallons of water and found it hard to socialize when he was spending so much time in the washroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His visit continued this way. There were highs. There were logical reasons for them. There were mistakes made. He is only human. Together we worked to fix them. There were injections and new sites. Sites fell out and got kinked. There were replacement sites and more injections to cover the missed insulin and bring him down. There was more water. He spent more time in the washroom.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was exhausted. He took it all in stride. We discussed strategies. I suggested changing sites a little sooner when he was having highs. He told me that when he got too high he felt a burning in his legs and after a bit he would smell a strange smell. He said it was like his brain was frying because he was so high and he would smell it happening. My heart broke.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After days of “stuff happening”…a bad site, a poor carbohydrate calculation, a bolus delivered wrong, we finally saw him in range for longer than an hour. He was able to sleep through the night without a trip to the washroom every half an hour. He was able to put down the water bottle and enjoy a casual glass of diet Dr. Pepper. The battle was over and he had won. The war would continue another day however.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As he got on the plane for his trip home, my hands-on role ended. I was no longer in the trenches with him until he had another break and came to visit. That was not the case for him. His battle would continue on the plane where I learned after he landed, that the air pressure of the plane would impact the insulin delivery on his pump. Once again, after the fact we would know the reason behind a high or low but were at that point powerless to stop it. We hadn’t known.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How stressful must this be for a person living with diabetes? My son told me how his doctor lectured him when he goes to his appointments (although I am guessing that the bulk of his lectures are just). He stated that he the CDE he was sent to was more concerned with reading him documents than teaching him something useful. He is just beginning his journey of learning to be his own advocate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As much as I complain about his lack of self care. Each time we talk, I am amazed at how much he does know about his own care. Some of the information he has heard from my lecturing and teaching, as well as the things he has learned at CWD conferences has sunk in. He is a teen and may not always do what he is supposed to but he does have the knowledge when he chooses to apply.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It will be up to him to apply the knowledge. It will be up to him to show his medical team that he is very educated in his care. It will be up to him to decide to take care of his body. It is a huge challenge. As people who do not have diabetes, it can be easy for us to judge and demand better. It only makes sense to take care of you. You will feel better. It’s not always that easy. Stuff happens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This week was exhausting and I didn’t have the physical toll that he did. I was the coach on the sidelines, offering help when I could. I made suggestions, I took over care, I carried a small amount of the burden but he carried the bulk of the weight.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could see him sitting in a meeting with his diabetes team and having them see this past week’s readings. There would be questions. Would he feel defensive? I would have. Would he feel judged? I would have. Did he do his best? Yes. Do the numbers look like it? No…and yes. Readings were high, but then we had a victory and things came down…before the next stumble and up they went. Should we have known better? Yes…and no. Yes, he knows to increase his basal when traveling but no he didn’t know the carb counts for some of the restaurant foods. Even with calorie counting software, errors were made. How could we have known that the site that went into his leg would bend—twice? There are so many factors going into managing diabetes. Even for those of us who have lived beside someone for 14 years, we can’t fully understand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a parent it is torture. I want to fix this. I want to take it from him. He doesn’t ask me to. He knows that I will do my best. When he stumbles or appears not to take care of himself the way that I would like to see, I get upset and even angry. I understand the toll that it can take on his body. I know the toll that a causal attitude will take on him long term. I know that he has the knowledge and I pray he will chose to use it sooner rather than later. I don’t always remember the struggle to balance being a teen boy and being a person with diabetes however. It has to be hard.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I won’t quit demanding the best from him. I won’t be able to stop being disappointed when I don’t see adequate testing. I will take this week and use it as I go forward however. It has been a great lesson to share when advocating for better care for people with diabetes. It has given me a new respect for all that my son deals with when Mom isn’t there to carry some of the burden. It has reminded me of how much diabetes sucks and how despite the fact that a lot has changed in 14 years, we still have a long way to go.</span>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-63641438433321819942014-04-25T13:12:00.002-02:302014-04-25T13:12:29.906-02:30Feeling Alone?<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px currentColor; color: #444444; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/24px "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.71rem; padding: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/alone-with-d.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #9f9f9f; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><img alt="alone with d" class="alignleft wp-image-454" height="328" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/alone-with-d-300x222.jpg" style="border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; box-shadow: 0px 1px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.2); float: left; font-size: 14px; height: auto; margin: 0.85rem 1.71rem 0.85rem 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="443" /></a>Sadly I think that at some point everyone feels alone and isolated. When you first hear that diagnosis of “diabetes”, you may be overwhelmed, confused, and dazed. What does it all mean? Once you begin to realize what it means, often you then feel alone. No one else truly understands what you are going through. It can be terribly depressing and isolating.</div>
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If you are a parent, other parents do not understand why you hover over your child so often. Why is it that you don’t sleep at night? The child is controlled isn’t he/she?</div>
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As a person with diabetes, people may question your meal choices. They may wonder if you are “faking it” when you tell them that your blood glucose level is off and you can’t be involved in that activity at the moment until it settles back in range.</div>
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No one really understands your worries. They can’t see diabetes and they think that it’s not a big deal. They seem to suggest that your fears are unfounded. You are just being paranoid.</div>
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Then you meet another person with diabetes…a total stranger quickly becomes a long-lost friend. When you speak, you find yourself lost in a world of like–they test like you. They count carbs like you. They know what a high feels like. They understand not being able to do anything when you are low. They know what a pump is and have a glucometer that they carry with them! You belong!</div>
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For someone who doesn’t have diabetes, this may sound a bit extreme. If you live with diabetes, this is very familiar. I remember the first time I spoke on the phone with a stranger who had a daughter diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes the month before my son. We talked for an hour. She was a complete stranger but she understood dealing with lows in a toddler. She had desperately searched for a sugary treat that her baby would eat at that critical time as well. She got it! She was living it too.</div>
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The first time I went to a diabetes related event, the emotions were no less intense. Everyone had a glucometer. Everyone knew the carbs in each food item or at least offered their best guesses. There were insulin pumps and needles brought out with the food. This was “normal” and it felt wonderful and safe.</div>
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Meeting people online can also be helpful. To reach out and know that there is someone there who gets it and has been there can be sanity saving. The very first time I reached out online to a group from the Childrenwithdiabetes.com website and received help…well my world changed forever.</div>
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Today there are many websites and social media groups that offer support. They will answer questions, share information, and understand what you are feeling.</div>
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For months, I have been thinking about these two things…social media support and real life interactions. How would you best combine them? Ideally you wouldn’t. Everyone would be able to gather at diabetes events, feel the love, and be refreshed but in real life that isn’t always possible. What could I do? I could host a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/events/ckqn6clff2tnmo8csgop53u0hr8" style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #9f9f9f; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Google Hangout!</a></div>
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Google offers its own unique way of gathering people called a hangout. The idea is that a group of friends, family, work colleagues, or strangers, can get together in realtime, using audio and video to talk. I therefore thought it would be a perfect place to host a virtual support group meeting.</div>
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If you are feeling isolated and alone, or just want to enjoy some conversation, grab your headphones and microphone and join me in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="https://plus.google.com/events/ckqn6clff2tnmo8csgop53u0hr8" style="border: 0px currentColor; color: #9f9f9f; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Google Hangout<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></a>on Tuesday April 29th at 7pm EST. If people are interested and enjoy the opportunity, I will work on making this a monthly event.</div>
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So mark down the date, check out the link, and join me…or let me know that you wanted to join me but something came up and you want to be a part of the next one!</div>
Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-50557705730505954682014-04-15T13:02:00.000-02:302014-04-15T13:02:06.041-02:30The Countdown to NO SLEEP! <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This morning as I woke up, my first thought was..."This time next week I will have been up during the night to check my son's <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"> bg </span>levels</span>!" I know that parents who do this every night will be thinking that I am insane but I am actually looking forward to it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It has been over six months since that fateful day when my son moved back to his home town to live with his father and left me with an <a href="http://diabetesadvocacycom.blogspot.com/2014/01/another-day-another-feather-left-behind.html" target="_blank">empty nest</a>. I still have a barrage of emotions that flow through me at any given time. I have been a full-time mom for 20 years and a pancreas for 14. I felt like I was terminated without notice. I wasn't. It wasn't personal. It was a choice he felt that he had to make for his own growth. That has been something that I have had to come to terms with...and am still working on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When my son left, I had a firm plan. He would be in contact with me weekly. He would share his readings with me thanks to his new insulin pump system. We would look over readings and he would learn how to make his own decisions. I would remain as hands on as possible with hundreds of miles between us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">As with all of my plans, it was a great plan. As with many of the plans that we make in our lives...well it was a great plan but reality was far different. The first month or so we would call each week. He had issues with uploading his pump information but sometimes it worked. There would be a lot of missed tests. I would do my best not to freak out and ruin our time together. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Soon he saw his new diabetes team and they had their own plan. They arranged for my son to see a new educator on a regular basis to teach him how to handle his diabetes care. Two teachers would confuse the issue. My friends reminded me of how much I had taught my son over the years. I had to step back. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I would be lying if I said it was easy to do. I have been a hands on parent for 20 years. I have been a pancreas for 14. I am a control freak. Letting go has always been really hard for me. Letting go of something that directly impacts the health of one of my children? Yes, the pain of doing that was physical but I have tried. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I no longer ask about <span style="background-color: white;">bg</span> levels every day. I ask about once a week how things are going. I ask if we need to have a chat. Does he need to make any changes to his rates? Our weekly chats have drifted further and further apart to the point of the occasional text message that reads "CALL YOUR MOTHER!!!" Followed by a phone call, a wonderful conversation and said child responding "What do you mean I don't call you? I call you every day." I reply "in your dreams. We haven't talked in ages." To which he charmingly replied, "Oh, well I think about you every day." My children are smooth and have figured out how to appease a mother's bruised heart. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Like I said, the "we will talk weekly" rule quickly was disregarded. We text daily. I know that he is alive. He has a life that involves girls, skidoos/quads, friends, and school. Mom and diabetes are relatively far down the list because let's face it, they will always be there (at least in the mind of a 16 year old). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Occasionally I will tell him that it is time that we chat about his readings. Recently I was struck by the similarity of me saying that and that note on the calendar stating you have to see your diabetes team--tomorrow! When I tell my son that we need to chat and review readings, I instantly get inundated with excuses. "Well, now isn't good. I had a bad site the past few days and my readings are everywhere." "I forgot to bolus my breakfast and was high so things are really out of whack." There is always something but as a great friend reminded me, he knows the whys behind what is going on. This means that he has learned. He will hopefully also learn to apply this knowledge but for now at least in hind sight he can say, "Mom, I messed this up and this is what happened." I guess in the world of diabetes care that is a bonus. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So for today I will count the sleeps until I have sleepless nights for a few days. I will enjoy counting carbs and monitoring testing patterns for part of the Easter holidays. After that, I will go back to adjusting to my children growing up and being independent. I will sleep through the night and know that I have taught them well...and pray that a Higher Power will keep an eye on them both when I can't. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-41701778575592733952014-04-08T10:50:00.001-02:302014-04-08T10:50:36.473-02:30Insulin 101...It saved my sanity!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/1.7142 "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.71rem; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
I recently began thinking about the most liberating thing that I learned after my son was first diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I have always said that it was to take life four hours at a time. That did help but before I could learn that, I think I had to learn one more important lesson...how his insulin worked.</div>
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Once I understood how my son's insulin worked both of our lives took a dramatic change for the better. As I have said many times, when my son was first diagnosed he was in DKA and given hours to live. I knew that they gave him insulin and that is what helped him to survive. That connection stayed with me long after we left the hospital. I knew that he had to have insulin injected to live but I didn't understand the roles of insulins that he had been given. This lead to battles and frustrations on both my part and that of a confused two-year old.</div>
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At diagnosis, my son's doctor believed in using the most up to date insulin regimens. That meant that he was given NPH and humalog for his meals. Again, I didn't really understand this in my newly diagnosed, muddled mind. I just knew that he had to have insulin to live. I had to give him both insulins and he had to eat what the dietitian told me.</div>
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In fairness to my dietitian, she also told me that if I wanted I could learn to count carbs and feed my son only what he wanted and give him just the insulin that he needed for that meal. What she said made sense. Not all bread was created equally and therefore not requiring the same amount of insulin. Despite knowing that on an intellectual level I was blocked on an emotional level. He must have all of the insulin I was told to give him in order to stay alive. This blocked thinking lead to struggles and trauma for everyone involved at each mealtime. Breakfast could last until lunch and supper could easily run into his bedtime snack. There were tears on both sides.</div>
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One day I found an email support list. I asked for help trying to make my son eat. A woman, who went on to become a great friend, replied to my email instantly. She said "Don't force him to eat and just don't give him his humalog."</div>
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For whatever reason when she said it (or wrote it) everything clicked! The NPH had a peak. That was what the snack times were all about but the humalog was a rapid acting insulin meant to cover his meals. No meals? No problem. No insulin. He would always he his small snacks so that was not a concern. Smaller meals? Well my dietitian had told me how to count carbohydrates and figure out his carb to insulin ratio so that was okay too.</div>
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My world changed completely...and so did my son's. We no longer fought about meals. If he didn't want to eat he didn't. There were no more special meals or catering that I hated to have to do. I could treat him the same way as I did his older brother. In other words, he could be a kid first and a child with diabetes second.</div>
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This also meant that we could handle birthday parties in a whole new way. I learned the carb counts of most party food and he could enjoy meals with the other kids. He could have cake! Most cake was around 25g CHO which was his snack amount so I would save it for 2pm (which often was when they settled down enough to have some anyway) and he could eat with everyone else.</div>
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Learning how his insulin peaked and what it was used for was the most liberating thing I could do for my son and my own sanity. Once that was under my belt, I could work with the other factors. I could break life down into the four hours of rapid acting insulin life. One major hurdle was overcome. A small piece of my sanity saved! <a data-mce-href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Humalog.png" href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Humalog.png" style="color: #21759b;"><img alt="Humalog" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-449" data-mce-src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Humalog-129x300.png" height="300" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Humalog-129x300.png" style="border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; box-shadow: 0px 1px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.2); cursor: default; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin: 0.85rem 1.71rem 0.85rem 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="129" /></a></div>
Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-9796055068530277992014-04-03T09:50:00.005-02:302014-04-03T09:50:56.317-02:30She Exposed her Pancreas to the Storm!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px currentColor; color: #444444; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px/24px "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.71rem; padding: 0px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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April 1 Mother Nature played a cruel joke on the area that I live in. We were subjected to an incredible amount of snow that just did not want to end. I was not happy at all.</div>
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To make matters just that much worse, I actually had to go out in the mess and drive! I hate driving in snow. I hate having to worry about other drivers in snow. Basically I would much rather hide under the blankets until summer but despite my disgust, out into the not so lovely winter wonderland I went.</div>
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As I was cruising the city streets on my way home, I watched a young lady battling the elements to get to her destination. I was seated in a lovely four-wheel drive truck that was producing heat and warming my back with heated seats. This poor child was outside walking in the snow and the wind. I shivered as I watched her.</div>
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When she walked in front of the truck I saw something on her belt. I looked again. There was no doubt. She had an insulin pump on her waist! What was she doing with her pancreas out in this weather? Wasn’t she concerned about the insulin freezing? I couldn’t see her tubing but I could plainly see the pump. It was exposed to the wind and biting snow. That could not be a good thing. I was certain that having your pancreas hang out during a nasty spring/winter storm was not a good thing.</div>
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Despite my concerns, she crossed the street and my light changed. I continued to make my way home but I also worried about this girl. Did she have very far to walk? How long would she and her pump be exposed to the elements? Would she run high because of cold insulin?</div>
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I then began to worry about myself. Why was I obsessed by this? Because I am a mom. Because my mind thinks like that. Because I worry…even about children with diabetes who aren’t mine. Oh my!</div>
Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4310765395863592182.post-46537557917939394522014-03-31T11:06:00.000-02:302014-03-31T11:06:40.981-02:30Do not clean with soap and water<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today my phone went in for a cleaning. It wasn’t supposed to be cleaned but somehow it stayed in my pocket when the item I had been wearing before my shower went in to be washed. Something told me to check my pockets <em>before</em> tossing it in soap and water but in my morning fog I forgot. A little while later, in a bit more of a panic, I checked the now wet pockets. Nothing in the first pocket! Perhaps I was safe. I checked the submerged pocket…it was heavy. That could be water weighing it down…Or it could be my phone. Crap!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I began drying my phone, watching the screen flicker, wondering what I will have lost this time since I hadn’t backed it up, and finally pulling the battery and sticking it in a bag of rice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not sure if my phone will survive. Part of me says, “Yes it will! I caught it early. There wasn’t much dampness in it. It will be fine!” Another part says, “Dude you are screwed! There was some sort of red dye that I wiped off when I was drying it. I am guessing that is one of those markers that tell manufacturers that it was submerged. This is not good. ”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, I wanted a new phone. My phone has been acting weird and basically annoying me for months but I want the latest iPhone. I don’t want the current version when a new one will be out a few months after this one. I don’t want to pay for a phone this month that in two months will be free because it is now the older generation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I won’t get ahead of myself. For now, I remain phone-less for at least the next 24 hours. That feels weird. I have had a cell phone for 14 years now. It was an essential part of our life with diabetes. It allowed me to be away from home and still in reach of my children or any adult supervising my children. It allowed teachers to call and ask me a question whether I was at home or in a meeting or grocery shopping.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As we learned to text, it allowed my youngest son to send me messages about bg levels or issues he was having when he was away from me. It allowed me to keep track of what was going on with his diabetes care no matter where either of us were.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being phone-less means that I can’t do any of these things…at least not as easily. Previously this situation would have thrown me into complete chaos. While I am going through personal withdrawals because I like to text someone when I am thinking of them, it is not the catastrophe that I would have once thought it was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a land line that people can reach me on if a life threatening issue arises. I have access to email and online accounts if someone needs to reach out. I may not answer these questions while I am shopping or running errands but I will get to them at one point.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am not panicked because my kids cannot immediately call or text. They can still contact me. They can take care of most issues on their own…even the diabetes related ones. That is scary! It’s not scary that they can handle things, its scary that I have reached a point that I <em><strong>k</strong></em><em style="font-size: 1rem;"><strong>now</strong></em><span style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.7142;"> that they can! They are not just growing up but I am learning to let them fly! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It still feels very weird not having my phone (and it has only been two hours!) but it is equally wonderful to know that my kids are okay on their own. I no longer have to be there to walk them through emergency site changes or trouble shoot a high. My youngest has got this…most of the time and for those other times, well, we will talk about it when we get the </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chance.</span> </span><br />
<a href="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/wet-phone.jpg"><img alt="wet phone" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-442" height="225" src="http://diabetesadvocacy.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/wet-phone-300x225.jpg" width="300" /></a>Barb Wagstaffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00411795733538192893noreply@blogger.com0