Our First Thanksgiving - Post diagnosis!

 Thanksgiving has been an interesting Holiday for us in years past.  We cook together, play games, and kill time until my Husband aka Daddy Warbucks is able to make it home from the trees.  ( This is his busiest time of the year getting those Christmas trees on to the trucks and sent to the buyers all over the country) 
This year I spent extra time planning and preparing to make it as "normal" as possible.  Since this was the first year of Thanksgiving since Princy was diagnosed I knew I would need to tweak it a bit.  We still had all of our regular foods, I just calculated out the carbs/serving size in advance.  I made sure to have many snack choices throughout the day that we could nibble on without thinking.  Spacing the meals apart to allow enough time in between insulin was the hardest part since we never really know when exactly Daddy Warbucks is going to be home.   
He made it home, we had a beautiful feast, and it seemed as if we were going to pull this holiday off without any episodes.  Woohoo!  Then as everyone was done, Princy was still eating since she has dessert with her meal.  I made a remark to everyone as they left the table that poor Princy has to sit all alone...  She replies back, it's okay I am use to it.  I could see a bit of sadness in her eyes, I think she puts on a strong front for everyone but I can tell it bothered her.  We had small chat until she finished and then followed the fam into the front room to watch a movie.  Now is where the explosion hit....Princy looks over to the end table where Papi's drink is and notices it's sitting on her picture that she has worked on all break.  Yes, he couldn't get a coaster the paper was easier.  Yes, I asked her to put all her homework in her room that morning and she didn't.  Now, the explosion hits...  She snatches it up, starts to tear up, crumples it up, and storms off. 
Now, this really wasn't all about the drawing, it was more about her finally loosing it!  She tries so hard to seem normal and just fit in that eventually she breaks.  Which then in turn breaks my heart.  When you combine those great pre-teen hormones with the diabetes it can be quite an emotional roller coaster. 
Princy is now in her room pouting, sending me random texts saying not to come in her room she just needs time to regroup herself.  With my oldest I would have allowed her all this time alone and eventually she would have just fallen asleep but, with a diabetic she can't just fall asleep without testing her blood.  Of course her blood was not high enough to go to sleep so I had to coerse her into having something to eat.  Of course for someone who is already upset with the world, the last thing she wants is her Mom sitting on her bed explaing to her that she needs to eat a snack. 
After a bit of a struggle over the snack she finally decided to get her own snack and watch a little tv.  She always gets this 2nd wind as I am ready to pass out.  I kept her company for 3 more hours until she was finally ready to go to bed and then off to bed we went.  I of course was back up in 4 hrs to test her BG.  All good!  Woo hoo... Back to sleep for me!! 

Random thoughts!!!!

October 22, 2012

I have been pondering jotting down the craziness at our place for a while.  Even if no one ever checks it out, it's here!!! 
We are coming upon the 6 month anniversary of Princy's diagnosis with Type 1 diabetes.  As a family we are getting there.  This will be our first Halloween.  School parties, sweets given out everywhere you go, and of course Trick-or-Treating.  This use to be one of our favorite times of year.  I love fall and the decorations and everything that goes with it.  Every since Princy was little she could spend an evening out Trick-or-Treating come home and find a quiet corner to sort through her stash and eat her favorite candy until she was ready to pass out.  Most kids get a sugar high, not her she would eat, eat, eat, brush her teeth and then go to sleep for 12 hours!!  Now, we will have to count out the carbs, calculate a shot, and then when she is ready to go to sleep poke her finger, test her BG and then I will get up to check her again in the middle of the night.  Not as much fun as before!! 
We have heard the pump would make it easier but, as we have researched it more Yesenia has decided it's not the route she wants to go yet.  Right now she is still excited to have the pen instead of syringes.  We hear the question "why are you not pumping" all the time.  For us it's a choice.  Our Endo prefers that we take time to learn the in's and out's of Princy's Diabetes management before she sends us out to drive with a false sense of control.  Princy ultimately has the final word and if she wanted to go for the pump I would push the issue but, she doesn't so I will support that decision.  Ultimately it's her body and she has to endure all the pokes and pain.  The least I can do is research all her options and educate her the best I can and support her in mantaining her health while being as comfortable with Diabetes life as she can.

To end this on a Happy note.  We went to the Pumpkin Patch yesterday.  Our Annual outing. It was great.  Cold, but the rain let up, the sun was shining and for a little while Diabetes didn't play a role in our fun!  The kids picked out some great pumpkins, went on a hayride, took goofy photos at the photo opps, and giggled away as Sirrena tried to carry the biggest pumpkin on the farm.  (Our family rule is, if you can carry it you can have it)
We even managed to just skip by the kettle corn, candy apples, roasted corn on the cob, and hot cider.  Just as I thought oh, we made it!  Phew!!!!  There was a Burgerville truck, as the kids smelled the hamburgers they decided they were hungry.  As I checked my watch I realized it wasn't quite time for Yesenia to have her lunch insulin.  "Okay guys, I'll make lunch when we get home".  Preparing myself for a battle and meltdown from the kids Cirilo speaks up, yeah that sounds good...  let's eat later.  I can't even begin to say how proud of him I am.  He is so supportive and caring when it comes to Princy's diabetes. So, once again the elephant in the room was there but, we're finding a way to deal with it.  Minute, by minute, day by day. 

Witnessing the troops support each other is truly the best feeling ever!!! I am truley blessed to have 4 amazing kids.  Everyone special in their own way.