Happy Easter!

A preacher once said, "God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, 'I love you'".

Because of what God has done through His Son, I know I can cast all my care's upon Him. 

I am so thankful for what Jesus Christ did for everyone when He died and rose again!

Happy Easter! 

Strength through Love: Friends

We have many people that support our family through Type One.

Just an acknowledgment of the deep pain and validation of where we are.

That's all.

As a Type One, I run into quite a few interesting characters. From those that suck your blood, to those that diagnosis it. Many that truly understand it give encouragement. Those that don't  . . .

usually make fools of themselves.

For example . . .

After Hannah was recently diagnosed, my Mom was very cautious in how she handled Hannah's blood sugar. While filling an order at our local pharmacy, Hannah started to get pale and feeling badly. My Mom quickly had her test.

54

Immediately, the pharmacist offered some help.

"How about I get her some insulin. We have some already here in the pharmacy!"

. . .

As my Aunt Jenny would say,

"EARTH ?!?!?!?!"

 Thanks to my Mom's great manners, she replied with a simple thank you and quickly fed Hannah sugar.

Some people help: others - not so much. :)

Today we had very good friends over for coffee and cooking.

I could tell it really helped my Mom.

On their way out, one of them lifted my Mom's spirits for the rest of the day...

"Now before you leave, I want you to hand me your burden and I'm going to carry it for you. I am older and stronger than you, and most of all, we love you. As I drive off in the horizon I want you to say, 'There goes my burden!'"  

Mom said the rest of the day she felt better. A simple, kind remark.

To Mom it represented care, kindness, love, and support.

Type One is too hard to handle by yourself. 

Friends provide support and love, and believe in us through hard times in our lives.

I just want to say a special "Thank You" to all those who have helped my family and me through this trial.

Just prayers have upheld our family through the most painful times.

Thank you all!

~The Type One Trio

The Ultimate Cure

I have been taking online college classes this year. It has been a neat experience, and helps me finish high school at the same time.

The way it works is all the classes are dual credits. That means that for each class, it counts for both high school and college. By the time I finish this semester, I will have completed high school and half my freshman year of college! It is very nice! 

Well, today we I was doing a class when the teacher had us look up Revelation 21. I was reading along when a verse literally jumped out at me. 

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither there shall be any more pain; for the former things are passed away." 

So what does that mean to me.

A lot.

No more shots, no more pain, no more hurt . . . none.

That is something worth looking forward too! Unless there is a cure, I will always have Type One - 

Until I get to Heaven.

I don't know about you, but when I saw this verse - my day got infinitely better. 

I thank God for the promises He gives. Without them, life becomes overwhelming.

"The Only disability in Life is a Bad Attitude"

"Only in darkness, can you see the stars." - Martin Luther King Jr.

When I talk to Hannah about Type One, she surprises me with her responses. I asked her if she could live life without Type One, would she? She told me she would rather have Type One. To have such a disease has given her a perspective of thankfulness that some people never get to experience.

Whenever someone experiences hardship in life, their heart is often softened towards those in need. 

I will never loose the pain of Type One . . .

Having Type One isn't an option; how I live with Type One is. 

I still have a chance to make a difference.

A chance to give hope to others. 

A chance to help others.

A chance to show love to others.

If God gave me Type One so I could have the ability to help one person know they can have true happiness, then it is all worth it.

True happiness is found in God. 

I know God has a plan for my life. In fact, the possibilities are endless.

For now, I can work at encouraging others around me. Even in my deepest hurt, there is always someone else with even more pain.

When we focus on ourselves, we exclude ourselves from opportunities to help others.

Yes, I still hurt inside. Yes, there is pain . . . 

But God never makes mistakes, and that's good enough for me.

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude." -Scott Hamilton

Type One Trivia

Now, for a new approach . . . 

I know my blog reaches out to a wide variety of readers. If anyone would like to find out more about Type 1, you can go down to "Comments" and post your question. 

I thought it might be interesting to try and answer some questions you might have through this blog.

This way, you don’t have to do the research, but rather get an answer that is not answered "technically," but "personally". 

 Straight from the horse's mouth. :)

Also, if you have any questions for Hannah or Daniel, include that in your post and I will have them reply to your questions.

Until I get specific questions from you…

Here are some popular questions.

How long will someone have Type 1 diabetes? Can you outgrow it?

For me, this was the hardest part to. Type 1 is life-long. You can’t outgrow it; you can’t escape it: it’s always part of me.

A lot of people hear about Type 2 Diabetes and confuse it with Type 1. Diet or pills can control Type 2. A Type 1 Diabetic is insulin-dependent. Without insulin, it is impossible for a Type One to live.

What is a "good" blood sugar number?

From what I am told, 80 - 120 is a "good" range for blood glucose numbers.

What does it feel like to be low?

Very shaky and weak. It makes me very easily agitated.

What does it feel like to be high?

Sick. For some reason when I am 200-250, I feel worse than when I am 400. Beats me.

Is Type One contagious?

No, it is not contagious. Don’t worry, you're safe.  :)

Can you to eat normal foods?

Technically, a good diet helps. For Type 2, diet is essential.

Realistically, as long as you cover the number of carbs with units of insulin, you’re fine.

For me, if I have to get a shot, I’ll eat whatever I like. :)

What does it feel like to get a shot?

Depends.

Sometimes it hurts for an hour; sometimes it only hurts for a few seconds. I think it depends on where you give it. Due to the fact I give most of my shots, my stomach is the main injection site.

Many times the shot will bleed and you loose insulin from the bleeding.

Very annoying  . . . it means another shot is coming. :(

What does it feel like to prick for blood?

In the beginning it hurts a lot. But after a while, your fingers callous from all the pricks.

What does it mean to bolus? (with a pump)

That is the term for giving insulin by the pump. You have to bolus the amount of insulin needed for your carb ratio.

…

-DISCLAIMER-

On a serious note, I am not a professional. This is NOT medical advice. I am a type one, not a doctor. I am telling you about my own feelings, not advising you to anything I have said. This is a disclaimer. :)

~Thank you~

Cost of Living :)

Sorry it has been a little while since I last posted. 

I have been enjoying spring break and haven't been able to get around to my computer.

I find it interesting how expensive Type One is . . .

Just to give some idea of the cost I did some research.

4 vials of Humolog (fast-acting insulin) = $346

4 vials of Lantus (long-acting insulin) = $150

1 box of test strips (400 test strips) = $356 

400 syringes = $68

Multiply that, by three and you have about half a month's supplies.

Since Hannah and Daniel are on pumps, they don't have to use syringes. 

For Hannah and Daniel, their supplies are the same except they get ports instead of shots. 

I just got my order from the pharmacy so I knew how much I was being charged -  I find it amazing at how quickly diabetic supplies add up. 

All of the supplies go so fast, I had never taken the time to see how much it cost.

Overall, the cost for three of us type ones to live is about $6,474 per month. 

This is not perfect, but from what I could find, it is definitely close.

I am thankful that the Lord has given our type one trio the opportunity to have all these necessities to live.

The Lord has also blessed us with insurance that helps cover these expenses. 

For some people in other countries, these supplies are not available. 

For them, type one can be a death sentence.

That helps me put my hardship in perspective!

Insulin Pump (Hannah and Daniel) 

Vial of Insulin (Me)

Senior Pictures

As you can see, I had a pretty good photographer. Thanks to a member of the Type one Trio, Daniel, I was able to get some pics for my graduation party coming up in May! 

Trumpet is the only instrument I have truly loved. I have an amazing teacher, Mr. B, who has taught me the past four years.

The trumpet is a Bach Stradivarius, if that means anything! :)

New Normal

Well, I for sure have to pull in my reins. 

Trying to finish my senior year of high school and this last quarter kicked off with a "D". 

I was doing really well until I hit my first test.

Yeah.

Very bad for morale. :)

For all the trouble that Type One causes, I wish I could blame all my problems on it.

Sadly, life doesn't work for me in that way.

I think it should.

You know when you have those days where everything is going wrong. 

Where you find it easier to write a list of everything that is going wrong, compared to what is going right.

That's what I've felt like the past week . . . give or take a little. :)

Although I consider myself an optimist . . . optimism is presently weak. 

Mom told me about people who go through hard trials like loosing a family member, getting cancer, or getting type one. They often go through stages of grief.

First comes the initial shock.

Followed by denial . . . 

Then anger. 

Grief.

Yet finally, and most importantly . . . 

Acceptance. 

I would say I am closer to the end of "Step: Anger". 

Now when I say anger, it can mean different types of anger for certain types of people.

People become bitter, something that can harden them for their entire life.

Some may become angry at what they must live with for the rest of their life.

They become angry because of what they have lost. What they can't enjoy anymore.

This past week has been the hardest for me. 

I have felt edgy and vulnerable.

I  have found myself hurting others because I was hurting.

All this to say I would consider myself in the "anger" stage.

I am not angry at God: I look forward to seeing how He uses Type One in my life.

More or less, I think I was more angry because I don't feel like me.

When I am around others, I don't feel like myself.

I don't feel normal.

Others don't really know what to say . . . or how to help.

And even when some do, it's not like there is anything I want.

I won't ever be able to feel like myself. Part of me has been lost.

Now, I am in the process of creating the "New Normal". 

I know it will come in time . . . but T1 just makes life rather hard right now.

Even when it is hard like this, I know God never gives what He knows I can't handle!

I just have to keep plodding.

Don't look to far ahead . . . 

And keep on going! 

My Mom's favorite writer, Amy Carmichael, said, "In acceptance lieth peace."

So that's the synopsis of where I am. 

I hope this isn't discouraging, but I think it will help you understand Type One if I can express where I am in this whole journey . . .  

Step by step in my life with Type One Diabetes! :)

Saturday = Skeet Shooting

Spent some time today enjoying my gun rights. 

Can't say I'm exactly great at skeet shooting, but regardless I still had fun!

This is my brother Samuel with his 12 gauge and 10-22.

Then, when you have a couple of guys itching for trouble, a wrestling match broke out. Nothing mean, but fun! 

Daniel took the pictures. He enjoys getting cool shots.

We were wrestling with our friend, Ben.

It was all fun and games until we got in trouble. 

Overall it was a fun day off! 

Type one Diagnosis Pictures

I thought it might be fun to show pictures of each of the type ones at the initial diagnosis.

Here is Hannah, age 9, Diagnosed February 25, 2010

This is Daniel, age 12, October 9, 2010

And me, age 17, January 31, 2013

My 1st Month as a Pincushion!

So thankful to have my older brother back from choir tour! 

Life at home just isn't normal without Ben. 

It has been a month . . .

Seems much more like a few years... 

In one month, I have had a needle break my skin 778 times.

I have given myself 248 shots. Pricked my fingers 526 times.

It's hard to explain type one.

When I'm high, my vision blurs and I feel really crabby.

When I'm low, my body gets shaky and weak.

When I'm low, I get sugar. :)

When I'm high, I get a shot. :(

When I'm perfect, I get surprised! :)

One thing for sure, this one month has been a success. 

Although my numbers have been everywhere.  

I am starting a new habit of thanking the Lord for every shot. 

Each shot is an injection of life!

I know for those it is harder to understand what living with type one is like.

To describe one month of supplies, I thought it would be neat to show a picture of the supplies.

As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

Technically, this is only a 100 shots. :) Double what you kinda see, and you've got a months worth! :)

Happy 1 Month Anniversary!