Huh? Then silence. Or...an avalanche of "what to do"

For the past few days I have been trying to catch up with many things at the same time. I have been especially trying to complete my volunteer work projects, before I jump completely into this year's fundraising efforts for Step Out. In the process of doing that, I have been waiting until the wee hours of the morning to send emails to friends. Surprisingly, I have gotten some responses quite fast that late at night.

I got a response from a friend who I haven't seen in a very long time. It was nice to hear from him, even if it was just one line. I was grateful to know that he had read my message. It made me think about how other people's reactions come once you mention the words "diabetes" and "4 year old" in the same sentence. At this point, it seems so normal to me to think in terms of carb counting and insulin doses. I easily forget that my normal life is far from normal compared other people's lives.

Part of that must be because my daughter helps me make it all look easy and smooth. She is really the champion here!

I guess I have learned to not focus on what other people might be thinking or how they might feel when I pull out Siani's glucometer to check her magic number (blood glucose level). In a way, I have desensitized myself from opinions regarding her lifestyle and how we satisfy her needs. I think I have also tried to make an effort to make it look like it is something that everyone does. Especially because my daughter is perfect. She is NOT sick, she GETS sick when her magic number is not on target.

All of this, just to say: When you see someone pull out their glucometer or prepare a syringe, don't get that "huh?" face people usually get or try to avoid the dead silence that follows. In my case, the best thing that people can do is: first, stare to watch what I am going to be doing; and second, come and ask me what I am doing. I will happily answer. ;)

Good day, folks! And...dont forget to donate :)

"What is diabetes?" cartoon

Here is a cartoon explanation of what Diabetes is. This is soooo simple, you can use it for children. Questions? Ask me! I will be happy to send you more info.

Got it? Now...donate, please?!

Step by step...Continuous glucose monitor insertion

I hope all of you had a good labor day weekend. Our little family finally had time weekend away. I was  reminded of the many opportunities I have to educate about Diabetes, on a daily basis.

We were hanging out waiting for  Jared to bring our food, and a lady saw my daughter's monitor. She immediate came over and asked me about it. he seems immediately. I explained that it is a continuous glucose monitor (cgm). She called an older gentleman that was standing a few feet away from her. I don't know how close their relationship was, but she immediately wanted him to come and see the cgm. It turned out that one of his daughters has type 2 diabetes. Apparently she is having issues with her levels.

It feels great to be able to talk about our experience and to see that we were sharing information with people who will definitely benefit from it.  The greatest part was watching my little 4 year old show off her monitor happily, feeling normal and proud of who she is. That nanosecond felt like an olympic gold for me!

Here is how you insert a cgm...in pics. I talk too much so my videos turn out tooooo long.  :)

Toolkit...what can I use to manage my diabetes?

All diabetics are not created equal. That means that some people inject insulin, others pump, and a lot of of type 2 diabetics, use oral medications to help control there blood glucose levels.

Here are 2 videos that document the different tools that are available for diabetes management. Please pass these videos along to others. The purpose of them is not so you can hear how groggy and how tired I sound in the morning. It is actually educate others about diabetes! Enjoy!

Bionic Girl

For the last 6 weeks, we have been using a Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring device. It has been a great addition to our "diabetes management toolbox". Our family loves our devices and are grateful for them. We are blessed to have them. Unfortunately, not a Diabetics have access to them.  More research and more development will continue to expand accessibility and accuracy in glucose monitoring.

For more info go to dexcom.com

And dont forget to support our Step Out and Walk team...M@gic#Hun+ers

Today. ..

Today is the day. Today is the day I celebrate a second birthday for my daughter. On a day like today, in 2012, she was reborn as a diabetic toddler. It was a surprise! But it did not catch us unprepared and off guard.

It has been 368 since we heard the diagnosis. And exactly a year since we left the hospital. It was intense! It was difficult! It was scary! It was life changing! It was a challenge! It was nerve-wrecking! It was all the things that only a parent that has gone through this experience can understand. It was the inevitable induction into a small group, a small club of parents that learn to live with this challenge on a daily basis.

A yearul later I am so happy and so grateful to realize everything is ok. My daughter has accepted her new lifestyle and has done wonderfully. She deserves all the credit for adjusting to such a radical change in lifestyle at such an early age. Even before she is able to read a book on her own, she speaks diabetes. I am proud of her efforts and of her self discipline. I am proud of the temperament and character she has shown in dealing with this.

So... Thanks to research! Thanks to carb counting! Thanks to FDA workers watching out for quality assurance! Thanks for nutritional guides all over! Thanks to diabetic educators! Thanks to the modernization of Medicine! Thanks for super thin needles! Thanks for 5-seconds glucometers! Thanks for measuring cups, and kitchen appliances, measuring spoons,  and nutritional labels! Thanks for a college education that includes a good science foundation! Thanks for a diabetic husband who has allowed me to delve deep into the diabetes world! Thanks for a father that is a nurse! Thanks for a mother who has dedicated her life to helping people that live with challenges and taught me my daughter's rights even before I could have a child!  Thanks for a wonderful staff at our medical provider! Thanks for strangers who become instant family because they know, they understand the shoes you wear everyday! And finally, thank God! Because it is only with the help of the Almighty, and the guidance of the Angels He sends that makes it possible for diabetes to be in our lives, without breaking us.

Diabetes might: rule our life; Run our schedules. Change our plans; Distance relationships;  Distortion the appearance of how things are; Interfere with desires...but it's here to stay,  and so will I. There is no return policy. No cancellation option. Therefore, since diabetes won't budge...neither will I!

MY NAME IS MELISA M. VALENTIN. I AM THE WIFE AND MOTHER OF 2 PEOPLE LIVING WITH DIABETES.  I LOVE THEM. THEY ARE MY LIFE. AND I WILL NOT STAND DOWN, DOWN PLAY OR YIELD MY POSITIONS. I AM IN THIS GAME TO WIN. I AM HERE TO KICK DIABETES IN THE BUTT!!!! THAT IS MY MISSION STATEMENT, UNTIL I HAVE FINISHED THE WORK GOD HAS FOR ME ON THIS, HIS EARTH.

I am tired but determined.  This is my place, my responsibility,  my duty,  my privilege. Moving forward is the path I choose.

To Love a diabetic is...

This poem is not mine...it was shared on the Diabetes Awareness site..but I wanted to share the feeling of it. Every parent with a diabetic child can relate to this somehow. :)

Poem: To Love A Diabetic

By Katherine Marple

To love a diabetic is to be a doctor. It means helping her to remember her medications. It means driving her for an hour to the only 24 hour pharmacy when she’s gotten the flu and can’t take the Nyquil in the refrigerator. Or driving her to the hospital when the simple flu turns into bronchitis and her blood turns acidic.

To love a diabetic is to be patient. It means knowing that some days she won’t feel good for no visible reason. It means canceling long term plans when suddenly she doesn’t feel well enough to go on a trip. Or waiting to go to bed while she injects her bedtime insulin.

To love a diabetic is to be a priest. It means consoling her when she’s tired and feels like she can’t do it anymore. It means listening and not passing judgment while she tries to figure out her new dosages and makes mistakes. Or, during those tough times, listening to her burial wishes – just in case.

To love a diabetic is to be a guardian. It means standing up for her when strangers accuse her of being a drug addict. It means discreetly asking her friends to keep an eye on her when she’s testing new medications and doesn’t know the reactions to her body yet. Or staying up with her through the night because she’s too afraid to fall asleep where a coma can find her.

To love a diabetic is to not be superficial. It means seeing her bruises as beauty marks. It means caressing the scars across her stomach. Or kissing her dry lips when she is hooked to IVs.

To love a diabetic is to be understanding. It means knowing that she doesn’t mean to get hot tempered when her blood sugars are too high. It means listening to her when she asks to start a family soon. Or donating time and DNA to sciences you don’t fully understand just because she asks you to and because it promises to cure her.

To love a diabetic is to be smart. It means researching new medications even though she never asks you to. It means listening to her explain her new findings in terms that aren’t typical language. Or making her smile when she desperately wants to scream.

To love a diabetic is to be selfless. It means going to a restaurant based off the carbohydrates menu instead of the atmosphere. It means going without dinner when money is tight because you can buy her medication with it instead. Or testing your blood sugar on her new meter to make sure it’s working properly even though you’re terrified of needles.

To love a diabetic is to be brave. It means keeping your chin up while she talks about those scary moments. It means not allowing her medical mistakes to colour your relationship with her emotionally. Or keeping positive spirits even though all of the websites and gatherings tell you she won’t statistically make it past her 40s.

To love a diabetic is not easy. It means putting her medical needs before any other finances. It means worrying every moment that she is properly cared for even when you can’t see her. And it means trusting her life in the hands of so many doctors who don’t understand the full complexities of the disease.

Thank you for loving a diabetic.

http://diabetesawarenesssite.com/poem-to-love-a-diabetic/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=dbsaware&utm_campaign=poem-to-love-a-diabetic&utm_term=20131111