Monday, November 29, 2010

A Look Back...My Two Sons.

So I'm a day late and several dollars short...who cares, right?  Yesterday was declared Special Sib of a D-Kid Day by some special D moms out there:  Alexis of Justice's Misbehaving Pancreas and Sherry of Jenna's Pet Monkey. It's a day to direct the attention to the kids who help out with all the diabetes stuff.  Their lives are affected by this disease too.  Thanks Alexis and Sherry!

I'm pulling an old post up from about 1 1/2 years ago.  I thought it fit the theme perfectly.  They may be a bit older now, but they are definitely still Special Sibs of our D-Kid!...my two sons.

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Remember the old television show, My Three Sons? Well, this is the newest edition of "My Two Sons!" (Disclaimer: this goes against everything my mother ever taught me regarding boasting/bragging. Sorry, mom.) I thought it appropriate to write about my two boys for several reasons.

First of all, they're my boys and I love 'em! They have both played long and hard on their separate baseball all-star teams this summer. And as baseball sometimes goes, they both had games last night. Both their teams lost last night, which means...they are both finished with baseball. Well, at least for a while!

They are a funny pair.

Big C has brilliant red hair, stands nearly taller than I do and can pitch an insanely fast ball. He's 12. It seemed we had to re-iterate that fact several times to people during Little League this year because he stands taller than any other kid at his level. He will be going into the 7th grade this fall. He always gives us many reasons to be proud.

Then there's Middle C. His hair is also red, but more of a subtler shade. He is reminiscent of Opie Taylor -- Ron Howard's character on The Andy Griffith Show. Grandma tells him he looks like a young Brad Pitt. Either way, yes, I think he is handsome! He'll be headed for 5th grade this fall. And, I've got to say, the humor inside this kid keeps us laughing every day!

The second reason I wanted to write about them on the blog is regarding the roles they play in our family where diabetes is concerned. Their lives, too, are affected by this disease. A lot of time and attention is given to C because of type 1. And, though it is an intricate part of our family, we strive daily to carry on our normal routines. We never want diabetes to rule whether we do activities or not. But there are times, when it rears it's ugly head at inopportune moments. My boys have seriously never once grumbled about the "diabetes-interrupted" times. A low may need to be treated when heading out the door. Or, maybe the low happens at the end of a baseball game when the team is heading to the local pizza parlor. And, we just need to sit and be patient while C struggles to feel better. Diabetes is demanding. And it's demanding on all of us, including my two sons.

They support our efforts in raising awareness and raising funds for the JDRF. They participate in walks. They've attended Family Camp Days to learn more about diabetes. They were so excited this past May, when we set up a Sno Cone sale at the baseball fields. All proceeds will be going to our walk team. At one point during the day, they took over running the booth with some of their baseball buddies!

Big C recently wrote a paper all about type 1 diabetes and how his sister deals with it all. I was so touched...I posted it back in May. It shows how much he knows about this disease, more so than many people. It also shows that he doesn't take it lightly.

The last reason I wanted to write about my two sons in this post is to highlight one other thing they do in the fight against diabetes. They both participate in TrialNet. It's the ongoing trial to find answers from lab work gathered by siblings and cousins of type 1 kids. And, although they aren't jumping up and down with excitement to get their blood drawn yearly, they do it because it's what they can do to make a difference. I'm proud of them for that!

My two sons...

Thursday, November 18, 2010

eat. pray. bolus.

It's been a little over a week since our JDRF Walk.  I wish that time would just slow down a bit.  Really.  There is so much going on all around us...I wish we could absorb more of it.  Anyway, let's get back to the walk, shall we?...
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On Sunday, November 7th, C headed up her first walk team ever!  For the past however-many-years, we have joined a couple different teams.  But this year, C made it clear that she was ready to take on the task of forming her own team and putting in the effort to raise funds.  So, how could we say "no" to that??

And, so, C's Pack formed.  Family joined.  Friends joined.  Friends of friends joined.  Relatives of friends joined.  All-in-all, her team ended up being over 60 people strong!  Donations started rolling in from distant relatives and from some we've only met online!  It truly amazed us!  Her team efforts resulted in donations totaling over $2,600.


What touched us even more than the financial generosity was the participation...the actual walkers who showed up to support her and the others we know that deal with diabetes every single day.  To say the least, it sparked a fire in her, I believe!  What encouragement she (we) felt to see her little friends walking up and down the hills of Dodger Stadium...


It was a terrific day.  And, maybe even a little education was given to bring more awareness to the disease.  We handed out a paper with lots of myth-busting information regarding diabetes.  We just felt that the turn-out for C's Pack was so tremendous, we wanted everyone to go home with a better sense of why we were going to such effort to raise money.


Here's a look back on the day...a terrific one!

60 + strong!

Self-explanatory.  

Heading up her own team.

Friends made it special!

eat. pray. bolus.  Our shirts were a hit!

Supportive friends.

Every time we're there, I think I'll take a picture of this...World Diabetes Day, you know!
 If you'd like to see the entire photo album, come join us on our Facebook page!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

6 Little Ducks.

It's D-Blog Day!!

However, blogging has been no where close to consistent lately.  And, so I'm arriving a bit late to the party today.  But how could I let a post slip today, of all days?!
Our very own Diabetes BFF, Gina, from over there at Diabetes Talkfest, first initiated D-Blog Day in 2005.  It is taking the DOC by storm today!  The topic this year is:  6 things you want people to know about diabetes.

Well, I even asked Gina, "Only 6 things?"  Because, really, I could list tons more.  But, I am a rule-follower, so I will obey!

We recently made a list of diabetes awareness facts that we handed out at last Sunday's JDRF walk.  We were so pleasantly surprised at the incredible support given to our little C and her team efforts!  We felt it was important to take that awesome moment and educate, if just a bit, to our family and friends who came out to show their support and love and raise funds for diabetes research.  We handed out our list of things we want people to know about diabetes to them.  But, believe me, there were way more than 6 on that paper!  I've struggled to narrow things down a bit.

6 Things We Want People to Know About Diabetes
  1. The warning signs:  extreme thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, weight loss, fruity smelling and shortness of breath, blurry vision and more.  Know these and tell others.  It could save a life!
  2. No one gets diabetes from eating too much sugar.  Sugar can actually save a diabetic's life.
  3. There are theories, but not even the experts know why a person get type 1 diabetes.  There's nothing that was eaten, done or said that gave them this disease...and, it's not contagious.
  4. However wonderful insulin is (and it is!), it is not a cure.  It is life support.
  5. Kids with type 1 diabetes grow up to be adults with type 1 diabetes.  They will not grow out of it.
  6. Diabetes is 24/7...every minute of every day.  It is a constant balancing act between blood sugar checks, carbohydrates, insulin, exercise, stress, hormones, etc.  There is no break or vacation from it...until there's a cure. 
Oh...there's so much more!...But, I'm not gonna do it...nope, not gonna.  Here's how I'll remedy my restlessness with this issue:  click here if you are curious about all the other things we want the world to know!

(Oh...and the duck thing?  Every time I began thinking about this post, the song "Six Little Ducks" popped into my head.)

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Big Blue Test

The Big Blue Test is almost here!  On November 14th, at 2:00 pm (local time).Click here to find out more about the Big Blue Test and the Diabetes Hands Foundation.

Here's something you can do right now to, not only help spread awareness, but to give life-saving insulin to children in need.  Just watch the following video.  That's it.  Simple, right?!  It will take a mere minute and 49 seconds of your time but will give a child with diabetes a week supply of insulin!

Then, spread the word by telling your friends and family to do the same.  Post it on facebook.  Tweet about it on twitter.  Email the link to everyone you know.  Let's see how many views we can help make happen between now and November 14th...

Monday, November 1, 2010

What Did You SAE?


November 1st.  It's just the beginning of Diabetes Awareness Month!  Around here, we're going to lay out some facts and SAE It Loud!  (Thanks Sarah, aka: Sugabetic, for rallying the troops!)

The idea here, is to SUPPORT, ADVOCATE, and EDUCATE about diabetes...to bring to light the facts on this, too often, misunderstood disease.

There are so many great things happening this month!  Here are just a few:
  • SAE It Loud day...cruise around the blogosphere and give some comment love to fellow D-bloggers.  Here's a list of participating blogs from Sarah...
  • JDRF Walk at Dodgers Stadium on Sunday, November 7th.  C is captain of her first team and we're excited!
  • November 9th is D-Blog Day.  Topic:  what 6 things do you want people to know about diabetes?  Check in with your diabetes' BFF, Gina to learn more!
  • November 14th is World Diabetes Day...yes, world!  This is the day to drench ourselves in blue and "bring diabetes to light" around the globe.
  • The Big Blue Test will be happening on November 14th as part of World Diabetes Day.
  • and so many more things that will unfold this month!
The underlying hope, running through all these events?...a cure.

However, in between, and long after November, life with diabetes will continue.  Every day.  Counting carbs before every meal.  Finger sticking multiple times a day.  The monstrous fear of complications.  I guess it's our motivation then, to raise awareness...and SAE It Loud!