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What Not To Say To A Parent Of A Kid With Diabetes

I didn’t make this video, but the fact that it quotes questions I’ve heard people ask the parents of children with diabetes time and time again makes me smirk. It’s a little bit sassy. And my goodness, did I laugh when I first watched it. The second time I watched it, I paused it to write down my favorite line:

“There are only two things my daughter cannot eat:  Poison, and cookies…made with poison.”

(Note:  If someone can hook me up with this moss that supposedly cures all things that ail ya, let me know. I’d love some in time for the holidays.)

This video was born on Joanne’s Death of a Pancreas site. Thanks for the laughs, Joanne!

*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*

Juvenile Diabetes: The Walk For The Cure

This weekend is the Western Carolina Walk for the Cure for Juvenile Diabetes. Our son Seth is 13, and has been diabetic since age five. The Walk is one of our favorite yearly events. More than that, the idea of a cure is one of our favorite dreams!

Seth has come a long way. He wears an insulin pump, and is now wearing a continuous glucose monitoring system. His chances of long-term complications, such as blindness or renal failure, are remarkably low compared to what kids faced in past decades.

His physician, Dr. James Amrhein of the Greenville Hospital System, is outstanding. He and his outstanding nurse practitioners brought us through the shock and trials of diabetes with great compassion and understanding. He offered us that precious commodity: Hope. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at edwinleap.com*

Kids With Diabetes Can “Count Carbs With Lenny”

Medtronic MiniMed has recently released a new educational game for kids and young adults that takes them through an educational tour to learn how to deal with foods when you have diabetes.

A rep for the company tells Medgadget:

Called Carb Counting with Lenny, it’s offered for free download on the Apple iTunes App Store for the iPhone, iTouch and iPad. It’s great for parents (and even adults with diabetes have enjoyed it too), as the app features a guide presenting nutritious food choices with associated serving sizes and carbohydrate values. The other key components of the app are fun, interactive games that help reinforce carb counting skills and keep children engaged. And just in case you are not fully familiar with Lenny the Lion, he is a global ambassador for children’s diabetes education.

What’s more, there’s a contest with prizes for those who can beat Lenny at the app’s carb counting games.

Link: Carb Counting with Lenny!

Contest Rules….

*This blog post was originally published at Medgadget*

“The Thought” Of Your Child Having Diabetes

It wasn’t until yesterday that I thought “The Thought” for the first time.

She had a very wet diaper in the afternoon. And even though she had nursed for a long time and even though she seemed (and is) healthy and very strong, I still thought about taking out my meter and pricking her heel myself. Just thought it for a second.

I didn’t follow through, though. I didn’t let “The Thought” stay for more than a flicker, as I immediately finished changing her diaper and started singing her a song about the power of tiny spoons. (Don’t ask — my songs never make any sense.) I shook “The Thought” off the same way I shake off the thought every time I wonder if my niece or nephew might have dipped into my autoimmune grab bag. I don’t allow my brain to go there. It’s not denial, but feels more like a protective measure taken by my mind, protecting my psyche from letting “The Thought” permeate my daily life. Read more »

*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*

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