Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Myth: People with Diabetes Should Never Eat Sweets


Fact: Limiting sweets will help people with T1D keep their blood sugar under control, but with advice from their nutritionist, sweets can fit into their meal plan, just as they would for people without diabetes.There are times when sweets are a must: if the blood sugar drops too low, sweet such as icing, can help bring it up quickly and prevent further complications.

Source: JDRF

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Found a Mic!


We found a mic at target! We have been looking for one because Boaz's speech therapist uses one in his therapy sessions.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Fun at the Park


Yesterday, I realized something.  I realized that I was letting this 530pm speech therapy (ST) session run our lives too much.  Boaz's therapist comes to the house so we have a little bit more time to do things beforehand.  When Josh got home from work yesterday, he stated that he wanted to take the boys to the park.  At first I was hesitate, because we had his ST coming soon but then I realized that we only live 7 minutes from the park, so why do we never go! So, we loaded the boys up as quickly as we could and realizing we had less than two hours till she came (which actually sounds like a lot now that I type it), we headed to the park.  The boys had a blast!  Boaz can't walk yet so there is only so much he can do before mommy and daddy get tired.  We played on the swings (yes, Josh and I did too) and raced down the slides.  Boaz did not want to leave, so we really need to be taking them more often! 

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Just Some Cuties






Diabetes Education: Ketones


This is how I understand ketones. Your body uses glucose and turns it in to energy. In order to do this, your body needs insulin. When Boaz's sugars run high we need to check his urine for ketones because the meter is telling us that his body does not have enough insulin. When your body can't turn the glucose into energy it turns to fat in your body. The by-product of that process is ketones. They get into your urine and can be very dangerous if left untreated. When ketones are present you must 'flush' them out. You do this by drinking lots of water, and usually some insulin. Ketones are measured by a scale of negative to large. With large ketones you may very possibly end up in the hospital so they can give you an IV to flush them out. Boaz has only had large ketones once, thankfully. With lots of cucumber-lemon water we were able to flush them out quickly.

Dear Refuge of my Weary Soul


This hymn (words by Anne Steele) is my favorite hymn right now. It is just so enriching and refreshing! Whenever we have a rough diabetes day, I read it over and over and over. It keeps me focused on my Refuge even when the world is crashing around me. I pray that you are reminded of your true Refuge and Rock, and that you find hope and peace in Him! Soli Deo Gloria


Dear Refuge of My Weary Soul


1. Dear refuge of my weary soul,
On Thee, when sorrows rise
On Thee, when waves of trouble roll,
My fainting hope relies
To Thee I tell each rising grief,
For Thou alone canst heal
Thy Word can bring a sweet relief,
For every pain I feel


2. But oh! When gloomy doubts prevail,
I fear to call Thee mine
The springs of comfort seem to fail,
And all my hopes decline
Yet gracious God, where shall I flee?
Thou art my only trust
And still my soul would cleave to Thee
Though prostrate in the dust


3. Hast Thou not bid me seek Thy face,
And shall I seek in vain?
And can the ear of sovereign grace,
Be deaf when I complain?
No still the ear of sovereign grace,
Attends the mourner's prayer
Oh may I ever find access,
To breathe my sorrows there

4. Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet,
Thy mercy seat is open still,
Here let my soul retreat
With humble hope attend Thy will,
And wait beneath Thy feet

Our Scary Day in the Hospital and Our New Sick Day Routine


    Back in November we went to our neighbors house and enjoyed a bonfire and fellowship. Little did we know what our night would bring.

    We put the boys to bed as usual and Boaz was a little stuffy but not enough to be alarmed. For whatever reason, which I am sure was the providence of God, I couldn't sleep very well and was pretty much up around 1am. We needed to do our nightly blood sugar check soon so I went ahead and got Josh up. When we went in there I noticed his breathing was heavy and deep so we decided it would be a good idea to pull out the nebulizer (which we have from another hospital visit with croup) and give him a breathing treatment. When we pulled him out of his crib he awoke enough to panic. I called the pediatrician, but by that point Boaz was barely breathing. So I hung up and called 911.

    While we were waiting for the ambulance and giving him a breathing treatment he stopped breathing completely for a second. Josh was holding him and I noticed he was blankly staring. Josh hit his back and he gasped for air. That was probably one of the scariest moments of my life. When the ambulance came Boaz was breathing pretty well so they calmly loaded him and Josh into the ambulance. I loaded up Emory and put him in the car. I then frantically ran inside looking for my purse (thinking I might need my id to even see him) just to remember I had stuck in the diaper bag to avoid looking for it. I flew down 17 at around 70mph and arrived at the hospital. Boaz was fine so after waiting awhile while they observed and monitored him we headed back home at about 430am. We got back inside and left the sleeping Boaz in his car seat and set up to give him another breathing treatment. The breathing treatment woke him up and he started breathing so hard that you could see his ribs. So we headed back to the er. Josh jumped out and took Boaz in and I went and parked and followed with Emory. While I was parking the lady at the front desk was trying to play peek-a-boo with Boaz while Josh tried to get him in to see a doctor. When I got in there he was headed back into triage. We filled out all the paperwork and were put back into the same room. While in there, Boaz had a few more episodes and the nurses rushed in to give him a breathing treatment When this would happen, I would have to step out of the room because I could not physically handle the stress.

    At around 730am, I was finally able to sleep for little bit (Josh had been in and out the whole time) and around 830 or 9 we got an official room. Shortly after we got to the room our pastor and his wife came by on their way to church. While they were there, we were told that Emory was not allowed to stay in the children's hospital because of the flu going around. Reluctantly, I nursed him real quick and handed him over to the pastor and his wife. They loaded him up and took him to church. My mom came by to help us out and I slept for a while. When it was nearing time for lunch mom drove me home and I grabbed some food for Boaz and whatever else it was that we needed. While I was gone they did an RSV flush which came back negative. After talking with our pediatrician and deciding that Boaz panicked when he was unable to clear out his throat because of low muscle tone, we headed home at about 430pm. Since then, every time his nose is runny or he is coughing we give him Zyrtec and cough syrup, do a breathing treatment, rub Vicks all over him, clean out his nose, run the humidifier and check his ketones.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Myth: Type 1 Diabetes Can be 'Controlled'.


Fact: Type 1 diabetes can not be controlled but it can be managed. A child with type 1 diabetes can eat whatever he wants, but it has to be covered with an insulin shot. Although we try our best to manage his blood sugar, sometimes things that cannot be explained happen and his sugar may spike or drop. One thing that I had to learn is that the numbers on the meter do not tell you if what you are doing is right or wrong, they simply tell you what is going on inside of the body so that you may act on it. The pancreas of a person with type 2 diabetes does still produce insulin, it just may not work or is not enough, whereas a pancreas of a type 1 diabetic eventually stops working altogether. We will never be able to control his diabetes but we can do what we can to keep it in between the lines.

Monday, January 21, 2013

Diabetes Education: Isulin


Boaz takes two different types of insulin each day: long-acting insulin and rapid acting insulin. Long-acting insulin, such as Lantus (there are others but this is what Boaz takes) is given once a day and keeps his blood sugar steady all day. Some people take it at nighttime and others in the morning. Boaz takes it in the morning so that it will not cause his sugar to drop in the middle of the night. Typically Lantus does not peak and it lasts 24 hours. Lantus only provides a base for rapid- acting insulin, so he must also take rapid-acting insulin every day, before each meal. Usually, Humalog peaks after about 1 hour and lasts 2-3 hours.

Diabetes Binder


I have been busy putting together a binder of all of the diabetes information someone might need while caring for Boaz. I have also been coming up with creative ways to train people on how to check his sugar and give him shots. There is just so much to learn!









Sunday, January 20, 2013


Boaz's sugar was 44 when we got home. Two tubes of icing brought it up to 84 and he stayed there until he had eaten some applesauce, Cheerios, juice, and milk.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes


  

    We are officially registered for the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes and we are excited about it! The walk is April 13, 2013 and it is donation only!  Registration the day of the walk starts at 8am but you can pre register at JDRF.  If you are unable to attend the walk but would still like to make a donation go to TEAM BOAZ and you can become a 'virtual walker'! The walk is going to be held at:  Jacksonville Fairgrounds 
(510 Fairgrounds Place  Jacksonville, FL). Please help us reach our goal of $150!!!      

Bubbles!



Friday, January 18, 2013

Diagnosis


October 6, 2012 Boaz was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

One year old!


This was taken right around Boaz's first birthday.

My Baby Brother


On May 29, 2012 my baby brother, Emory was born. Emory is now 8mo old.

Welcome!


Hey! I'm Boaz. I have Down syndrome and type 1 diabetes. I invite you to join me in my struggles with t1d and to help me celebrate my milestones!