This is a bad trend.

It seems as if stories like this one are becoming more frequent. On one hand, it does bring attention to the symptoms of low blood sugar for people who may not know the signs, and that's good. On the other hand, why does someone have to be dropped unwillingly into a life - threatening scenario for this kind of awareness to finally be brought to the forefront?

Police: Diabetic Man Missing After Being Kicked Off TrainPHOENIX -- A 65-year-old St. Louis man is missing after Amtrak personnel, mistaking his diabetic shock for drunk and disorderly behavior, kicked him off a train in the middle of a national forest, according to police in Williams, Ariz.

Police said Roosevelt Sims was headed to Los Angeles but was asked to leave the train shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday at a railroad crossing five miles outside Williams. "He was let off in the middle of a national forest, which is about 800,000 acres of beautiful pine trees," Lt. Mike Graham said.Police said there is no train station or running water at the crossing, which is about two miles from the nearest road, at an elevation of about 8,000 feet.Amtrak personnel told police dispatchers that Sims was drunk and unruly.The Sims family said Sims is diabetic and was going into shock.Sims' brother, Brian Mason, said his family tried to call Sims on his cell phone that night, but Sims was incoherent.When officers arrived at the crossing, police said, Sims ran into the woods, leaving his luggage and medication behind.Cell phone records show that Sims' phone was last used in Litchfield Park, Ariz., 180 miles from Williams.Williams police told CBS 5 that Amtrak has used the abandoned crossing as a drop-off site in the past. Graham said that whether drunk or not, no one should be dropped off there."You don't put anyone off in an area like that," Graham said.Amtrak said the company is looking into the matter."I just want to find him," Mason said. "I'm not mad at anybody.""I want to find a way to make sure he's OK," Mason added."Our thoughts and prayers are that there's no way he's out there in those woods," Graham said.UPDATE:Man missing after being thrown off Amtrak train located12 NewsJun. 28, 2007 11:29 PM A Coconino County Sheriff’s deputy has located Roosevelt Sims, the 65-year-old man aboard an Amtrak train who was ejected for appearing drunk and out of control about 5 miles outside of the city of Williams in Northern Arizona.Sims was diagnosed with diabetes just last week. His family says that explains his strange behavior on an Amtrak train, not intoxication. Sims was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center for observation and will be interviewed by police when cleared by medical staff. Other Amtrak passengers say Sims was left in a desolate area late Sunday night. Earlier, police spotted Sims shortly after he was asked to leave the train, but he ran away into the forest.

Interview with the 9 year old

I wanted to try something a little different, and thought "what better way to get to know someone than with an interview"?

Noah thinks of himself as somewhat of a celebrity, so I'll do my best Barbara Walters impersonation. LOL

Mom:How long have you had diabetes?

Noah: Since I was 6.

Mom: How did you feel when you got diagnosed?

Noah: I got pretty worried.

Mom: How many times a day do you test?

Noah: About 9.

Mom: What activities do you like?

Noah: kick ball, swimming, jump rope, street chalk, playing at the park, arts and crafts, dodgeball, etc.

Mom: What kinds of hobbies do you have?

Noah: I study whales, play with Legos, play with the cat- that's pretty much it.

Mom: What are some of your favorite foods?

Noah: Some of my favorite foods would be pizza, cake, carrots, broccoli, ice cream, candies, sausages, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, bacon, eggs, etc.

Mom: What would you like to be when you grow up?

Noah: I would like to be a cartoonist.

Mom: How do you feel when you're low?

Noah: queasy, shaky, weak and sweaty.

Mom: What advice would you give to other kids with diabetes?

Noah: I would tell them to always test when they're supposed to, if you feel low, tell an adult. Share your feelings about diabetes with your family or friends to feel better.

Mom: When there is a cure, what is the first thing you will do?

Noah: Celebrate and be happy!!

Fun at Day Camp!

*exhale*

The first week of day camp for Noah is officialy over, and it was a huge success. I was so worried that he would panic if something didn't go "just right" with his pump, or using his new cell phone to call me with blood sugars. He did brilliantly. My husband and I could not be prouder of how responsible he is. Yep, our baby is growing up.

I am doubly happy that on Wednesday they took a field trip to a local outdoor function facility with a big pool for all the kids to go swimming, and he wore Cozmo in the pool---AND IT WORKED! woo hoo!

Getting him to wear it proved to be harder than I thought. My second blog post here told the story of our misadventure in Florida regarding the pump in the pool, and Noah was sure that his pump would fail again.

I reassured him that if something happened like before, we could get another one right away and that I would be chaperoning and ready to help if he needed me.

He ended up having a great day and spending all of it swimming, which is how it's supposed to work! :)

He is making new friends as well, and learning that he really can do everything the other kids are doing...he just has to plan a little more than some people. I think he's getting the hang of it. I'm glad he is, because I know one day he's going to do it all by himself and that will be bittersweet for me knowing that I taught him well enough to let him.

Strawberry picking & waffles

Hey I got an idea! I could stay with you! We could stay up late, swap manly stories, and in the morning, I'm making waffles! -Donkey

We have strawberries galore here! My mom and Noah went picking over the weekend, and he came home with some serious berry-yumminess.

I think summer has got to be the best time for people, especially diabetics nutrition -wise. Fresh fruits and veggies in season seem to taste better than any other time of the year.

We try to encourage healthy choices often, but breakfast is tough around here. If we let Noah eat waffles, bacon and english muffins every day, he'd be perfectly happy. Getting him to try oatmeal took alot of smart and clever parenting tricks (by that, I mean bribery) and he hated it. So fruit is what we rely on to not feel like terrible parents who feed the kid junk all the time!

Noah enjoying the fruits of his labor:

"Can you hear me now?"

I swore I'd never allow my young child to have a cell phone. It was just one of those things that made me kind of an old-fashioned mother. No cell phone. No DVD player in the car, etc. No matter how much Noah begged for the last couple years, (let me remind you, he's only almost 9) My answer was always the same; "when you get older and are doing more after-school stuff, then you can get one."

2 days ago, I got my almost 9 year old a cell phone. I had to cave and go against everything I've been saying for years. It's strictly for medical reasons - so he can stay in touch with me during his day camp this summer. I feel good about it. My husband and I are pretty confident that he'll be responsible, but in the back of my mind I remember what it's like to be almost 9 with a new cool toy (even though mom and dad have STRESSED that it's not a toy) and showing off to friends is going to happen. He will geek out with that phone and I'm sure a lesson or two will be learned within the first week, (son, DO NOT text the word "boobs" to your friends) but it's a small price to pay for my piece of mind.

Vacation!

Today is the very first day of summer vacation. We slept til' 9:00 and Noah's blood sugar at that time was kinda low at 68. Looks like the alarm will have to be set to keep him from sleeping right through a low.

I wonder why sometimes he feels very low and tests at around 100 (or even higher) and other times, he's in the 50's and 60's and says he feels perfectly fine. That I will never understand. I'm all about the rhyme and reason behind things, and this disease offers neither. It can be frustrating at times.

This week it's all about being lazy, because next week starts the running around and constant activity of day camp.

We have a beach day planned for tomorrow seeing as it will be very hot here. I am thinking about disconnecting Noah's pump for the day so we don't have a repeat of the "Florida Incident" as it is now affectionately called. I just think one day of freedom splashing in the ocean without something attached to your butt is totally worth a couple injections. I want Noah to be able to get very salty, very sandy and very happy.

Picking Battles

Having a child means experiencing surprises on a daily basis. Some good - like when they make you something at school , and bring it home to give it to you all crinkled and bent from being in the backpack. Some not so good - like when you find out they've been given detention for throwing paper on the bus. These are life's little challenges, and picking which battle to fight is always a tough decision for parents to make.

Now throw diabetes into the mix, and it seems like every little thing is the battle scene from Braveheart. It's hard to get people to understand exactly what Noah goes through on a daily basis. One member of my family thinks to this day, that his diabetes can be controlled by diet and diet alone. I have to shake my head and explain -again- that he basically needs his pump to live.

Then there's school. For the most part it's been ok. The school nurse is one of the most wonderful people that has entered into our lives. She really gets it - she has truly done her homework and so genuine in her concern for these kids she sees every day, it's enough to make you tear up a little. She called me yesterday to tell me that Noah had been low when he tested right before a walking field trip to visit the Police Station. He was very upset and his mood swung even more when he was told to stay and have a snack. I guess the teacher couldn't wait 5 minutes, because they left without him. When the nurse couldn't reach the principal to see if she could bring Noah over there (it's literally 1/2 a block away from school.) she called me , and I got him and drove him over to join his class. When I saw the teacher , I began to explain to her that he was fine now, and that his test kit and juice are in his bag....she cut me off mid sentence and said "well we are almost done here".

I was so upset, I just turned on the spot and left. I am sad for my son. Sad because in trying to help him feel completely normal with this disease, he is still being singled out. Some battles you just can't win.

Sweet Morning

When I arrived home this morning from the gym, the phone rang. The caller ID says it's the school, and my stomach does an involuntary flip.

"Hello"?

"HI MOM!!!!" I can hear oodles of excitement in his voice (thank goodness!)

"what's up, hunny?

He tells me he's down at the nurse, and he won a prize, and it's a candy bar (!) and canhepleasepleaseplease haaave it?????

Mad dash to the computer, where I pull up my lifesaver. CalorieKing, type in Nestle Crunch.

Like magic, the stats come up:

Serving Size: x serving, 3 bars (1.5 oz) package (11.5 oz) oz g
Nutrition Facts
Calories 210
(Kilojoules 878)
% DV**
Total Fat
10 g
15%
Sat. Fat
6 g
30%
Trans Fat
0 g

Cholesterol
5 mg
2%
Sodium
60 mg
3%
Total Carbs.
29 g
10%
Dietary Fiber
1 g
4%
Sugars
24 g

Protein
2 g

Calcium
40 mg

Note: A dash indicates no data is available.

2 seconds to look it up , and my little guy was off bolusing and enjoying his prize.

I must reference this website two, three times a day. Not just for carbs info, but for my own nutritional inquiries. Thank you CalorieKing- you are being added to my list on the side :)

Cutting Apron Strings

I will be honest and admit, I miss the days when we could jump in the car with a beach towel and sunscreen and head out without so much as a backward glance. Being spontaneous is fun! Planning and scheduling makes me feel like a drill sergeant.

Nowadays, I feel like a Boy Scout- "be prepared" is my new mantra. For the sake of Noah and his diabetes management, I have trained myself to be stringent and organized. This, in itself is a miracle!

The one thing yet to change is my ability to let go, and trust that Noah will know what to do without me there to help him. The time has come to sign up for a really super fun summer program that our recreation department runs. He did not go last year, because he was still getting injections and not yet on the pump. Since they have no nurse at this facility, I felt it was best to wait until he was pumping and responsible enough to take care of himself.

He's now been pumping for 7 months, and he's very good and only needs accasional guidance and his meal carbs calculated. Should be no problem, right? Nope. I am scared to death to let him go. He will have a cell phone to call home. The place is less than 2 miles from my home, so by car, I could be there in 2 minutes. I keep trying to remind myself that it has to happen sometime.

Still, I worry. Everything could go wrong - or nothing could go wrong. Once again planning (praying), organizing (agonizing), and trusting will be my tools to make this more about Noah having fun with his peers, being a kid and having a great time, and less about feeling different or held back.

Traveling for the first time on the pump

Last week, Noah, my mom and I went to Florida to see my grandfather for his 80th birthday. It was the first time we went away from home since his diagnosis (yes, first trip in 2 years- I'm a nervous mother) and needless to say, I was a little frantic with the preparations.

I packed and re-packed. Checked and re-checked. Government websites were consulted to make sure we could get through the security checks alright. The Freestyle attached to the Cozmo set the metal detector off twice, which resulted in a pat-down search. eeek!

The one thing that we were most afraid of, but thankfully were extremely prepared for, happened. TOTAL PUMP FAILURE.
I read that literature about a gazillion times to make sure swimming wouldn't hurt the pump. I went over the casing with a fine-toothed comb to see if there were any cracks, scratches, etc. We even did a test run in the shower. First day in the pool and the thing pooped out on us. dead. done. finito.

Oh crap, no!! After a brief but teary visit to the bathroom I gathered myself together, and called the 800 number on the pump. I love the Cozmo people- the woman I spoke to was so calming and helpful as I explained my situation of being away from home and freaking just a bit. She took down my grandparent's address and said UPS would deliver by 1:00 the next day!! I thanked her about a gazillion times, and dug out the spare glucose meter, and syringes ...glad I brought them!

The new pump arrived early at 11:00 the next day! Less than 24 hrs and we were back in business. It wasn't a total disaster, but it very well could have been. Being prepared saved us alot of headaches .Not to toot my own horn, but being a nervous mother has finally paid off!

So here's a checklist for travelers who may be embarking on their first trip after a pump start. Feel free to comment with your own helpful hints!
1. Letter from your physician explaining your need for medical supplies on the plane.
2. batteries
3. alcohol wipes, lancets, infusion sets, cartridges, etc.
4. INSULIN
5. syringes (even if you don't use them, keep them on you for emergencies)
6. Write down all your pump settings. Even if you have a photographic memory, believe me, when you're stressed you won't remember squat.
7. glucagon
8. stash of snacks for lows...those little juicy juice boxes are perfect at 15g carbs and we found these gummy things -Sunkist Fruit Gems- you can get them in the bulk candy bin at the supermarket. They are awesome for travel and are individually wrapped so you can trow them in your bag, pocket, cup holder.
9. Clear plastic zip-top bags to put it all in.

Lastly, carry on everything you will need. Don't think you can get by without your supplies with you at all times. Test often and you will have a wonderful and safe trip with minimal snags.

Let It Out

My first post and I have so much to say. Where do I start?

I have been quietly reading all of these wonderful d-blogs and it has really opened my mind and my heart to the fact that we are not alone in this. My son was diagnosed with type 1 in 2005, and started pump therapy in November of 2006. Noah will be 9 soon and handles his daily struggles pretty well.

My hope in creating this blog is that anyone who is feeling a little lost in the sea of diabetes stuff can read and feel not so alone.