May 19th, 2011 by KerriSparling in Health Tips, Humor, True Stories
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Yesterday I wrote about my wedding, focusing on the parts that meant the most to me: the man I love, our families and friends, the church service, saying “I do,” and dancing ourselves silly at the reception.
But diabetes was a part of my wedding day. We did our best to keep it quiet and unnoticed, though, using several tricky methods. I’m like a diabetes wedding magician … sort of.
First things first: the dress. Wearing an insulin pump is the easiest and least intrusive way for me to take my insulin, and I wasn’t about to go off the pump just for the sake of fashion. My solution? Design a pocket to hold my insulin pump, hidden in my wedding dress. I spoke with the seamstress at Ye Olde Bridal Shoppe and she and I designed something that left the pump accessible, yet hidden.
Even if you were looking for it, the pump pocket was almost impossible to find. Hidden along the seam of my wedding gown, it was held shut with a small piece of velcro. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
April 16th, 2011 by KerriSparling in True Stories
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If there’s one thing that takes a consistent beating as a result of diabetes (other than my internal organs, of course), it would be this little guy:
My insulin pump. This is a part of my diabetes management plan 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Very rarely do I take “pump vacations,” so for the most part, I’m connected at all times. On an average day, the pump endures sleeping in the bed with me, the baby’s wake-up routine (which includes her grabbing the pump site, regardless of where it is located), playing all day, working, cleaning the house and my body, conference calls and email blitzes, the gym, routine awkwardness, et cetera ad nauseum.
Which means that this expensive, life-changing little gadget gets battered around on a regular basis. Apparently, these things are built to be durable (to a certain extent), as I only cracked my Minimed pump once, and I haven’t injured this one irreparably yet. (Despite the months of clumsy, pre-eclampsia pregnancy hands during which I dropped everything I touched. I was like Gravity Midas.) But recently, I scuffed into the door jamb, and was left with this new, giant white scuff on the screen. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
January 9th, 2011 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, Humor, True Stories
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Last week we were at the airport to travel to Marco Island for the CWD Family Weekend. And we were NOT traveling light, by any stretch. Chris and I had our suitcases, our laptops, and my diabetes supplies (infusion sets, insulin, test strips, glucose tabs, etc.) stashed in a carry on. Oh, and we also had that giggly baby BSparl, plenty of clothes for her to spit up on, formula, bottles, wipes, diapers, water for mixing the formula, toys, Happy Baby puffs for snacks, her car seat, the car seat base, and the stroller. (Phew.)
In addition to all the junk we were carrying, I was also wearing my Animas Ping and my Dexcom sensor (and carrying the receiver) — which made me a prime candidate for the airport opt-out search from a TSA employee, thanks to the fact that these devices are better off not going through X-ray machines, etc.
I know some people have had some very troubling experiences with the full patdowns, but I’m thankful that I didn’t have any issues whatsoever. Both times (leaving Rhode Island and then leaving Florida), I was pulled aside for the pat down. Chris and the baby went through security and waited while the (female) TSA employee gave me a good how-do-you-do. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
October 22nd, 2010 by Edwin Leap, M.D. in Better Health Network, Research, True Stories
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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*
May 29th, 2010 by KerriSparling in Better Health Network, Humor, True Stories
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You know you’re a diabetic mommy when…
- The bottle of glucose tabs is just as important as the bottle of breast milk in the diaper bag.
- You have already started wondering how you’re going to explain juice as “medicine” to the kiddo.
- When you wake up for 3am feedings and they double as a 3am blood sugar check.
- You start cooing sweetly at your meter when it gives you a result of 100 mg/dl. (“Oooh, what a good meter you are! Yes you are!”)
- Your baby ends up with a dot of blood on the back of her pajamas from your middle-of-the-night blood sugar check that didn’t stop bleeding right away.
- When you talk about “the pump,” you need to clarify “the insulin one, not the boob one.”
- Sometimes you have to draw numbers to see who gets to feed the baby. And by “draw” we mean blood samples.
- Nothing makes you happier than a full baby with a clean diaper and a full pump with a full battery.
- You need a diaper bag just for diabetes supplies.
- Your bedside table has just as many burp clothes as used test strips gathered at its base.
And when the Dexcom starts to “BEEEEEEEP!” you wonder if it needs a diaper change.
*This blog post was originally published at Six Until Me.*
