Education is key...

In the 8 years that I have lived with diabetes I have never taken too much interest in learning about the condition. I wish I had. I am learning so much from "The Everything Diabetes Book." As most people know, there are 3 main types of diabetes; Type 1, type 2 and gestational. Type 1 diabetes means that your pancreas makes little to no insulin, so, in order to stay alive you must take insulin, either through injections or an insulin pump. Type 2 means that your pancreas makes plenty of insulin but your body is resistant to it. You can control it by exercise, diet and oral medications. In more severe cases you will need to take insulin injections. Gestational diabetes happens in pregnancy and is just like type 2, you make insulin but your body resists it. Gestational goes away after the baby is born but you have a slightly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

There are 2 sub-categories of type 1 diabetes (which is what I have.) Type 1A and type 1B. In type 1A (an autoimmune disease) your T-cells don't recognize the beta cells of your pancreas as part of your body and attack them. In type 1B, specialists don't really know what's happening and tests show that it is not an autoimmune disease. People with type 1B can even go periods without needing insulin. I have type 1A. I got diabetes from having Mono. When my body was fighting off the mono, it fought off the beta cells in my pancreas as well. So, I didn't get it from eating too much sugar, as I have thought from time to time, but from having another disease.

Much to my relief, I found out that my children only have a 2-3% chance of developing type 1 diabetes because I have it. If Jonathan had it their risk would increase to a 6% chance. And, unlike type 2 diabetes, which is possible caused by diet and lifestyle, I don't have to worry about them getting type 1 diabetes because they had a little sugar. While I do try my hardest to feed them healthy foods and help them to live a healthy lifestyle, I feel I can relax and not worry so much about them getting diabetes someday because they had some cookies and candies at the holidays, a birthday cake or a a sweet treat every once in a while. Well, I am off to learn more about my condition! Take care!

Top 10 Things to Know About Having Diabetes

Most of my friends and family know that I have type 1 diabetes. Many of them worry about me and share concerns but, sadly, most people are misinformed and often believe stereotypes about the disease. I am currently reading "The Everything Diabetes Book" and I would like to share the first page with you:

Top Ten Things You Should Know

About Diabetes

1. Eating sugar does not cause diabetes. And contrary to popular belief, people with diabetes can eat sugar in moderation, as long as it's figured in to their overall plans. (That means don't worry about me and my kids if you see us eating sugar.)
2. The terms "insulin dependent" (type 1) and "non-insulin dependent" (type 2) diabetes are obsolete. People with type 2 diabetes do require insulin sometimes.
3. Adults can develop "juvenile" (type 1) diabetes and kids can develop "adult-onset" (type 2) diabetes. (I developed "juvenile" diabetes at 18.)
4. Having "a touch" of diabetes is like being "a touch" pregnant. There is no such thing as borderline diabetes.
5. There is no "diabetic diet," only a new, healthier way of eating. (To me, this does not mean eating a bunch of "sugar-free" crap. Yuck! That stuff is so bad for you!)
6. Attending a diabetes education class and meeting with a registered dietitian are two of the most important ways you can start controlling your diabetes. (Just make sure that dietitian knows what they are talking about. I have yet to find one that does.)
7. People with diabetes can work out and play sports. Exercise lowers blood glucose (sugar) levels and is an important component of good diabetes management.
8. Diabetes is not a death sentence, but it can lead to serious, life-altering and life-threatening complications if not properly cared for.
9. Checking yourself frequently with a home blood glucose monitor can help prevent blood sugar emergencies and is an invaluable tool for learning how food and medication affect your disease.
10. People with diabetes -- Both adults and children -- are protected against discrimination in the workplace and at school by a number of federal laws. (Thank God!)

So anyway, there are a few basics... And a few notes with my thoughts. I am going to enjoy reading this book and learning more about the disease myself. I may type up things I learn and thoughts on the blog, for a couple of reasons: 1) So I can remember and have a little reference to look back at. 2) If I find something that I really think my friends and family should know about my condition I will share it on here. Happy Halloween!

Sickness and injuries

It's been a very hectic 2 weeks. It all started with Ethan getting a fever of 103.6, then a bad cold. When Ethan suffers, everyone suffers as he does not sleep. A few days later Camille caught his cold and something worse... croup (you can tell it's croup if their cough sounds like a seal bark, furthermore if they develop stridor, it can be very serious). Camille did have a little bit of stridor so I took her in the bathroom, turned on the shower and fed her where she could breathe in the steam and it seemed to help. I finally got them in the see the doctor (which was a nightmare itself, I'll have to tell that story another time) and she helped by giving me meds for Cami's croup and Ethan's cough (which I am still giving to him.) After all that Camille got very constipated, she was screaming and crying so I had to buy her some Glycerin suppositories, fun, huh? She finally got it out and now I am shoving prunes, prune juice and other foods that help her go into her mouth. The next day Ethan had to go to the allergist to get some tests done to see how his nut allergy is. They did a scratch test on him, which he struggled and cried to get away from. Jonathan had to hold him down for 10-15 minutes so that nothing, especially Ethan, touched his back and rubbed the test off. It was exhausting, even for me who was just trying to entertain and distract Ethan from the itching pain on his back and the fact that he couldn't move. Well, after all that Ethan is still allergic to peanuts quite a bit and has a slight allergy to other nuts. They said he even tested positive for being allergic to milk, but we give him that all the time and he's always been fine. That night Ethan was running around me in circles and ran smack-dab into a chair, and cut his eyebrow open. Poor thing was screaming and bleeding all over the place. I really thought he was going to need stitches. Jonathan rushed home and helped me clean the wound. He is fine and didn't need stitches, thank God. On top of all that both kids are sleeping horribly, and keeping me up all night, Ethan has even woken up throwing up two nights in a row! Needless to say the past two weeks just sucked. Please pray that we all start getting better soon! I don't know if I can take anymore sickness or injuries!

So I didn't get a picture of the cut on his eye, but there's a picture of the bandage and Ethan, climbing around and being dangerous like he normally is. Luckily, the picture isn't so bad.

Issues

I have tried to avoid talking about political issues on my blog but one issue has been affecting me so much that I do not wish to stay quiet about it. Abortion. After having my miscarriage and feeling the sadness that comes with losing a baby I started to really consider abortion and how I feel about it. To me it is taking an innocent person's life. I have been having a really hard time understanding why so many girls and women are doing it. I guess I was just thinking these women do it and feel no regret. How ignorant of me. I was talking to my sister-in-law last night and she mentioned to me that there are organizations that help educate women and give them support if they are considering abortion. Today I did a little research online and found a website, Stand Up Girl. It gives women a chance to tell their story, whether they have gone through with it, considered it, or are currently considering it. They get support and insight from readers of the site. It is really great! I got to read about girls who had abortions and found that, at least from the stories I read, some of them were pressured into it by their mothers and the fathers of the babies (and other various friends and family members). Some of them chose to do it themselves. Most of them regretted their decision and almost all of them felt a great deal of sadness when it was over. Anyway, I want to get involved in something like this. I think it would lessen the problem if women were educated about safe sex first and then about the development of a baby in the uterus.

Camille's 2 month check-up

Camille did great on her check-up. She weighed 12 1/2 pounds and was about 23 1/2 inches long. She is in the 50th percentile for height and 80th (about) percentile for weight, making her chubby. Lol! I love her chub! She is sleeping and eating very well and she is almost always happy; smiling and cooing when she is awake. The doctor was very happy with her development and so am I. She did have to get the dreaded shots though. She screamed so long and so hard that her face looked like a tomato. Poor thing! Ethan got a flu shot too but he did really well, only crying a little after the shot was over. Such a good boy. Anyway I am happy to report that both of my kids are very happy and very healthy. =)

1 month old today

Camille is already a month old. She seems to be growing up so much faster than Ethan did. We took her to a new-baby check-up today and she weighed 10.8 pounds already. She definitely has a healthy appetite, lol! She has a lot of baby acne but other than that the doctor said she looks perfect and gave Jonathan and me A++ on our parenting. She also checked poor Ethan out. Turns out he has a double ear infection (his first one) and isn't sleeping because he's in too much pain. Poor guy. We got some antibiotics, Motrin and ear drops for him. Between 6:30 AM yesterday morning and 2 AM this morning he only slept for 40 minutes all together! Well, we gave him all that medicine and put him to bed at 7:20 tonight and haven't heard a peep from him. Thank God for doctors! Thanks to everyone who read my complaining blog and commented. It means a lot to me to hear that people are praying for us and thinking about us during rough patches. Thanks, also, to the people who listened to me vent on the phone, lol. You guys are great!

Well, it's picture time. Here's Camille having some tummy time at 1 month.

Camille's birth story

I wanted to finally tell Camille's birth story before I forgot it. Because I am a type 1 diabetic and the fact that Camille was measuring so big Jonathan and I scheduled an amniocentesis for 37 weeks to test the maturity of Camille's lungs. The doctors wanted to get her born as soon as possible after her lungs were ready. So, we went in on August 22nd for the amnio. If the lungs were ready they would induce that night. While we were there we got this 3-D ultrasound of Camille...
We got a call from one of the doctors about 2 hours later telling us her lungs were not ready yet and to come in the next week to talk more about it. Later that day another doctor called and said they wanted to wait another week and a half to induce. That got us worried about Jonathan being in school when we were going to induce and how much class he would miss. That evening (around 6) Jonathan was teasing me a lot and pretty much pissing me off. As I was sitting in my chair I said "you better stop pissing me off, you're going to put me in labor!" Just then my water broke. We took Ethan to our friend's house and were off to the hospital. When we got there I was worried they'd send me back home because my contractions weren't very strong. They had me walk around the hospital to get them going (I made some calls to the family while I walked. About an hour after we got there they were really intense. I requested an epidural because the contractions were so strong my whole body was shaking and my teeth were chattering. I asked they to give me as little meds as possible though, because when I was in labor with Ethan I could not move my legs. I was in labor for 7 hours and felt almost all the contractions because the amount of medication they gave me was not enough. Finally, right before it was time to push, they gave me enough to not feel it but to be able to move my legs a little still. At that point I told the nurse I felt like it was time to push. She got the doctor, who told me it was, in fact, time. I pushed for 20 minutes and at 3:01 AM we had a beautiful little girl.It took her a while to get a cry out and I was really worried about her lungs but she cried and her lungs were just fine. She weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20 1/4 inches long. She's almost 4 weeks old now and doing great!

3 weeks old tomorrow!

Last night was the hardest night for us so far. Camille woke up at 12:30 to eat and shortly after she woke up, big brother Ethan woke up also. We did not get them back to sleep until after 3:00. It was a very stressful situation and Jonathan and I are both very tired today. On a brighter note Camille had a check-up at the doctor's office yesterday that went really well. She weighed in at 9 pounds, 6 ounces and measured 21 1/2 inches. She is in the 75th percentile for height and weight and doing wonderfully. The doctor said she looks perfect. She was born with a very large lump on the left side of her head (which we have been told not to worry about) and the doctor said it is looking great and that it is very soft, which is a very good thing. It should be gone by the time she is a month old. She is eating well and gaining lots of weight. She is also a very happy baby, she loves being held and she loves having her back patted on. It almost always puts her to sleep. She doesn't like hiccups, messy diapers or when her brother tries to shove things in her mouth.

Here are some pictures of Camille at 3 weeks old...

Camille Rachelle 8.23.08

Baby on the way...?

Today we had our possible last OB/GYN appointment before Camille arrives. There is not really anything new to say. I am at about 2 cm now and my blood sugars are starting to go low all the time, which is a sign that the baby's placenta is starting to fail. The ultrasound looked good and she seems very healthy (thank God!) Tomorrow morning we have our amniocentesis, so if her lungs are ready we will be scheduling Camille's birth date for Monday, probably. Anyway, more updates tomorrow afternoon, when we get our test results.

36 weeks and 3 days

Here I am at 36 1/2 weeks. I am getting so big and uncomfortable! We had a NST (non-stress test) today, which was good. Camille was sleeping so not very active, which worried the tech but the doctor said everything looked good. I am having mild contractions still. Some days they are so mild that I cannot even feel them and some days they are very painful and strong, for example... our adventure on Saturday, which you can read about on Jonathan's blog. We will have another ultrasound and doctor visit on Thursday and then on Friday we have our Amniocentesis. Wish us luck that Camille's lungs will be all ready to go!

Another update!!

We had another ultrasound today and saw the doctor. Camille now weighs 7 pounds 14 ounces according to the ultrasound (which can be off by a pound+ either way.) But it sounds to me like her weight gain has definitely slowed down. *Phew!* The doctor did an internal exam today because I have been having contractions and it feels like the baby has dropped, among other, more embarrassing symptoms. The doc says I am just starting to dilate, the baby is dropping but is not quite engaged yet and other, more embarrassing things that give evidence that I could go into labor within a few days to a couple of weeks. Regardless of these findings, it means that it is more likely her lungs will be ready at 37 weeks and that an inducement will be very easy if I do not go into labor beforehand. YAY! All great news!

35 weeks and 3 days pregnant.

Good news today! We had a NST today (were they monitor Camille's heart rate and movement and also see if I am having contractions for about 20+ minutes.) Well, I am having small contractions, yay! Now, this doesn't mean I will be a mommy of two tomorrow morning, although it could mean so. All it means is that my body and the baby are getting ready for birth. I could go into labor anytime now, or not for another 2 or 3 weeks, but at least if I have to be induced it will be an easy process. Here is my picture for 35 weeks and 3 days, notice proud daddy standing behind me, lol!

Baby Camille Update

As you know from a previous post that Camille measured in at 7 pounds on July 29th, making her about 4 weeks bigger than she should be. That was confirmed at our appointment on Wednesday. When the doctor measured my stomach it was 39 cm. About what I should be at when I am 39 weeks, I am 35 weeks today. We ended up scheduling our Amniocentesis for August 22, when I am 37 weeks to check the development of her lungs. If they are ready doctors will induce labor as soon as possible. If not, we will wait another week and do another Amniocentesis. Please pray that she is ready! I don't know if I can push a huge baby out! I will keep updating, as I will be seeing doctors 2-3 times a week until she is born.

Thankfully I met a new friend at church who has been so sweet to me during this rough time. She will be watching Ethan during our Amnio and she also offered to watch him before that so Jonathan and I could go out on a date. We are so thankful for her! She's got a couple of kids for Ethan to play with and he really seems to like hanging out with them. God can put people in our lives when we need them the most, I am so grateful! We are also blessed that Jonathan's parents are coming out here to help us when she is born. They have been patiently listening to updates and changing plans just to help us out! Thanks Mom and Dad Hicks! We appreciate you so much and can't wait to see you! We are also looking forward to my parents and brother coming in the fall and my sister possibly coming for Christmas. We can't wait to see everyone and have everyone see the beautiful place we are living now. =)

Pregnancy Update. 33 weeks and 4 days.

We had an ultrasound and OB appointment today that, I would say, did not go well. When I arrived the receptionist informed me that the doctor was running 30-45 minutes behind. We had to wake up Ethan early today for this appointment and he was not happy about it. Anyway, the ultrasound was to see Camille's growth and at 33 1/2 weeks Camille already weighs 7 freakin' pounds!! That is the size of a full-term baby at around 38-40 weeks! What am I going to do when she gets to be 10 pounds!? I already feel like she is taking over my body! Anyway, we waited another 45 minutes to an hour to see the doctor. Now, with the shock of Camille's size, having to wait forever and Ethan being grumpy, and getting into things he shouldn't have, my blood pressure was a little high and they wondered why... So the plan has not changed so far. At 37 weeks they will do an amnio and induced labor as soon as they can. I fear I will end up needing a C-section.

Our poor little guy!

Tonight, right before bed, Ethan ran full speed into the corner of the wall. Poor thing was screaming and covering his face with his blanket. When we finally moved the blanket we found a HUGE purple, black and blue knot on his forehead. Jonathan and I were both so scared! He cried for a while and then seemed to forget about the pain and wanted to play. I was worried about a concussion but after some internet research and waking him up to make sure we could wake him, I felt much more confident that he was okay. Check out his knot...

31 weeks, 5 days pregnant.

We had a check-up on little Camille today. We thought I may be leaking amniotic fluid so they did an ultrasound as well. Luckily, the fluid levels are perfect! :) Because Camille is measuring bigger than she should be and my blood sugars have been a little on the high side (no matter what we do!) we decided that at 37 weeks they will do an amniocentesis and induce labor when Camille's lungs are ready. I will now be seeing the doctor and having an ultrasound every Monday until she is born. We will keep you updated.

Here is a picture of her face from today. Sorry, it is hard to see. She was hiding and she is also getting so big! To see past ultrasound pictures and compare click here.

30 weeks and 4 days pregnant

We had another growth ultrasound today for little Camille. It was by far her coolest ultrasound. The tech got a really good view of her face and we could see her yawning and sticking out her tongue. We also saw her stretch. She looks very cozy in there. The not so great news is that she is measuring 2 weeks bigger than she is. She weighed 4 pounds 11 ounces today, which is the weight she should be at 32 1/2 weeks. I am a little concerned but I pray she will be okay. I am pretty positive now that we will be having her around week 37 or 38. We are excited and just as the tech kept saying, she is a little beauty. Here is a picture from today...

Nut allergy!!

We took Ethan to an allergist consultation today. When he was about a month old he was very colicky and we suspected a food allergy so while I was nursing him I stopped having dairy and nuts and he seemed to get better. Our doctor recommended sending him to the allergist at 12 months. Poor little thing got about 24 little pricks in the back with things that commonly cause allergies in little ones and guess what two reacted? Yes! Peanuts and walnuts! We should have known since many of his cousins are allergic to nuts. So no peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for our little guy. It's too bad Jonathan and I love peanut butter so much! We are just so grateful to have this information. It is so important to know these types of things.

How disappointing...

So I have to wait another 8 days instead of 3 to have my ultrasound. I made this appointment 12 weeks ago and a few weeks ago my friend said she had one on the same day at the same time with the same doctor. Jonathan called today and it turns out they never made my appointment. This has happened to us before at this doctor's office. Someone there isn't doing their job right and it has disappointed pregnant women before. I am sad.