November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

 I won't lie...

It pains me as I reflect and go back to June of 2016. 

A family vacation that our family will never forget. 

The day Carson was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes. 

We were 290 miles from home with a small community hospital only 6 miles from our cabin.

Carson was quickly diagnosed with a blood sugar near 800 (normal is 70 -100)

the rest is a blur..... Read my initial post here

A photo taken by my daughter Brianna as her son Carson is being reassured by 

a flight nurses from Mayo Clinic's  air ambulance, "Mayo Air".

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month

This post is not intended to dwell on the sad and scary moments of more than

 a year ago, but those feelings are still very real even today.

Instead I hope to educate. 

This has been a learning curve for our entire family but mostly for Carson and his parents, 

who might I add... ARE AMAZING!

There is a lot of truth to the saying below for both parents of T1D.

Type one diabetes (in children especially) is a very unpredictable disease, with so many factors that affect blood sugars which in turn affects the immediate and overall health of the diabetic.

Growth, trauma, mood, temperature, illness, activity, hormones, stress etc

Carson is our Super hero, but Brianna & Chris...

you rank right up there in the super hero category! 

Rick and I have been learning and education ourselves about the disease,
sometimes it is mind boggling when we read about all the many things that come into play when it comes to managing the minute by minute, and day by day
ups and downs of blood sugars in a child with T1D.

I'm a nurse folks and really had NO IDEA the complexity of this disease!!!

Rick and I have been spending time in the car reading and learning all we can about T1D.
We have learned so much from the book called "THINK like a Pancreas"
 The author, Gary Scheinet lives it, he is a type 1 diabetic and a
  certified diabetes educator, insulin pump user and exercise physiologist.

FACT:
Everything that Carson eats has to be covered by insulin, unless of course
he is low and needs to eats something just to get his blood sugar up to normal.
(I recently counted up all the carbs in this meal for Carson)

sometimes it takes some figuring. 

For me a little longer to figure since I don't do it everyday like his parents. 

This iPhone is Carson's....no it's not for texting and Snap-chatting his friends, 

instead it picks up the reading from his dexcom... 

...a little meter with a small needle that is usually on  his arm. 

The Dexcom measures Carons blood sugar and through a bluetooth connection 

that's transmitted to this iPhone.

A continuous Blood sugar reading is very reassuring and helps to replaces many 

finger pokes throughout the day. It also helps to monitor Carson's blood sugars so that 

his parents can be on top of his high's and low's

FACT:

Yes, children with Type 1 diabetes can eat cookies, candy, pizza and 

anything they want, just like you and I. 

The difference being, they will need insulin injected into their bodies to help transport that sugar into the bloodstream that their pancreas no longer produces. 

I never thought I would be saying, "It's such a blessing that we have synthetic insulin", but I do and I am so grateful, because without it.....well I don't even want to go there.

Through all of this, I have begun to relinquish all the what if's and rely on God's promises.

Carson is a healthy, happy, strong, smart beautiful child who is thriving and growing just like any boy his age. I pray every morning for God to keep him safe, as I do all my grandchildren. 

and I pray for the miracle of healing, how ever that comes.

 Today in National Diabetes Awareness Day

 I hope I have helped to make you a little bit more aware.

I remember feeling broken hearted and  crushed in spirit, but the Lord was near me through it all,

It just took some time to let him in and remind me how very precious Carson is to Him as well.

He really does rescue those come to Him, He is patient and is always ready to listen.