Dear God,
Thank you for the one who is reading these words right now.
I'm so glad that wherever they are, you are there too.
Today I ask that you would bring JOY--
the kind that comes from deep inside
and stays despite our circumstances.
You know what's on their heart today,
those worries that keep coming back.
Lift the burdens from their shoulders,
carry them for them...and please carry him or her too.
I also pray that you would bring HOPE--
the kind that is so much bigger than blue skies,
the sort of hope that sees us through the storms
and walks us into the light of a better, brighter day.
If their belief is sagging or their spirit weary
give them strength to press on to all you have .
And, most of all, I pray for LOVE in life--
the kind that is unconditional, real, healing
and gives us the courage to become
all you made us to be because we know
we're deeply loved just as we are now.
Please let us feel your Presence and these prayers
with us right now, in this moment.
Thank you for being with us always as you promised.
Amen.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
The EVIL eyes and other scary faces by Hannah
Hannah was acting goofy last night-- and kept making this face-- I started calling it the "evil eyes", and she would keep doing it. Then she got real goofy and really can make some scarey faces--- not my little princess-- I always knew she wasn't exactly a princess, but I can always hope :)
v
v
Sunday, October 18, 2009
winter in October
This fall has not seemed like fall yet. It has snowed already in October. I typically love this time of year, but the snow has set me back a little.
It is all melted now, and this weekend has been delightfully nice, but not alot of ambition to go outside and get anything accomplished, since it's my weekend to work. I have the next 2 weekends off, and most of the week now, to get outside. I hope the weather stays nice and fall like. The snow can hold off for a few more weeks anyway. Lots of yard work to get cleaned up and things put away for winter is fast approaching.
Talking about winter, it seems as though we've been in the flu season for months, the way the kids in the schools have been sick already. Bailey had the flu virus the end of September already. Bailey is usually pretty healthy, if he gets a stuffy nose for a few days, that's about all he's had in years. He does have to deal with his headaches fairly regularly, and once or twice a year will get sick to his stomach because of a migraine, but nothing flu related has ever surfaced for him in a very long time. It hit him pretty hard this year already with a fever, tired, stuffy nose and coughing, not to mention many more headaches in a weeks time. He recovered after missing a full week of school. Still coughs off and on, so hopefully it stays away until he can get the flu shot later this week.
Hannah then got the influenza virus about 2 weeks later, after having a slight case of a cold the week before Bailey even got sick. She seemed to get over that quickly without a fever, and mild symptoms. Then after Bailey had it, it hit Hannah harder again. All the same stuf as Bailey had, fever, coughing, tired, but she had severe tummy aches, and there was a day where she wouldn't eat or drink, high fever, and then her tummy aches were bad enough that she started throwing up.
Bailey was easy to take care of, he just laid on the couch, drank tons, ate some, took his meds when I offered them....even the cough meds which he hated, he took and then just drank something to get rid of the taste. He passed the time watching TV ,playing video games and working on his massive amounts of homework.
Hannah on the other hand, refused to take any meds--so she had a fever longer, coughed more, and wouldn't take the Tamiflu the doctor prescribed for the virus. She seemed to feel better on her own time without the meds which I'm glad for, and even though she is also still coughing, feels much better after about a week as well. It was a short week at school last week, so she only missed 3 days, and had Thurs, Fri and now Monday off of school to continue to get better. She also will get the flu shot this week, and have her 8 yr old check up. She lost some weight being sick, and just that few pounds is so dramatic on her body. She was almost 53 pounds at her diabetes check up the week before and when I took her in to be checked when she got sick, she was back down to 50 lbs. After her fever was gone, she perked up, and started back drinking and eating some. I have to watch her more closely, frequent blood sugar testing, and avoiding insulin, until I know she will eat. Fluids have to be carb free, unless I know she is low, which most times the sickness will cause increased BS. She stayed pretty steady in the normal range since she wasn't consuming many carbs. Once she started eating again I had to keep more on top of things again. The TV didn't occupy her for very long, and she was bugging me that she was bored. She is more of a hands on, play with me kid, so we had to come up with ideas to keep her occupied, even though I wanted her to rest and take naps, that wasn't her idea of keeping occupied.
So seemlingly things are better now, and I hope it stays that way for awhile.
Hockey is in full swing for Bailey and he has practice "seems" like everyday. Team tryouts are coming up the week of the 25th. They will be having a Peewee A and a C team this year. Bailey is not sure this year where he will land, he's kinda in the middle could go either way. Some of his friends will be on the C team, and he also thinks if he's on the A team it will be a more frustrating year, but yet a good challenge. He's been playing with all these kids for 6 years, but he's the 1st yr peewee, so some of the kids are a year older, and played Peewee last year.... we'll see how it goes. I just hope for a fun year for him.
Hannah got her ears pierced a week ago Sat. My parents were in town for grandparents day at school and that weekend we went to the mall in St Cloud, among other places. When she found out we'd be going to the mall, I suggested-- like I've been kidding for awhile, "wanna get your ears pierced?". She looked at me, and decided pretty quickly, yes she did want to. I was shocked, and kinda just said ok, we'll see. She continued to get excited to do it. She was very nervous-- but went though with it and grandma and grandpa even got to witness it. I avoided eye contact with her after she was up in the chair, because I didnt' want her to change her mind that far into it, like she's done twice in the past. I just stood in front of her held her hands...... 1,2,3.....it's done. She teared up, but was brave. She was happy, before we left the store. She loves her new earrings.
Just a goofy pic of Hannah's hair all braided-- and then gets kinky the next morning. :)
random picture of Bailey and the pets hanging out :)
It is all melted now, and this weekend has been delightfully nice, but not alot of ambition to go outside and get anything accomplished, since it's my weekend to work. I have the next 2 weekends off, and most of the week now, to get outside. I hope the weather stays nice and fall like. The snow can hold off for a few more weeks anyway. Lots of yard work to get cleaned up and things put away for winter is fast approaching.
Talking about winter, it seems as though we've been in the flu season for months, the way the kids in the schools have been sick already. Bailey had the flu virus the end of September already. Bailey is usually pretty healthy, if he gets a stuffy nose for a few days, that's about all he's had in years. He does have to deal with his headaches fairly regularly, and once or twice a year will get sick to his stomach because of a migraine, but nothing flu related has ever surfaced for him in a very long time. It hit him pretty hard this year already with a fever, tired, stuffy nose and coughing, not to mention many more headaches in a weeks time. He recovered after missing a full week of school. Still coughs off and on, so hopefully it stays away until he can get the flu shot later this week.
Hannah then got the influenza virus about 2 weeks later, after having a slight case of a cold the week before Bailey even got sick. She seemed to get over that quickly without a fever, and mild symptoms. Then after Bailey had it, it hit Hannah harder again. All the same stuf as Bailey had, fever, coughing, tired, but she had severe tummy aches, and there was a day where she wouldn't eat or drink, high fever, and then her tummy aches were bad enough that she started throwing up.
Bailey was easy to take care of, he just laid on the couch, drank tons, ate some, took his meds when I offered them....even the cough meds which he hated, he took and then just drank something to get rid of the taste. He passed the time watching TV ,playing video games and working on his massive amounts of homework.
Hannah on the other hand, refused to take any meds--so she had a fever longer, coughed more, and wouldn't take the Tamiflu the doctor prescribed for the virus. She seemed to feel better on her own time without the meds which I'm glad for, and even though she is also still coughing, feels much better after about a week as well. It was a short week at school last week, so she only missed 3 days, and had Thurs, Fri and now Monday off of school to continue to get better. She also will get the flu shot this week, and have her 8 yr old check up. She lost some weight being sick, and just that few pounds is so dramatic on her body. She was almost 53 pounds at her diabetes check up the week before and when I took her in to be checked when she got sick, she was back down to 50 lbs. After her fever was gone, she perked up, and started back drinking and eating some. I have to watch her more closely, frequent blood sugar testing, and avoiding insulin, until I know she will eat. Fluids have to be carb free, unless I know she is low, which most times the sickness will cause increased BS. She stayed pretty steady in the normal range since she wasn't consuming many carbs. Once she started eating again I had to keep more on top of things again. The TV didn't occupy her for very long, and she was bugging me that she was bored. She is more of a hands on, play with me kid, so we had to come up with ideas to keep her occupied, even though I wanted her to rest and take naps, that wasn't her idea of keeping occupied.
So seemlingly things are better now, and I hope it stays that way for awhile.
Hockey is in full swing for Bailey and he has practice "seems" like everyday. Team tryouts are coming up the week of the 25th. They will be having a Peewee A and a C team this year. Bailey is not sure this year where he will land, he's kinda in the middle could go either way. Some of his friends will be on the C team, and he also thinks if he's on the A team it will be a more frustrating year, but yet a good challenge. He's been playing with all these kids for 6 years, but he's the 1st yr peewee, so some of the kids are a year older, and played Peewee last year.... we'll see how it goes. I just hope for a fun year for him.
Hannah got her ears pierced a week ago Sat. My parents were in town for grandparents day at school and that weekend we went to the mall in St Cloud, among other places. When she found out we'd be going to the mall, I suggested-- like I've been kidding for awhile, "wanna get your ears pierced?". She looked at me, and decided pretty quickly, yes she did want to. I was shocked, and kinda just said ok, we'll see. She continued to get excited to do it. She was very nervous-- but went though with it and grandma and grandpa even got to witness it. I avoided eye contact with her after she was up in the chair, because I didnt' want her to change her mind that far into it, like she's done twice in the past. I just stood in front of her held her hands...... 1,2,3.....it's done. She teared up, but was brave. She was happy, before we left the store. She loves her new earrings.
Just a goofy pic of Hannah's hair all braided-- and then gets kinky the next morning. :)
random picture of Bailey and the pets hanging out :)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
another visit to the diabetes clinic
Hannah's diabetes appt went good today. It was good to finally sit down and talk with someone who understands what's going on, and can help me. We saw a CNP, today and not her endocrinologist, which was fine. I liked her too. Found out her A1C is still high, 8.0% last time-- 8.5% this time. Goal is 6.5-7.0%. It just means her overall average blood sugar in 3 months is still in the mid 200's. Although the meter results indicated her average was 186, I forgot to bring the school meter, which had alot of high's on it as well and would have brought that average up some.
Each time I get a print out of about 6 pages, showing her levels for a month, the averages, the number of highs, normals, lows, percentages of each, and weight and height growth, etc. Alot of information.
She is 52.6 lbs, and 50 1/8 inches. She has grown so much in a year. Last December when she was diagnosed she was 42 lbs, and about 48 1/2 inches. She is in the 75th percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight.
Tall and thin--where does she get that from?? Emery's I guess-- he he.
We talked at length about doses, carbs and her daily routine and changed a few things. Mostly the at school stuff, and then the bedtime routine is changed a bit. She is most likely out of the "honeymoon" phase now, and is no longer producing any insulin. She said where as in the beginning we could get away with giving her a few extra carbs or a snack because her body was still producing a little insulin....now we have to watch the carbs more and give her insulin accordingly. She said we are doing a good job though.
At school she was being tested before PE at like 9am or so, and sometimes the nurse was giving her carbs if she was 200 or below, for the exercise. ( which with the limited exercise of 2nd grade PE she was probably getting too high with the extra carbs already) and then at snack time at 10am was getting milk and snack which is about 20-25 grams, and no insulin.
So now she wont be tested before PE and instead at 10am snack time, which will then be an accurate test, where as before PE is was not.
( tests are not considered accurate, if tested before 3 hrs because the insulin is still working in her body for up to 3 hrs.)
I am not really worried about her getting too low in PE, and we need to worry more about covering her carbs at snack, so she is not so high at lunch. The nurse won't have to test her at lunch then, ( since it's only 2 hrs after snack time)-- but will just cover her lunch with insulin and I will test her when she comes home from school to see how it all works.
Her doses stayed the same, from what I changed them too over the last hectic month, so I guess I did pretty good there. May have to change the lunch dose a bit if the morning routine, still brings her after school levels still too high.
Things have been looking better the last week or so, but still gets quite a
few 200's or higher, so I knew there was still something else we needed to do.
Then at bedtime, she always wants a snack that we hardly ever give her insulin for, unless she is pretty high already and wants a snack. Then I test her at 12-1am, which isn't fun to wake up and wake her up.
So now, we'll give her whatever she wants for a snack at about 7pm, give her insulin for it and I will wake her to test her at about 10pm for awhile to see how that works. After we pretty much know how her body will handle the snack and insulin dose, she should be good all night then, as the Lantus dose is working for now at keeping her morning levels always pretty good. It'll be a little playing around with doses again and frequent testing.
Basiclly we just need to change things up a bit in our routine, so that everything she eats is covered with insulin. We've been a little lax, I think, with giving her extra carbs.
So hopefully this will get a little easier after getting into a new routine. Once we get this figured out (hopefully soon) then this winter I think we'll be doing the pump, and seemingly starting all over.
Her next appt is January 14, at 9am, with her endocrinologist, and they will do annual blood tests-- thyroid, kidney function, etc, which they did in the hospital in December last year.
We are getting through, one day at a time, I just wish...... well you know.
I am thankful, that even though insulin is not a cure, that it is keeping her alive and well. I thank God for her.
Each time I get a print out of about 6 pages, showing her levels for a month, the averages, the number of highs, normals, lows, percentages of each, and weight and height growth, etc. Alot of information.
She is 52.6 lbs, and 50 1/8 inches. She has grown so much in a year. Last December when she was diagnosed she was 42 lbs, and about 48 1/2 inches. She is in the 75th percentile for height and 25th percentile for weight.
Tall and thin--where does she get that from?? Emery's I guess-- he he.
We talked at length about doses, carbs and her daily routine and changed a few things. Mostly the at school stuff, and then the bedtime routine is changed a bit. She is most likely out of the "honeymoon" phase now, and is no longer producing any insulin. She said where as in the beginning we could get away with giving her a few extra carbs or a snack because her body was still producing a little insulin....now we have to watch the carbs more and give her insulin accordingly. She said we are doing a good job though.
At school she was being tested before PE at like 9am or so, and sometimes the nurse was giving her carbs if she was 200 or below, for the exercise. ( which with the limited exercise of 2nd grade PE she was probably getting too high with the extra carbs already) and then at snack time at 10am was getting milk and snack which is about 20-25 grams, and no insulin.
So now she wont be tested before PE and instead at 10am snack time, which will then be an accurate test, where as before PE is was not.
( tests are not considered accurate, if tested before 3 hrs because the insulin is still working in her body for up to 3 hrs.)
I am not really worried about her getting too low in PE, and we need to worry more about covering her carbs at snack, so she is not so high at lunch. The nurse won't have to test her at lunch then, ( since it's only 2 hrs after snack time)-- but will just cover her lunch with insulin and I will test her when she comes home from school to see how it all works.
Her doses stayed the same, from what I changed them too over the last hectic month, so I guess I did pretty good there. May have to change the lunch dose a bit if the morning routine, still brings her after school levels still too high.
Things have been looking better the last week or so, but still gets quite a
few 200's or higher, so I knew there was still something else we needed to do.
Then at bedtime, she always wants a snack that we hardly ever give her insulin for, unless she is pretty high already and wants a snack. Then I test her at 12-1am, which isn't fun to wake up and wake her up.
So now, we'll give her whatever she wants for a snack at about 7pm, give her insulin for it and I will wake her to test her at about 10pm for awhile to see how that works. After we pretty much know how her body will handle the snack and insulin dose, she should be good all night then, as the Lantus dose is working for now at keeping her morning levels always pretty good. It'll be a little playing around with doses again and frequent testing.
Basiclly we just need to change things up a bit in our routine, so that everything she eats is covered with insulin. We've been a little lax, I think, with giving her extra carbs.
So hopefully this will get a little easier after getting into a new routine. Once we get this figured out (hopefully soon) then this winter I think we'll be doing the pump, and seemingly starting all over.
Her next appt is January 14, at 9am, with her endocrinologist, and they will do annual blood tests-- thyroid, kidney function, etc, which they did in the hospital in December last year.
We are getting through, one day at a time, I just wish...... well you know.
I am thankful, that even though insulin is not a cure, that it is keeping her alive and well. I thank God for her.
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