Our ONEderful Life

30/07/2024

My T1 daughter got her cast off last week. I decided to see if Google had any insight on broken bones in kids with T1D. Now I’m curious how many other T1 kiddos have experienced childhood fractures. If my daughters fracture was related to her diabetes in anyway. If so, how we can combat it from happening again. She will be taking calcium with vitamin D supplements from now on. 😖

If your T1D kiddo has experienced a broken bone let me know in the comments please.

24/07/2024

Just because your life revolves around needles, doesn’t mean that you can’t have a needle phobia. This kid HATES needles. She had to get her thyroid levels tested today and her anxiety was through the roof. I told her that being brave doesn’t mean that you aren’t still scared. It’s okay to be afraid. She took a deep breath, put on her brave face and did what she had to do. The needle phobia is much more manageable than it used to be, but it’s still very much there.

21/07/2024

3 more books sold in the United Kingdom. Vera said “I’m going to be a celebrity over there.” 📚🥰🤩

If this book has helped even a couple of newly diagnosed T1D’s, it is all worth it. 💙

A ONEderful Story of Type One Diabetes Becoming V. Victorious 👉🏻 https://a.co/d/9XAt5Kl

Also check out The Girl Who Chases Unicorns 👉🏻 The Girl Who Chases Unicorns https://a.co/d/aM5nOQ2

15/07/2024

When your Dexcom reads 47 and your finger prick reads 370, it’s safe to assume your sensor failed. 😫😬

14/07/2024

We went tent camping for the first time and we didn’t have any power. I was really worried about how I was going to keep Vera’s medical devices charged.

I found this little power pack online and it worked marvelous! It was affordable and lasted 3 days. I turned it on when we needed it and off when the devices were fully charged.

It’s really small and has multiple plug in options. It also has a built in flashlight. It would be good for power outages as well.

It also has the option to plug in to a solar panel to recharge. It’s a great little Amazon find.

06/07/2024

Can I just tell you that this waterproof cast cover has been a lifesaver! I had no idea that these things existed. Until my daughter broke her arm. Not so fun fact, 3 out of 4 kids break their arm similar to how she did.

This has given her the ability to enjoy her summer in the water. 10/10 RECOMMEND!

I got two different ones, but this one is easier to use and was half the price.

I’m going to post the link on my Amazon store and in my stories. It’s seriously worth saving in case you ever need it in the future.

28/06/2024

Our one armed warrior was unstoppable at diabetes camp this week! Is it just me, or are these T1D kids built differently? 💙💪🏻

25/06/2024

I wonder sometimes what do people think when I say my child is at diabetes camp.

I imagine most people hear diabetes camp and assume it’s “fat camp” because of the stigma of diabetes and obesity and the lack of education of type one diabetes.

Or do they think it’s a camp where the kids learn how to care for their diabetes?

People are often shocked to hear it’s a traditional summer camp chalk full of swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddle boarding, fishing, high ropes course, archery, games, animal education and more!

Why not just send her to regular summer camp? Why does it have to be a diabetic camp?

A regular camp can’t offer 24/7 medical staffing to manage the unique nature of these kiddos medical conditions.

Most of all, a traditional camp can’t offer these kids the same unity and “normalcy” they get from being around other kids and adults who are just like them. Going through life with the same struggles that most people can’t understand.

Lastly, it gives us parents and caretakers a break from around the clock management and allows us to sleep without worry for once.

So if you have been considering sending your T1D kiddo to diabetes camp, consider this your sign to finally do it. 😊

20/06/2024

Looks like posted a training video on G7 connecting to Omnipod 5 on their website.

https://www.omnipod.com/current-podders/resources/omnipod-5/videos/sensor-connect-dexcom-g7?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=op5&utm_source=cnv&utm_content=G7

Login to your Podder Central and there is now an integration FAQ’s page available to answer all@of your questions. Or at least it is available on our Podder Central account. Let me know if you have it on yours.

18/06/2024

First ambulance ride and first ER visit since diagnosis. Both we could have done without.

I was really nervous going to the ER and having issues regarding her T1D. Overall our experience was good.

I did call our after hours endocrinologist line immediately upon admission & they spoke directly to the ER doctors. I made it very clear we would not be removing any medical devices, going against the ER doctors request. We did our best to educate the doctors and nurses on how to manage her diabetes while she was in their care.

Do not assume medical professionals who are not endocrinologists are informed on type one diabetes management. Chance are they aren’t.

Have a way to communicate with your endocrinologist office, most have after hours numbers. Call and get them involved immediately. This will give you the upper hand when advocating for yourself or your loved one.

After reading all of the horror stories over the years about T1D in the ER, I can confidently say that we managed to have decent care and open minded doctors and we did not become one of those stories.

14/06/2024

Endo day! Isn’t it funny, we actually look forward to our quarterly Endo visits because we have the best team of doctors and nurses. Even Vera enjoys seeing them. Vera brought her own support team with her (aka her little brother) to today’s appointment.

Her A1C has remained steady over the last 2 visits. Her nurse gave her a high five for putting in all of the hard work. This kid amazes me. 💙

10/06/2024

My kid is a terrible flosser. I was also a terrible flosser as a child. As an adult I have receding gum lines. I contribute it to genetics and my poor flossing habits as a kid. Type one diabetics are at a higher risk for gum disease. So her dental hygiene is really important.

I got this water flosser to see if it will improve my kids flossing habits. I even tried it out and it is definitely a lot different from traditional flossing.

There are 3 modes; normal, soft & pulse. She used it on soft.

It comes with 5 tips including a tongue scraper and a tip for braces. It is rechargeable and even came ready to use out of the box!
So far I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and so do nearly 12,000 others on Amazon!

18/05/2024

The life of a type one diabetic parent…

Our entire existence revolves around keeping our child alive & relying heavily on technology to assist us in doing so.

We get zero breaks from the constant worry. If we are lucky, we are often woken up all hours of the night by alarms alerting us that our child is on the brink of death if we don’t act quickly.

The human body requires insulin to exist. A person with type one diabetes cannot produce any insulin. Insulin management is 24/7. Too much insulin can kill you, too little insulin can kill you.

You really can’t understand the true extent of this disease until you’ve lived with it, or alongside it. 😔

11/05/2024

We were able to cross viewing the Northern Lights off of our bucket list without even having to leave Ohio! So happy we decided to wake the kids up and headed outside for a late night star gazing experience. This will definitely be a core memory for all of us. 🤩

27/04/2024

I am so grateful for medical technology. Sometimes it works so well that I forget how much harder managing type one diabetes is without it.

When it fails, especially in the middle of the night, I’m reminded of this burden my child carries and how heavy it can be for all of us to carry with her.

We rely on these devices to help us keep our daughter alive while we all sleep. Tonight will be sleepless night.

All we can do is take it one day at a time. Tomorrow will be a new day.

27/04/2024

This is our second G7 to fail in less than a week. Of course it had to happen at midnight.

We just had a sporadic failure on Tuesday. It’s FRIDAY! Both were only on for a few days. WTF. 🤬

This is our last G7 until the replacement from Tuesday arrives. Thankfully the Omnipod 5 that works with the G7, also works with G6. So if this one fails we can still use our pump in automated but with a G6.

Which doesn’t make sense we are on the limited market release for the G7 / Omnipod 5 integration.

I’m seriously over these random sensor failures. Almost 5 years with the G6, we never experienced issues like this. 😫

17/04/2024

Two weekends in a row my T1D competed in dance competitions. It was nerve wracking trying to figure out how to manage diabetes in this new setting, but we did it and we kicked diabetes butt!

Even with all of the hormones from excitement and anxiety, her blood sugar was stable. 👏🏻

They took gold and high gold and walked away with a few other awards. 🏆

17/04/2024

💯 THIS! 👏🏻

A post from our T1D Parents private group (shared with permission):

"It’s ok if your child isn’t “independent” with their diabetes.
Can we all just agree on that?

When my daughter was first diagnosed, within 6 months it was “when will she be independent with it?” From friends. From family. From nurses even. From the school and from activity leaders.

I felt SO MUCH PRESSURE to make sure my kid was becoming “independent with it”.

And you know what? I’m 4 years in now, and I’ve learned something. She’s not anywhere near being independent with it.

And that’s ok. Normal. Fine.

Because she’s a kid.

Is she “independent enough” to go out and get a job and live on her own and drive her own car and pay her own bills? No.

Obviously if she doesn’t have the mental and emotional maturity to do basic adult things, she doesn’t have the mental and emotional maturity to be “independent” with making life and death decisions in regards to her health every day.

Take the pressure off yourself, take it off your kid.
It’s ok. Normal. Fine.

If your teenager hasn’t even figured out that their mental health is tied to their bedtime… if they are overwhelmed by tidying their own room… if the idea of chores makes them panic….

Then the ins and outs of diabetes management is out of their league. Let’s be honest. 😆

And that’s ok. It’s normal. It’s fine.
Take the pressure off. Give it a balloon and let it go. They are just kids. You don’t need to force independence with diabetes care today.

You are NOT failing them if they aren’t “independent” today.
They are NOT failing if they aren’t “independent” today.
It’s ok. It’s normal. It’s fine.❤️🎈"

Credit: Laurie Pathfinder 💙

16/04/2024

Not going to lie, we’ve had a rough couple of days with our Dexcom G7. It randomly stops connecting and we have to restart the phone, then turn Bluetooth on & off. It’s super frustrating, especially at 2am. 😫

It’s been good all day and then, this evening it’s acting up.

I hope they get the G7 kinks worked out because the G7 features are amazing. 👏🏻

28/03/2024

Yesterday our Dexcom G7 was very obstinate. We had to change it early due to a failed G7, and this new one was consistently off all day. At one point it was reading LOW but her glucose meter was 130. Later on it said she was 145 but she felt low, and her glucose meter read 75. I would be lying if I didn’t say I was worried overnight. 😩

I have seen a lot of complaints about G7 readings being consistently inaccurate. Hoping it was a first day issue only. 🤞🏻

Omnipod 5 can’t auto adjust if Dexcom isn’t working like it should. Literally throws the entire algorithm off.

20/03/2024

We made a leprechaun trap last week. Vera was pumped to catch a leprechaun. She said to me “Mom when I catch him, I’m going to wish for my diabetes to go away.” 😭

It’s always hard when she says stuff like this.

Over the five years since her diagnosis, she has asked Santa to take away her diabetes, she has even asked the tooth fairy.

It’s her one wish I can’t grant and I wish I could.

This isn’t a post to make you feel sad. It is supposed to remind everyone how resilient these kids are. I asked her if she would be disappointed if the leprechaun could not grant that wish. She thought about it and then she said to me “It’s OK mom if he can’t do that. My diabetes is a part of what makes me special.”

She’s right. She is pretty amazing. 😊

20/03/2024

Not so fun fact… up to 30% of people who are diagnosed with type one diabetes are also diagnosed with a thyroid condition. Most of time resulting from Hashimotos.

I was holding out hope our T1 wouldn’t test positive. For 5 years she has tested negative for antibodies, she tested positive this year.

Autoimmune diseases enjoy the company of other autoimmune diseases. 😭

18/03/2024

Our G7 & 5 are on! Waiting for the Omnipod app to connect to the Dexcom.

Of course I messed up the first pod. We accidentally connected it to the app instead of the PDM. 🤦🏼‍♀️

20 minute Dexcom warmup is a dream come true! It’s so small and cute! I also love how the G7 comes with their own over patches with each sensor!

15/03/2024

Our intro kit for the limited market release arrived! Looking forward to trying out our new Omnipod 5, Dexcom G7 integration. We just changed a pod yesterday, so we are going to wait until her pod expires to switch over.

08/03/2024

FUN FACT! Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index making it a healthier option for people with diabetes.

Real sourdough bread is made through a slow fermentation process, which causes this type of bread to raise blood sugar more slowly than other breads.

I just got into the sourdough kick. I’m making my first loaf today. My bubbly sourdough starter is pictured above.

I made discard pancakes last night and Vera’s blood sugar didn’t spike like crazy from them!

01/03/2024

Little dude officially had his trial net bloodwork done today (I actually decided to do trial net for myself too). He cried, but he did an awesome job. We celebrated his bravery with a shamrock shake from a local ice cream shop.

Now we keep our fingers and toes crossed that we both text negative for antibodies. 🤞🏻

29/02/2024

Endo appointment! BIG NEWS!
We were approached to join the Dexcom G7, Omnipod 5 limited release. We are keeping our fingers crossed that everything works out for us to participate in this opportunity. 🤞🏻

Either way, this is a great sign that the integration will be happening soon! 🤩

18/02/2024

A few months ago little dude was sporadically waking up with low blood sugar. Pediatric hypoglycemia isn’t uncommon, but it still caused some concern for us.

We made an appointment for him to see the endocrinologist. They asked us to put a CGM on him leading up to his appointment so we can see how his levels are.

It’s coming up on 10 days, and he’s done so well wearing the device. His numbers have overall been good, but we have had a couple of questionable numbers.

We are still confident he won’t be a T1D, but we also know we won’t have all of the answers until he goes through Trial Net in March.

Regardless we will be prepared no matter what life throws as us.

28/01/2024

Keeping a close eye on this site. We found this pocket of what I assume is pus waiting for us when she pulled the cannula on her insulin pump out. We will be babying this for a few days. The last thing she needs is another case of cellulitis.

In 5 years this was a first. I’d love to hear someone else’s experience if you had one similar. Did the spot heal up without any issue?

27/01/2024

This photographer softly asked me so my daughter wouldn’t hear her, “Did you want me to edit out the device on her arm?”

I said “Oh no, that won’t be necessary. She proudly displays her diabetes.” 🙂

The photographer smiled and said “Great, I just wanted to ask as I’ve had others ask me to edit these out.”

When the photos were over she smiled and said to me “I’m diabetic too. My device is on my stomach.”

Having a medical condition isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s important to empower our children and encourage them to be comfortable in their own body. 😊