13 Special Days

13 Favorite Holidays or Special Days

1.  CHRISTMAS - My Savior's birthday and my favorite of them all! Although I've found it just isn't the same as when I was little. Why is that? 

2.  JULY 4th - PROUD to be an American! My favorite president is RONALD REAGAN. I wrote him a letter when I was in 5th grade and he took the time to write me back!! He even signed it himself and no one can tell me ANY different!

3.  EASTER - Many childhood memories, which began with getting up at the crack of dawn for sunrise services then on to church for breakfast. (Although, I never remember actually eating breakfast, but rather sitting with my friends on the church curb waiting for the one stoplight in town to stop flashing. Ahh, the little things!) After the stoplight would come on, it was time to rush home and change into my new Sunday dress. (Some years, with a little luck, I'd even have time to open my Easter basket before church!) Easter Sunday also meant giving 30 pieces of silver to God. (This was to represent the 30 pieces of silver Judas Iscariot was paid to betray Jesus.) After church my mom always fixed a HUGE lunch for our family then we'd color and hide eggs. How I miss those days!

4.  THANKSGIVING - RAT HUNTING! That's right, RAT HUNTING! Although, I must admit, this was not something I grew up with. No, it wasn't until after I became part of the "Spore clan" that I was blessed with such a tradition. After becoming a Spore myself in 1991, we'd spend each Thanksgiving at my husband's grandparents farm in Newkirk, Oklahoma. It was here, I learned the art of hunting rats! To my surprise, all you needed was a bunch of men and lil' boys, a tractor to lift the brush piles up and a big ole' stick to wallop the rats on the head when they came dartin' out! WHOoo-EEEeee! You never truly lived until ya got yourself that first mangy rat! Can't say I ever participated, but I did ride the tractor with G-Paw a time or two. That there was enough excitement for this city girl! Anyone else out there had the privilege of hunting them there rats?

5.  HALLOWEEN - WAS, I repeat WAS a favorite of mine. I use to love to dress up my boys each year. My oldest, Logan, was once a blue LEGO! I'm not talking a mini size lego, but a HUGE gigantic lego! He was SO big, we had to take him around in the bed of our truck trick-or-treating because he wouldn't fit inside! Another year, my middle son, Ethan was a "Cereal Killer" with boxes of cereal, knives, and blood all over him (not one of mom's favorites). All this was fine and dandy until October of 1998 when Ethan, then 4 years old, was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. Now, I can honestly say I H-A-T-E it! Mind you, I rarely use the wore "hate." As I always told my students, "Hate is a STRONG word!" But in this case, I reserve the right to use it! H-A-T-E

6.  BIRTHDAYS - I "use" to love celebrating my birthday. Every year, for 18 years PLUS, my mom would bake me a cake. She always made sure each year was special for me. However, with the big 4-0 around the corner... I'm not as excited as I use to be! I do, however, LOVE to celebrate the birthdays of my three wonderful boys! This year we will be celebrating 18, 16, and 13. A hard year indeed, as they are growing up, but thankful they are with me everyday!

7.  My BAPTISM - October 1, 1978. The day I was immersed and committed my life to Jesus. It wasn't until I was in my 20's, however, that I actually understood WHY I believed what I was TOLD to believe all those years growing up. It was then I felt Jesus come into my heart.

8.  D DAY - November 2, 1998. Ethan, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. (No, I haven't lost it, although I've asked myself the same thing a time or two.) We celebrate this day because we are thankful that Ethan has SURVIVED yet another year with this deadly disease without complications. We are thankful for the new and upcoming technologies that make his life easier. Yet, we still pray and yearn for a cure! 

9.  D DAY II - May 31, 2005. Caleb, our baby, was also diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Just when we didn't think we could take anymore.... God saw different. And again, five years later, we are SO very thankful Caleb is still fighting and not letting his life be controlled by this deadly disease. 

10.  DATE DAY - April 27, 1989 Dating anniversary to my high school sweetheart. Who would've thought after all this time, we'd still be together?

11.  WEDDING DAY - July 27, 1991 Wedding anniversary to the love of my life! The same guy as above :) Thank you for changing my world!

12.  SURVIVAL DAY - September 19, 1993 The day God spared my fathers life, after a drunk driver hit him head on, traveling at speeds close to 90 +/- an hour! My father is still with us today at the ripe old age of 75!

13.  TBD - What's yours???? 

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Life For A Child

Globally Type 1 diabetes is the MOST common form of diabetes in children, affecting around 500,000 under 15 years of age. Keep in mind however, that children of any age; teens, adolescents, toddlers, even babies can be struck by this life-long disease. My two boys are proof of that. If not detected early enough in a child, diabetes can be fatal! Yet diabetes in a child is often completely overlooked: it is often misdiagnosed as the flu or it is not diagnosed at all!

• Every DAY 200 more children develop Type 1 diabetes!
• Every YEAR, 70,000 children under the age of 15 develop Type 1 diabetes.
• Type 1 diabetes is increasing in children at a rate of 3%/yearly
• Type 1 diabetes is increasing the fastest in preschool aged children, at a rate of 5%/yearly.
• Over half of children with diabetes develop complications within 15 years. That's only 5 more years for our son Ethan.

My heart aches not only for my own children, Ethan and Caleb, but for those children who aren't as fortunate. Diabetes is a deadly disease! NO child should die of diabetes, yet each year there are at least 4 million deaths from diabetes=related causes! Children, particularly in countries where there limited access to diabetes care and supplies, die at a very young age. Children just like Ethan and Caleb. Ethan has lived with diabetes for 10 years now and Caleb three.
We are SO thankful to live in a country where their diabetic supplies are accessible,costly, yet accessible, and their diabetes care is a short distance away. Others are not so fortunate.
Children in underdeveloped countries die quickly of high blood sugar levels through inaccurate diagnosis, lack of insulin or lack of expert care. In other countries, expert care is available, but resources are limited and so early and serious complications frequently lead to death in young adulthood.

• In Zambia, a child with Type 1 diabetes can expect to live an average of 11 years. Ethan has lived 10 years with diabetes.
• In Mali, the same child can expect to live for only 30 months, or 2.5 years.
• In Mozambique, the child is likely to die within ONE year.

Without your help these children have a very dim future. What can we do? What can you do to help save the life of a child? I've been waiting for you to ask! I'd like to introduce you to, "Life For A Child" hosted by The International Diabetes Foundation

"The International Diabetes Federation's Life for a Child Program supports the care of close to 1100 children in over 18 countries worldwide. The program meets the children's immediate needs (insulin, syringes, monitoring and education), builds local capacity and lobbies governments to establish sustainable solutions."

One of the easiest way to support the health care of children in underdeveloped countries, is through a tax deductible donation to "Life For A Child." A dollar a day covers a child's care for a day. You can give once or on a regular basis, $1 or $50, your choice. Just click on the banner below and it will take you to the program's donation page. Just think, you could be saving the life of a child. What better present can you give yourself or in the honor of another?

Another opportunity to make a difference is by being an advocate for the future of children with Type 1 diabetes in developing countries through the "Life For A Child" program. This simply consists of finding 10 or more individual sponsors through your company, business, organization, etc. I will be hosting a sponsor drive on my blog in the next couple of weeks, so make sure and check back to see how you can help me personally reach this goal!

Do you have another way to help those less fortunate than yourself? Please feel free to leave a comment below and share with me.

Hypoglycemia

IF YOU HAVE LOW BLOOD SUGAR, WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1. Check your blood sugar.
2. If less than 70 mg/d, eat 15 grams of fast acting carbohydrate.
   • If your glucose is under 55 mg/dl, double amount of carbohydrate.
3. WAIT 15 MINUTES, then recheck your blood glucose level.
   • If it's still under 70 mg/dL repeat number 2 above, and check your blood glucose again in 15 minutes.
4. Once your blood glucose is above 70 mg/dL, if your next meal is more than 15 minutes away, eat a carbohydrate snack.
5. Evaluate the possible cause of your low blood glucose.
   • Too little food or late meal?
   • Extra exercise?
   • Too much insulin?
     

PLEASE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT ALL PEOPLE WITH DIABETES ARE DIFFERENT. NOT EVERYONE WILL REACT THE SAME WAY!!!!! THESE ARE GENERAL SYMPTOMS AND PROCEDURES ONLY!

Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes

Treatment

There is no cure for diabetes!!

Treatment for Type 1 diabetes involves juggling insulin intake, diet, and exercise to control blood sugar and prevent symptoms and complications.

LEARN THESE SKILLS

Basic diabetes management skills will help prevent the need for emergency care. These skills include:

• How to recognize and treat low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and high blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
• What to eat and when
• How to take insulin
  
• How to test and record blood sugars
• How to test urine for ketones (type 1 diabetes only)
• How to adjust insulin or food intake when changing exercise and eating habits
• How to handle sick days
• Where to buy diabetes supplies and how to store them

After you learn the basics of diabetes care, learn how the disease can cause long-term health problems and the best ways to prevent these problems. People with diabetes need to review and update their knowledge, because new research and improved ways to treat diabetes are constantly being developed.

Symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes Symptoms

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Diabetes often goes undiagnosed because many of its symptoms seem so harmless. Recent studies indicate that the early detection of diabetes symptoms and treatment can decrease the chance of developing the complications of diabetes.

Some diabetes symptoms include

• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Unusual weight loss
• Increased fatigue
• Irritability
• Blurry vision

Patients with type 1 diabetes usually develop symptoms over a short period of time, and the condition is often diagnosed in an emergency setting.

If you or a loved one are experiencing any of the symptoms above, please make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible and don't ignore the symptoms.

Check It Out

Since diabetes effects our entire family, I've posted "Ethan's Story; 10 years ago today" on our family blog. Please visit The Spore Family Blog to read how diabetes first touched our lives.

Day 3-Diabetes Myths

MYTHS ABOUT TYPE 1 DIABETES

Myth #1 You can catch diabetes from someone else.
Fact: No. Although we don’t know exactly why some people develop diabetes, we know diabetes is not contagious. It can’t be caught like a cold or flu.

Myth #2 People with diabetes can't eat sweets or chocolate.
Fact: If eaten as part of a healthy meal plan, or combined with exercise, sweets and desserts can be eaten by people with diabetes. There are no more “off limits” to people with diabetes, than they are to people without diabetes.

Myth #3 Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.
Fact: No. Diabetes is not caused by eating too much sugar. Diabetes is caused by a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors. However, being overweight does increase your risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Myth #4 I'll know if I have diabetes because I'll feel sick.
Fact: One third of the 21 million people with diabetes don't know they have it. Uncontrolled diabetes damages blood vessels and other parts of your body.

Myth #5 Diabetes can be cured by a diet.
Fact: This is another huge misconception. No diet can cure diabetes. For that matter, diabetes cannot even be controlled with a diet. The most a diet can do is to keep the blood sugar level in a healthy state.

There are many misconceptions about diabetes. Education is ONE of the key elements in diabetes management. Our two boys did not ask for this disease! They didn't eat too many cookies or drink too much kool-aide to develop diabetes. A "miracle" diet, special herb or pill cannot cure them from diabetes. And you will not "catch" diabetes if they sneeze, cough, breathe, or bleed on you! Take time out today and learn something you didn't know about diabetes and comment back to us.

Day 2 What is Diabetes?

What is diabetes?
Let’s start with the body. Your body is made up of many parts. Each part works with the others to keep you healthy. Sometimes one part of your body may not work as well as it should. When this happens, you might not feel well. Do you know what part of your body makes INSULIN, to digest food? Your PANCREAS! When your pancreas stops making insulin, you have diabetes.

A healthy PANCREAS makes insulin, a hormone which helps the body break down and use sugar turning it into energy. Everyone needs energy to live, otherwise we'd be like a bump on a log, right? Sugar in the blood comes from the food and drink we eat. A person with type 1 diabetes doesn't produce any insulin. Without insulin, the sugar builds up in the blood, causing high blood sugar, or hyperglycemia. Blood sugar levels that are too high and untreated for long periods of time can lead to ketoacidosis, a very serious condition. Very high blood sugars for an extended period of time can eventually lead to coma and even death. Now, the difference between you and my two boys, is that your healthy pancreas keeps a "perfect balance" between how much food you eat and how much insulin it puts out. The boys' pancreases have to have help. How do you think we help their pancreas? The only treatment to replace the missing insulin and help, is by injection. Caleb, our youngest, is currently taking four shots/day at breakfast, lunch, supper, and bedtime. Sometimes he has to take five shots a day. Since being diagnosed on May 31, 2005, Caleb has endured AT LEAST 5,000 shots! Anyone ready to trade places with him? Ethan, our middle son, was diagnosed 11/04/1998. He took shots for several years before he got an insulin pump. We will learn more about pumping in a future post! Right now, it's important to remember that: INSULIN IS NOT A CURE! Think of it as a band-aid covering a great big ouchy!

National Diabetes Awareness Month-November

October was Breast Cancer Awareness month on Lil' Bit This...Lil' Bit That. I shared the story of my new friend, Tisha, a 35 year old single mother fighting breast cancer. Please continue to check back for updates on Tisha and her fight against breast cancer. In the mean time, please continue promoting awareness of this deadly disease which takes millions of lives every year.

Beginning today, November 1st, my Lil' Bit This...Lil' Bit That...Blog will continue to raise awareness, but for a different life-threatening and deadly disease known as Diabetes. November is, National Diabetes Awareness Month. I could NOT let this go unnoticed as diabetes affects our family 365/24/7 x 2. That's right. Diabetes is an ongoing, without a break disease which TWO of our three children have been diagnosed with. Many, if not most, of my November posts will be dedicated to raising awareness, educating the uneducated, fund-raising, and honoring those close to me who are effected by diabetes. I think you will quickly understand my passion for promoting this disease and why it's so close to my heart.

DIABETES STATISTICS

1. There are two MAJOR types of diabetes; Type 1 & Type 2.
2. 7.8% of the 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes.
3. More men (11.2%) then women (10.2%) are diagnosed with diabetes over the age of 20.
4. A total of 1.6 million new cases of diabetes were diagnosed in people 20 years or older in 2007.
5. 186,300 CHILDREN, 19 and younger, have diabetes, either Type 1 or Type 2.
6. The risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people without
7. Diabetes was the 7th leading cause of death listed on U.S. death certificates in 2006.
8. Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults 20 to 74 years.
9. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure.
10. Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates two to four times higher than adults without diabetes.
11. 60-70% of people with diabetes have mild-severe forms of nervous system damage.
12. More than 60% of non-traumatic lower-limb amputations occur in people with diabetes.
13. Estimated diabetes costs in the U.S. in 2007 was $174 BILLION!

If you didn't take time to read the statistics above, at least glance back through the bold faced words....approximately 18 million people currently have diabetes with 1.6 million NEW cases being diagnosed in 2007 alone. Blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and nervous system damage are just a few complications of diabetes along with a shorter life expectancy. And if that weren't enough, yearly medical expenses of people with diabetes are 2.3 times higher than those without the disease.

Diabetes has become an EPIDEMIC, plain and simple! The CDC's (Center for Disease Control) official definition of an epidemic is: "The occurrence of more cases of disease than expected in a given area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time." Webster defines an epidemic as, "extremely prevalent; widespread." The high and rapidly increasing prevalence of the disease demands this description. What is your thought on this? Please take my poll on the right and comment below with your thoughts.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: In the next 24 hours, 2,700 some people will be diagnosed with diabetes.