T1D Car Wash

Friday is car wash day. I vacuumed up at least 20 test strips and ALL the raisins. Dealing with a chronic condition like T1D means the highs and lows happen anywhere, anytime. It doesn’t stop for car washes. Thanks to the noise of the water and then the vacuum I couldn’t hear the Dexcom low alert and for some reason it didn’t show up on my watch. Grasshopper said he felt low. Yep. 55 on the meter, 50 on Dexcom.

Four Annie’s Fruit Snacks, and half a glucose tab for him. Contemplation of mortality with the daily mix of extraordinary and ordinary for me. I finished vacuuming the car. I saved my six year old son’s life again with eight grams of sugar. In the middle of cleaning our minivan. Thank you Dexcom. Thank you Annie’s Fruit Snacks. Life is weird and wonderful. I am grateful to be here in the midst of it and I’m glad my son is too.

Not two minutes later, life handed me a giggle as I caught Sunshine spraying the inside car window as if she was trying to squirt a hole through the glass. That one spot is CLEAN. Time to move on.

Pike Road Lions Strides Walk 2018

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Awareness is important. After bringing awareness, I’m interested in ACTION!

I did an interview today on WSFA about the Pike Road Lions Club Strides Walk with Dennis Fonville, the President of the Pike Road Lions. The on-screen information included my blog address. Watch the interview here. I wanted to be sure to guide people back to the Pike Road Lions Club Facebook page.

To pre-register for the event, CLICK HERE.

This inaugural Strides Walk will take place Saturday, November 10, 9:00-11:00 A.M. at Cottonwood Golf Club in Montgomery, Alabama. Registration begins at 8:00 A.M. Eric Snitil, meteorologist with WSFA News, will be our Master of Ceremonies. Eric was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 17 years ago. We will walk the back nine holes of the course together. The money raised will go to Camp Seale Harris, which organizes camps all over Alabama for children with type 1 diabetes.

Pay at the event, $20 per person. In honor of Veterans Day, veterans will be admitted free, as well as Lions Club members, and children 10 years old and younger.

If you are unable to attend but would like to contribute, please consider donating to the Pike Road Lions Club Strides Walk for Diabetes Awareness GoFundMe page here.

Here is the backstory:

In May 2018, the Pike Road Lions Club sponsored our family to go to a family weekend at Camp Seale Harris which organizes camps all over Alabama for children with type 1 diabetes. We were thrilled that our school nurse, Amber Stevens, had suggested our family, along with several others, to the Pike Road Lions Club President Dennis Fonville and Vice President Jeff Pinegar. I wrote about our experience at the Family Camp here.

I spoke to the Lions after our Family Camp. I shared photos of our time there and shared just how much we appreciated the opportunity to make connections with other T1D families. Camp make a lasting impression on Grasshopper and we look forward to being involved in other camp activities.

A few months after Family Camp, Jeff asked if I would help organize an event with the Pike Road Lions. He explained that Lions Club International has expanded their mission to include helping those with diabetes.

One of the Lions new initiatives is the Strides for Diabetes Awareness. Local clubs are encouraged to organize various active events for Strides such as a run, walk, a bicycle race, a dance, or any gathering that encourages exercise, education about the various forms of diabetes, and offers screenings. I was honored to be included and excited to help bring together the people I have met so far in our area who are affected by diabetes! I have met many families, individuals, business owners, and non-profit leaders in the past 5 years who have a diabetes connection. I know there are many more. I hope that Alese and I can play some small part in bringing people together for support through our efforts here at Sugar Rush Survivors.

JDRF One Walk Birmingham

by Erin

UPDATE: Congratulations Jake Saxon on winning our Low Blood Sugar Survival Pack! https://www.facebook.com/SugarRushSurvivors/videos/1183063691846348/

Sunday, November 4 was a GREAT day. Mr. Mister and I loaded up the car, packed plenty of snacks for the kids and we drove to Birmingham to be a part of the JDRF One Walk. I was honored that Meredith Morrison, JDRF Development Coordinator, asked me to be involved. This was my first event as a “vendor.”

Blue November Prep

While I am still getting ready for Halloween, I’m also looking forward to our diabetes awareness efforts for November. We participate in Project Blue November by wearing blue on Fridays and posting on social media. Last year I painted a craft pumpkin with the international symbol for diabetes, a blue circle. We collected all of Grasshopper’s used diabetes supplies and empty packets of Annie’s Fruit Snacks in the pumpkin to show all of the supplies and low blood sugar treatments he used.

First of All, It Was October…

Every autumn Bartlett Ranch, a working horse and cattle farm near us, hosts an evening celebrating Alabama farmers. It is always a fun time and sure sign that the endless Alabama summer is finally waning.

We had a great evening at Bartlett Ranch! Arrows were shot, turkey feathers found, and apples were pressed.

Calves, goats, cows, and snakes were admired. Balloons were acquired. Firetrucks were explored. We Sugar Surfed our way through a hotdog (1 gram of carbohydrates), hotdog bun (21g carbs), chips (15g carbs), and Chips Ahoy cookies (15g carbs).

Life Speed

By Kay Jacoby

By Erin

Both Alese and I have been busy and we haven’t written much. There have been lots of changes for both of us and it feels like life is moving at light speed. The speed of life. Life speed, full ahead.

I had a moment to slow down a bit after one of Grasshopper’s routine appointments at Children’s Hospital of Alabama. We loved getting to see Heather Jordan to talk about how to better tackle some of the issues we face like helping Grasshopper through the annual blood draws he has to have. The last one was… intense.

After our appointment we were waiting for traffic to ease so we spent some time in Children’s Harbor. I have heard various reactions when we share that we are headed back to Children’s. Fairly often others react with sadness or say some form of, “Oh, that is such a sad place.” Granted, my view of it is due to Grasshopper’s successful diagnosis and treatment there. There certainly are many possible outcomes. For our family Children’s has been and continues to be a place of hope.

I thought I would take some photos to share why Grasshopper is always so excited to go to Children’s Hospital.

20 Minute Poop Storm

In the space of about 20 minutes on Tuesday evening, the following happened:

• I dosed Grasshopper for a 40 gram weight piece of cinnamon roll for dessert. That is a sliver of a roll, not a whole one. It was a 20 gram carb treat. I sent him to put on his pjs so the insulin could have a little time to work.
• He walked out a few minutes later holding his insulin infusion site… that was supposed to be attached to his body. I tried to hide my instant anxiety. When did it come off? Did it come off before his 24 gram carb dinner? Did he get any insulin for dinner? Did it come off after dinner but before I dosed for the cinnamon roll slice? Did he get any insulin for that???