15 Years {And counting.}

Fifteen years ago today, at age 15, I was diagnosed with type one diabetes.

I don't think I could ever forget that day.

The weather had been horrible and for the previous two days, Mom and I had been going up to our doctor's office {the same one who delivered me} to have fasting blood sugars drawn. My boyfriend at the time {to whom, we will always be eternally grateful}, had talked Mom into taking me. Because while I was pleased with the nearly 30 pound weight loss over the span of about a month, it concerned him. And, once brought to my parent's attention, them as well. We had already been into his office once that morning to have blood drawn and then went to eat breakfast. My Grami and Papa Snow went with us back to Dr. Nickel's office to discuss the results... looking back, I'm pretty sure it's because Mom knew what was coming and needed a little extra support with her since Dad was at work.

I don't remember too much from the actual appointment, except flat out refusing to even consider shots. That night, I had planned a Christmas party at our house and I remember limiting myself on the number of cookies I ate... and being acutely aware of how much water and soda I was drinking. That Christmas wasn't ruined, but the diagnosis definitely put a damper on it - we didn't know much, didn't really know how to handle it, and were definitely still in shock and denial.

Life has changed in those 15 years.

We finally figured it all mostly out. I've had plenty of ups and downs {1999, can I get a witness??!}, literal highs and lows, and even two {big!} babies to boot. I've been through 4 {5?} pumps, countless syringes, and so many different blood glucose meters that I could probably wallpaper an entire room with all the test strips. Heck, just in the past 15 years we've gone from a meter that took nearly 3 minutes {and nearly a gallon of blood!} to one that barely requires a drop and can give a very accurate result in 5 seconds.

I'm also blessed beyond measure to have such supportive people in my life. A husband who doesn't complain {too much} when my pump is bleeping all night long or when I beg him to get me juice from the kitchen at 2am. Kids who are more than happy to take a break with Mommy when she is low to share a juice box. Or three. Family who have been there during all the highs and lows. Friends who live it and who really understand what you mean when you complain.

And... just because I truly laughed out loud {and nodded my head in agreement} when watching this:

Here's to living more years with diabetes, than without.

And to many more years of sharing cookies with these Little Ones.

Pink!

It's no secret that I have type 1 diabetes. And it's no secret either that I love my insulin pump.

I've been pumping since March {?} 2000 and with the exception of a few times in those nine years {like our wedding and my first trip to Hawaii} I haven't looked back. MDI therapy {multiple daily injection therapy} just doesn't work well for me. Despite the fact that I've had type 1 diabetes for close to 14 years {wow... that makes me feel old: I've almost had it for as many years as I was old when I was diagnosed}, I still cringe at the thought of needles. {Sidebar: Which has always made me wonder how drug addicts do it!} Ever since my first Minimed pump {the 508, for those of you who know about them} arrived at my parent's house, I have wanted a pink pump. I mean, if you have to have something attached to you at all times, why not have it be a color or design that you just love? My first pump was green: the only colors available at the time were clear, smoke, blue and green. And while the clear or the smoke would have accessorized my outfits a little better, the green pump was, by far, the most exciting one to me. Imagine my excitement when pumps #2 and #3 arrived and were purple! I can remember very specifically Dr. Peters asking me one day why I chose a purple pump. My answer?

"Because they don't have a pink one yet."

Friends, I now, after over 9 years of pumping, have a pink insulin pump! It's actually the exact same pump that I have right now {722, for those who are wondering}. But since my warranty was up on my old purple 722, and I'm married to a man who has awesome health insurance {Mom, you prayed that I would marry someone who could provide excellent health insurance!}, getting a new pink pump was as simple as making a phone call to Minimed. And, unlike that first 508, not even a cent out of pocket. PTL! To be sure, I feel not only very lucky to be able to use and wear an insulin pump, but I'm so happy that it's finally pink!

***

And, just because we can all use some pictures of the fun little guy that we got to have because of such amazing technology and outstanding medical care:

{Diabetes} Awareness

Last Friday was World Diabetes Day. I had fully intended on doing a post about diabetes and how it affects my {and my family's} every day life. So, here's the post, nearly a week late.

I've done a few posts before about diabetes, but nothing that gave you a real sense of what living this this disease is all about. I think one thing that can frustrate me more than anything, is people who {often unknowingly because the media isn't well aware either} confuse Type 1 Diabetes, with Type 2. Type 1 {which is what I have} is not preventable. There is nothing I can do to make it "go away" and there is nothing that I could have done to have prevented. Type 2 is preventable and reversible - with a healthy lifestyle and, often times, weight loss. Type 1's are often confused with type 2's because out of the close to 18 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes, only 5-10% are Type 1.

Here's what my day looks like in relation to my diabetes:

When I wake up, I test. Before I eat, I test. After I eat, I bolus {meaning, I take insulin for what I ate}. Before I drive, I test. Before I go to bed, I test. At times, it feels like my life revolves around testing my blood sugar.

Every three days {unless I need to change it before then}, I change my insulin pump site. Insulin is required for everyone {even you!}, but a type 1 diabetic doesn't make insulin {or make enough}. The insulin pump gives me a continuous stream of insulin and, whenever I eat something, I program it to give me extra insulin {a bolus} to make sure that my blood sugar doesn't spike. For a better understanding of how insulin and carbohydrates affect each other, watch this video.

{My bathroom sink during a pump site change!}

Here's a few things that {I think} everyone should know when dealing with a type 1:

• We are still human. We still want {and can have!} cake, ice cream and other sugary-sweets. Please don't be the Diabetes Police.
• We are not Type 2's. It will not just "magically" go away. {My Daddy-Man actually had someone say to him, "Oh, she's still suffering from that?" [rolling eyes] }
• My blood sugar reading is my business. It is impolite to ask a person what their blood sugar is unless you are their doctor.
• And, just for fun.... the Type 1 Mom Song. Sometimes I like to imagine my Mom singing that song when I was in high school. :)

Life is definitely different with diabetes. And, I hope, that one day, I'll live a life without it - that day is coming, I just know it.

Today on The Today Show

Look! My {California} endocrinologist was on the Today Show today!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/18424824#27115696

I love Dr. Peters. :)

One Year Ago Today.

One Year Ago Today:

Today:

What a difference a year makes. I can hardly believe that he is four and a half months old and here with us. It really only seems like just a month ago that Ben and I were in Oklahoma for him to run in the OKC Memorial Marathon and I was cheering him on, mainly because I wanted him to do well, but also so we could go buy another test to confirm what the one that morning had said! (And no, I'm not pregnant again, for those of you who still aren't sure.)

When I replied to this post by Amanda, I never expected to receive a package in the mail as a result! For those of you who didn't click on the link, Amanda's Mom use to make her finger paint soap for the bathtub and now she makes it for Deacon, her grandson. I posted that I would love to have the recipe to make some for Noah (and future kids and grandkids). Well her mom, Martha, replied with the recipe and then, today, I got a package in the mail with some finger paint soap for Noah!

It goes without saying that we had more fun with it than he did, but I have a feeling that not long from now, he'll be painting the bathtub red! Thank you so much Amanda and Martha!

And, to show what a good mail day it was, look what else arrived!!

I've been waiting so patiently for Minimed to finally see the light of day and know what the OneTouch line is much better than the BD meters that they originally sent with my insulin pump... of course, that's my personal opinion. And I'm also slightly biased towards OneTouch because my first ever meter some 12 years ago, was made by them. So last year, when they said on their website that all Paradigm users would be receiving a new OneTouch transmittable blood glucose meter (to replace the BD one that was discontinued), I was overjoyed! It finally arrived today!! Yippee for new diabetes technology!

Finally Meeting Dr. Peters

Noah just LOVES his carseat toy from his Great-Grami and PaPa! He's really been staring and focusing on more than just faces lately!

I had an appointment with Dr. Peters (my endo) today. When I got to her office, of course Judith and Ruth (the lovely secretaries) immediately wanted to see Noah! I left him in their good hands while I ran to the restroom (it's a hour drive!) and when I returned, the entire office was already falling in love with him!

Here's a great picture of Dr. Peters with Noah - just like I am so grateful for Dr. Bickman helping us get pregnant, I am SO grateful for Dr. Peters: she helped keep me and Noah healthy before and during the pregnancy. She has taught me so much and has shown me that I AM capable of having a "good" A1c! (It was 6.8 today - better than I thought it was going to be after the two months I've had!) Without her help and guidance, Noah would not be nearly so healthy - so THANK YOU Dr. Peters! And I loved it that when I went in her office, she already had a picture of Noah on her wall of babies.

Noah really likes her too. ;)

When You're a Parent with Diabetes

A couple of weeks ago, I found a recommendation for this book, "When You're a Parent with Diabetes" on another type 1 diabetic's blog. I've been wanting something like this to read my entire pregnancy and finally, now that we're at the end of it, I've got one!

I love this book already and I'm only about half-way through it. I think I like it so much because (obviously!) I can completely relate to what the author has to say. She and her husband are both type 1 and have two, very healthy (non-diabetic mind you!) boys. I literally laughed out loud because I could totally relate when she wrote about how others would comment on the size of her babies and how it must be because she is diabetic - I had a nurse in the hospital over the weekend say, "You know that diabetics tend to have bigger babies, right?" What on earth?! Of course I knew that! And, of course, I know that my management of my diabetes has not contributed to Noah's size, just like Kathryn (the author of the book) knew the same thing of her sons. I guess it's just hard to explain this to people who have little to no education on real life with type 1 diabetes - it's completely different from type 2 and gestational diabetes!

As for an update on Noah - he's still doing great! I went in for my weekly NST today and he's just so happy to be head up still! Keep praying that he'll turn...

All in an Endo visit

This is what my mornings look like when I have to go see my Endocrinologist, Dr. Peters:

I usually spend at least 5 (usually more like 15) minutes uploading my most recent sensor data into the computer and then printing out reports for her to review. It's mornings like these, especially after an OB appointment, that I remember that Noah's size has NOTHING to do with my diabetes. When I look at my charts and see the (mostly) in range BG numbers and and see my most recent A1c reading printed on each page, it's a little reminder that I'm doing all that I can to keep this little one growing healthy.

Alphabet Soup

We've got our crib all put together and ready for Noah!

I love our bedding (it's called Alphabet Soup) and I think it looks great with the crib. Once I finish making the pads for the rocking chair (and Ben refinishes it) and we get everything hung on the walls, I'll take a few pictures of the entire room.

Also, a happy wedding day and congratulations to my dear, dear college friend Michelle who is getting married today on Maui! I wish I was there girl!

And, last but not least, today is World Diabetes Day....

I don't think the average person knows how much it really affects everything that you do and more often than not, they have incorrect information and an "old school view" of type 1 diabetes - so a special thanks today to my parents, sisters, and especially my husband, for learning about diabetes and how to truly help me live with it.