Friday, October 02, 2009

Crossfit + Diabetes

I have become more or less an expert on Diabetes. Type 1 in particular i do know about type 2 but i do not know what makes a type 2 diabetic tick.
Sticking with what i know. A TYPE 1 diabetic has a lifelong difficult uphill struggle to maintain their blood glucose levels. Type 1 is "known" as and autoimmune disease. No one knows exactly what triggers someones body to turn on itself. These people have to act think like one of the most complex organs in the human body.
So what is the formula? How does a human being act like a human organ?
It is all about the trifecta - Diet, exercise, and insulin. Take one of those out of the mix and the diabetic will fail, or even die. But what if we took away insulin? But instead we replaced it with intense broad and general fintess.
Replaced it with a 500meter row 20 renegade push ups and another 500 meter row.
Or replaced it with murph, nancy, diane, fran.
Would these people help others live their life without insulin?
My vision is EMMA not taking 3 insulin shots a day. I see her sucking on a juice box after or before a WOD, ringette game, jazz recital.
I have read that a crossfitter with type 1 in the states along with his diet only needs one shot of a long lasting insulin a day. His carb intake is very low and his exercise is plenty instense everyday.
Would you do Crossfit not to have to inject yourself everyday?
Would type 2 diabetes be such an epidemic? Would we be fat? Would we die, loose a leg, loose vision?
It pains me that most type 2 diabetics can prevent this from happening to them yet they continue on uneducated, unwilling to be better, and unwilling to care enough. And where Emma has no fucking choice in the matter.

I really want to hear/see your perspective in this because you all of course are the real experts on this.
Let me know if i am way off or hitting the mark fully or slightly.
I need to know. I need to keep my vision clear.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Kinder - what - what!

First day of Kindergarten.
It did not really hit me until walking into that playground with school bus's buzzing around, teachers corralling their classes, and countless energetic kids running around with their mates.
Structured learning is something that is very welcomed at t his point. Until now sure she has learned but not to the extent of an actual curriculum based learn.
Everyone was excited, but Anna had no clue other than Barney had to be stopped 10 minutes earlier that morning.

Fortunately there will be a nurse in her room at all times. This is not how things are done in Canada with type 1 but there is a girl in her room that requires that care. So that just gives us copious amounts of confidence from day to day. Mrs. S (teacher) none the less seems to be really really good. And we have heard a lot about her.

An emergency kit is available in the Kindergarten room, gym, and the office. Ready for those hopefully none existent lows. Pictures of students with medical needs are not permitted in the school system any more. But from day to day everyone will learn about Emma.

Emma mentioned about 10 times yesterday how much she likes Kindergarten. And was very talkative about her first class.

Mom cried, i didn't.
Moving forward however terrifies me to death on the first time she is excluded, teased, or singled out because of her type 1. It terrifies me because i will not know how to react. But i will react. Usually without thinking. I ONLY want to say the right things to Emma when this happens. Q. Has this happened to you? Your child? How do you deal with it? What do you say to them? <----- reaching out for help.

Not much gets to me...but this certainly does.


My Big Girl. I love you so much.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Baby girl...I wish you did not have diabetes.

Monday, September 07, 2009

argh.

When your 4 (almost 5) year old type 1 diabetic child tells you that she is shaky and feels low....FUCKING LISTEN TO HER.

Oh man do i ever feel like an idiot. Please let me beat myself up for a bit here.

Yesterday Emma and myself were doing our own thing in the basement...playing dolls and playing tiger woods golf...(insert who was doing what here).

EMMA: "Dadee...i'm feeling shaky."

Dadee: "Okay E. "

So i guess when she heard my words "Okay E".
She felt i was in control of the situation and i would look after her. But god dammit. Why did i not listen to her. Why did i not do something about this right away. I feel like balling as i write this.
NOT the least bit acceptable. We preach, advocate, brag, on how well we manage her diabetes and how dialed in we are. Also on how well Emma is in control of how she feels and how she can literate it.
All of that went down the toilet yesterday - for myself.
Yes obviously she was REALLY low. After i got off my ass and looked after her i drove to macs and got her a 10g thin chocolate bar. So after that she was 2.8 (50.4).
This was so bad she told mom what happened and started to cry.
Cry because she thought i did not care?
Did she cry because she felt like shit and i did not do anything about it?
Was she crying because she knows exactly what happened - and daddy fucked up on such a serious volume?

Terrible terrible.
This will never happen again.
I am so thankful and blessed to have Denise on this side of Emma's diabetes. Momma is as close to a cure there is in my eyes.
Thanks for looking after my girl.





Monday, August 17, 2009

Friday, July 17, 2009

Explain?

This was taken over a year or so ago. Can you do your best to explain what is going on here? If you do not know please ask me. I expect most OC bloggers to know but i do not expect many others to know. But Please give it a shot!-no pun intended.
Numbers and ratios have changed a lot since.

Chris.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

A + B = C

It was a cold and miserable winter.
Good thing i had my girls.
Anna grew like a weed and Emma just kept on getting more spectacular.





I do not know what was colder...the weather or Emma's scowl.



Renovations started in our outdated rec-room.
Once i came this far there was no turning back.





Really...what the heck did i get myself into.
This job should only have taken 2 weeks -
But with kids...and life happening it went into the three month range


Vapor barrier...2x4 studded walls...were getting there...


There were quite a few moments of overwhelm-ness. I became handy this past year when i got some quotes from contractors to do simple things. I probably saved $2-3,000 at the end of it all. And as a Ukrainian that is gold to me.


Meanwhile during the bitterness of -40 C and the disaster downstairs...Emma and Anna found some things to do. They are best friends (so far).



Getting there.


My "baby".


My Princess.


She loves doing things with her hands. Just like her daddy. Get a pen and paper some scissors and a mindful of ideas and creativity she can do anything.



Happy 1st birthday Anna! (sorry about the hat).
She is FULL of personality. I cannot help but smile ear to ear when i hear, see, or think of her.
She is not walking yet. I really do not want her to...she is a VERY busy woman! Absolute polar opposite of Emma. This is what makes them so great.



'POOF' - Done! Yea right. Almost 3 1/2 months later.


I am pretty happy with it.


Almost perfect.



Relax....?!?!?!.....ummm no....


Yard sale. The walk is next week so we decided to have this to raise money. Friends and family mostly donated stuff to us to sell. There are a great handful of people in our lives that really make a difference when we reach out.
Doing things like this is still very emotional to myself. Organizing anything to do with this chokes me up but that keeps me going in a sense. I feel privileged to be involved with a first class Charity.


All because. I love you Princess.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Show and Tell.

Over the weekend after Anna turned 1 (!!!!) we showed Emma her insulin pens. She was very interested and was enthralled hanging on our every word. So at the end of our talk/demonstration she decided it would be best if she would bring the pens to daycare for 'show and tell'.
Of course we let her (they are not in use and have no insulin in them or anyting BTW).
As much as it broke our hearts it really demonstrated on how Emma is and will be accepting Diabetes in her life. We have always put it out there as not being - bad blood sugars - bad numbers - we hate giving needles - etc.
We have ALWAYS empowered her. Since day one she has been in control of it. As much as there are times where we want to give her ultimatums to get insulin, get tested when she puts up a 'stink' . We will never take toys away, send her to her room, say she cannot do anything. this may sound like a no brainer but i have heard storey's and you can tell who does such things to their wee ones.
First thing this morning even before her chocolate milk she made me put her pens on the counter so she would not forget them. Who knows if she really knows whats going on but who knows maybe she knows more than we actually think she knows.
She sure is special!