Thursday, August 29, 2013

Pump Tips (So Far)


   

    Boaz recently started using the Animas Ping for Insulin Pump Therapy. Here are our tips so far:

• Get on the Pump as early as you can. A lot of people wait, but then when they start Insulin Pump Therapy they have to basically start over with figuring out how much insulin they need and so forth (so I've heard). Since we started within our first year of diagnosis, we haven't had to go back to ground zero because we hadn't left it yet. 

• Find a Pump Pouch that works for you.  To do this you may have to try several.  When we first started, I had bought one from Etsy (this was the only place I had heard of that sold them). It was a nice pouch but it had a clear viewing window which just tempted other children to press buttons on the pump and Velcro to strap it to his waist. Boaz constantly pulled off his pump pouch since he loves to undo Velcro.  We now use a pouch that just has pockets. It slides around his waist and you just put the pump in a pocket. This has worked so much better for us!  I have also seen pouches you can wear on your leg (so you can wear a dress), and ones that look kinda like fanny packs (which a lot of people love these, but I didn't want Boaz to wear a fanny pack :/). 

• Tuck the pump pouch into their PJs. We had a lot of issues with the pump falling out while he was sleeping, or it sliding to the front and he then pulling it out. Then we had a genius idea!  If we just tuck it under his PJs, it won't move!  And guess what, it's been the greatest thing!  

Mommy Fail!


    When you only have one Pump Pouch it is very difficult to keep that pouch washed.  We have only had this pouch for about 2 weeks so this was my first time washing it.  I decided to wash it right after he had his bath while his pump was already disconnected. I threw it in the washing machine and it took a lot longer than I thought it would!  I ended up taking it out of the washing machine during the last spin cycle and rinsing the suds off in the sink.  I didn't want him to go to bed without his pump because I thought it would be too hard to put it on him while he was sleeping, or worse before him or Brother actually fall asleep and cause chaos!  So, poor Little Man is wearing a very wet pump pouch.  He doesn't seem to mind, though.  

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

I Am Not Strong

    The thing I probably most often hear is 'I don't know how you do it.'  I typically respond with something along the lines of 'You do what you have to.'  But I am here today to tell you I am not strong!  But guess what, 'I am tethered to Someone who is strong!" (Nancy Guthrie in Be Still, My Soul).  Hebrews 6:17-19 says "So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.  We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul..."   This is why I can have hope. I can secure myself to the promises of God, and in that, I have hope.

 

    I have been reading a lot on pain, and I have learned that pain is warning signal that something is wrong.  We feel heat so that we won't just stick our hand into the oven and thus burn our hand; we feel pain in the soul to remind us that this is not our home.  The pain we feel from suffering will push you into God if you will let it.  Don't let pain make you feel like God doesn't care, but rather that He does!  Tim Keller points out that 'Paul says that the suffering and hardship he has experienced is not a denial of the gospel, but a confirmation of the gospel.' Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So death is at work in us, but life in you...He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.  For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.  So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison."  What a wonderful promise!  With God as our Anchor, no matter what is thrown at us, we will never be destroyed.  Even though it may feel like I have nothing left in me at times, God will still use me to show his glory!  

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

I Am Not Strong

 
    The thing I probably most often hear is 'I don't know how you do it.'  I typically respond with something along the lines of 'You do what you have to.'  But I am here today to tell you I am not strong!  But guess what, 'I am tethered to Someone who is strong!" (Nancy Guthrie in Be Still, My Soul).  Hebrews 6:17-19 says "So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.  We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul..."   This is why I can have hope. I can secure myself to the promises of God, and in that, I have hope.

 

    I have been reading a lot on pain, and I have learned that pain is warning signal that something is wrong.  We feel heat so that we won't just stick our hand into the oven and thus burn our hand; we feel pain in the soul to remind us that this is not our home.  The pain we feel from suffering will push you into God if you will let it.  Don't let pain make you feel like God doesn't care, but rather that He does!  Tim Keller points out that 'Paul says that the suffering and hardship he has experienced is not a denial of the gospel, but a confirmation of the gospel.' Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  So death is at work in us, but life in you...He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.  For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.  So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison."  What a wonderful promise!  With God as our Anchor, no matter what is thrown at us, we will never be destroyed.  Even though it may feel like I have nothing left in me at times, God will still use me to show his glory!  

Monday, August 12, 2013

Myth: Type 1 Diabetes is Caused by Eating Too Much Sugar


    Fact: Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It is cause by Boaz's body attacking his pancreas.  Eventually his pancreas will not produce insulin at all, but it is NOT caused by eating too much sugar. 



Pump Start!




    Sunday night after church, Emory had a fever.  We were planning on spending the night at the Ronald McDonald House, but I knew that would not be a good idea since Emory was sick. So I called and told them that we would be unable to stay there that night. They ended up paying for our hotel room instead!

 

     We were expected to be at the hospital to check in by 7am. We had to pick up breakfast for Boaz before we checked in but he was not allowed to eat until the Educator arrived to help us get his insulin pump set up. 


    We carried pancakes around the hospital for about half an hour before we checked in. 


    Once the Educator arrived, we put the pump site on him and let him start eating.  




   We were allowed to walk around the hospital in between blood sugar checks but were told to come back if he went low.  I think he went down to 66 before lunch so we headed back to the room. 



    After lunch, we started walking around again.  Both boys fell asleep for a short time while we walked around, but then Boaz's sugar went low again. 


    We headed back to the room again, and had to wait out there for a couple hours because his sugar would not come above 80. 




    Boaz fell asleep again during that time and by the time dinner came he was done for the day!  We could not get him to eat anything at all.  


    Thankfully they were understanding and let us leave anyways.  

 
    After the hospital, we headed to a basketball game put on by the Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville.  Boaz loves basketball so he enjoyed the game. We met a few people, but we were unable to stay for the entire game because the boys were so tired. 


    Overall the pump has been working out very well.  Boaz has been sick this past week so it is difficult to know whether the pump needs to be adjusted or if high blood sugars are a result of his illness. We did make a couple of adjustments today, so we will see how things work out!