Growing Up

For the last 4+ years Sain has been happy wearing her medical bracelet. I owe so much of this to N-Style ID.

When Sain was first diagnosed I searched and searched and searched for a medical bracelet that would fit Sain's style. (Sain has been choosing her own style since well before her first birthday. If you don't believe me, just ask anyone who tried to dress her as a baby -- Sain's got definite opinions and is heavily influenced by one of her favorite TV shows, Fashion Files.) The day I discovered N-Style ID was a very happy day in our household.

Sain wore the Jelly Bands for 4 years. She had everything from the solids to the stars to the polka dots. They are great because of the low price and the variety. But Sain is growing up and ready for a change.

Enter the medical heart charms. It took two charms to put all the info we needed. (Having a long last name and two chronic diseases takes up a lot of letter!)

Thank you, N-Style ID for allowing my daughter's medical jewelry to grow up with her!

Interviews, diabetes and the week ahead

So, this morning I had a phone interview for an HRIS position that sounds really interesting. I was worried about doing a phone interview with both kids home. I could picture Aidan playing loudly with his Lego pirates, Sain's alarms going off or having a low, Tennyson meowing or getting the "kitty cat crazies" that he so often gets but none of this happened.

The phone interview went quite well and both kids (and the cat) were incredibly well behaved. Sain and Aidan played quietly in their rooms and Tennyson slept. Their impressive behavor earned the kids blizzards from DQ. (Tennyson will get treats when he wakes up.)

I think the interview went well. The recruiter was impressed with my background and knowledge so I am hoping for some positive results. But this lay off has really messed with my confidence. I've never really been a cocky person but in the past I've been able to believe in my skills and project at least some confidence. It's been really hard to do that of late.

On the diabetes front:
Sain's numbers have been running a bit high all summer. I just adjusted her evening basal rates and things seem to be going better. Her next endo appointment isn't until September but I am happy it's the big appointment and that they will be doing full labs. The crazy numbers seem to be indicating a spike in hormones -- oh the fun times ahead!! It's times like these that I really love Sain's CGM!

(A few people have expressed concern about my lack of health insurance and Sain's diabetes care. Luckily, Sain and Aidan are both covered through their dad's insurance. As much as I really wish I had my own health insurance right now -- there's nothing quite like the fear of illness when you are uninsured -- I would rather the kids have coverage than me. Besides, the coverage they have now is Aetna and Aetna is paying at least some of Sain's CGM!)

This week:

Today both kids have appointments with our wonderful family doctor, Dr. Molina. Both kids are getting asthma check ups and I am hoping there is something that will help both of them. Scariest moment from the last few weeks -- both kids were having pretty bad asthma attacks at the same time when Sain wheezed, "I feel low." Fun!

The rest of the week is filled with karate and (hopefully) interviews.

Saturday is packed. We have karate all morning, demo practice after that, Sain's best friend's birthday party at the karate school, then we've been invited to watch the fights (UFC) at some folks from the karate school's house. (Thank God Georges St. Pierre is fighting -- he's the only UFC fighter I know!)

Sunday Sain (and the rest of the ACMMA demo team) will be performing on the main stage at Kent Cornucopia Days at noon and both kids will be marching in the parade afterwards.

It should be a fun week. This summer is going way too quickly!

Not feeling too creative

Kate stole this "quiz" from Shelley and I stole it from Kate.

Outside my window ... two birds are having a very loud conversation in my backyard.

I am thinking ... about how arbitrary life is.

I am thankful for ... my dad (and mom, too.) My kids, my cat, friends who genuinely care about me and my sanity.

From the kitchen ... the smell of the pizza I just cooked for tonight’s dinner. Sáin’s last class tonight ends at 7:00 so we won’t be home until 7:30 so dinner has to be quick and easy!

I am wearing ... jeans, a JDRF hoodie and skate shoes – I am so predictable.

I am creating ... an interesting childhood for my kids. I feel incredibly guilty about the lack of stability in their lives but they are both happy, intelligent, well behaved kids so I must be doing something right.

I am going ... to the karate school in about 45 minutes.

I am reading ... Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls Book 2, New Girl by Meg Cabot. Sáin and I have been reading the series together.

I am hoping ... for a new (good) job soon.

I am hearing ... Aidan shooting his Lego dinosaurs with his Nerf gun, Sáin playing her DS and Tennyson crunching his dry food.

Around the house ... there is too much stuff

One of my favorite things ... is Sáin’s Continuous Glucose Monitor. It is truly an amazing tool and worth all the insurance battles I fought/fight.

A few plans for the rest of the week ... regular karate class and demo team practice tonight. Karate picnic Saturday during the day and demo at the Kent International Festival in the evening with Sáin, Aidan and Sáin’s best friend, Hannah. BBQ with my niece, Amanda, and her amazing family whom I haven’t seen in 17 years on Sunday.

A picture to share ... Aidan’s friend Piper’s dad took some great pictures at Aidan’s party. In this one Aidan and his friend, Mason, are teaming up against their instructor, Chris in a wrestling match. Aidan is so happy!

8 Things

Okay, for you, Kate, I will do this:

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To

1. Aidan’s 6th birthday party tomorrow.
2. Both kids sleeping well tonight (Thank you, Benadryl!)
3. A night alone next Saturday. (If both kids really go their dad’s place, it will be the first time I’ve been alone since November!)
4. My lawn mower getting fixed
5. The “one day vacations” Sáin, Aidan and I are planning this summer
6. The 2009-10 NHL Season – I really miss my Leafs.
7. Sleeping more than 3 hours (hopefully) tonight
8. Last but not least, a cure

8 Things I Did Yesterday

1. Ordered a Wall-e birthday cake and reminded the baker Aidan’s name is spelled “an” not “en” (Who would’ve thought Aidan would be my kid whose name is constantly misspelled?)
2. Overspent at the gluten-free bakery in Whole Foods
3. Had a camp out in the living room.
4. Ate dinner in the car, again.
5. Led a successful meeting on a corporate wellness program
6. Took my cat outside on his leash
7. Kissed my five year old goodnight for the last time (He turned 6 today.)
8. Spent over 2 hours sitting on a hard bench at the martial arts studio.

Things I Wish I Could Do

1. Cure type 1 diabetes
2. Stay at home with my kids (while still making enough money to live on)
3. Go back to school
4. run without horrible hip pain
5. move back to Toronto
6. Sleep through the night
7. Travel through Europe with the kids all summer.
8. get Sáin’s blood sugar to stay down in the hot weather

8 Shows I Watch

1. Hockey Night in Canada
2. The Hour
3. Reaper (I know, it’s not on anymore but we did watch it religiously)
4. The Simpsons
5. iCarly (Sáin’s favorite)
6. Clone Wars (Aidan’s favorite)
7. Jeopardy
8. Torchwood

Beat the Bridge -- our first 5 years

2005 -- 1 month post-diagnosis and still unaware of what this
disease really meant.


2006 -- surviving kindergarten on NPH required a lot of discipline
for a 6 year old!



2007 -- first grade was still tough but the discipline was now
second nature

2008 - after a hellish 3 months on Lantus (Sain does not respond

well at all to Lantus) the pump is making life easier in second grade

2009 -- third grade with pump and CGM attached. You

would think life would be simpler now and in ways it is. But

I've learned a lot in these last five yearsand the more I learn,

the more I desperately want that illusive cure for Sain.

She doesn't deserve this -- no one does!

Our Morning by the Numbers

7 – the time we dropped Aidan off at Grandma and Grandpa’s so we could make it to Sáin’s endo appointment at Children’s on time.

2 – the number of security “check points” now required to get into Children’s. (One flu check and one security badge check)

34.5 – the number of kilograms Sáin now weighs. (about 76 pounds – only 6 pounds less than I weighed when I started high school!)

139.1 – the number of centimeters tall Sáin is. (about 4 ft 7.75 inches)

4.4 – the number of centimeters she’s grown in only 3 months! (that’s 1.75 inches!)

8 – Sáin’s A1C. Not as good as we would like but it will be better next time.

205 – what an 8 A1C equates to in BG averages

6 – the number of fasts we get to do in the next two weeks in order to reset her basal rates. (I say “we” because I do the fasts with Sáin. It’s unfair to make a kid fast alone.)

.4 – the bolus Sáin needs to give herself before disconnecting for karate. I’ve been reluctant to give a bolus before karate for fear of lows but a jump of 1.1 in her A1C changed my (and her endo’s) thinking

75 – Sáin’s new sensitivity setting on her pump. (This mainly just means she’s getting bigger and requires more insulin. It’s her first sensitivity change since diagnosis.)

And, most importantly to Sáin, 3 – the number of weeks until she’s officially a 4th grader!

A year ago...

I was here and I was happy.