Controlling Diabetes

Check out this great article for both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes: Controlling Diabetes One of the ways to help control diabetes is through superfoods! Picking out snacks that have healthy benefits will boost your diet. Recommended by the American Diabetes Association, these superfoods have a low glycemic index and provide key nutrients like calcium, potassium, fiber, magnesium, vitamins A, C and E. Here are some superfood choices: A citrus snack: Grapefruit and oranges provide soluble fiber and vitamin C. Slice a grapefruit in half, cut around the edges and then eat it with a spoon. Oranges are great to eat on the go and can be an especially refreshing snack for a hot afternoon. Deliciously sweet potatoes: Shy away from french fries and instead have sweet potatoes, full of vitamin A and fiber. Because they have so much flavor, you don’t have to add tons of butter and salt to make them tasty. Berry nice to eat: Choose your favorite — strawberries, blueberries or blackberries. All of them are full of antioxidants, vitamins and fiber. Pair fruit with nonfat yogurt to make a yummy dessert. Tomato time: Whether you have tomatoes pureed, mixed in a sauce or raw, they provide vitamin C, iron and vitamin E. Cut up big slices of fresh tomatoes and add fresh mozzarella, then sprinkle with basil for a sophisticated appetizer. Go nuts: Having an ounce of nuts can keep you from being hungry between meals and give you a dose of magnesium and fiber. Walnuts and flax seed are great choices because they contain omega-3 fatty acids. These snacks will help with the healthy diet of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. Type 2 diabetes patients may supplement their diet with one of the oral medications that help manage blood sugar — sulfonylureas, biguanides, meglitinides, thiazolidinediones , alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, D-phenylalanine derivatives and DPP-4 inhibitors. Be aware that one thiazolidinedione, Actos (pioglitazone), comes with serious side effects like weakened bones, impaired vision, exacerbating heart failure and an increased risk of bladder cancer. Bladder cancer symptoms include blood in the urine, pain while urinating and an increased need to urinate. Experiencing the debilitating effects of bladder cancer has caused many Actos users to file lawsuits against Takeda, the drug's manufacturer. Type 1 diabetes patients may need to take insulin before snacks, depending on the insulin regimen their doctor has prescribed. Living with diabetes doesn't mean that you have to deprive yourself of every good food, but it's important to adjust to intentional dietary choices — like superfoods. Alanna Ritchie writes about prescription drugs and medical devices for Drugwatch.com.

One Proud Mama

It's been quite awhile since my last post but I am happy to say things are going well. Kelsey has grown sooo much in the last year. She graduated from high school and much to my dismay decided to go to college 2 hours away from home. As I've said in previous posts, I promised Kelsey that we wouldn't let Diabetes stop her from doing anything-and that includes going to the college of her choice While I vent my fears and apprehensions here in this blog, I try and make sure I don't voice them to Kelsey. Instead I hope i come off as supportive but realistic. When she was accepted to a college 2 hours away we took all the precautions necessary in preparing her for a year of Diabetes independence. We spoke to the "Health Center",moved her prescriptions to a local drug store, and let her be the one to tell her roommate and friends about her Diabetes. I of course wanted to tell everyone upon our arrival and hold a training session on how to administer the glucagon. I would have gone as far as to tape plastic bags of juice boxes and crackers at the bottom of her bed if she would have let me. (I hope most of you get my sarcastic sense of humor and know I wouldn't really do this-well maybe just the juice box thing. :) Anyway, Kelsey did an amazing job. Moving away was the best thing for her. She did well on her own because she had to. Mom wasn't around to lean on. I don't like to think I enabled her and I encouraged her independence on the daily -but maybe just knowing I was there didn't allow her to truly be independent. Throughout the school year she made appointments on her own,called her doctor with questions ,used various pump settings, and renewed prescriptions. Most importantly she took her blood sugar frequently.This was something that was lacking previously. She didn't have one DKA experience until finals week the last few days of school. Because of the stress of finals,lack of sleep, and a spring cold she ended of with large ketones. I really thought she was going to have to make a hospital visit but she called her doctor and he talked her through it.By the next morning, she was feeling much better and able to take her finals. I'm not really sure when or how she told her friends that she was Diabetic but they all knew and really looked out for her.This was especially reassuring to me when she went out on the weekends. If there's one thing I am-it's a realist. I know she is going experiment with alcohol at college-that's just a fact with the majority of college students. You are kidding yourself if you think your child is an exception-even if they are Diabetic. Sometimes I think especially if they are Diabetic. They are already different from everyone else, they don't want one more thing like "not drinking" to set them apart from the crowd. Now don't misunderstand me. I DO NOT condone underage drinking. But let's face facts here. Do you remember when you were 19? Kelsey has completed her Freshman year in college and I couldn't be more proud. She has learned to be independent not only at school but in managing her Diabetes as well. Now if only I could get her to clean her room.....

Emergency Room Visit

We often hear stories of other diabetics going to the emergency room or even being admitted because they have large ketones and just can't get their blood sugar down. If I'm honest with myself I think I secretly judged those people."Aren't they managing their diabetes?" "Don't they check their blood sugars?" I know. I know. I am a diabetes snob. Didn't think I was but I am-or at least used to be.
When the endocrinologist asks Kelsey if she'd had any emergency room visits or admissions we always answer with a resounding 'NO."It's something we are both proud of. I'm not saying she doesn't get ketones, but we have always known how to trouble shoot. We have been successful changing her site,or calling the pump company to trouble shoot, or maybe changing her pump basal rates.
Well last weekend, Kelsey kept waking up with high blood sugars and large ketones. She would get them down in the day but each night the same thing would happen. After a couple days of this it was wearing on her body and eventually the ketones were sticking around all through the day.
We called the endocrinologist on call and after explaining the situation he came to the conclusion it was a pump malfunction.
We called the pump company and they said the pump was fine and instructed us to call the endocrinologist.So now what?
After talking to other my Type 3 friend Eileen,she suggested I insist on a new pump. That way we could rule it out.Animas overnighted it to us. Kelsey set it up with all of her newly adjusted basal rates and the same thing happened the next morning. She woke up with a blood sugar of 324 and small ketones. Her ketones became large within a few hours of waking.
After 2 1/2 days of troubleshooting and still no results, I knew she had to go to the emergency room. I called the endocrinologist and he agreed. This way they could check her electrolites and make sure she as not dehydrated.
I felt like I had really let Kelsey down. I was scared to see how gray her skin color was and how ill she looked. Her poor body was just shutting down.
We headed to the children's hospital's emergency room. They took us back immediately and gave Kelsey an IV. They also took a urine test and asked Kelsey many questions.
After just 30 minutes of getting fluids,Kelsey's color and personality were back to normal. In fact, she felt so good she was taking pictures of herself in her hospital gown and iv and posting it on Facebook for all of her friends to comment on.
After about 2 hours they came back with all the lab results. She was not in DKA and her urine glucose levels were normal. Her urine did show signs of infection though. Once a UTI was ruled out they decided it was this virus that was going around and it was wreaking havoc on her diabetes.A day or two before this whole thing happened, Kelsey did mention she wasn't feeling well, but since it was so short-lived and there wasn't any vomiting-we didn't think it was a virus.
Now that we know what happened, hopefully we can prevent this from ever happening again. But I know that's not a sure thing. Sometimes you can do everything you are supposed to and this disease will still do what it wants. It has a mind of it's own sometimes.Life with diabetes is certainly a learning experience.

Giving Back

When Kelsey was first diagnosed I was approached by many people to volunteer for ADA and JDRF. For some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to do it right away. My life was completely overwhelmed with diabetes and i just had to do it on my own time.I started out slowly by selling candles for the ADA. SOme of the proceeds went to the Sugar Free Weekend Retreat and it was something I could handle while working full time. Then we formed a team for the "Walk For A Cure_-a 5k walk at a local park that raised money for diabetes research. We dubbed ourselves the "Mighty McGills" and ended up raising a lot of money. It felt really good to do something to support Kelsey. The first year few started out with just a few family members. Now,6 years later we have a large group of friends, family, and neighbors that support us each year. I feel very uncomfortable asking people for money but I was amazed with the response I got. So many people have a connection with diabetes in some way that they want to help-by either donating or joining us on the walk.It's now something we all look forward to each year.
With a few years of being Walk Captain under my belt,I now felt ready to move on to other volunteer opportunities. My neighbor Terry approached me about joining the ADA Gala committee. Terry and I joined the committee and recruited other neighbors as well. At the first meeting I knew I was out of my league. The gala was a huge, formal event with music,dinner, and a live and silent auction. we were responsible for getting patrons to donate their services as well as auction items. I had never attended a gala or auction before so i felt completely inadequate. The good news was that many of the proceeds were going to the Sugar Free Weekend Retreat. ALso, Roy, Tony,Eileen,and Claire-my SFWR friends were also on the committee.
I did my best to obtain auction items-but if you remember I hate asking people for things. I definitely had to be in the right frame of mind when I headed out to various businesses and companies.I got rejected - a lot.But when I finally scored it motivated me to keep going.I continued to help out with the gala over the past several years but now I contribute by making a slide show each year to showcase kids with diabetes as well as their experiences at the Sugar Free Retreat. They show it at the gala each year and it helps to raise money for the retreat.(Take a look at this years slideshow posted on my blog through You Tube.)
After a few years on the gala committee, I continued my search for other volunteering opportunities. I was dropping Kelsey off at Camp Possibilities-a camp for diabetic children and teens-when I met a representative from JDRF. She recognized Kelsey and her friends from a newspaper article and struck up a conversation with us. She briefly told me about their outreach program where volunteers can mentor newly diagnosed families. I could host a coffee at my house for parents to get together to discuss various topics related to diabetes. They also had family picnics,and a fundraising walk and gala.After contacting the Outreach Coordinator, I soon became involved with mentoring newly diagnosed families,hosting coffees, and helping with their family picnic.
AS Kelsey became older, she became more involved in these activities. She became "Walk Captain" and helped me organize a "Dance For Diabetes" to fundraise for the walk.We had a local DJ donate his services and a local Embassy Suites donate an event room for our dance. We raise $500 and the kids had a great time.Kelsey really enjoyed volunteering and we later found out how valuable these experiences would be when she applied to colleges.

Sugar Free Retreat-Part 2

My initial purpose for Kelsey attending camp was to meet another girl her age who had diabetes.Who knew we would leave with that and so much more.
I was on a mission. Throughout the day,I scanned the room in search of a girl who looked to be about Kelsey's age.I wanted her to be able to talk to someone her own age about her diabetes. There was only one diabetic at her school and he was a 7 year old boy.
I spotted a girl that appeared to be Kelsey's age playing Bingo. We joined her at the table where I -as Kelsey put it- interrogated her.Kelsey was slightly mortified but as a result I found out that not only was she Kelsey's age, but she lived only 10 miles from our house! I wanted to shout BINGO! But for obvious reason I refrained.
Kelsey's new friend,Carissa, was diagnosed just a few months after Kelsey.She was at the camp with her grandfather,who was also her legal guardian. I introduced myself to "Pop-Pop"and we soon became fast friends.Shortly after our friendship began I would realize just how much we would rely on each other for support. Pop-Pop and I would become sounding boards for each other when we got down on ourselves for not managing their diabetes better.
The Fall Sugar Free Retreat was held at a campground in Delaware,just a little over an hour from home.We said goodbye to our deluxe hotel accommodations and hello to cots,cabins, and no air conditioning.This time it was just Kelsey,Carissa, and myself. Pop-Pop's knees were bothering him and it would be difficult for him to get around the campground.
I've always believed that there are no accidental meetings in life. People are sent to you at a time when you need them. This is true in the case of our bunkmates for the weekend-Danielle and her mom, Eileen.The girls-often referred to by campers as the 3 Musketeers-became inseperable during the retreat and Eileen and I would soon become great friends. To this very day her friendship,counsel, and support are invaluable to me.
The retreat offered swimming,rock wall climbing,ropes courses,bon fires, and fantastic guest speakers.Over the past few years,we've had the opportunity to hear the latest research from highly respected doctors,we've met Gary Schniener-author of "Think Like a Pancreas", and we even had a visit from 2001's Miss America,Nicole Johnson. Nicole Johnson-diabetic since college-was a powerful speaker. She let each girl put on her crown to let them know that anything is possible as long as you work hard-so dream BIG!She was an inspiration to parents by reassuring us that our children can have it all-the jog,the family, and the good health. She made it clear though that it didn't happen by accident.It was something they would have to work for.Nicole Johnson was also the one that dubbed the parents Type 3 Diabetics.
It was especially encouraging to see pictures of her holding her 9 month old healthy baby girl.Many of us who had daughters were encouraged to hear how smoothly her pregnancy went.This reassured me that Kelsey could have it all. Nicole Johnson left us all with such hopes for the future. To this day I go back and reread certain sections of her book when I am feeling weighed down by it all.It really helps tp put it all in perspective.
One of the greatest gifts that Sugar Free Retreat has to offer is the people who organize the event.The ADA staff and all of their volunteers are the most dedicated,hard working people you will ever meet.Eileen and I would soon join the ranks of volunteers and get to know them better:C.J.-diabetic herself and longtime champion for diabetes. Roy-CJ's husband who volunteers for the love of his wife and the kids of ADA. Tony-a volunteer who has no connection to diabetes but works toward the cause with such determination and unwaivering faith that we will soon find a cure. Claire- director of the retreat and gala who works tirelessly to make each event better than the last.Ron-whose body has been ravaged by this terrible disease but continues his work through ADA as well as running other facilities for diabetic children. And Carlos-an ADA employee whose enthusiasm is contagious and juggling is unprecedented. Each year he puts on a juggling show for the kids at the retreat-eplaining how juggling balls is a lot like juggling diabetes.Without the support of these people,Kelsey and I would surely be lost.
One of my favorite moments from the retreat is one that takes place at the rock climbing wall.Kelsey,Carissa,and Danielle suit up to climb up the 30 foot rock wall which then leads to the zip line which wisks them down to the ground. Kelsey and Danielle each race up to the top in what must be record time. They proceed to slide down the zip line where Roy and Tony are ready to greet them and help them to the ground.
When it's Carissa's turn she is more hesitant than the others due to her fear of heights.She wants to do it but i not sure if she can.After lots of encouragement from the crowd, she starts up the rock wall.A third of the way up she stops. The crowd starts to chant her name. Carissa!! Carissa!! Carissa!!Halfway up now she begins to panic.Random people from the crowd are offering her advice on which rock to step on next.Carissa!! Carissa!! This distracts her and the panic subsides.Three quarters of the way up she slips and a hush falls over the crowd.Would this be the end? Would she give up?She's so close! There was complete silence for a very long time. Then Carissa finally said, "Would you guys start cheering my name again?" The crowd went wildSHe's not giving up. Carissa!! Carissa!! SHe reached the top where a volunteer helped her get attached to the zip line. There was so much cheering going on people passing by were stopping to see what all the excitement was about All this took place in about 30 minutes. No one seemed to mind. Not the volunteers who were tired from being out in the heat all day, not even the many children in line behind Carissa waiting patiently for their turns.
Once Carissa got attached to the zip line all she had to do was jump off and slide down to the ground.However, seeing how high she was had her frozen with fear. People were shouting words of encoragement up to her but she wanted nothing to do with it. Time passed and soon the dinner bell rang. Slowly, the crowd dispersed to the dining hall. All that was left was Carissa, the volunteer at the top of the rock wall,and Kelsey,Danielle,Eileen,Roy, and Tony at the bottom-waiting.Almost an hour had passed since she started this climb. It was now dinner time and I was getting concerned about her blood sugar dropping.After several minutes of debate and realizing that the only way down was the zip line-Carissa closed her eyes and leapt off the platform. We were all cheering so loudly we became hoarse. We all had tears in our eyes over what she had accomplished.She was greeted at the bottom with hugs and high fives from all of us.
This accomplishment was so much more than climbing up a rock wall. T all of us it was symbolic of overcoming obstacles-such as diabetes--and persevering even when it gets tough. And that in the end you will succeed and all of the hard work will be worth it.
When we finally made it to the dining hall everyone stood up and cheered when Carissa entered. For the rest of the weekend, Carissa was flying high. She couldn't wait to tell her Pop-Pop about it.
The retreat was a great experience.In spite of the hot cabins and uncomfortable cots, we all left the retreat feeling refreshed and empowered.

Sugar Free Retreat-Part 1

At one of Kelsey's meetings with the diabetic educator,she asked us if we attended any of the diabetic camps they offered.She also wanted us to get involved with one of the local support groups such as the American Diabetes Association or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.. Kelsey had been diabetic for almost a year now and I just couldn't bring myself to look into any of this information.My mind was still on overload with all of the changes and information we were receiving. In spite of my reluctance, I mentioned the idea of camp to Kelsey but she was nervous about going away to camp-diabetes or no diabetes.
After hearing details about about the "Sugar Free Retreat,"which is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association,Kelsey thought she would give it a try. Sugar Free Retreat held a fall and a winter retreat each year and the whole family is encouraged to attend.The winter retreat was held over President's Day weekend in Ocean City,Maryland at the Carousel Hotel.Kelsey and Mollie love the idea of going to the beach during the winter. They especially loved the fact that the hotel had an indoor iceskating rink. We were all excited about going and the minute we got there we knew we had made the right decision.
The weekend consisted of education and discussion groups for the parent,as ell as a chance to meet with different vendors from a large variety of diabetes supply companies.Kelsey was able to meet children her age who were going through the exact same thing she was.. Mollie even benefited from talking to other siblings and sharing their experiences.The children spent their days making crafts,playing games,participating in a talent show,and of course learning about diabetes.
Mealtime was a bonding experience. The air was filled with the sounds of glucometers beeping. Children were comparing their blood glucose numbers and carb counting was easy because each food item was labeled with their carbohydrate count per serving.If only each day could be this easy.
Michael and I enjoyed meeting the other parents and sharing stories of how we discovered our children were diabetic. We realized that this camp was at times more for us than it was for the actual children with diabetes.The parents relied on each other for support. We looked to each other for advice. We truly and deeply felt everything our children were going through.We empathetically felt each injection and each high and low blood sugar sypmton.It was at one of the retreats that one of the speakers labeled us as Type 3 diabetics. Type 1 :being insulin dependent and usually diagnosed as a child. Type 2 :usually controlled by diet,exercise, and oral medication,and diagnosed later in life. And Type 3:parents of Type 1 children. We were officially diagnosed. We reveled in introducing ourselves that way to new parents."Hi,this is my daughter Kelsey who has Type 1 diabetes and I'm her mom with type 3 diabetes. We enjoyed the confused looks on their faces. You could almost read their minds wondering if there. really was a Type 3 diabetes and why hadn't they heard about it sooner. (Who would predict that 5-6 years later Type 3 diabetes would unfortunately really exist. I will discuss this further in a future post.)Once these unknowing parents caught on they too joined the ranks of type 3 diabetics. The weekend was such a bonding experience. We learned so much from each other whether it was recommendations for a good endocrinologist or the best snack for a low blood sugar.We met children who were newly diagnosed and some who were diabetic since they were infants. It blew my mind to see a little 4 year old take his own blood sugar and show us how his insulin pump worked. AS a matter of fact,it was this little boy who inspired Kelsey to start pump education classes. The insulin pump was often suggested to Kelsey by our diabetic educator, but Kelsey was intimidated by it.SHe wasn't quite sure how the pump would be attached to her body and she was nervous about trying something new. The little boy was eager to show us where his pump was inserted and how it worked. He had Kelsey's full attention and after many questions-she was sold. Kelsey figured if a 4 year old can do then so could she.

Life Goes On -Part 2

Field trips were also looked at in a new way. Being a teacher myself, I rarely had the opportunity to go with Kelsey on her field trips. It was difficult for me to get substitute coverage and I usually saved my time off for doctor’s appointments and sick days. Now it was mandatory. Sometime the school nurse would go if it were a half day trip, but it was difficult to leave the other nurse alone for any longer than that. As a working mom I always missed out on the field trips and class parties so it was fun seeing Kelsey interact with her classmates. It was great getting to know the other parents as well. I was relieved that Kelsey wasn’t at that age yet where she was embarrassed by her mother.
Going out to eat was now a challenge. She could no longer get chicken fingers and french fries-her favorite meal- every time. The nutritionist asked us to limit that meal since it was high in fat-fatty foods make it difficult for insulin to be absorbed into the body. This was a real sacrifice for Kelsey as it was -and still is one of her favorite meals.
I now had to ask restaurants for the nutritional information. Even though restaurants are supposed to provide this information, it I found it rare to ever receive it. After a few months I accumulated a folder full of nutritional pamphlets from most of the local fast food places such as McDonalds and Subway. I also stumbled on to a great carb counting book (The Doctor’s Pocket Calorie Fat & Carbohydrate Counter- www.calorie king.com) It has nutritional information for over 150 restaurants. It was essential in helping us count carbohydrates more accurately.


Through all of these new challenges, Kelsey continued to impress me with her optimism and determination. I had little pity parties for myself all the time . When would her time come? I was waiting for the frustration to build and the tears to come and sure enough they did. One summer night the neighborhood girls were running around the neighborhood .They were riding their bikes,going from house to house, when Kelsy started feeling low. She came back home to take get a juice and I made her stay and rest until her sugar was at a safer level.If she dropped too quickly she could pass out.Riding her bike would only bring it down more. Her body needed time to process the carbs and steady her blood sugar.
The girls were coninuing to play and she was missing out. It all of a sudden occurred to her that this diabetes was interfering with her life. She was crying hard now and complaining through her tears that it wasn’t fair. She didn’t want to get shots anymore, She didn’t want to take her blood sugar anymore. She just wanted to ride her bike.Why was she the only one? Why couldn’t someone else she knew get it so she wouldn’t be the only one. Then it wouldn’t be so bard. My heart was breaking. I wanted to give her answers but I couldn’t. I just hugged her until she calmed down . I promised her that I would be there for her and help her through this struggle . She cried herself to sleep and I could only hope and pray that she would get through this. We were so lucky that she’d been handling things so well up until this point. How could so much be asked of a 10year old? She was right. It wasn’t fair at all.