Guest post---Organizing and Planning from another mom MT

Good morning- We can all get a little "picky", "obsessive", and all of the other buzz words about our plans and organization. Everyone, however, has different variables to work with as well, and needs to muster up the flexibility as well as the ability to prioritize. My good friend, Deanna, is coming on board today and other times in the future to share a little about her life and how she has to organize her day. She is also my BFF, :). I will share in a different post how we met, but trust me when I say that when she writes you will walk away knowing that you have become a little bit wiser, and are different after 50 than before 50. If you read this and you are before 50, you have gotten it that much sooner. :)


Working, homeschooling, mom, wife, mother, friend, all these titles we have and we wear them proudly. Another title I carry is caregiver. We just had, and we did not celebrate, the 9th anniversary of my daughter being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. People get this very confused with type 2. My daughter came down with the flu, and her body's immune system went haywire and decided that the ilets, that we all have and that produce insulin in our bodies, were the enemy bacteria/virus in her and it killed her ilets. Therefore, her body does not produce insulin and every day we have to give her at the least, 2 shots. Oral medication does not work for a type 1, the only medicine is insulin shots or the insulin pump.



Many parents have no idea where it comes from, they know of no one in their families that have this autoimmune disease. We, however, knew what this disease is, because my mom also was a type 1 diabetic. She was 16 when she was diagnosed, her granddaughter was 5.



So our day is even more planned and organized. Breakfast is usually the same time, as is lunch, snacks and dinner, then bedtime. The endocrinologist who took care of my daughter at the beginning was thrilled that we homeschooled because I could watch her closer and be there if she needed me.



Blood sugars do funny things to you, you may feel lightheaded, dizzy, shaky, hot, cold, tired, and sometimes even mean. I can tell my daughter's blood sugars by her mood and also by her handwriting! Yes, if she is mean spirited I know she is high, as she is usually a very even tempered young lady and sweet natured, but when those blood sugars are high she can be very demanding! Oh her handwriting, I know her sugars are good when her writing is perfect, as with all of us, our sugars are in check and we are "us," but she has to watch and try to stay "her."



I think all the children with type 1 diabetes are the bravest warriors. They not only have to have shots every day or a catheter left under their skin and have a pump to wear 24/7, but they have to have finger pokes. Do you remember in biology in school where you got to see what your blood type was and you poked your finger to get a drop or 2 of blood? Well this is what we do, a minimum of 4-5 times a day to 10 or more a day. Pretty soon they get used to it, but you know it still hurts, whether physically, but emotionally.



Many parents have turned over the entire diabetes care to their child when they are 7 or 8, some later, but me, I told my girl, you be a child and I'll take care of the other, when you are older and are ready, you can take over, but until then we will be a team. We are a team, we spend time together, I listen and understand what she and her brother like, music, movies, tv shows. I take time to know their friends and just be there for them. I try my best to guide them in morals and teach them life, but be there to pick them up and dust them off like we did when they learned their first steps.

Deanna

1 comment:

Ann Jones said...

Type 1 diabetes run in my family, but I have only had gestational with both of my sons. I do know that it puts me at a higher risk for type II :( New follower from the monday mingle hop, have a great week. You can find me at
http://wvfrugal-wvsaver.blogspot.com/
Stop by my blog when you get the time :)