D-Mom Blog » Having Fun With Diabetes

Twelve of 2012

Leighann — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 13:00:44 +0000

It wouldn’t be the end of the year without a “top” list post, would it?

Some of these are firsts for us, some are exciting, some are unwanted. But here are twelve diabetes-related things that have impacted our family.

Top 12 of 2012

1. It took tremendous effort as a family for me to write Kids First, Diabetes Second. I wrote each Sunday either at the library, locked into my home office, or with the laptop perched on my knees in bed. My husband and kids were very understanding. Q is so proud of me which means the world because she was obviously the inspiration. I have had wonderful feedback from families who have read the book and commented that it fills a necessary gap of information and support that the medical team doesn’t provide at diagnosis.

Kids First, Diabetes Second

2. Partially in support of the book (we did a book signing in the OmniPod booth*), Q and I were able to head to Orlando for the Children With Diabetes annual Friends For Life conference. It was great to meet so many families in person.

Friends For Life Children With Diabetes Conference

3. Q not only flew for the first time (four times if you count each leg of our travel), but she also went to Disney World. Since we were already in Orlando, I couldn’t resist finding the time to get her to Disney, even if it was only for one day. Disney with Diabetes is totally doable. We tested often, had plenty of supplies and low blood sugar treatments on hand, and used a Guest Assistance Card to help keep us out of the July heat and reduce wait times.

Travel
Disney With Diabetes

4. Q was finally old enough to go to diabetes camp. It was horrifying and embarrassing to me that her blood sugar was 300+ when I checked her in. Horrifying to her was that they made her pee in a cup to check for ketones! But after that she had a great week and is looking forward to returning again each year. She even had a top bunk, which I think made me more nervous than handing over her diabetes care to someone else.

5. I was able to travel* to a few diabetes-related events this year. In addition to CWD FFL, I went to California for the Medtronic Diabetes Advocates Forum, New Jersey for the launch of Sanofi’s iBGStar blood glucose meter, Indianapolis for Lilly Diabetes Blogger Summit, and back to Indy for Roche’s Social Media Summit. Even though the travel is sometimes grueling (a lot of travel sometimes for a short event) and it’s time away from my family, I enjoy seeing other PWD’s and caregivers, many of whom I have developed relati

onships with over the past few years.

Medtronic Diabetes Advocate Forum
Lilly Diabetes Blogger Summit
Sanofi iBGStar
Roche Social Media Summit

6. We added a new piece of diabetes management equipment to our arsenal. We hadn’t given much thought to having a continuous glucose monitor and always thought we would wait until it was integrated into our insulin pump. We were given the chance to try the Medtronic mySentry* and associated CGM in the spring. (The mySentry works with their integrated pump/CGM, but we only used the CGM function). The Medtronic CGM wasn’t quite right for us, mainly because we didn’t want to utilize the insulin pump function and that was the only way our insurance would cover it. But using a CGM made us realize how much we valued the contextual information it could provide. We got approved for the DexCom and have been using it almost every single day ever since.

Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)

7. My social media and writing has gone beyond D-Mom Blog and Kids First, Diabetes Second this year as I contributed to other websites such as OmniPod’s Suite D, Sanofi’s The DX, and Disney Family.com.

8. Q has always done a lot of sports and activities, but this year she did her first play. For six weeks there were two or three week night practices from 6-8:00 pm, which completely threw our schedule off. Performance week was six nights of two to three hour practices and performances with two shows on the last day. Either my husband or I stayed for each of the practices. But after the second performance we decided that she would be okay backstage without us and we could sit in the audience.

9. The D-Mom Blog Facebook page eclipsed 2,000 likes. It is definitely bittersweet: I’m glad that families are looking for support online, but at the same time I’m sad that so many people need it.

D-Mom Blog Facebook Page

10. For Diabetes Awareness Month I posted a daily fact, tip, or thought across social media channels including Facebook and Twitter. It was incredibly well-received and I hope that as people shared these thoughts on their own timeline that the information was disseminated beyond the diabetes community.

You can view and download all 30 Diabetes Awareness Month facts, tips, and thoughts as a PDF.

11. I had some allergy testing done on Q and was quite surprised to discover that she’s allergic to tree nuts and milk. As if we don’t already have enough to schlep around, now we are carrying an epipen in her supply bag. It seems like every single product out there was produced in a facility with tree nuts! Because she had a minor anaphylactic reaction to walnuts (throat and hives) and tested positive for all the tree nuts, we have to be cautious. The milk allergy deserves a paragraph all its own…

12. I was a little reluctant to try a total milk elimination for Q, mainly because it’s a pain in the arse. But we decided to take her off of milk entirely for 2-3 weeks Thanksgiving weekend. (After having pumpkin pie with whipped cream!) I was thinking that it would clear up the eczema on her hands and maybe some of her stuffiness, but I was completely astounded by the real effect that was noticeable from day one: low blood sugars. (And of course none of this is medical advice. Ever.**) After a week of low blood sugars, multiple low blood sugars each day which each required multiple treatments, I asked the CDE if it was coincidence. She said that during an allergic reaction the body produces histamine and that histamine raises blood sugars. So that’s where we are now: figuring out how to deal with all these lows and adjust her basal rates and insulin:carb ratios to even her out. And she wants cheese so bad…who wouldn’t?!

Allergies

Looking Forward in 2013

In 2013 you can look forward to more D-Mom Blog as you know it, but I am always open to ideas for content or direction. And of course I love guest posts if there is a story you would like to share!

I’m so pleased to announce that I will be devoting most of my time in 2013 to writing, advocacy, and volunteering. I hope to take on more freelance writing (websites or print), social media consulting jobs, and editing work. For more information on my professional work, please visit LeighannCalentine.com.

*Disclosure: Insulet paid for some of our travel and conference expenses for our appearance in their booth. Companies paid for my travel to their corporate events. Medtronic loaned us a mySentry and CGM and gave us associated supplies. No compensation was received for social media events or product trials and opinions are always my own.

**Disclaimer: The information provided on D-Mom Blog is for entertainment only and should never be considered medical advice. Please consult a physician with any medical questions you might have. Please read the disclaimer.

Twelve of 2012 is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{Holidays} Advent Calendar Redux

Leighann — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:00:08 +0000

Join me for a week of holiday-inspired posts!

The past few years I purchased a $2 Advent calendar at Walgreens filled with tiny chocolates that were so few in carbs I didn’t even have to bolus for them.

Right after Halloween this year I grabbed one for each kid and it wasn’t until I got home that I read the label.

Though the chocolates don’t have tree nuts in them, they are manufactured in a facility with tree nuts. Stupid nut allergy!

Q and I looked at several stores for a wooden reusable advent calendar that I could fill with our own treats, but they were all pretty junky despite $30 price tags.

Then Q saw a Playmobil Advent calendar in the toy section at Barnes & Noble. I didn’t buy it at the time even though she said she really wanted it. I assumed it was crazy expensive like the Lego one my son talked me in to. When my son and I went to Barnes & Noble the next week I noticed that the Playmobil ones were $20. We picked it up and surprised her with it.

Cool Mom Picks has a roundup of printable Advent calendars, most of which are free.

{Diabetes Awareness Month} Blue Cupcakes!

Leighann — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 13:00:18 +0000

My friend Allison Blass, author of With Faith and Grace and occasional contributor to Diabetes Mine, has opened a new Etsy shop called Blue Cupcake offering “Diabetes-Inspired Handmade Greetings .”

Her cards include thank you’s for walk and ride supporters, “Happy Diaversary,” and “Congratulations on the A1c!”

Allison is offering a discount during Diabetes Awareness Month. During the month of November, receive 14% off orders with coupon code BANTING12.

Read the full story behind the cards and learn what charities your purchase supports on Diabetes Mine: Presenting Blue Cupcake, the Diabetes Answer to Hallmark Cards.

{D-LOL} The Ninja Strikes Again

Leighann — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 13:00:42 +0000

George, AKA Ninjabetic, is one of my favorite PWD’s* that I get to see in person a couple of times a year.

He just launched Ninjabetic TV with his first episode and I was LMAO.

I can’t wait to see what’s up his sleeves for episode 2.

(E-mail and feed subscribers click here to view video.)

*PWD = person with diabetes

{D-LOL} Toaster Strudel

Leighann — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 13:00:02 +0000

While at our most recent endo appointment, she asked if we have been having better luck with the post-breakfast blood sugar spike. She asked if we tried having lunch foods for breakfast and if that helped at all. I said I didn’t really notice a difference so we’re back to breakfast foods. She asked what she normally eats and Q chimed in “Toaster Strudel.”

Of all times that a child should be seen and not heard!

I explained that cereal and oatmeal really seem to spike it but for some reason Toaster Strudel hasn’t been that bad.

I tried to justify this horrible food choice and in fact I can’t believe that I’m admitting it to you.

“Hello. My name is Leighann. And I let my child eat Toaster Strudel.”

The endo said that because they have pastry, they presumably have more fat than say, Pop Tarts (which I have NEVER purchased for Q*). The fat may be slowing down the carbs and lessening the spike.

I revealed this dirty little secret to Katy of Bigfoot Child Has Diabetes fame (hi Katy!) and she pointed me to this walk video made by Shannon and the Neurotic City clan.

The EMLA cream looks like Toaster Strudel
I wanna eat it. True dat, double trudel!

I was LMAO for sure.

Go over to Neurotic City for the Lazy Pancreas lyrics.

(E-mail and feed subscribers click over for embedded video.)

*Q had her very first Pop Tart this week at school when a child brought them in for their morning “healthy” snack. Me? I keep sending in frozen, artificial color-free, HFCS-free yogurt tubes.

{Our Story} Living Vertical

Leighann — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 11:00:32 +0000

My husband and kids tagged along when I went to Indianapolis for the 2012 Roche Social Media Summit.

My family was returning to the hotel from lunch as the summit was ending. Steve Richert was the last speaker of the day and as I took a photo with him I asked if he wouldn’t mind taking a couple of minutes to meet my daughter.

He couldn’t have been more kind. He’s a tall guy and knelt down a few times to chat with her. She asked if he has climbed Mt. Everest and he said that by the time he has the permits and funding (I think he said $65K!) maybe she’d be at a point where she would like to climb it with him.

She told him that she’s a little afraid of heights and he explained that he is too, but that’s what makes it fun. If it wasn’t a little scary, it would be boring. He used the analogy that just walking down the street isn’t very exciting. I reminded her of our recent conversation about amusement park rides and how sometimes they are “scary fun.”

She asked him about blood sugars while climbing and he explained to her that sometimes his blood sugar might go low as he hikes up to a location where a climb begins, but that the excitement and adrenalin during climbing can actually make his blood sugar go high.

She asked if he uses a CGM and he said he was just noticing her sensor. They compared their sites and he asked if she liked wearing it on her arm, which she really does. She wanted to know if he has a pump, too. He thanked her for the question because it reminded him that it might be time for his long-acting insulin. She checked her CGM to tell him what time it was. He took her to his pack and showed her how he carries his insulin pens, in a Frio pouch, and Q told him that we have one, too. I used it at Disney actually.

It’s rare that Q gets one-on-one time with other people with diabetes and the interaction between the two was so sweet. I appreciate that Steve took the time to talk with her and not only answer her questions, but also ask her for advice.

During Steve’s talk with the group, he mentioned that he would eventually like to work with families of T1 kids to not only give kids the confidence to climb, but also to give parents the confidence in their children that they are able to make decisions for themselves.

If Steve makes these workshops a reality, I’ll have to find a way to get us there!

Project 365

The background story of Project 365 is interesting and I would tell you what I learned, but instead I am going to direct you to the Living Vertical website. Living Vertical is a non-profit set up by he and his wife Stefanie. As part of their vision, they sold all their belongings and started traversing the country so that he could climb 365 days in a row. Definitely a metaphor for dealing with diabetes every single day!

Steve announced at the summit that he has begun a partnership with Roche. For every “Like” his video gets, Roche will donate $1 to Living Vertical, up to $15,000. Visit Steve’s Mountain to read more about the partnership and watch and like his video. (I’d include it here, but please click over so that you can “like” it!)

{In Q’s Words} Hope

Leighann — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 11:00:35 +0000

Q told me that she took a spelling test with her teacher.

Q: The word was “hope” and I kept saying to myself “Don’t look at your bracelet, Q. Don’t look at your bracelet.”

Me: Did you look?

Q: No.

Me: So how do you spell “hope?”

Q: H-O-P-E

(Lauren’s Hope bracelets have a little charm that say “HOPE.”)

All images are copyright D-Mom Blog and D-Mom Media and may not be copied or reproduced without express written permission.

{In Q’s Words} Hope is a post from: D-Mom Blog

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{Diabetes Art Day} Time To Get Creative

Leighann — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:00:49 +0000

Did you know that the cover of my book was inspired by Diabetes Art Day? It’s true.

Karen Graffeo, my friend who writes Bitter-Sweet, made a piece of diabetes art for the 2010 event. We asked her to create a similar piece with a more child-like appearance for the book cover.

I love the juxtaposition of the playful Play-Doh and the girl’s rosy Smarties cheeks and half smile with the harsh reality of the diabetes supplies that keep our children alive.

My friend Lee Ann Thill (I have such great friends!) was recently awarded a Diabetes Hands Foundation Seeds Grant which will enable her to make Diabetes Art Day even more fabulous in future years. Lee Ann is also the founder of the annual World Diabetes Day Postcard Exchange.

This year Diabetes Art Day falls on September 24, 2012. So grab that paper, crayons, markers, glitter glue, modeling clay, and diabetes supplies and make some great art!

Here are a couple of pieces that Q and I did last year. I wonder what will inspire us this time around.

{YouTube Tuesday} Kid President

Leighann — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 11:00:38 +0000

In my book Kids First, Diabetes Second there is an entire chapter devoted to the language of diabetes. One of the sections is diabetes slang and includes some of the best phrases and words used by people dealing with diabetes.

Diabeetus (pronounced “di-uh-bee-tuss,” like the actor Wilfred Brimley) You can laugh or roll your eyes every time you hear him say it.

Kim, author of the blog Texting My Pancreas and creator of the famed You Can Do This Project, shared this video. I was laughing so hard I was nearly crying. If you don’t take it from me, then take it from Kid President…

(E-mail and feed subscribers click over for embedded video.)

{Disney with Diabetes} Pressed Pennies

Leighann — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:00:36 +0000

Join me this week as I share some experiences traveling this summer with diabetes.

When I found out that we were going to go to the annual Children With Diabetes Friends For Life conference, I began planning a day at Disney.

Of course I took note of ideas on Pinterest. I saw someone use an empty Mini M&M’s tube to hold change for pressed pennies.

Q loves getting pressed pennies when we travel so I started looking for this candy just for the tube. I would eat the M&M’s in the interest of our trip. Well I couldn’t find them anywhere!

In a lightbulb moment I realized that an empty glucose tablet travel roll just might be big enough for quarters.

Q and I dumped the spare change cup onto the counter and began stacking “quarter, quarter, penny” until we had enough to fill the tube, which was 12 or thirteen sets.

Of course our day at Disney was going to be a surprise so I told Q that we would likely see a penny smashing machine somewhere as we did sightseeing.

Out of sight, I decorated the tube with Tinker Bell stickers true to the Disney theme.

It came in handy once again when the entire family visited the zoo later in the summer. I’m definitely keeping this glucose tablet container full of pennies and quarters for our family outings.

Have you ever repurposed a diabetes supply for something totally not diabetes related?

D-Mom Blog » Having Fun With Diabetes

Twelve of 2012

Top 12 of 2012

Looking Forward in 2013

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{Holidays} Advent Calendar Redux

Further Reading

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{Diabetes Awareness Month} Blue Cupcakes!

Further Reading

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{D-LOL} The Ninja Strikes Again

Further Reading

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{D-LOL} Toaster Strudel

Further Reading

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{Our Story} Living Vertical

Project 365

Further Reading

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{In Q’s Words} Hope

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{Diabetes Art Day} Time To Get Creative

Further Reading

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{YouTube Tuesday} Kid President

Further Reading

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.

{Disney with Diabetes} Pressed Pennies

Further Reading

The information provided here is for entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please read the disclaimer, disclosure, and privacy policy statements.