Snowstorms in my Snow Globe

"My Life as a Snow Globe"

This was the title of my fourth post after beginning this blog. The analogy of a snow globe helped display the emotions and frustrations that surfaced following my diagnosis. 

Not including Type One, this past week was absolutely amazing!

Including Type One . . . I would say I have run into a few "bumps". 

Christmas Eve I was due for a new infusion set (the port that attaches to our body)

Usually, I don't have a problem with a new site, it hurts a bit - but is way easier than 8 shots a day! The problems occur when your body begins to reject the sets. 

About 10 minutes after my first site, my pump alarm went off . . .

NO DELIVERY

 

If you ever have a pump, you know what this means. Either your hose is kinked (easy fix), or you have a bad site (not-so-pleasurable fix). For me, it was the not-so-pleasurable fix.

After checking for kinks and any obvious problems with the site, I proceeded to pull it out of my stomach. If it is a "bad site" we usually see blood in the hose or bent needle. In this case there was nothing.

To shorten this night . . . I ended up going through 3 painful, eventually bleeding sets - before finally switching to my arm.

After moving my site to the arm, it seems that the insulin started to absorb more efficiently.

Why, you may ask?

 

Lows

And Thursday was full of them! 

No matter how much sugar I inhaled . . . nothing seemed to avail me.

 I began feeling low after eating at McDonald's so I tested my blood sugar. 

52 

When you go an entire meal without giving any insulin, and your this low means its time to get serious about getting your blood sugar up.

I began to feel painfully weak and numb . . . panic mode. 

Mom ran to get the glucagon out of the van . . . 50 isn't quite "coma-worthy", but when I was feeling prepared to pass out - it was obviously time to bypass what the tester said. :) 

Thankfully, after I gulped down 3 sugar-infused sodas . . . my blood sugar began to rise! 

Now . . . I could go into detail about the following three lows I had that day, but I'd like to come around to the point of this blogpost.

Although the snow is settling and Type One is a reality that I am coming to peace with, I've found that as a Type One, our little "snow-globe" is going to get shaken. And from the looks of it, it may get shaken a lot . . . that's the not-so-pleasurable part of this disease.

That's the side that provides a 55 at 1:00 in the morning, that's the side that constantly looms overhead - the snowstorms.

But it's nice to remember a few things . . . 

First of all, snowstorms don't last forever: it will a clear up again.

Second, make sure your in your snow gear: if its a bad storm, you want to be ready!

Finally, Type One is hard - that's the truth . . . but the hardships bring us closer to both God and those we love. It takes a lot of work to live with T1. But at the same time, it molds us into more than we could have been without it.

Knowing God is in control helps shift seeing the danger of the snowstorm, to seeing the amazing beauty the snow provides!

Merry Christmas! ! !

Finals are finished, but they definitely threw in a couple highs and lows to make Type One that much more . . . enjoyable.

Now I get three weeks of staying home, enjoying break, and being with my family.

At the end of 2013, I am completely amazed at the past year! So much has transpired that I can't believe it has only been one year. I feel as though I have had Type One my whole life. While reflecting on some of our past family photos, I find it difficult to recall whether I had T1 at the time the photo was taken or not.

Here at Christmas time, I don't think I could even imagine life without the amazing support team I have in the Type One Trio and my family! 

I am so thankful for my faith, family, and insulin. Without any of these elements, I wouldn't be able to survive.

Yet, most importantly, I thank God for my His uncomprehending love in sending His Son to earth so long ago. That's the real reason we celebrate Christmas!

Merry Christmas! ! !

On a funny note here is Jingle Bells (Type One Style) . . .  it sums up a low very well.

"Christmas Lows"

 (typeonediabetesmemes)

Hello World!

Hello World!

So . . . a lot has happened with the Type One Trio in the past few weeks! 

First of all, we had an amazing Thanksgiving Break/Vacation! After my first semester in college, the break was well needed and much appreciated. From running to playing indoor soccer to sleeping in, vacation proved itself a great time to recharge. Here are some family pictures we were able to take! 

Once we returned from vacation, I took part in MBU's Christmas Concert! Although I was only one of around one hundred singers, one thing made me different from everyone else - my amazing insulin pump! It amazes me to think that it still hasn't reached one year since my diagnosis. Last Christmas season I was preparing for my knee surgery - nervousness and anticipation defined my thinking . . . little did I know what lay ahead! Yet, when I compare where I was then - to where I am now - I'm amazed at the way God has molded me through this disease. 

Though some would consider Type One a curse, I think that the reality of accepting that your life is in God's hands is an incredible gift. Every day presents a fresh set of difficulties, but if you know that God is in control, you don't have to worry! It's all about perspective: either I'm overwhelmed with the complications Type One entails, or amazed by the protection God instills!

I'm sure I'll be posting more once I get through this next week . . . it holds what I've been dreading from the start of college. The "make-it or break-it:" Finals!

I've done my fair share of studying, fair share of reading, and fair share of stressing, 

But after I memorize all of my terms, definitions, and study guides . . . I'll be ready! 

 

(This is my General Psychology Study Guide)

Don't worry, I'm not complaining! This is what I signed up for! :)

The A1C: When Reality Strikes

After three months, sometimes a Type One may begin to feel confident in their attempt to control such a perplexing disease.

Then . . . reality strikes.

 

 Although I think we saw this one coming (T1Trio High's)

 

Daniel's A1C Result: 9.7

Caleb's A1C Result: 9.3

Hannah's A1C Result: 8.3

 

After reviewing the numbers, I can concur that a little "tightening of the ship"may be in order. This would entail things such as: 

More units of insulin for carb intake (insulin to carb ratio), our correction factor (how much insulin for high blood sugars), . . . less stress. :) 

You get the idea!

I'm not worried, the Type One Trio is stuck with playing this game for life . . . techinically, we are all a bunch of rookies! We'll get the hang of it . . . 

It's not optional.

Life on Batteries!

It - - - is - - - Amazing!

Coming into this new stage of Type One, I had my doubts. But now that I am functioning fully on my pump, I can definitely say that I love it.

I went into the appointment feeling a little hesitant. After attending both Hannah's and Daniel's pump meetings, I always came away with the same fact:

Pump Appointments = many hours in doctor's office.

However, this appointment ended up being absolutely amazing!

The best part was my pump educator. Only a few minutes into our conversation, I began to notice that he seemed more knowledgeable then any of the other pump educators. . .

Come to find out, he has had diabetes since he was thirteen, and has been pumping for 18 years!

As I stated in a previous post, there is nothing like meeting another Type One! Once my brain acquired the information of his "Type-One-ness," it was all uphill from there!

On the way back from the doctor, I barely had the pump on for an hour and yet a certain sense of freedom came over me. With only one hour on the pump, I had already given the equivalent of four shots - without actually giving one! 

~ Freedom ~

No doubt this coming week will include "bumps in the road," but I'm looking forward to living out the rest of my days . . . on AAA batteries! (I know, I like that phrase)  :) 

 

WDD: Our Celebration

HAPPY WORLD DIABETES DAY!!!

I hope everyone has been having an amazing month raising awareness for Type One! ;)

Today, my family decided to celebrate World Diabetes Day by visiting the enormous city of Chicago!

As a family, we decided that we would visit the Holocaust Museum in Skokie, IL, and then proceed to the Woodfield Mall for some "leisure time" in the afternoon.

The Holocaust Museum was amazing! Whenever I look back in history to such tragic times, I find that it helps put my own difficulties in perspective. Walking throughout the museum, I was constantly overwhelmed with the emotion of the horrific atrocities suffered by the Jewish Nation. 

Following the museum, we headed to the Woodfield Mall. Here we walked around an enormous building full of . . .  "stuff", and created our "Human Blue Circle" to mark our part in raising awareness for diabetes.

I know, it's pathetically small, but we did our best! :) I also called up my friend at college, and she ended up rounding up her own circle for diabetes awareness!

Because of my fairly recent diagnosis, this ended up being my first WDD celebration! Thanks to all who have participated, both locally and world-wide! (For mores stories, please visit www.idf.org/worlddiabetesday )

On a closing note, tomorrow afternoon I will be starting my pump! I'm very excited, but this following week will be followed by 24 hour testing every day. Please pray that it will go smoothly! 

Looking forward to running on AAA Batteries! ;)

Lets Lose the Lancets

(The picture above depicts the general idea of calloused fingertips that each Type One carries.)

On the first day of National Diabetes Month, Sean Busby- professional snowboarding champion, lived out the routines of Type One Diabetes. Sean was "pumping" (saline solution) throughout the day, and created scenarios of different blood sugars.

It was encouraging to see a non-Type One go to such lengths to try and understand just how complicated Type One is!

In the final text that Sean sent during the night, he writes, "Woke up out of a deep sleep... Dreamt I went low. Quick check: 96. I'm good- 


My fingers never get a rest from my lancet device." 

For some reason, this final text really summed up a category of Type One that some people overlook.

Each of the T1Trio members test at least five times a day, on average, it ranges from 8-10 times.

When you feel high - you test

When you feel low - you test

When you feel sick - you test

When you feel tired - you test

When you are hungry - you test

When you are thirsty - you test

When you are sad - you test

When you are happy - you test

You get the idea . . . any emotions or feeling a T1 encounters usually calls for a blood test.

I'm not complaining . . . blood tests are an incredible alternative to processes used before testers came out!

But seriously . . . with modern technology at our fingertips, bloodless testing could just be a reality. A great example of this is shown below, the Grove Bloodless Glucometer.

Hey World! options are out there . . . hopefully, it's only a matter of time! :)

Happy Diabetes Awareness Month and don't forget . . .   

World Diabetes Day is November 14, 2013!

Highs: They Run in our Blood ...

Have you ever seen an Endocrinologist speechless? Seeing them with nothing to say is the fun part.

What comes after . . . not so much.

The above picture depicts today's numbers. I thought it would be smart to let our viewers understand a "bad day" among the entirety of the Trio, not myself. The sad fact is that we all have bad numbers - super bad numbers. As you can see, when they all occur in one night, we are in for trouble.

Yet, as an optimist, hey! What's a bad A1C report? ? ? (cough cough) :)

When worried about the outcome of inevitable situations, (bad doctor appointments) the Type One Trio has learned to resort to other tactics beside concrete evidence such as our testers display . . . 

 

Initially, they will be upset . . . but really, how can you get mad at these faces?

Thankfully, we were able to find the source of our troubles! 

---- Faulty Insulin ---

After talking to our doctors, we came to the conclusion that the insulin had some definite issues. Both Hannah and Daniel drew out of the same vile of insulin, leading to the same effect on their blood sugars.

We resorted to syringes for them to help start the correction of the highs.

Once we reloaded the pumps and supplies with fresh insulin, our numbers began the downward descent towards good numbers! 

Thankfully, numbers are down into the 100-200s!  :)

 On a different note, we are all looking forward to the National Diabetes Awareness Month: November

Find out more at Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or American Diabetes Association!

College Highs

For future reference, college and Type One don't mix . . . 

(B.G. of 478)

As I stated in my last post, numbers have been way to high. Sadly, that fact is still true. I fight the highs with multiple injections, today I've had 8 so far! I'm in for another shot that will include Lantus (long-lasting insulin), and at this rate, I won't be surprised if I set a syringe by my bed tonight ...

For an example, this is what today consisted of ...

8:00 A.M. - 251 Blood Glucose *shot

 (Bad number to start with)

11:52 A.M. - 300 B.G. *shot

2:00 P.M. - 280 B.G.*shot

 Lunch *shot

5:44 P.M. - 350 B.G. *shot

Supper *shot

8:08 P.M. - 345 B.G. *shot

9:56 P.M. - 248 B.G. *shot

Lantus *shot

Trying to balance terrible numbers and a heavy school load can be overwhelming at times, yet I know it won't always be this hard! I just have to step back, take a breath, and trust God for strength each day.

Through all of this there is one thing I get to look forward to - my pump! It's sitting out in the front cabinet, waiting to whip my numbers into shape! I'm truly looking forward to hooking up to it, it has helped Hannah and Daniel, and I'm fairly confident it will help me too! 

November 15 is the start date ... 18 days to go! :)

 

Hyper-Highs

It's one thing to have a high blood sugar.

It's another thing to have a high blood sugar - for an extended period of time. 

One thing is for sure, a human body is not made to tolerate sugars over 120. 

Anything over that would be considered "high". 

After reading other Type One Diabetic's input on what they consider "high", I have come to this conclusion.

Our Type One Trio is in a "sticky wicket".

After reading on American Diabetes Association's site, I learned that one lady was terrified by any number over 180.

On average, 180 is a beautiful number to shoot for.

It has occurred to me that having three Type One's can destroy the fervency for targeting good blood sugars.

 

For instance: When one T1T member is hitting 450, all attention is trained on bringing those damagingly-high numbers down. At the same time, another T1T member is 250, but due to the difficult details involved in bringing down the 450 - the 250 seems much more minute. Along with such a situation, it takes a lot out of the entire family, when one T1T member's blood sugar is haywire. 

 

"Highs" distort the way a Type One feels, thinks, and acts.

 

This past month has been damaging . . . both for my upcoming A1C, and for my future health.

 That's the reality of Type One - of my life. 

As of the past week, I hit 520 last Sunday and 500 yesterday. 

 

I woke up to 380 this morning, and 400's throughout the day. Although I am not always this high, the re-occurrence of these hyper-highs are a bit of a nuisance.

 

Such numbers do not construct a "good report" for my Endo, or my future. 

Whether it is the stress of school, beautiful fall colds, or just good ole Type One giving me a run through; I've got to get these numbers under control. 

 Hyper-Highs are not cool, something needs to give. 

 

Something's got to give.

Type One vs Gen Psych!

School is ranging from a wide variety of subjects, each specially packed with an overdose of   mentally-grinding information.

One of my absolutely most drawn-out, dry, and thoroughly tedious classes is ...

General Psychology

The title alone affects my very blood sugar . . . literally.

The course of Gen. Psych presents it's students with a rather interesting instructor.

 "Dr. S." 

A man in his forties, quiet, clean, sharp, ex-tank-commander, lawyer, and presently - my teacher.

He begins every period with his typical "roll call", in which he proceeds to ask if any students where having an good day.

 To me, with his same question day-in-and-day-out, it was all boredom and much too repetition to my liking. 

He would then proceed to ask how many of us where having a gloomy day.

Instead of the normal silence that normally followed, I raised my hand.

"Mr. Hatchett, why are you having a bad day?" he asked.

"Actually, my blood sugar is 350, so yeah ..." 

The number 350, "stimulated a response" in each of my classmates. 

(psychology phrase)

A few thought I should be admitted into the hospital, a couple panicked, and the rest had no idea what I was talking about.

For me, it was my first opportunity to use humor, in a very dry class, through my very own Type One Diabetes! For some, this may come as a bit "boring", but when you can make someone like "Dr. S" laugh ... you have successfully seized the day!

Life in College - with Type One Diabetes :)

There is nothing like meeting a Type One while running around in the hectic busyness of life.

While at a gas station, I was waiting in line when the guy in front of me set down his keys.

I already know what your thinking ... yes, the keys are an important detail. :) 

ON the keyring, hung a tester, actually a "OneTouch" tester. (the same as me) I quickly introduced myself, and sparked a conversation. I found out that he has been living with Type One since he was seven years old. What made this so special to me was the fact that life seemed so normal to him. Had I not seen the tester, I would never have known.

As for my new found college-life, I can pretty much sum this up in one sentence ...

My life will not be the same for four years!

College consists of a lot of studying, homework, and a good bit of pressure.

All this, plus Type One, is definitely challenging- but I know that it is good for me. Probably the hardest thing, is how little everyone at college understands about Type One. The nice thing, is that I can leave the room if I need too give a shot. A little break from the classroom is well-received on my half! :)

Well, I apologize for such a delay in a Diabetes post! I will try to keep updating my next four years of life - in college - with type one diabetes! :)

May we Never Forget!

I know this has nothing to do with Type One Diabetes, but it has everything to do with remembering to mourn for ALL those who are grieving.

May we never forget!

God bless America!

T1T's Record Low

 This week, Daniel set a new record for the lowest number our family has seen. I decided since he lived the "experience", he should be the one to tell about it! :) 

"Well it all started when I went over to camp with my older brother Ben. Because he was late man I went to keep him company.

 It was about midnight when we both went down to the gym to play volleyball. I left my bag in the program room because I didn’t think I would need it. At about 2:00 in the morning I started to feel like I was about 80 or less, I walked up to the program room to test which took about 2 minutes. By the time I was there, I went right to the kitchen to get a pop because I knew I would need it. While I started drinking it, I walked into the program room. Immediately when I sat down it all hit me, I started to feel really sleepy and like my eyes wanted to close, I got my tester and tested, 

I was 33 (T1Trio Record ;)

When somebody is running this low (around 30), it is only a matter of minutes before they could pass out and go into a coma . . . thankfully, that wasn't the case for me! :)

Once I drank the pop, it didn’t take long for me to feel like my numbers were going up. We stayed up until 4:30, and by then I was feeling much better. I think the low has affected my numbers over the last 2 days, seeing that I have been in the 40s and 60s. I hope soon I can break some other T1Trio record, so I can post again! :)

I think Mom may disagree."

~ Daniel

 

             

Family Vacation!

Hello Everyone! 

 

Sorry I have been a bit slow to blog again! We have just finished unpacking from our family vacation. We had an amazingly fun time as a family this past week. The only downside of the entire experience was having to return ...

As I have said before, "Reality continues to ruin my life." ;)

I have these last few days to prepare for college - seeing that I start this Friday. All I have left to do is grab a few supplies and I'm pretty sure I'm ready!

We also are finishing the final paperwork on my pump! Hopefully I will get that squared away soon. Official start date for the pump is September 26th!

Here are our Family Pictures for Summer 2013

Dad: Support through Strength

 

Today, my Dad celebrates his 47th Birthday! 

I cannot believe how much Dad has helped me before and with Type One. 

He was there when I found out I was the third Type One ...

 

there to love me, there to comfort me, there to support me.

Without him, our family structure wouldn't hold.

 

Let me expound ...  :)

 

When a low rolls around (which is very common), everyone is running through the house scrambling for sugar, cramming a million carbs down whoever is low's throat!  

 

Everyone ... except Dad.

 

 Dad sets the low Type One down, has them take a deep breath, and give 15 carbs every 15 minutes. Which, by the way, is the correct way to treat a low. 

 

Whether treating lows, or setting infusions for a pump, Dad is constantly there for the Type One Trio and for every family member.

 

He supplies strength to each one of the Type One Trio members. Strength to keep calm, to keep trying, and to keep going!

 

Without Dad we might be able to survive,

 

 but not succeed.

Happy Birthday Dad! 

Perspective changes Priorities

Through multiple encounters with people throughout the summer, I have constantly had to explain what Type One is. Whether it was "... not the same as Type Two." or "living with multiple injections a day..." I have had a hard time finding the "right way" to explain it.

Which put me to thinking ...

Type One has taught my family and I to connect on a different level.

Anybody who experiences hardship in their life, develop a different perspective on life. 

Through an altered perspective, that person's new perspectives change their priorities.

For myself, what used to stump or upset me, now seems fairly minute. Even when it is crazy, expensive, hard, or even painful - life goes on. When your priorities are in order, everything else seems to just fall into place.

Before Type One entered into my family's life, everything was about the here and now. "How to feel accepted by others" ... "How to make sure we were always in a 'comfortable place'" ... Yet, looking back now, I find that as long as we look at how much we have; we don't need anything else.

For my own family, one of those "perspective-changing" books would be "Breakthrough" by Elizabeth Hughes.

 

After reading this book, our family came to the harsh realization that 90 years ago, we would have buried three of our siblings in less than three years!

Let me expound. :)

Before insulin was discovered, those diagnosed with Type One were able to be put on a strict diet, which allowed them life for only one more year. 

Insulin was discovered in 1922, but was not widely available until 1923. Through this discovery, Type One was no longer a death sentence.

When I think about that, it makes me quiet my own complaints. 

It makes me stop, think, and reevaluate just how "bad" my life really is.

Sure - it hurts. Sure - it'll never go away. Yet, when I look at what Type One used to be, my life isn't all that painful after all!

Summer Ends . . . College Begins

Type One is throwing me for a spin.

I blame the aftermath of this hectically busy 2013 summer season. 

As of today and yesterday, I have hit the 400's four times .... my Endro's not going to like that.

Also, for some odd reason I feel really low, when I'm actually 250, high again.

As I prepare for college, my four year working streak ended this week. 

 

I am so thankful that I was able to set aside mastering Type One, and work this summer for Samuel. I would have thought that working for SLS would be hard, I have been surprised at how much it actually helped me. It is kind of like when you don't know how to swim, and somebody throws you into the water . . . you learn, fast. 

That would be a decent synopsis to my summer . . . 

Quick Learning! :)

I will terribly miss all of the guys at SLS, but I know if I don't go now, I never will . . .

Counselor @ Camp

 

This past week was definitely a big step in my world of Type One!

I spent the week counseling 9-12 year old's for Camp's third junior camp. It was not physically depleting, but as for the mental strain ... crazy! 

My week entailed everything from lakefront, soccer games, competitive activities, and few hours of sleep.

Also along with this hectic schedule was a bad case of low every night! On average I consumed 120 carbs, without insulin, to keep myself from "bottoming out". 

The worst was Friday night. 

I had a my friend, Will, over to stay with me. Before drinking some chocolate milk with Will, I decided to test.

220

I'll decided to leave it, and now, I am happy I did. 

We talked for a few hours and got in bed. As lay there, I began to feel really sick and decided to test, just to be safe.

62

I could barely walk.

 By the time I removed the stupid "safety features" off the glucose drinks, I felt like I was well below 50. Following the glucose drink, I ate 10 glucose tabs. After 20 minutes I could finally feel the sugar begin to kick in. I had another counselor watch my campers while Will and I made for the kitchen.

In the end, I had an army of sugar save me from my low. One glucose drink, one bottle of glucose tabs, two cokes, and two chocolate milks.

You would think that was WAY to many carbs, but by morning I came in at 182. A little high, but pretty good considering the circumstances.

All in all, I had an amazing week! Although it was challenging to balance Type One with everything else, I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Explaining Lows ...

Pump Appointment Posting

If you are, or have, a Type One in your family ... I know you are smiling. 

For those who don't know what a lancet is - it is the needle that daily bleeds all Type Ones across the world. What makes this so funny, is that we rarely change them. Once you prick about 8 times, and blood doesn't come, you know its time to change the lancet. Usually that's about a month after you should have! :)

Now for the Pump Post!

I was really worried because the last appointment we had gotten ... nowhere. Due to the fact that I am starting college soon, we were hoping to get me on the pump before college started. The bad thing was that we weren't moving along very fast.

I went into the appointment a bit discouraged, but surprisingly it went really well! I never seem to do well when it comes to seeing my past numbers so she can evaluate all my mistakes ... yeah. 

After we dragged ourselves through the hundreds of blood sugar readings, we finally got around to talking about getting myself a pump! 

After two hours in the doctors office, I am excited to announce that this coming Tuesday, we will be ordering a Medtronic Insulin Pump! 

 I am very excited to begin "pumping". Hopefully I can be set up with the pump before I begin college this next month! 

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

A1C Reports

Well, we spent the morning in the doctor's office! :) 

As for the A1C reports, here they are . . . 

Hannah: 7.3

Daniel: 9.2

Caleb (me): 8.3

For each of us, we were surprised how high Daniel's A1C was. Although he has been under close management, our endocrinologist said that his growth hormones would be to blame for the high sugar levels.

So for clarification purposes, no, we have not neglected Daniel's Type One management.

;)

For those who don't know how an A1C works, I have put a chart below to help.

6 Months

My army of life.

One of the reasons I started this blog was to be a voice for those living with Type One. There are roughly 1,300 shots presently upright before you, six months worth for me. Since the first shot, I have had a needle break skin 4,400 times. 

It has been three days and six months since my diagnosis, which is why I feel this post to be appropriate. I feel this is a bit of a "milestone" for myself. 

When I was diagnosed January 31st, I couldn't really fathom working full time in the heat of July. 

"One day at a time"

As I have built on each day after day, I have found that time goes rather fast! Before I know it, it will be six years that have past. 

I am very thankful for the love and support that both God and my family have provided. 

Through my first six months, I have found the following to be true in my life.

Insulin is the foundation for life.

Family is the foundation for love.

God is the foundation for our family.

Face Lift 2 :)

Hello All,

Just wanted to give an update that the new design is in place! If things don't appear to be working properly it is because I haven't set it up yet!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

T1Trio :)

I apologize for not writing these past weeks...

Yes ... I'm alive. ;)

 

I am presently trying to prepare for college and work full-time for Samuel's Lawn Service. Work alone wipes me out physically, and with all the highs and lows of blood sugars I find it all pretty crazy at times! :)

 

I am looking forward to attending college this fall, but factoring in Type One will make college-life more hectic. Thankfully I will be able to commute by vehicle and can sleep at home. Not living in the dormitories will help with my Type One management. The one tricky part with driving to college will be keeping my blood sugars stable. We have yet to master our battle plan for that. :)

As for the entire Type One Trio, we all went in yesterday for our blood-work. A1C's are presently being sent to UW Madison for our appointment next week. I fear that mine will be high thanks to my "summer cold". It was nothing serious, it just had fun throwing my numbers all over. Saw everything from really high numbers to being pretty low. Daniel is doing well with his T1 management, so I suspect he will come in pretty good for the A1C reports. He has been at camp videoing and working on photography for my Dad. Hannah's numbers have been running rather low. She attended a week of Teen Camp, and throughout the entire weeks she was hitting the 50s to 60s quite frequently! .... of course, she handled them like a pro!

Long and short of it, if anybody's going to get the "Endocrinologistic rundown" ...

it'll be me. :) 

I'll be sending out our A1C results as soon as I get them from the doctor! 

A Special Father - for a Special Father's Day!

Some hardships would cause a family to crumble without firm structures in place to keep everything stable.

Dad is our structure.

From the moment the doctor brought back the lab results to this day, Dad hasn't wavered in his constant support through each and every bump in the road. I knew from the beginning that Type One had a rather rough road in store ahead for me. But that would only be harder without the faithful love which Dad supplies.

So what makes my Dad so special ...

After thinking it through, not all dads are exactly cut out for being able to help with a "Big League Diagnosis," as our pediatrician put it. And then multiplying such a diagnosis - by three. 

When hard times seemed overwhelming, Dad helped make them feel small. Even from the moment we were born, Dad never quit giving of himself to each of us. He was always there when Hannah would cry because giving herself a shot seemed impossible. Dad was there when Daniel lay in bed, unable to imagine how he could feel normal, with so much overwhelming him. Dad was there for me, when I grasped the realization that I was no more just helping manage our T1s, but now it was my turn to live out what I used to only see, but not feel.

God knew that in order for each T1 Trio member to succeed, we would each need a deeply devoted Dad to help in the care for each of us. God knew before we were born that our Dad would have to support three Type Ones through every challenge that a new day brings.

God knew we'd need a Dad - extra special.

 

T1Trio's Newest Friend! :)

This is Jeriah, a newly diagnosed Type One, just like myself!

His family is here for Family Camp I, where my Dad is the director. We have already had an amazingly fun week, and cannot wait to spend more time with them in the time remaining!

It is always encouraging to see other Type One's doing so well with all of the management that Type One entails. Whether shots or finger pricks, Jeriah is definitely a brave T1Trooper! :)

T1T Radiothon!

Yesterday the Type One Trio was able to take part of the American Family Children's Hospital Radiothon! This was a really neat opportunity for each of the T1T members, and was a great way to give back to UW Madison (AFCH) for the amazing care they have shown us many others.

We were interviewed on two separate radio stations 93.1 and Q106. 

The first station was Q106 with hosts, Candy and Potter. This station was rather difficult for us, seeing it was our the first time on the radio and we were unfamiliar "with the drill". Although, at first, we weren't sure how it would go, the staff were really nice, and that helped put us at ease. 

Seeing this was a fundraiser, the radiothon staff had us choose a goal of callers that would donate fifteen dollars every month for a year. We decided to go for 15 callers per thirty minutes. Surprisingly we met our goal for both stations, which we thought was pretty cool! :)

In the end, the three days of Radiothon brought in the grand total of $613,358 raised for helping those admitted into AFCH.

Though we were nervous, once we got going all of us were surprised at how much fun we had.