Entertainment Archives • D-Mom Blog

January 14, 2014 by Leighann

{Entertainment} 2:00 AM TV Watching Recommendations: You’re wide awake anyway, why not entertain yourself?

Many of us commiserate on Facebook and Twitter at all hours of the night that we are up with our children checking blood sugars, trying to bring up lows, or trying to safely bring down highs.

For me, I have a difficult time falling back asleep once I’ve been up and out of bed.

I know some parents check their child’s blood sugar every single night around 2:00 am. I’ve come to rely on the accuracy of the continuous glucose monitor to wake me up if my daughter is going too high or too low, but some nights I do set my alarm, particularly if her blood sugars were off at bedtime or if she had evening sports.

(Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. Please ask your endocrinologist or CDE for recommendations on when to check your child’s blood sugar, if at all, overnight.)

So what do d-moms (and d-dads) do when they are wide awake at 2:00 am?

We turn on Netflix and we binge watch TV series.

Here are the series that I have watched in the past couple of years that I would recommend to someone needing to keep themselves occupied at 2:00 am.

(Descriptions from IMDB)

The Killing “A police investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car.” –IMDB

Top of the Lake “When pregnant, 12-year-old Tui tries to kill herself in a freezing New Zealand lake, Detective Robin Griffin has plenty of questions for the girl. But when Tui suddenly disappears, Griffin finds herself knee-deep in small-town secrets.” –IMDB

Orange is the New Black “The story of Piper Chapman, a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to 15 months in prison after she is convicted of a decade old crime of transporting money for her drug dealing girlfriend.” –IMDB

Weeds “When a suburban mother turns to dealing marijuana in order to maintain her privileged lifestyle after her husband dies, she finds out just how addicted her entire neighborhood already is.” –IMDB

Breaking Bad “To provide for his family’s future after he is diagnosed with lung cancer, a chemistry genius turned high school teacher teams up with an ex-student to cook and sell the world’s purest crystal meth.” –IMDB

Vampire Diaries “A high school girl is torn between two vampire brothers.” –IMDB

Drop Dead Diva “A vapid aspiring model killed in a car crash gets brought back to life as an intelligent, overweight lawyer, hoping to find the meaning of inner beauty.” –IMDB

House of Cards “A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.” –IMDB

The Fall “A psychological thriller that examines the lives of two hunters. One is a serial killer who stalks his victims in and around Belfast and the other is a talented female Detective Superintendent from the MET who is brought in to catch him.” –IMDB

Big Love “A polygamist and his relationship with his three wives.” –IMDB

Walking Dead “Police officer Rick Grimes leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by zombies.” –IMDB

Do you have any recommendations? What TV series or movie do you think we should turn on in the middle of the night when we are wide awake and trying to get back to sleep?

May 23, 2012 by Leighann

{Lilly Diabetes Blogger Summit 2012} Disney Book Collaboration

This week I headed to Indianapolis to the Lilly Diabetes headquarters with about a dozen other bloggers for the Second Annual Blogger Summit.

I love these events because it gives me a chance to see some of my online friends in person. And it always feels like I’m reuniting with old friends.

While the day focused on exchange between us and a selection of employees including the president of the Diabetes Division Enrique Conterno, I think as parents of kids with diabetes you will be interested in the continuing collaboration between Lilly and Disney. I will definitely circle back and give you some thoughts on the event as a whole, but I wanted to share this aspect first.

These are the current Lilly Diabetes and Disney books for children. There is an additional ESPN title not shown.

The Disney Family.com website has full descriptions of each of the titles that has come out since the Coco book last summer:

Dishing It Up Disney Style

ESPN: Power Forward

ESPN: Up for the Challenge

Hannah Montana: Uptight (Oliver’s All Right)

We have not had a chance to read these books yet, but I will definitely let you know our thoughts as we read each one over the summer. The two ESPN books are geared towards newly diagnosed tweens. The Hannah Montana book is based on the episode of the same name, which aired a couple of years ago.

Flipping through the cookbook, many of the recipes look interesting and ones that my kids would actually eat. Each of the recipes features a different Disney character (not all are princesses!) and a tip. The recipes include portion sizes and carb counts. I’m appreciative that while some of the recipes have sugar, none use artificial sweeteners. We were served the brownies and cobbler for dessert and both were really good. The brownies were a bit small, but at 11 carbs each, who am I to complain?

I think it’s a testament to both Lilly Diabetes and Disney that they are continuing to develop these books and add content to the Family.com site. I think we’ll see more from this collaboration…hopefully there are more Coco books and the addition of teen books down the line. I’d like to see the characters in the books move past the newly diagnosed stage and begin dealing with issues that T1 kids face in school, sports, and their every day lives. Too bad Coco can only say “Eek!” and can’t share her true feelings about her diabetes, though.

(Coco was an existing Disney character.)

Like the previous title Coco and Goofy’s Goofy Day, these titles will be available from pediatric endocrinologists. Ask your endo for copies and if they don’t have them, tell them to request them from their Lilly sales rep. They are available for patients in the US only.

We bloggers stressed the need to Lilly staff to find ways to distribute these books more easily to families so that they get into the hands of the T1 children, friends, and caregivers who can benefit from them. I personally think they need to be in school and public libraries. They took note, so I hope that you will be able to get your hands on them a little more easily.

Visit the Family.com website to view the growing collection on Disney’s Type 1 Bookshelf.

Disclosure: Lilly Diabetes paid for my travel expenses and lodging. They also provided me with copies of these titles so that our family can read them. No monetary compensation was received. Opinions are always my own.

{Bookshelf} Beyond Fingersticks

“Wearing a CGM is a bit like an arranged marriage. In the beginning it may not exactly be bliss, but you can come to love your new partner.”
-William “Lee” Dubois in Beyond Fingersticks

We are in the middle of our two month trial of the CGM and of course I had a gazillion questions because there is always a learning curve with any new d-technology. My friend Wil is also in the middle of a similar trial with the same system and I’ve been reading about his experience on his blog Life After Dx.*

I just adore Wil because he is snarky and tell-it-like-it-is. And he really does know what he’s talking about. In fact, he is the authority on Diabetes Mine’s Ask D’Mine each Saturday.

So when I started e-mailing Wil with question after question about the CGM, he told me to just read his book* already. And I’m glad I did.

Beyond Fingersticks

Wil was actually the 30th person to wear a CGM and probably the person who has worn it continuously for the longest period of time. He has written several books on diabetes management and Beyond Fingersticks aims specifically at helping us understand how CGM’s work and how to use them.

In the book, Wil describes what a CGM actually is, how it actually works, and how you can actually use it to benefit diabetes management. The Cliff Notes version is that it is a continuous glucose monitoring system which includes a sensor strip inserted under the skin where it measures sugar levels in interstitial fluid and extrapolates that measurement into an equivalent blood glucose level using a complex algorithm that takes into account several daily calibrations based on blood glucose levels as derived from a blood glucose meter. The advantage of the CGM is that it gives context including the direction that blood glucose levels are headed as opposed to finger sticks which provide a number, but no context of movement.

See? Wil made me smart!

Wil says, “The beauty of modern CGM systems is their ability to communicate this element of context, this sense of how a reading fits into the larger picture of our blood sugar flow, to us quickly and easily. All we have to do is look at the graph on the face of the monitor.”

I have asked Wil for some advice and suggestions as we have started the journey to become CGMers (or not…we aren’t 100% there yet). As we all know, just because something looks good on paper, doesn’t mean it has real life appeal. I think this is a great book for those either considering adopting CGM technology or those who have recently begun using it and want to better understand the how and why of its use. It’s a quick read, I read it over the course of a few days, but chock full of information in a format that is understandable and not the least bit boring.

And I’m not just saying that because I like Wil. In fact he didn’t ask me to write about this book. I simply got enough out of it that I wanted to tell you about it, too.

I’ll leave you with a quote from the book regarding kids and CGMs:

“If you are the parent of a T-1 kiddo, the CGM will add at least 10 years to your life in improved sleep and reduced stress, and Lord only knows how many decades to their lives. And this is not negotiable with your child. Don’t ask. You need to tell.”

Beyond Fingersticks is available for $15 in print and for $4.95 for Kindle.

*Warning: Both Wil’s blog and book contain a hefty amount of swear words and content which are definitely for adult readers. But that’s also what makes me snort sometimes!

Book Review: Think Like a Pancreas – Revised!

I’m so excited to get my hands on the new edition of Think Like a Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing Diabetes with Insulin–Completely Revised and Updated written by Gary Scheiner. What was even more exciting was flipping to the resources in the back and seeing D-Mom Blog listed!

This is my go to book when I think about making changes to I:C ratios and testing basal rates. You may know Gary from his Type 1 University classes or from his coaching at Integrated Diabetes Services.

Disclosure: Gary was nice enough to send me a copy. Please read the disclosure statement regarding affiliate links.

December 7, 2011 by Leighann

{Bookshelf} November ’11

As if us parents of children with diabetes have the extra time or the energy to actually read a book, I’m giving it my best shot to read (or “read”) 50 25 books in 2011.

And yes, I realize it’s already December, but here are the books I read in November.

I’m in the home stretch. I think I can make it to my revised goal.

Visit my 2:00 AM Book Club page to see all of the books I’ve read in 2011 and those that are on my list.

22. Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan

(About the book:)
Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale was more than just a bestselling novel-its publication was a watershed moment in literary history. McMillan’s sassy and vibrant story about four African American women struggling to find love and their place in the world touched a cultural nerve, inspired a blockbuster film, and generated a devoted audience.

Now, McMillan revisits Savannah, Gloria, Bernadine, and Robin fifteen years later. Each is at her own midlife crossroads: Savannah has awakened to the fact that she’s made too many concessions in her marriage, and decides to face life single again-at fifty-one. Bernadine has watched her megadivorce settlement dwindle, been swindled by her husband number two, and conned herself into thinking that a few pills will help distract her from her pain. Robin has an all-American case of shopaholism, while the big dream of her life-to wear a wedding dress- has gone unrealized. And for years, Gloria has taken happiness and security for granted. But being at the wrong place at the wrong time can change everything. All four are learning to heal past hurts and to reclaim their joy and their dreams; but they return to us full of spirit, sass, and faith in one another. They’ve exhaled: now they are learning to breathe.

I’m a big fan of Terry McMillan and loved the book (and movie) Waiting to Exhale. I have to say that this sequel kind of bored me. I couldn’t quite remember which character was which. While I was vested in the characters in the first book, the story lines in this book weren’t compelling enough to make me care. If you liked Waiting to Exhale I’d probably skip this sequel. It was definitely an afterthought and probably only written because of the popularity of the movie.

Purchase Getting to Happy from my affiliate Barnes and Noble. It’s also available as a NOOK Book.

Maine 23. Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

(About the book:)

For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. Their beachfront property, won on a barroom bet after the war, sits on three acres of sand and pine nestled between stretches of rocky coast, with one tree bearing the initials “A.H.” At the cottage, built by Kelleher hands, cocktail hour follows morning mass, nosy grandchildren snoop in drawers, and decades-old grudges simmer beneath the surface.

As three generations of Kelleher women descend on the property one summer, each brings her own hopes and fears. Maggie is thirty-two and pregnant, waiting for the perfect moment to tell her imperfect boyfriend the news; Ann Marie, a Kelleher by marriage, is channeling her domestic frustration into a dollhouse obsession and an ill-advised crush; Kathleen, the black sheep, never wanted to set foot in the cottage again; and Alice, the matriarch at the center of it all, would trade every floorboard for a chance to undo the events of one night, long ago.

By turns wickedly funny and achingly sad, Maine unveils the sibling rivalry, alcoholism, social climbing, and Catholic guilt at the center of one family, along with the abiding, often irrational love that keeps them coming back, every summer, to Maine and to each other.

I’m not sure that I would describe this book as “wickedly funny,” but I do think it was worth reading. We hear the story of Alice and her husband and how they came to own a beachfront house in Maine. Because of something that happened when Alice was in her 20’s, for which she never forgave herself, she turned her family’s life into one of alcoholism and dysfunction. Alice herself drinks while she’s supposed to be parenting her own young kids and it’s no surprise that they grow up to each have their own issues.

Maybe had Alice forgiven herself, all of their lives would have been much different.

What I liked about the book was my familiarity of the setting. I’ve even dined at a restaurant they mention a few times: Barnacle Billy’s and frolicked at Ogunquit beach.

Purchase Maine from my affiliate Barnes and Noble. It’s also available as a NOOK Book.

24. The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Series #1) by Suzanne Collins

(About the book:)

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games.” The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat’s sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

A coworker mentioned that she had just devoured the entire Hunger Games trilogy so I thought I should at least read the first book before the movie is released this coming spring.

The book takes place in the future and in sort of a post-apocalyptic Mad Max world. There is a definite divide between the have and have-nots and some families must find ways to fend for themselves. Out of necessity, Katniss becomes a good hunter and develops relationships with merchants who purchase or trade for her kills, though hunting is highly illegal.

The fact that it’s a trilogy kind of gives away the ending, but I found Katniss’ experience in the hunger games to be thoroughly engaging.

I enjoyed this book and recommend it. I listened to the audiobook and I do think that the narrator’s voice was a bit mature given Katniss is only 16. I have not read the second or third books yet, but will be checking the audiobooks out from the library.

Purchase The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Series #1) from my affiliate Barnes & Noble. It’s also available as a NOOK Book.

Book descriptions are from Barnes & Noble. Links to bookstores are affiliate links and are provided so that you can find the books easily. I personally utilize the public library quite a bit, especially for audiobooks and fiction. I received titles marked with an asterisk (*) free of charge for review consideration. Please read the disclosure statement regarding affiliate links.

July 19, 2011 by Leighann

{Bookshelf} Coco and Goofy’s Goofy Day

In the last couple of weeks I shared the news of the Lilly Diabetes and Disney partnership which includes the first (of many) children’s books about diabetes and a writing contest with an unbelievable prize. It has a positive message of what children with diabetes and their families can do, not what they shouldn’t do.

Coco and Goofy’s Goofy Day

Because our 4yo loves Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and even had that as his theme for his recent birthday party, Q assumed the new book Coco and Goofy’s Goofy Day was for him, not her! When he saw it he immediately wanted to read it three times in a row. And then he used my iPhone to take pictures of the pages (and then about 20 more pictures of his trains!).

I didn’t think too much of it until the next morning when announced that he needed to get his pack for his diabetes and needed to check his finger.

He is at the age were he is into role playing and when he gets into character, he gets completely into character. So his new character is much like Coco: he has diabetes and all the accoutrements to go along with it. Though when he brought me Q’s PDM, he didn’t really want me to poke his finger!

Since he was only 10 months old when his older sister was diagnosed, he hasn’t really known a life without it. It’s not that he really understands what it means at this point, but he knows the care routine that we go through each day with Q. He even asks for a juice or Smarties when Q is low!

I think this book, while not intended for him specifically, is helping to open up a dialog with him about diabetes.

Coco and Goofy Book

Q and I read the book together at bedtime that night (and several times since). She still enjoys Mickey Mouse Clubhouse even though she’s almost 7. We have many of the Mickey books on our bookshelf. I think that she was happiest because there is a Disney character who has diabetes.

What I found to be a particularly good resource for opening up a dialog with her was the Q&A at the end of the book in the section “From Coco’s World to Yours.”

“This section provides some simple questions and answers about the story. We hope it will help you begin a conversation about diabetes, whether you’re speaking with your child, your child’s siblings, or your child’s friends.”

The questions at the end of the book are:

What is diabetes?

Why does Coco wear a bracelet with the word DIABETES on it?

What kinds of foods can Coco eat with type 1 diabetes?

What does Coco carry in her backpack?

Why does Coco get her blood sugar (glucose) checked?

I think those question are spot on! They are exactly the kinds of questions I have heard Q’s schoolmates ask. And as such, this would be a perfect book to read to preschool and early elementary school children, especially if teachers take the time to do the Q&A, which they should.

When Q was diagnosed at three, she was still in preschool. I went on our local library’s website looking for titles to request that we might read to her and to her classmates. There were none. I called the children’s librarian and he couldn’t come up with any either. I did end up finding a few books, but they all left something to be desired.

In fact for years when I read the Rufus book I even skipped over sentences here and there.

I guess my issue with some books for newly diagnosed children is that they end with wanting to find a cure. At the time I needed Q to accept her new medical condition and realize that it was okay. I felt that books that talked about the cure made it seem like she was somehow deficient and that she wouldn’t be okay until a cure was found. And we all know that it won’t be in the next five years!

My only criticism of the book is that Coco doesn’t speak and only says “Eek!” which somehow her friends are able to interpret into long, complex sentences. It’s the whole “Why can Goofy talk, but not Pluto?” question. That she only says eek might be because this is a character who has already appeared on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in earlier episodes. But it would be nice in future books if Coco could tell us how she feels, not through an interpreter.

And in true D-Mom style, Coco’s mom stays for the party to help her check her blood sugar, make good food choices, and get insulin. Darn, I wish Disney and Lily had come up with a solution for this birthday party and playdate D-Mom conundrum!

Q asked, as many of you have, if there will be a plush Coco doll. The answer is no. But just think of how valuable that would be to comfort children at diagnosis and beyond. And I know most families would be willing to pay for one. I hope Lilly Diabetes and Disney get the hint that we want a Coco plush. Hint, hint!

The book will be available from healthcare providers including pediatric endocrinologists at no charge. They will not be available for retail sale.