JDRF Car Wash

Many of you may or may not know this....

Advance Auto Parts has teamed up with JDRF and will completely furnish ALL supplies to carry out a car wash and the profit you raise will go directly to support your JDRF Walk team.

This past weekend, we took advantage of that offer. We arrived at Advance Auto Parts at 7:30am and I met with the manager who gladly went and got all the supplies for us.

hose with sprayer

buckets

car wash

rags

sponges

towels

We had everything we needed and we set up our JDRF table and we started with our cars and then moved on to 3 of the Advance Auto trucks. After that, we washed 9 more cars. Yep, only 9. We were in a bad location and even with the signs we posted, it was hard to find where the car wash was. So unfortunately, I'm cancelling the one at Advance Auto in October and I'm relocating it to another location that will put us right off the main road.

I'm pleased to announce we did raise $183 with only 14 vehicles! The best part, we had fun! Kacey battled a low of 50 while we were there. Nothing 2 glucose tabs couldn't fix! :) She did a great job. We did take "Coz" (the CozMonitor) off of Herbie because I was a bit paranoid about her getting wet. The CozMonitor is her glucose machine that connects to the back of Herbie and if that gets damp/wet then it's ruined. Herbie is waterproof and so she could stay connected without the worry of water. After she took Coz off, it was a freeforall....and that included Mommy throwing some soap bubbles her way! ;)
It was a good day! :)

Where Were You?

They say that you will never forget where you were when the Twin Towers were hit.

I haven't.

I was at Jennifer's house (my best friend at the time). She called me to take her and her daughter to a doctors appointment. She was in blow drying her hair and I was getting Lexie dressed while Kacey was playing on the floor. I was sitting on the floor in front of the TV when all the commotion was being broadcasted. I yelled into the bathroom for Jen to come see what was going on and we both sat there and saw the 2nd plane hit the tower LIVE! I couldn't believe what we were watching. Unfortunately we had to pull ourselves away from the TV and drive to the doctors office. They had the TV on there and we could see what was happening.

In 2006, we had the chance to take the girls to NYC and visit the site where the towers once stood. We took the ferry into NY and it was weird seeing the NYC skyline without the towers. We then took the subway to where the towers stood. As the doors of the subway opened, I had this overwhelming feeling rush over me. It was an eerie quiet and I slowly walked up to the ledge to look out. The tears rushed down my face and my heart felt like it was squeezed. I walked along the wall looking at all of the 12x12 squares....daddies, mommies, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, brothers, sisters....all of them were strangers to me but my heart felt the pain these families felt. We walked outside to see the construction going on from the street. I looked around and I recognized this street from the horrific scenes they showed those days following the collapse. As I gazed through the fence and saw the construction, I couldn't help but feel sad and angry. I was sad for all the families that will never have the remains of their loved ones. I was angry because I felt like they should have turned that place into a park, like Central Park. Sorta like a memorial ground. No, they don't have the remains of the people that died, but at least give the families some place to go to that would be like a cemetary for them.

On this day....please take a moment to remember all the heroes.

Can Color Update

A few weeks ago, I posted about the color of the soda cans at Food Lion. My Mom had written a letter to Food Lion as a concerned customer over the fact that the color of the COLA vs. DIET COLA of the Food Lion brand soda were nearly impossible to tell the difference between unless you could read the label. I'd like to share the correspondence between them to show that one very small voice can make one huge change.

~~~~~
(THEIR RESPONSE)
September 10, 2009
Dear Chris xxxxxxx (last name omitted for privacy):

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding your recentexperience with Food Lion Cola and Diet Cola. We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced.

At Cott, we are committed to producing premium quality products. It is our goal that every beverage leaving our facilities meets our rigidquality control standards. As such, your comments have been shared withthe appropriate department to ensure quality excellence and consumer satisfaction.

We would like to speak with you about your experience with our product. At your earliest convenience please call us at 1-888-260-3776.

Again, thank you for taking time to draw our attention to this matter. We trust that you will continue to be a valued customer.

Sincerely,
Monique Hooker
Senior Consumer Affairs Specialist

~~~~~
(MOMS RESPONSE)

Thank you for responding, I am unable to call at this time so I am responding via this message - I got a call from you/someone there but by the time I leave work it is after 4:30pm. This is basically the same response I was given weeks ago - I would just like to know what your intentions are concerning this matter - it is very evident that it has not been elevated to the appropriate authority because nothing has been done. Until you have been diabetic or have to deal with a diabetic, this incident would not matter. We have elevated this matter to the Diabetes Association and to the moms on the diabetic board. If you are not familiar with diabetes, go online and read about it and what happens when you get the WRONG drink and how life threatening this is. I would like a response because this is a matter that I will not drop. It is far more important than you can imagine.
Thank you.

(Go Mom!)

~~~~~~~~
(THEIR RESPONSE)

Thank you for your quick response. There are plans to redesign the FoodLion labels to make the regular and diet versions more distinctive. We very much appreciate the feedback and understand your concerns. Please note our labels do conform to FDA label regulations. All ingredients are listed in the ingredient listing and additionally, the front of the cans indicate "Cola" or "Diet Cola." The color of the cans is also a differing shade of blue. Again, please be assured I have shared your valuable feedback with our sales and marketing teams and they are taking steps to redesign the labels.

Thank you,
Monique Hooker

(Holy cow! Did that say REDESIGN?)

~~~~~~~
(MOMS RESPONSE)

Monique

This is wonderful news and I am sure all other diabetics will agree -but even with the slight difference in color, for a child, they would see BLUE and pick up the can - and it could be that one time that could cause death. I didn't say that it didn't conform to the FDA regulations, I was just asking for someone to help in making a change to show a difference between COLA and DIET COLA. My daughter has a diabetes blog and all correspondence has been posted to be shared with the others. We will be watching for this change. I appreciate you taking time to respond and to know that what you are doing could save someones life.

Thank you

~~~~~~

Ok, first of all, I'm so thankful that my Mom has taken this to the next level and pressed on with something she firmly believes in. She is so right when she says that the color of the can could be dangerous for a child that can't read. If I handed Kacey a blue can of soda, then if she wanted another one, she'd reach for that blue can knowing that it was "safe" to drink because thats what she had to start with. Scary thing is, if she didn't read the can, then her blood sugar would shoot to the moon.

Second, I'm glad that someone is listening to the customer. All to often, the customer's voice is shoved to the side with something like this. I'm thankful that Food Lion & Cott Beverages is listening to our voice. They know that a change needs to be made and I'm thrilled to watch this change happen. Why? Because we spoke up LOUD and clear!

Does it make me feel good? Sure it does! To know that my Mom will be the cause for the change in the can color. To know that my Mom spoke up and was an advocate for not only Kacey but all other diabetics out there. To know that a simple can color change could save a diabetic the hassle of the ER or save their life. It's VERY exciting!

For those of you that missed the original pics of the cans and post... CLICK HERE.

I'll keep you all updated and until then....don't ever be afraid to RAISE YOUR VOICE!

The C-Word

What? There is a C word?

C-O-N-S-T-I-P-A-T-I-O-N

Kacey is having a terrible time with this. We've tried different things but I was wondering if this was something common with diabetes? I know I've blogged about it before but I was wondering if anyone has any "miracle" tricks to get things moving along?

First Day of 4th Grade & 10th Grade

Yesterday my girls went back to school...Kacey in 4th grade and Kayleigh in 10th grade.

The morning went very quick and we were blessed with some pretty nasty weather. Kayleigh got on the bus at 6:45am and then I drove Kacey to school at 8:30am. Both girls came home with huge smiles on their faces and their lips were going 100mph! They've both got some excellent teachers and I just feel so relieved this year. Kacey's blood sugars stayed in range the entire day and she was so excited about it! Her teachers let her share her diabetes at snack time, since it was time for Kacey to check her blood sugar and bolus. She said that one of the boys asked what her pump was and she said, "It's for my diabetes." and she said he got a funny look on his face and asked "What's diabetes?" and she said she tried to tell him what it was and he smiled and said "Oh! Thats cool!" Cool? Diabetes is cool? Ummmmm....I asked her what she said? She said she just told him that it wasn't cool because it makes her sick sometimes. She said, "Mom, I really don't think he understands but thats ok cuz he's a boy." HAHAHAHA! Ahhh ok, so it's ok for boys to not understand? Too funny! One thing I'm very thankful for is...her best friends are in her classes again this year! Those same girlfriends that already know Kacey has diabetes, don't care that she's a little different and always look out for her on the playground. :) No drama for both girls....What a great day!

As for me, I took the time that I didn't spend at school and I went to the gym! It felt so good to get back in there and workout. My intentions are to go to the gym every day that I'm not subbing at school.

We all ended up in bed and asleep by 9pm! Guess we were all exhausted in our own way ;)

BIG Day Tomorrow!

I'm sitting here wondering where in the world our summer went?

My girls go back to school tomorrow! I got choked up earlier thinking about how I felt this time a year ago. I was one VERY nervous Mommy! Kacey was only a few weeks into her diabetes diagnosis and I wasn't ready to let her go with anyone. Last year, I met with teachers, made so many different charts that I knew would never be used but felt like I had to make, packed more diabetes supplies than I knew she'd ever need and then spent the first few weeks going to school every day to give her those insulin injections after MANY tears! This year, I feel so much more confident about Kacey's care. She does everything on her own and she knows what she's doing :) I've still made the charts, but narrowed them down. I've only packed the diabetes supplies that I know she'd need. And this year....I don't have to go up there for daily injections! I can't begin to tell everyone how much easier our life is with Herbie. I was helping Kacey lay her clothes out for the week and I got a little teary eyed and she tapped me on the arm and said, "Mom, you don't have to walk me to class every day now. I know my diabetes and I know how to take care of myself." ***the tears fall*** "Mom, why are you crying? You don't have to worry about me this year." ***wipes tears*** "You know Mommy is always going to worry about you. I'm not crying because I'm worried, I'm crying because I know you CAN take care of yourself and you're not going to need me there right beside you." ***sharing a hug*** "Mom, I always need you to take care of me but I can do it at school now." ***sigh*** "Yep! I know you can!"

It's times like these that really give me a reality smack at how responsible my 9 year old is! She's grown so much over the last year and diabetes forced her to grow up so fast. I'm sad that she was "robbed" of a normal childhood but then again I sit and wonder, is any childhood ever normal? When we're kids, we all have something that makes us grow up. For some, it's divorce. For others, it's death. For some others, it's illness. For Kacey, it's diabetes. If we all step back and think about when we were kids, there is some time that made an impact on us and made us who we are today. Diabetes has certainly had an impact on our family and it's certainly made us different people than we were a year ago. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Both! It depends on the way you look at it and the way you choose to deal with what you've been dealt. For Kacey, there was never any other option than to take this disease and move forward. She's proven that she's a much stronger person than I ever could have been! She's embraced this illness and she now tells everyone about it like it's a common cold. Sure, diabetes still makes her cry during site changes and when she has highs or lows....but after those rough days, she still manages to smile and continue daily life as normally as she possibly can!

This past weekend, she was part of a HUGE fundraiser. It was a benefit to JDRF in her name. Local hunters came out to support her and donate to her walk team. I was overwhelmed with the support we received but I was even more overwhelmed with the lack of knowledge still out there. We had people say to us, "We're so sorry! Maybe one day she will get well enough to take the pill." What do you say to that? I've tried to educate before but for some reason I didn't have the energy to explain the difference in Type 1 and Type 2. Instead I handed them a brochure about JDRF and Type 1 diabetes and said "Thanks for your support!" Yes, I felt like a loser because I didn't educate these people but then again, I don't think it would have sunk in anyway. I'm just so greatful that we had the turnout that we did since it was a holiday weekend and Kacey had the chance to stand proudly at her table and raise money for the cure she's hoping for.

This coming weekend brings on a car wash! Advance Auto Parts has teamed up with JDRF and they will furnish all the supplies you need to do the car wash (buckets, soap, hoses, car wash, water, towels, etc) and all we have to do is show up! All the proceeds will go to JDRF and our walk team, Diabetes Sweeties. We're so excited! Once again, we will have the table set up and I hope to be better at educating this time!

Tomorrow is back to school and that also means I will be back to substituting and also back to the gym...YAYYYYY!

Great Numbers

I know I will probably jinx myself (as always)...LOL...but I had to share how excited I am about Kacey's numbers lately. I've worked with her CDE and adjusted some basals recently and I think we've got it....FOR NOW! Haha! Diabetes is such a crazy disease! The second you think you've got it, then it takes you for a pitfall and through another loop. I really like these numbers since she's going to be starting back to school next week.

Check out these numbers....

9-1-09 (from 10-1 we were at Busch Gardens and then at 2:30 we had the meeting with her teachers so excitement was working on her)
7:33am- 174
10:57am- 378 (she'd just gotten off a roller coaster at Busch Gardens)
12:47pm- 194
3:02pm- 282
5:57pm- 46 (oops!)
6:14pm- 85
8:32pm- 103
10:16pm- 115
10:52pm- 82 (eat one cookie and don't bolus)

(9-2-09)
2:01am- 125
7:06am- 165
7:58am- 174
12:07pm- 68
3:47pm- 213 (over corrected for the low)
5:03pm- 146
6:22pm- 57
6:38pm- 75 (almost corrected right)
7:38pm- 112 (ok, maybe we got it right!)
9:16pm- 145
11:00pm- 154

(9-3-09 This morning)
4:52am- 166 (oops! I overslept the 2am check)
8:13am- 166
9:26am- 136

Take THAT diabetes!! :)

I want to go into some detail with the low she had on 9-1-09...the 46....this was one of the worst lows she'd ever experienced. We usually have dinner at 5pm. She was playing with her Barbies and wasn't very hungry so she continued to play. I put off making dinner and then at 5:55pm she came out of her room and grabbed her bottle of strips and lancet and plopped on the couch. She gave me the "look" and said her head hurt. She went to put the test strip into Herbie and she bursted into tears. I knelt down beside the couch and asked her what was wrong? She said, "Mommy, I feel like I'm going to pass out!" Hmmmm....she's never passed out before so I don't know how she knew thats how she felt but she said everything was making her dizzy and she didn't feel good. Herbie beeped and she was a 46. Ahhhh ok, so shes low....let's eat! She didn't want much because she said she didn't feel good. She just wanted to make herself a sandwhich and chips. She went into the kitchen with Kayleigh and then about 5min later she came back into the living room and sat down and busted into tears again. Kayleigh came running around the corner and said Kacey told her that she was going to pass out and she couldn't stand. ***TREAT NOW*** I went on and gave her one glucose tab because I didn't want her coming up too fast and then eating and going to the moon. She ate the glucose tab with tears rolling down her face. Kayleigh finished making her lunch and brought it in where we were sitting. Kacey just sat there...so lifeless...the white powder around her mouth from the glucose tab...and her shirt wet from the tears. My heart actually hurt for her. My brain went into fast forward....10 years....15 years down the road. How will Kacey ever be able to live by herself? What happens if she goes too low and theres no one there to help her come around? I know it's a long way off yet but it still weighs on my mind and I know it weighs on hers as well. I've never said anything about my worries to her before and the other day she said to me, "Mommy, when I get married, I am going to marry a man that knows how to take care of my diabetes and before I get married I am going to get a dog like Dixie (thanks Molly!) so you won't worry about me." It's comments like that, that really sting me. But it also made me think even more. Our CDE had said before that teen years were going to be a challenge because her diabetes would be hard to control. She was going to want to act like she didn't have diabetes and forget to bolus for stuff. And it made me wonder...when diabetics are in their late teens/early 20's...is their diabetes out of control because they are more afraid to go low and worry that there is not anyone around to help them? Do they purposely keep their sugars high because the highs are easier to deal with than the lows? Like I said, I know I'm years away from these worries but they are things I think about!

As for me, I go see the Orthopedic doctor at the end of September. He's the same one that took care of my foot fracture and Kacey's broken arm. I really like him! Once I see him then I will have a surgery date (*cry*).

Thanks to everyone for their support! I'll write as I can :) Not typing as much as really helped and I'm not getting as much numbness but I miss blogging so much!

EMG Results & Teacher Meeting

It's hard to believe that a week has passed since I wrote last.

I had my EMG test on my arm. Let me say, thats one of the most painful tests that I've ever had done! The results showed that the nerves in my arm are good but I've got severe carpal tunnel in my right wrist. So...that leaves me with the only option of surgery. I'm not looking forward to it. Typing has become more painful because my hand and fingers go numb so I'm not on here very long anymore. I'll update as I can with surgery details.

I also had the chance to meet with Kacey's teachers this year. I've always heard that 4th grade is a tough year but after meeting all 3 of the teachers, I'm confident that this will be one of her easiest years. They were all very understanding and I'm really looking forward to Kacey going back. I was able to explain highs and lows, all about Herbie, glucose testing and what to expect from Kacey on a daily basis. They were all open and so nice! I had both girls with me. These 3 teachers are the same ones Kayleigh had 6 years ago in 4th grade so they were excited to see her. Kacey showed off Herbie, pulled her shirt up to show off her tummy site, showed them how she tests her sugar and she acted so confident with herself. I can't believe how easy this was compared to last year. I went into the school last year as a scared Mommy but this year I went in feeling much safer. I know Kacey can care for herself and she's grown by leaps and bounds this past year. We go back to school for Open House on Thursday and then school starts back next Tuesday!

It's gonna be a GREAT year!