Angry Birds has nothing on getting a binky into a crying babys mouth. Or for that matter, feeding food to a finicky eater. The daughter is now to be consuming solid foods. At least thats what the Pediatrician says. Tell the daughter. She rolls the food around on her tongue like a somalier and spits it out if it doesn't pass her test.
I do not like doing the feedings and have passed it off so many times that the wife is threatening to put a sign on her that says " Feed this baby"
I don't like the smell of mushy bananas.
I especially hate cleaning the remains of poorly timed ones who did not survive the micro wave.
But I will admit to something elses. I hate planning meals for others.
One of the hardest things about diabetes is trying to format and regulate an eating plan that works for me.
I know what to eat, I know when to eat it. The trouble is I cook, shop, and everything else for 3 other people. And sometimes, the Universe laughs the more I try to stick to plans. There are nights that there are 4 seatings for meals; daughters,mine, son and wifes. We really do try to eat as a family every night, but there are times the 3 yr old doesn't want to eat, the 6 month old just wants to be held, the Da is hungry and must eat on time and the wife is exhausted and needs a break. It happens to every family and it is not a big deal.
But it is annoying and disruptive for someone who is supposed to follow a prescript of meals, tests and meds.
And so I have been off and I feel it and it leachs into everything else, including my lack of enthusiasm for baby food.
But I know I have to be on my game, for her and for the son. I have let lazy, sweet habits take over many of his choices. As he has many markers for possibilty of diabetes in his life, I really should set a good example for choices. Many of his choices are somewhat set ( for a 3yr old..this week he likes dinasaur chicken nuggets, weeks ago, he liked bologna stars)
So we try. I take him shopping and give him the job of picking a fruit and vegetable. He likes learning about the different choices and though he doesn't always try what he picks, he still is experiencing a wider pool of food choice.
It isn't easy juggling the food needs of a family, but it can be done. I guess. I am still learning and still reeling from the highs and lows, ups and downs and smartness of.....just a little prick.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Betty Music
Learned a lesson from the daughter the other day; don't sing her to sleep. She enjoys being rocked and even hummed to or schushed, but add words and she wakes up, sings along or protests.
I learned this lesson in a funny way. I was rocking her after a feeding and before a nap and I thought, I never sing to her in the rocking chair. ( of course, she usually conks out after a feeding so she is an easy put down for sleep). I thought, what should I sing? I immediately went to the classics, in our house " Betty Music". Betty Music is music learned from Music together taught by the fabualous Miss Betty. All our Cd players have " Miss Betty Music" on them. The son learned his first words, melodies, rythms and songs from his music classes. He also fell in love with Miss Betty and her red guitar.
So I started with " Great big stars" a favorite in our house. The daugther looked at me me sweetly and I thought, great; she will off to sleep in a few seconds. No such luck. The more I sang, the more she perked up and soon she was cooing along. Oh no. I sang more and so did she. Only when I became quiet and breathed softly over her head did she fall to sleep.
How different she is from her brother who must have 2 lullabyes before he can go to sleep.
But she does share his love of music, just as long as it is not at bed time.
I love watching her jump up and down and smile and purse her lips to make noise to go along with the music. She lights up when her brother pulls out his guitar to play for her and she also enjoys tapping on the tamborine.
I have watched music give my son a medium and a voice and a joy the purest as I have ever seen. He has been picked up out of audiences by conductors who appreciated his heart for music . Indeed there is something special there and it is his mother and my responsability to nuture and feed it.
So too the sister. What will she love , what will show her heart?
Wherever she goes and becomes, I know that the roots of music education are fundamental to her development. I always appreciated Arts education, but as a parent I see just how it shapes children and to regard it as an " extra" is just unfair. For my son, it is the very breathe of life. I must make sure that it is always there for him and all children.
And it does cost; money, time, commitment, support...but hey, in the grand scheme of making fine adults out of youth..its ...just a little prick.
I learned this lesson in a funny way. I was rocking her after a feeding and before a nap and I thought, I never sing to her in the rocking chair. ( of course, she usually conks out after a feeding so she is an easy put down for sleep). I thought, what should I sing? I immediately went to the classics, in our house " Betty Music". Betty Music is music learned from Music together taught by the fabualous Miss Betty. All our Cd players have " Miss Betty Music" on them. The son learned his first words, melodies, rythms and songs from his music classes. He also fell in love with Miss Betty and her red guitar.
So I started with " Great big stars" a favorite in our house. The daugther looked at me me sweetly and I thought, great; she will off to sleep in a few seconds. No such luck. The more I sang, the more she perked up and soon she was cooing along. Oh no. I sang more and so did she. Only when I became quiet and breathed softly over her head did she fall to sleep.
How different she is from her brother who must have 2 lullabyes before he can go to sleep.
But she does share his love of music, just as long as it is not at bed time.
I love watching her jump up and down and smile and purse her lips to make noise to go along with the music. She lights up when her brother pulls out his guitar to play for her and she also enjoys tapping on the tamborine.
I have watched music give my son a medium and a voice and a joy the purest as I have ever seen. He has been picked up out of audiences by conductors who appreciated his heart for music . Indeed there is something special there and it is his mother and my responsability to nuture and feed it.
So too the sister. What will she love , what will show her heart?
Wherever she goes and becomes, I know that the roots of music education are fundamental to her development. I always appreciated Arts education, but as a parent I see just how it shapes children and to regard it as an " extra" is just unfair. For my son, it is the very breathe of life. I must make sure that it is always there for him and all children.
And it does cost; money, time, commitment, support...but hey, in the grand scheme of making fine adults out of youth..its ...just a little prick.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Its raining,it's....
Weather arguements with the wife are my least favorite. To be clear, I am a weather freak. I love watching radar, tracking storms, calculating storm predicability. I also love watching weather. I love all things weather related. I even took a course from the National Weather Service to be a severe weather spotter.
So when the wife asks" What's the weather gonna be like today?" and I tell her, the last thing I want to hear back is "oh, we'll see" . I mean, its a science, not sorcery. If radar is tracking a 10 mile spand of storm clouds coming across the region, chances are it will rain.So a wise person heeds that warning, they do not walk the baby to the park saying " its so sunny now, it probably won't rain"
I love living in a region that you can experience all 4 seasons ( and sometimes more) in a single day at certain times of the year. And because of that unpredictability, it does require some vigilance to the forcasts. The son and I tangled last night because he wanted to play right at the moment that the evening news weather report was going to be shown. It is true Murphys Law...children will lay dormant and quiet, seemingly self involved until the phone rings or the weather comes on t.v..The more important the call or need to know the elements outside, the more urgent the childs need to have your immediate attention.
Our house has a beautiful picture window in the living room with a big cozy chair in front that lovingly is known as the " the weather chair". It is the best observation station around for all things outside. Early on , the son and I used to watch storm clouds roll in and time storms by counting thunder and lightning strikes.
Later, the son would watch birds fly right across the porch and then over the front roof, but the little guy would look for them in the house, since he thought that where they had processed to in their flight.
My greatest pride was his first Hail storm and our first call to NWS (National Weather Service ) to report it. ( Did you know hail doesn't show up on radar and needs ground confermation and that said reports are primarily used by insurance companies for damage claims??? See , learned something from a weather geek)
Now, the daughter loves looking out at squirrels and bunnies and does the same bird tracking that her brother did on the living room ceiling. She loves watching rain drops splash, hit and drizzle down the window and I love watching her try to touch them through the glass.
But more than anything, I love knowing that I can check radar, look up temps, cloud movements, systems and isobars and know with assurance whether the son needs boots or a light jacket for school.
And with that knowledge, comes the cringe when the wife says" Oh, they just make stuff up to get you to watch the news...look its sunny out" Yeah, a cringe and .....just a little prick.
So when the wife asks" What's the weather gonna be like today?" and I tell her, the last thing I want to hear back is "oh, we'll see" . I mean, its a science, not sorcery. If radar is tracking a 10 mile spand of storm clouds coming across the region, chances are it will rain.So a wise person heeds that warning, they do not walk the baby to the park saying " its so sunny now, it probably won't rain"
I love living in a region that you can experience all 4 seasons ( and sometimes more) in a single day at certain times of the year. And because of that unpredictability, it does require some vigilance to the forcasts. The son and I tangled last night because he wanted to play right at the moment that the evening news weather report was going to be shown. It is true Murphys Law...children will lay dormant and quiet, seemingly self involved until the phone rings or the weather comes on t.v..The more important the call or need to know the elements outside, the more urgent the childs need to have your immediate attention.
Our house has a beautiful picture window in the living room with a big cozy chair in front that lovingly is known as the " the weather chair". It is the best observation station around for all things outside. Early on , the son and I used to watch storm clouds roll in and time storms by counting thunder and lightning strikes.
Later, the son would watch birds fly right across the porch and then over the front roof, but the little guy would look for them in the house, since he thought that where they had processed to in their flight.
My greatest pride was his first Hail storm and our first call to NWS (National Weather Service ) to report it. ( Did you know hail doesn't show up on radar and needs ground confermation and that said reports are primarily used by insurance companies for damage claims??? See , learned something from a weather geek)
Now, the daughter loves looking out at squirrels and bunnies and does the same bird tracking that her brother did on the living room ceiling. She loves watching rain drops splash, hit and drizzle down the window and I love watching her try to touch them through the glass.
But more than anything, I love knowing that I can check radar, look up temps, cloud movements, systems and isobars and know with assurance whether the son needs boots or a light jacket for school.
And with that knowledge, comes the cringe when the wife says" Oh, they just make stuff up to get you to watch the news...look its sunny out" Yeah, a cringe and .....just a little prick.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Diaper New
I can't get this song out of ny head. You've had that experience, right? For absolutely no reason, a song plays on continual repeat in your brain. Sometimes its peppiness inspires your day. Sometimes the words just produce aching memories. And somtimes, the words just call out to be addressed.
Such is the case with Dayenu.
If you are unfamilar with this classic Passover song, you are lucky. It is the ever circular, never ending saga of thanks for one thing in case another is not available. Hence the beloved phrase ; "If only".
My son plays this song constantly. I mean CONSTANTLY on his guitar. He doesn't know all the versus, but he knows the refrain and loudly proclaims it. I love listening to him sing, play, explore music, but.....I can not hear this song anymore!!!!
I have created my own version, just to break through the tedium. It was inspired by the daughter, a creative genius in her own right, albeit pampers are her greatest force of reckoning ( or is it wrecking...)
All apologies to all Jews for my irreverance, but I bet you will be humming this tune also.
It goes ( to the beat of Dayenu);;;
" Diaper new, Diaper new, Diaper new, Diaper new...Di-A-Per, Diaper New..... if we only had the pishy and we didn't have the poopy, just the pishy not the poopy, Diaper new! ....."
You get the drift.
The son hates my take on his song, having fits if I adlib. But I am chuckling. I have no designs to re make any other classics. I'll leave the creative songing to Mama Doni....don't know who she is? Google " Mama Doni Band" You will not be disappointed. My son loves " Rasta in Pasta" and I know my Passover Karma means next year he will learn all the words to that song and be singing it along with " The song whose name must not be spoken"..Da...no ,don't say it, you will have to sing it.
Right now there is just enough time to listen to the wife complain about all the bread items she can not eat and the bemoaning of the Matza plague ( fills you up and sticks around awhile)
I think its funny that we are working on limiting wheat because of the carbs for my diet, but for these 9 days, it is excrutiatngf or her ( and fellow observers) to be without. I wonder if there will be a rush on La Nova and Bagel Jays at Sundown on Tuesday??? With some of my dietary changes, I think often that I could follow a kosher diet, I eat the same kind of food combinations. Then I think of cheeseburgers and that thought subsides. But there is something to ritualistic foods and seasonal and festive feasting and general obediance to nutritional planning that makes one more appreciative and aware of the choices, abundance and obligations that can come from religious or health mandates.
There is just one other parodyI would like to tackle. A Peewee Herman Purim Spiel. I can see it now....
The word of the day, " Haman: AHHHHH !! For the rest of the show whenever anyone says " Haman" grog real loud. There can be Miss Yvonne, oh no, Miss Esther, the prettiest woman in Sussonland. And Jambi and Chairy.....and...... Well, if I really do write this, you can see it at a future Spiel and I promise, next to continual Dayenu, it will only feel like.....just a little prick.
Such is the case with Dayenu.
If you are unfamilar with this classic Passover song, you are lucky. It is the ever circular, never ending saga of thanks for one thing in case another is not available. Hence the beloved phrase ; "If only".
My son plays this song constantly. I mean CONSTANTLY on his guitar. He doesn't know all the versus, but he knows the refrain and loudly proclaims it. I love listening to him sing, play, explore music, but.....I can not hear this song anymore!!!!
I have created my own version, just to break through the tedium. It was inspired by the daughter, a creative genius in her own right, albeit pampers are her greatest force of reckoning ( or is it wrecking...)
All apologies to all Jews for my irreverance, but I bet you will be humming this tune also.
It goes ( to the beat of Dayenu);;;
" Diaper new, Diaper new, Diaper new, Diaper new...Di-A-Per, Diaper New..... if we only had the pishy and we didn't have the poopy, just the pishy not the poopy, Diaper new! ....."
You get the drift.
The son hates my take on his song, having fits if I adlib. But I am chuckling. I have no designs to re make any other classics. I'll leave the creative songing to Mama Doni....don't know who she is? Google " Mama Doni Band" You will not be disappointed. My son loves " Rasta in Pasta" and I know my Passover Karma means next year he will learn all the words to that song and be singing it along with " The song whose name must not be spoken"..Da...no ,don't say it, you will have to sing it.
Right now there is just enough time to listen to the wife complain about all the bread items she can not eat and the bemoaning of the Matza plague ( fills you up and sticks around awhile)
I think its funny that we are working on limiting wheat because of the carbs for my diet, but for these 9 days, it is excrutiatngf or her ( and fellow observers) to be without. I wonder if there will be a rush on La Nova and Bagel Jays at Sundown on Tuesday??? With some of my dietary changes, I think often that I could follow a kosher diet, I eat the same kind of food combinations. Then I think of cheeseburgers and that thought subsides. But there is something to ritualistic foods and seasonal and festive feasting and general obediance to nutritional planning that makes one more appreciative and aware of the choices, abundance and obligations that can come from religious or health mandates.
There is just one other parodyI would like to tackle. A Peewee Herman Purim Spiel. I can see it now....
The word of the day, " Haman: AHHHHH !! For the rest of the show whenever anyone says " Haman" grog real loud. There can be Miss Yvonne, oh no, Miss Esther, the prettiest woman in Sussonland. And Jambi and Chairy.....and...... Well, if I really do write this, you can see it at a future Spiel and I promise, next to continual Dayenu, it will only feel like.....just a little prick.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Keys in Brooklyn
Night vision is not one of my strong points. I've never liked driving at night, but mostly because I get tired early. I like to sleep when the sun goes down and rise with it in the morning. So the thought of a late night excursions is not pleasant. But the prize is picking up my sweet children and wife who will have been having their own adventures due to interrupted flight plans because of keys that went to Brooklyn and didn't stay in Staten Island.
Diabetes management comes into play here too, because I usually have my big meal of the day early and try to to do my last blood test of the day @ 7:00 or 7:30. My next test will be when I wake up @ 6:20 a.m.and begin the next days meds and pricks. My son loves helping me " test ' my blood. I let him put the strip in the meter and he watches while I set up the lance, poke, drip and measure. He always grimaces when I stick my finger and I tell him it doesn't hurt ( well most of the time it doesn't hurt that much) but he gives me his sympathy anyway. He is so concerned when the blood drop comes out my finger. equally, he is amused when the the test strip sucks it it in, beeping as it does ( "just like the groceries at Wegmans" he tells me). Waiting is not long till the numbers tell just how well I am doing. " Do you have good blood today, Da?" he asks.
I have been unsure how to explain Diabetes to him in language he understands. He is a big sweets pusher and he loves to share. His feelings get really hurt if you can't accept his kindness. But he has learned that I can't eat a cookie with him and he has taken a liking to my fiber bars. I don't want him to be frightened and so far its all just matter of fact. But soon, I will teach him to Dial 911 and learn what to do if an emergency happens and how to react if Da gets sick. He likes to practice firedrills ( we will be having one soon now that the weather is good) and he feels secure knowing our family meeting place for an evacuation drill is on our neighbors front porch. So, the next step is learning how to call for help when an adult can't and learn that lesson without fear or panic.
In the mean time, he probably doesn't realize that I am quite vigilant on getting enough sleep, eating on a schedule that coincides with meds and testing and drinking lots of water and getting some exercise.
So when that schedule gets off kilter because of keys in Brooklyn, I get a little testy. I know he, and my wife and daughter have the worst part of tonights journey and I have to remember that the most important thing is that they come home safely.
To adjust, I ate a little later, tried to rest ( because no matter what time I go to sleep, I will be up at 6:20 a..m. and so will my boy) and even asked a friend to ride along for the pickup. I try to be flexible, but I am not that good at it for some things.And since I do live on a schedule, it can affect health if the time, nutrition , sleep etc. are altered.
So tonight, may the skies be friendly, the roads safe, the car warm and the children drowzy and easy to put to sleep upon return. And any discomfort from late night ventures, may it be no more than.....just a little prick.
Diabetes management comes into play here too, because I usually have my big meal of the day early and try to to do my last blood test of the day @ 7:00 or 7:30. My next test will be when I wake up @ 6:20 a.m.and begin the next days meds and pricks. My son loves helping me " test ' my blood. I let him put the strip in the meter and he watches while I set up the lance, poke, drip and measure. He always grimaces when I stick my finger and I tell him it doesn't hurt ( well most of the time it doesn't hurt that much) but he gives me his sympathy anyway. He is so concerned when the blood drop comes out my finger. equally, he is amused when the the test strip sucks it it in, beeping as it does ( "just like the groceries at Wegmans" he tells me). Waiting is not long till the numbers tell just how well I am doing. " Do you have good blood today, Da?" he asks.
I have been unsure how to explain Diabetes to him in language he understands. He is a big sweets pusher and he loves to share. His feelings get really hurt if you can't accept his kindness. But he has learned that I can't eat a cookie with him and he has taken a liking to my fiber bars. I don't want him to be frightened and so far its all just matter of fact. But soon, I will teach him to Dial 911 and learn what to do if an emergency happens and how to react if Da gets sick. He likes to practice firedrills ( we will be having one soon now that the weather is good) and he feels secure knowing our family meeting place for an evacuation drill is on our neighbors front porch. So, the next step is learning how to call for help when an adult can't and learn that lesson without fear or panic.
In the mean time, he probably doesn't realize that I am quite vigilant on getting enough sleep, eating on a schedule that coincides with meds and testing and drinking lots of water and getting some exercise.
So when that schedule gets off kilter because of keys in Brooklyn, I get a little testy. I know he, and my wife and daughter have the worst part of tonights journey and I have to remember that the most important thing is that they come home safely.
To adjust, I ate a little later, tried to rest ( because no matter what time I go to sleep, I will be up at 6:20 a..m. and so will my boy) and even asked a friend to ride along for the pickup. I try to be flexible, but I am not that good at it for some things.And since I do live on a schedule, it can affect health if the time, nutrition , sleep etc. are altered.
So tonight, may the skies be friendly, the roads safe, the car warm and the children drowzy and easy to put to sleep upon return. And any discomfort from late night ventures, may it be no more than.....just a little prick.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
"Why is this night different from all others?"
Sounds of the night have patterns and familiarity; the dishwasher hum, the bathroom faucet during teethbrushing, the lullabye clock, the stalling by the son who doesn't want to go to bed, the kisses, the songs and finally, the gentle breaths of slumbering children.
I miss those sounds when they are gone.
This is the first trip where son and daughter are gone, together with wife. I like my solitude, my ability to do chores that can only be done uninterrupted, the joy of following ones own pace through the day. But I found I missed them most at night. I had gotten used to falling asleep listening to the daughter coo and breath and following ( via our baby spy cam) my son's adventures in settling down, snoring and imitating an Octopus during his somnolent movements.
I have become expert at telling when the cry is a hunger or lost binky, the cough a dry throat or the predecessor to more sickness. Their snoozing rocks me into a safe, craddled, drowzyness that closes a busy day and sends us all to dream land.
And I miss them more this trip than any other time.
My life has become slower ( busier, but slower) as I have focused on baby needs, house needs, family needs and lastly, me needs. Forming all of those together into a collage schedule has been a real challenge. I am used to moving at a fast pace, doing 10 things at once (as every good teacher does, some do 20 at once!!), living by the clock for periods, meetings, classes, groups, lunch duty and dismissal.
I used to borrow the phrase from the t.v. show " M.A.S.H." where the surgeons described what they do as " Meat ball surgery...patch 'em, heal 'em up and get them back out there". Somedays school education felt that way. You couldn't fix all the problems that walked in the door, but you did the best you could in 6 hours.
Home is a different pace, one set often by the smallest force in the home.And one set by individual expectations. The dishes must get washed, but if I don't get to sorting out the hall closet, I am the only one chewing over it. Meal planning has been crucial to monitoring carbs and calories, but it just takes a cranky baby, long night of fussing or exhaustion to usurp a great plan.
And thats where the predicatables, the patterns, the routines help pull it all together. And when some elements of those patterns are gone....eating gets off track, exercising is a second thought and sleeping is less cozy ...because the things that matter most are missing, if only temporarily.
They will be back soon, the house will hum again ( and cry,whine,laugh, coo, giggle and sing) and this tme away will be a memory...hopefully a learning, about what matters.....the reminder pain of their absence will feel like.....just a little prick.
I miss those sounds when they are gone.
This is the first trip where son and daughter are gone, together with wife. I like my solitude, my ability to do chores that can only be done uninterrupted, the joy of following ones own pace through the day. But I found I missed them most at night. I had gotten used to falling asleep listening to the daughter coo and breath and following ( via our baby spy cam) my son's adventures in settling down, snoring and imitating an Octopus during his somnolent movements.
I have become expert at telling when the cry is a hunger or lost binky, the cough a dry throat or the predecessor to more sickness. Their snoozing rocks me into a safe, craddled, drowzyness that closes a busy day and sends us all to dream land.
And I miss them more this trip than any other time.
My life has become slower ( busier, but slower) as I have focused on baby needs, house needs, family needs and lastly, me needs. Forming all of those together into a collage schedule has been a real challenge. I am used to moving at a fast pace, doing 10 things at once (as every good teacher does, some do 20 at once!!), living by the clock for periods, meetings, classes, groups, lunch duty and dismissal.
I used to borrow the phrase from the t.v. show " M.A.S.H." where the surgeons described what they do as " Meat ball surgery...patch 'em, heal 'em up and get them back out there". Somedays school education felt that way. You couldn't fix all the problems that walked in the door, but you did the best you could in 6 hours.
Home is a different pace, one set often by the smallest force in the home.And one set by individual expectations. The dishes must get washed, but if I don't get to sorting out the hall closet, I am the only one chewing over it. Meal planning has been crucial to monitoring carbs and calories, but it just takes a cranky baby, long night of fussing or exhaustion to usurp a great plan.
And thats where the predicatables, the patterns, the routines help pull it all together. And when some elements of those patterns are gone....eating gets off track, exercising is a second thought and sleeping is less cozy ...because the things that matter most are missing, if only temporarily.
They will be back soon, the house will hum again ( and cry,whine,laugh, coo, giggle and sing) and this tme away will be a memory...hopefully a learning, about what matters.....the reminder pain of their absence will feel like.....just a little prick.
And so we begin again
There is one thing a diabetic can count on everyday....at some point, there will be a prick. For some it is more, but no matter the count, a prick will happen and the outcome of that prick will determine a wide variety of choices and actions. In contemplating writing about a house with two parents, two children, two religions...( we do have it all) I tried to think of what differentiated us. Not that being Jewish, Unitarian, Gay, parents isn't enough. But dealing with diabetes in the midst of it all was the bell ringer.
So, welcome to my blog. You will learn about my family ( 1 boy, 1 girl), my wife ( a medical professional), myself (an educator who is currently a housewife ), our cats ( 1 boy, 1 girl) and the tapestry of our lives. And you will learn how a diagnosis of diabetes has affected all of these things.
I have been wanting to write for a long time, the key word here is time. There isn't any when caring for children, a house, a family and oneself ( often the neglected item in a time management crunch). I have tried perfecting my quick blurbs on my Facebook account and enjoyed the challenge of sharing our day in 140 characters or less.
In January I recieved the new that sent my world rocking....diabetes!! Now, it should not have been a surprise, it runs in my birth family ( theres a whole blog of the future...adopted child find birth family) and my doctor had been warning me for a long time that I had " Markers" for the disease. But I thought I was immune, above the influence, impenetrable. The day my doctor said those words you could have picked my jaw off the floor.
And then, you cry.
Because Diabetes hurts. It hurts to prick your finger, it hurts to change diets, it hurts to take meds timely, it hurts to exercise more, it hurts to know that you could have done something more to put it off, it hurts to be vulnerable and it hurts.......to know that your body is not all you thought it was and that it has a weaknes that if not addresses will kill you. Pretty heady.
I cried because no woman in my maternal line has made it to age 60. Thats right. My Aunt died a wek before her 60th birthday and my birthmother died a week before hers. Both died of complications from Diabetes, asthma, alchohol, dementia, a life lived hard. I was determined to break the curse. But until that day, I didn't understand just what the curse was. Now, facing it, at my feet, i just wanted to weep and curl in a ball and hide and say " do over, do over".
My doctor is a genius and has done much work with diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. I feel safe in his hands and care. It means work, change, commitment and vigilance to live....right now to live beyond 60 ( I've got 9 years to make that goal).
But I also have two wonderful children and a wife that I'd like to be able to be there for in the future and be present for now. With that motiation , we endeavor into this journey of family, disease, growth and......a daily prick.
Thanks for reading this first entry. Stick around. Hopefully you'll enjoy these tales and your day will be a little better.because you had......just a little prick.
So, welcome to my blog. You will learn about my family ( 1 boy, 1 girl), my wife ( a medical professional), myself (an educator who is currently a housewife ), our cats ( 1 boy, 1 girl) and the tapestry of our lives. And you will learn how a diagnosis of diabetes has affected all of these things.
I have been wanting to write for a long time, the key word here is time. There isn't any when caring for children, a house, a family and oneself ( often the neglected item in a time management crunch). I have tried perfecting my quick blurbs on my Facebook account and enjoyed the challenge of sharing our day in 140 characters or less.
In January I recieved the new that sent my world rocking....diabetes!! Now, it should not have been a surprise, it runs in my birth family ( theres a whole blog of the future...adopted child find birth family) and my doctor had been warning me for a long time that I had " Markers" for the disease. But I thought I was immune, above the influence, impenetrable. The day my doctor said those words you could have picked my jaw off the floor.
And then, you cry.
Because Diabetes hurts. It hurts to prick your finger, it hurts to change diets, it hurts to take meds timely, it hurts to exercise more, it hurts to know that you could have done something more to put it off, it hurts to be vulnerable and it hurts.......to know that your body is not all you thought it was and that it has a weaknes that if not addresses will kill you. Pretty heady.
I cried because no woman in my maternal line has made it to age 60. Thats right. My Aunt died a wek before her 60th birthday and my birthmother died a week before hers. Both died of complications from Diabetes, asthma, alchohol, dementia, a life lived hard. I was determined to break the curse. But until that day, I didn't understand just what the curse was. Now, facing it, at my feet, i just wanted to weep and curl in a ball and hide and say " do over, do over".
My doctor is a genius and has done much work with diabetes, metabolic syndrome and heart disease. I feel safe in his hands and care. It means work, change, commitment and vigilance to live....right now to live beyond 60 ( I've got 9 years to make that goal).
But I also have two wonderful children and a wife that I'd like to be able to be there for in the future and be present for now. With that motiation , we endeavor into this journey of family, disease, growth and......a daily prick.
Thanks for reading this first entry. Stick around. Hopefully you'll enjoy these tales and your day will be a little better.because you had......just a little prick.
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