Diabetic soap box

If I where on a soap box , I would scream for all to hear!
INSULIN IS NOT A CURE!!!


Yesterday my family experienced one of the scariest part of living with a Diabetic.
Some of you know my oldest son is a Type 1 otherwise know as Juvenile diabetic.
December 2005
when my son James was 9 years old he fell ill. As an experienced mom I cared for him as I had in the past. But this time was different. When he was showing no signs of improvement I took him to a local urgent care. Where we where told he only had the stomach flu. A strong anti nausea medication was given to him and we where sent on our way.
This is not the first time I have been told that James has the stomach flu and the DR could NOT have been more wrong. Both times James face life threaten health issues and both times the real issue was misdiagnosed.
For fear my son was having a allergic reaction to the anti nausea meds. The following night I rushed him to the hospital via Taxi.
I will never forget that night weather advisories where in effect flooding and high winds everywhere.
It was at the hospital we received the News.
James was in full blown Diabetic Ketoacidosis aka DKA.
His blood sugar was through the roof and he was wasting away. My healthy 90 lb boy was now 72 lbs .
He was taking to another hospital for treatment and to begin education about life as a diabetic.

Having diabetes is full of highs and lows. Always striving for balance.
We received education on how to manage diabetes and what to do in an emergency.
In the 5 years James has been hospitalized for DKA most happening in the past 8 months. As we all get use to life on insulin pump therapy.

One emergency we had never faced was a severe hypoglycemia. A blood sugar so low that people are often found Unresponsive. That is until yesterday.
As with most teens James enjoys sleeping in. "It's my summer , why do I need to be up?" a frequent phrase coming from my son. Switching from multiple daily injections to the pump has given him more freedom to do so. And he plans on making full uses of it.

Yesterday when I went to wake my son as it was almost noon. I found him on his bed as a expected but something was different not right. At first my brain said don't be silly your just overreacting he is just ignoring you or maybe it was my heart saying that. Because as what I was seeing before me sank in. My son eyes wide open yet not moving , with a look I am unable to put in to words. And shallow breathing. I called for my husband to get me his meter (something that should have been at his bed side but as I said he is a teenager and of course it was down stairs where he had last tested) so that I could take James blood sugar.
35!!!! If your not familiar, the ADA - American Diabetes Association states a blood sugar reading is normal when it is 70-120 and 60-110 these numbers are more baselined for adults and a child is given a little different scale but all the same. Again James was 35 well below normal. Panic flashed in me but was quickly shoved to the minds back burner as I need to focus on remembering what it was I needed to do.

As I flew from my sons room I called for my husband to carry James to the living room. The room most easily accessible to EMT's. Our younger children where taken up stairs as not to frighten them.
As I ran for a phone and James emergency Glucagon kit.
Never in the five year( I know I keep saying that , but there is no other way to explain it) had I thought I would really use one of these shot kits for anything other then practice or demonstration for others.
Yet yesterday I found myself focusing as hard as I could to recall the steps I needed to take in mixing and injecting my son in the hope it was not to late.

EMT's arrived about 3 minutes after I had injected him. They told he it could take up to 10 mins to work.
One of my top 5 longest 10 mins of my life. But as they said James started to come to and his blood sugar was now 68.

So why am I reliving this nightmare and sharing this with you now?
To simply ask you PLEASE! If you have a diabetic in your life a friend a relative maybe one that don't live at home.
Please insist that you are shown how to use their meter or at the very least their Glucagon kit. You could save their life.
I hope one day there is not a need to know any of this outside of medical professionals. I hope even more for a cure!





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Blankets not just for keeping warm

Day Three drawing to a close and I must say, tho time is moving slow and I feel a little busier then other days I am enjoying myself! And this new found way to diaper.
Don't get me wrong I'm not ready to throw in the towel on my fluff and restock myself with nothing but impromptu diapers . But this fast wash and dry time is nothing to shake a finger at.
But I have been entertaining the thoughts of giving these kinds of diapers a home in my stash. First in need to destash a little for charity.

So when I last left you I was trying out a blanket on Lyric as a night time diaper option and I happy to say it passed that test with flying colors!



I couldn't help but smile the next morning to find my lovie little punk dry and happy waiting for me in the morning these past couple of days.
Some of you may know from personal interaction with me that my son Lyric is a Super soaker!! I have bought many of diaper looking for the right one to combat soggy mornings. And to think a blanket something I have an abundance of ,Complements to our near 3 month stay in the NICU this year and do to ordinary burp cloths being inadequate with a baby with reflux (thank you Zurich mommy loves you Mr bubbles) was all it took to wake up dry.

It is however a little tug at the heart string in the morning. When I go to scoop up Lyric for my morning mommy hug and he points to his tower( no no I'm not braving about my fluff stash size :P . His diapers are really stored on a tower near his bed) of fluff and signs "Please" then tugs at his make shift diaper.
My baby misses his fluff or so I tell myself.
Really this has just been a part of our daily routine. Lyric loves to eye his rainbow of fluff and pick out which to wear next.
Pulling at his diaper is just one more clue that he is wet and as I dry a wet eye, One more sign that my little boy is growing up.:(

Just days before my challange began Lyric was given his first big boy potty chair.
I'm not sure why but this saddened me a little to think of my son growing up so. Entering the next step in his development "Potty training"! Was it his growing up , or the thought of there is no way I can get away with buying as many fluffy fun diapers once he is potty trained? I'm not 100% but for whatever the reason I just wanted to squeeze him just a little tighter at the thought of him being a big boy.




(Lyric investigating his new potty chair! Maybe I don't need to worry just yet he don't seem to interested in sitting on it ;))


Where does this leave Zurich and what's this got to do with blankets? I'm getting to that.
Zurich has taking to the change very well and I am very excited that his wool is an amazing cover .(more info in future blog)



Even these flats and make shift diapers are no match for this little super pooper! I think this challenge has been most enjoyable with Zurich. Due to his smaller size I have been able to experiment more with different folds. I have not been as quick to experiment with Lyric due in part to his size and being a active toddler that he is, I have kinda been sticking to the path of if it is not broke don't fit it! I have been luck to find folds and things to diaper him that work from the starting line and don't want to mess that up.

This brings me to blankets. I was sharing today via my "fluffy butt channel " I lovingly call it on one of my favorite iPhone apps a photo of Lyric and his fancy pants blanket diaper. When I was asked just how I did it. So I put together a little photo how to on the Origami Flats fold using a receiving blanket as my flat.
Enjoy!!



































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What was I thinking! Day one of my diaper challenge. Today started much the same as all days in my house some up early some sleeping in. With the best of intentions I took on this challenge. And true to my word when my boys got up this morning instead of reaching for their fancy fun printed fluff out of my stash came flats purchased locally but not from a baby boutique


(he misses his fluff) . Living in a small town as I do it wasn't easy to find the necessary supplies for this challenge but I was able to make myself an impromptu stash complete with homemade flats from receiving blankets, extra fabric, and a cut up flannel sheet.
Because I'm not as organized as I would like I still need to take a picture of our new and improved stash for the next 30 days.
But I promise one will be posted.

In preparation for this challenge my husband and I hit the web using my favorite research tool. YouTube! Oh what you can learned by watching videos on YouTube, hours of endless entertainment and in this case very educational.
I bookmarked some of my favorite videos on how to fold flat diapers. And spent the few days before my challenge practicing the fancy folds I learned.
For that couple of days it was not uncommon for my husband and I to be found up late sitting on the floor iPhone between us watching videos trying to master folds I had never heard of before.

Today I have found that the Kite fold works best for Lyric


and the Origami is best for Zurich.


But there are many more folds to try and I wont lie I'm kinda enjoying trying them all out:).


I was a little worried about how authentic my Challenge would be given the studying I have done in the past couple of day. And questions like snappi's or pins. Prep or don't prep , covers or plastic pants?
Just how much of my existing cloth diaper know how should influence my experience.
I decided to just do what comes naturally as a parent. I have not found or tried pins yet so snappi's has been doing the job nicely. And I prepped some but not all of the flats to see if there is a true difference.(more on that as we go alone.)


(flats prepping in my rib pot)As today winds down and my boys are now in bed a recap

One leaky pee diaper
Two poo on covers
Zero epic fails
One handwashed load of flats(amazing how fast those things dry! No joke I placed them on the line, made a snack for kiddo's walked 2 blocks to Dollar General came back and they where dry!)
All and all not a bad day! I only wish I was a little more organized but that's what tomorrow is for right?

I was a little worried about bed it diapering. Crossing my fingers we have a dry night.
For Lyric I chose a blanket in Origami fold with a flat folded over and laid in the center.





Zurich is sporting an Origami with a folded flat much like his brother.


Wish us luck! Until tomorrow night all.


Tip for today: when drying flats on the line. Hanging them back to back help decrease the "Crunchy" feeling sometimes got while hanging on the line.



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In memory of

Today is a day to remember.
A day most are BBQ, at the lake, with family, or simply enjoying the day off from work.

Me I'm in my thinking place ;) the Laundry mat!!

Don't get me wrong my patriotism runs deep. I am not trying to ignore today by doing some laundry. Opposite really. It I'd my patriotism that has me here.

Today I remember a battle buddy. Spc.


Hizon.
We where not BFF we didn't date, or go out of our way to seek each others compony after formation or class.
Yet we did share friends, hung out once or twice at the river walk, movies, and smoke shack.
We trained for the same MOS once 68 Delta OR scrub. But his heart wasn't in it. 11 Bravo is where it was at for him "11 Bang Bang" is what he would say.

Near 3 months to today on 28 Feb 2011 he was killed in action
In Afgan. Survived my his mother father and brother. I find myself wondering if they wonder the same thing I do. "What if" . What if he had stayed 68 Delta, would he be with them today?

These thought have been heavy in my head a while but more so given the meaning of today.

So this holiday I find myself loading my little red wagon
laundry mat bound, watching fluff tumble in the wash. It is here I realize no matter the MOS Hizon followed is heart and gave his all!

RIP Spc Hizon you are missed!





Ps! Here it is June 1st and I open my blog press only to see I didn't get this posted :( but still wish to share it with you all now.

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