This week's sugar bolus giveaway is a gift certificate to Petite Baubles, a fun website to get great medical alert jewelry. Here's the link to enter the giveaway, hurry though, you only have untill midnight tomorrow night to enter!
http://theprincessandthepump.com/
Kortnie
Kortnie at the 2011 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes, Tempe Town Lake, Tempe, AZ
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Emergency Room
Last November on a Sunday during the Sacrament Meeting at our church, I felt urgently that I had to take my baby girl to the ER, RIGHT NOW! I knew she'd been sick and for some reason that day she looked alot worse, I never hesitated, I grabbed her up told my husband that I was taking her to the ER and that he could stay and teach our Sunday School class. Well, that day quickly turned into the worst day of my life. We got Kortnie's diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes before our church was even supposed to be over, I couldn't even call my husband and tell him what was going on, because we don't take our phones to church. I do consider it such a blessing that the ER wasn't too busy that day, within 10 minutes of being in the waiting room we were taken back to triage and then straight to a room in the ER, within about half an hour we were told what was wrong and more tests were ordered, insulin and vitamin drips were started and heart monitors put on my baby.
Well, two Sunday's ago 10 months after that fatefull visit to the ER, I had to go back again. The day started off good, Kortnie's D was behaving itself, my husband left to go spend the day dirtbike riding with his friends. I got the kids showered and dressed and we headed off to church. Our baby boy wasn't feeling well, he had a fever, cough and runny nose. I figured we'd go to the Sacrament Meeting portion of church, then we'd take the girls to Sunday School, listen to the oldest girl give her talk, then I'd bring the boy home while the girls stayed at Sunday School for the next hour and a half or so. I arranged for a neighbor to drive the girls home, Kortnie, had checked her BF and it was 128, a good number. I brought the boy home, got him changed into comfy jammies, set him up on the couch with crackers, water, pillow and blanket, and Tom and Jerry cartoons. My husband and his friend pull up and I go out to see how their ride went and help them unload. Well, guess what, hubby crashed and he crashed good, he looks terrible and is limping around. Great this is all I need, we got his gear unloaded and took him upstairs thinking he just needed a good soak in the tub. WRONG! He had road rash all up his left side, terrible cuts, scrapes, and bruises already forming, his shoulder was swollen up really bad too.
So, it was husband's turn for the ER. I called a friend to come sit with the boy and wait for the girls to get home from church, we have some great friends, a family that we are close with, their daughters are 22 and 16 and their son is 6 the same age as my Kortnie. We are blessed that this family has taken on the task of learning all about Kortnie's diabetes, they are the only ones I feel I can truly trust with our Kortnie for an extended period of time. Of course there are phone calls and texts involved with them reporting BG #'s and asking about carb counts, but they are willing and able to help us out with Kortnie. The 22 year old daughter was able to come that day.
So, here we are back in the ER on another Sunday, waiting in the waiting room with my husband, it was a busy day at the ER that day, the memories of that Sunday 10 months ago sat heavy on my heart. The outcome was different of course, hubby ended up with a broken collarbone, 4-6 weeks of healing time in a sling, not much you can do for that. But, what I want to tell you about is how many memories came flooding back to me. I haven't been back to the ER since Kortnie was diagnosed, I didn't even think it would affect me, but it did. I could see clearly in my mind, how small and sick and afraid my little girl was. I saw Dr's and nurses that helped out with Kortnie. The lighting, the smells, the rhythm of the ER all brought something back. I like to say that Sunday in November of 2009 was the worst day of my life, I was scared, my baby was scared, we were uneducated and looking into a life of the unknown, we didn't really know if she'd make it through the night, through the next couple of days and if she did our lives would be changed in a big way forever and if she didn't make it our lives would still be changed forever. Big thoughts, big issues, I could feel it all over again. After my husband was discharged we went across the street to Walgreens to fill his prescriptions and as I was standing in the parking lot a helicopter took off from the hospital taking someone to Phoenix for further medical care. Kortnie and I had flown to Phoenix that Sunday 10 months ago as well. Seeing that helicopter take off brought more memories to my mind and heart and I was feeling those emotions all over again, but this time, I realized that Sunday 10 months ago when Kortnie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, was still pretty much the WORST day of my life, but also, maybe the BEST day of my life. The best you ask? Well, yes, even though she was diagnosed with this terrible disease with no cure, it was the best because she LIVED! We were told that it was possible that if we had let her go to sleep that Sunday night and taken her to the DR on Monday morning like we orginnally planned that she might not have woken up at all Monday morning, she would have been in a coma or maybe even have passed away in the night. I am grateful that I felt so strongly the Holy Spirit telling me that Sunday in church to take her to the ER, I am grateful I listend, I am grateful that the DR's and nurses treated her so kindly and efficiently, I am grateful for the helicopter pilot and the 2 inflight nurses who took such good care of her and I and our 45 minute flight to Phoenix, I am grateful to the DR's and nurses in the PICU at Phoenix Children's Hospital, and I am grateful for the DR's and nurses on the Diabetes floor at PCH who gave us a crash course in treating and living with T1D. So, even though as I sat in the ER with hubby that afternoon and relived the worst day of my life, I am glad that I can look back on that day and also think of it as the best day too. Diabetes doesn't define Kortnie or me, but it's a part of our family now and it helps all of us to be a little stronger and more compassionate I think. If I could take her D away I sure would, but I'm not going to dwell on that, I'm going to be grateful that Kortnie LIVES with a terrible disease rather than letting it bring her down.
On side note, I have a question. Our insurance only covers 150 test strips per month, and we use more like 250-300. I've been buying test strips at Walmart and we all know how dang expensive they are. Last night I found American Diabetes Wholesale and found I can buy test strips there for 1/2 the cost that I buy them at Walmart or other drug stores and you get free shipping on orders over $100. I'm just wondering, where do you D-moms and dads buy your test strips? Am I on the right track with American Diabtes Wholesale, or is there somewhere else I should be looking?
Well, two Sunday's ago 10 months after that fatefull visit to the ER, I had to go back again. The day started off good, Kortnie's D was behaving itself, my husband left to go spend the day dirtbike riding with his friends. I got the kids showered and dressed and we headed off to church. Our baby boy wasn't feeling well, he had a fever, cough and runny nose. I figured we'd go to the Sacrament Meeting portion of church, then we'd take the girls to Sunday School, listen to the oldest girl give her talk, then I'd bring the boy home while the girls stayed at Sunday School for the next hour and a half or so. I arranged for a neighbor to drive the girls home, Kortnie, had checked her BF and it was 128, a good number. I brought the boy home, got him changed into comfy jammies, set him up on the couch with crackers, water, pillow and blanket, and Tom and Jerry cartoons. My husband and his friend pull up and I go out to see how their ride went and help them unload. Well, guess what, hubby crashed and he crashed good, he looks terrible and is limping around. Great this is all I need, we got his gear unloaded and took him upstairs thinking he just needed a good soak in the tub. WRONG! He had road rash all up his left side, terrible cuts, scrapes, and bruises already forming, his shoulder was swollen up really bad too.
So, it was husband's turn for the ER. I called a friend to come sit with the boy and wait for the girls to get home from church, we have some great friends, a family that we are close with, their daughters are 22 and 16 and their son is 6 the same age as my Kortnie. We are blessed that this family has taken on the task of learning all about Kortnie's diabetes, they are the only ones I feel I can truly trust with our Kortnie for an extended period of time. Of course there are phone calls and texts involved with them reporting BG #'s and asking about carb counts, but they are willing and able to help us out with Kortnie. The 22 year old daughter was able to come that day.
So, here we are back in the ER on another Sunday, waiting in the waiting room with my husband, it was a busy day at the ER that day, the memories of that Sunday 10 months ago sat heavy on my heart. The outcome was different of course, hubby ended up with a broken collarbone, 4-6 weeks of healing time in a sling, not much you can do for that. But, what I want to tell you about is how many memories came flooding back to me. I haven't been back to the ER since Kortnie was diagnosed, I didn't even think it would affect me, but it did. I could see clearly in my mind, how small and sick and afraid my little girl was. I saw Dr's and nurses that helped out with Kortnie. The lighting, the smells, the rhythm of the ER all brought something back. I like to say that Sunday in November of 2009 was the worst day of my life, I was scared, my baby was scared, we were uneducated and looking into a life of the unknown, we didn't really know if she'd make it through the night, through the next couple of days and if she did our lives would be changed in a big way forever and if she didn't make it our lives would still be changed forever. Big thoughts, big issues, I could feel it all over again. After my husband was discharged we went across the street to Walgreens to fill his prescriptions and as I was standing in the parking lot a helicopter took off from the hospital taking someone to Phoenix for further medical care. Kortnie and I had flown to Phoenix that Sunday 10 months ago as well. Seeing that helicopter take off brought more memories to my mind and heart and I was feeling those emotions all over again, but this time, I realized that Sunday 10 months ago when Kortnie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, was still pretty much the WORST day of my life, but also, maybe the BEST day of my life. The best you ask? Well, yes, even though she was diagnosed with this terrible disease with no cure, it was the best because she LIVED! We were told that it was possible that if we had let her go to sleep that Sunday night and taken her to the DR on Monday morning like we orginnally planned that she might not have woken up at all Monday morning, she would have been in a coma or maybe even have passed away in the night. I am grateful that I felt so strongly the Holy Spirit telling me that Sunday in church to take her to the ER, I am grateful I listend, I am grateful that the DR's and nurses treated her so kindly and efficiently, I am grateful for the helicopter pilot and the 2 inflight nurses who took such good care of her and I and our 45 minute flight to Phoenix, I am grateful to the DR's and nurses in the PICU at Phoenix Children's Hospital, and I am grateful for the DR's and nurses on the Diabetes floor at PCH who gave us a crash course in treating and living with T1D. So, even though as I sat in the ER with hubby that afternoon and relived the worst day of my life, I am glad that I can look back on that day and also think of it as the best day too. Diabetes doesn't define Kortnie or me, but it's a part of our family now and it helps all of us to be a little stronger and more compassionate I think. If I could take her D away I sure would, but I'm not going to dwell on that, I'm going to be grateful that Kortnie LIVES with a terrible disease rather than letting it bring her down.
On side note, I have a question. Our insurance only covers 150 test strips per month, and we use more like 250-300. I've been buying test strips at Walmart and we all know how dang expensive they are. Last night I found American Diabetes Wholesale and found I can buy test strips there for 1/2 the cost that I buy them at Walmart or other drug stores and you get free shipping on orders over $100. I'm just wondering, where do you D-moms and dads buy your test strips? Am I on the right track with American Diabtes Wholesale, or is there somewhere else I should be looking?
Friday, September 10, 2010
Fun Giveaway
I've been really getting into reading the fellow D-blogs out there, a pretty tight knit community of mom's, they do all kinds of fun things like giveaways, D-feast Friday, and art projects, check out some of the links to the right. I still have more to add and hopefully I'll find the time to sit down and really update the blog and get it up to speed soon. For now, check out this cool giveaway over at D-Tales!
http://www.diabetes-tales.com/
http://www.diabetes-tales.com/
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