Lately, Leah has been missing me (and I her) a LOT. I've been working some extra hours and so most days I leave before she is awake and come home just a few hours before her bedtime. When I come home from work each day, she greets me enthusiastically with a warm hug, a sweet smile and a list of things we can do together. Hide-n-Seek? Toss Up? Color? Cards? Playground? She comes prepared with a long and diverse list, hoping to remove even the tiniest chance of rejection. When she looks at me with that angel face with excitement almost dripping off her...I am ashamed to admit that I don't always seize the precious moment being presented to me. Instead I allow myself to be bogged down with all of life's stresses which, when viewed independantly seem trivial at best. Will spending time worrying about the car breaking down or the dead tree in the back yard falling into the neighor's pool before we got around to having it taken down make any of those stresses go away? Probabaly not.
I know a day will come that she might not care that I have just arrived home or be so preoccupied with her friends that giving mom a hug is the last thing on her mind and I will wish I could turn back time and claim all those missed moments that were rightfully mine. It reminds me of when I was younger and my mom would come home from a long day at two jobs. I would assault her at the door with "what's for dinner"? She always said she needed a few minutes to catch her breath. Now I know what she meant.
But, there are those days when I scoop her up, get my hug, and join her for her adventures...whatever they may be. We have played detective, gardener, doctor and princess more times than I can count. Tonight she was helping me clean the kitchen and vacumm the living room. It was already way past her bedtime (not that she actually has one at this point) and she was raring to go. She asked if she could go outside to see if it was warm or cold. I opened the door and told her to just take a couple of minutes because I didn't want her outside in the dark for too long. I went on about my business of wiping and cleaning and scrubbing when I suddenly realized she had been out there for longer than I had intended. I opened the door to the deck and I heard her voice but couldn't make out what she was saying. I quietly listened a little harder.
She was sitting in her rocking chair, rocking of course, and singing (which she has been doing a LOT of lately). I sat down in a chair next to her and listened...
"Oh moon in the skyyyyy why can't you come closer to meeeeee...you are so shiny but you are behind a treeeee".
When she heard me sit, she turned around and said "Hi Mama! Want to sing with me?". Of course I did! She told me that she was looking at the moon but was having trouble seeing it because it was hiding behind some tree branches. I got a flashlight and told her to go find it. I stood leaning againse the deck railing and watched her run to a better vantage point, flashlight bobbing. When she found a good spot, she aimed the flashlight at the moon and started up the moon song again. It was already a perfect summer evening. It was warm and a cool breeze was blowing gently. The sweet scent of blooming flowers and trees blew through the yard. As I watched her and soaked up all of the perfectness in that moment, I started to cry. I was 100% aware that this night was a gift.
It reminded me of the nights when I was a kid and we would stay up late, snuggled in blankets in folding lawn chairs, waiting for a meteor shower. The realization that my mother had done the same kinds of things with my sister and I that I was doing now with Leah overwhelmed me.
I was very close to my mother....I think most daughters would say the same thing...I knew that I could always count on her to listen to me and make me feel loved, important, respected and safe. I've mentioned before that it is hard to navigate the maze of emotions that present themself after a tragic loss. I've wondered, more times than I can count, what my relationship would be like with her if she were still alive and if my parenting methods would clash with hers.
Since I now know what it is like to love a child so deeply, I can imagine that my mom would most certainly love me and respect me, regardless of our ideals but it is sometimes hard to convince yourself when you don't have concrete evidence.
And then, as if from nowhere, the universe aligns just so and a glimpse of the answers I've been seeking appear.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Happy Daughter's Day
Dear Leah -
3 days ago was Mother's Day. While your daddy and I generally believe that love for someone shouldn't be saved for a special occassion, this particular day is a very important one for me. Since my mother died almost 10 years ago, it has become even more special and precious. I can remember many Mother's Days in which we all went out to a buffett breakfast or a favorite restaurant. I remember standing in line for hours to take my grandmother, too. I even remember showing up, unexpected, at my parent's home on a Mother's Day morning...even though I was away at college and the drive was about three hours...but I just kept imagining the look on my mother's face when she opened the door and saw me standing there.
This year was an especially good Mother's Day, for me, at least. I don't remember telling you anything in particular about MOther's Day, but in your typical way, you must have heard people talking about it or heard a commercial on the radio or TV. We were walking around the Kissing Bridge ski resort...a great place to go in the summer because no one is around and you and Rusty can run wild. You had gotten quite a bit ahead of us and then you suddenly turned around and came running in my direction, one hand tucked behind your back. As you got closer to me, you started to tilt your head and bat your eyelashes so I knew something either cute or mischevious was about to be revealed.
You stopped a foot or two in front of me, untucked the hidden arm, and reached out to me with a dandelion in your hand...and softly in the sing song voice of yours said "Happy Mother's Day!"...I was so proud and so grateful to have such a thoughtful little girl. It reminded me of when I was a kid and I would gather up dandelions and any other kind of colorful bloom and bring them to my mom (who was usually inside washing dishes.)
You repeated this adorable scene about a dozen times before Mother's Day actually arrived. Once with another dandelion, once with a wooden flower on a stick, once with a makeshift flower from a building set...anything and everything you could get your hands on seemed to do the trick. I cherished each and every one.
I wish we could invent a happy daughter's day!
3 days ago was Mother's Day. While your daddy and I generally believe that love for someone shouldn't be saved for a special occassion, this particular day is a very important one for me. Since my mother died almost 10 years ago, it has become even more special and precious. I can remember many Mother's Days in which we all went out to a buffett breakfast or a favorite restaurant. I remember standing in line for hours to take my grandmother, too. I even remember showing up, unexpected, at my parent's home on a Mother's Day morning...even though I was away at college and the drive was about three hours...but I just kept imagining the look on my mother's face when she opened the door and saw me standing there.
This year was an especially good Mother's Day, for me, at least. I don't remember telling you anything in particular about MOther's Day, but in your typical way, you must have heard people talking about it or heard a commercial on the radio or TV. We were walking around the Kissing Bridge ski resort...a great place to go in the summer because no one is around and you and Rusty can run wild. You had gotten quite a bit ahead of us and then you suddenly turned around and came running in my direction, one hand tucked behind your back. As you got closer to me, you started to tilt your head and bat your eyelashes so I knew something either cute or mischevious was about to be revealed.
You stopped a foot or two in front of me, untucked the hidden arm, and reached out to me with a dandelion in your hand...and softly in the sing song voice of yours said "Happy Mother's Day!"...I was so proud and so grateful to have such a thoughtful little girl. It reminded me of when I was a kid and I would gather up dandelions and any other kind of colorful bloom and bring them to my mom (who was usually inside washing dishes.)
You repeated this adorable scene about a dozen times before Mother's Day actually arrived. Once with another dandelion, once with a wooden flower on a stick, once with a makeshift flower from a building set...anything and everything you could get your hands on seemed to do the trick. I cherished each and every one.
I wish we could invent a happy daughter's day!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Can't Find a Title That Works for This One
I was sitting on the couch this afternoon after a beautiful mother's day brunch with lots of family. Leah was sitting next to me on the couch. Here is the conversation that transpired between us:
Leah: "Mommy? Do you hear my tummy?"
Lyn: (with little effort and not much attention) "MMmm hmmm."
Leah: "Its making that crazy sound!"
Lyn: (with a tiny bit more attention this time) "Oh? Really?"
Leah: "Yeah! It's growling!"
Lyn: "Wow! That is really loud!"
Leah: "Yeah....its reallyreally hungry!"
Lyn: "Yes, it sounds like that...but we just had lunch..." (the latter part added hoping to dissuade her since I'd just reclined my chair, Ryan was asleep, and I was hoping we'd all catch some Z's).
Leah: "I'm really hungry mommy..."
Lyn: "Okay honey, hold on just a minute, okay?"
Leah: "MOMMY (a little more intently this time)...I'm really really hungry!"
Lyn" "Okay, sweetie...just one more second, okay?"
Leah" "Mommy, can I please have some more pizza?" (she'd found a leftover slice in the fridge"
Lyn: "You know what, honey, do you think you could wait a little while? Mommy doesn't really feel very good right now."
Leah: "Well, what's wrong, Mommy?"
Lyn: "I don't know...I just kind of feel a little yucky"
Leah: "What feels a little yucky? Can you get me that pizza please?"
Lyn: "Well, its my tummy..."
Leah: "Well, you can still walk can't you?"
'Nuf said.
Leah: "Mommy? Do you hear my tummy?"
Lyn: (with little effort and not much attention) "MMmm hmmm."
Leah: "Its making that crazy sound!"
Lyn: (with a tiny bit more attention this time) "Oh? Really?"
Leah: "Yeah! It's growling!"
Lyn: "Wow! That is really loud!"
Leah: "Yeah....its reallyreally hungry!"
Lyn: "Yes, it sounds like that...but we just had lunch..." (the latter part added hoping to dissuade her since I'd just reclined my chair, Ryan was asleep, and I was hoping we'd all catch some Z's).
Leah: "I'm really hungry mommy..."
Lyn: "Okay honey, hold on just a minute, okay?"
Leah: "MOMMY (a little more intently this time)...I'm really really hungry!"
Lyn" "Okay, sweetie...just one more second, okay?"
Leah" "Mommy, can I please have some more pizza?" (she'd found a leftover slice in the fridge"
Lyn: "You know what, honey, do you think you could wait a little while? Mommy doesn't really feel very good right now."
Leah: "Well, what's wrong, Mommy?"
Lyn: "I don't know...I just kind of feel a little yucky"
Leah: "What feels a little yucky? Can you get me that pizza please?"
Lyn: "Well, its my tummy..."
Leah: "Well, you can still walk can't you?"
'Nuf said.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Best Laugh I've Had in a While!
When the weather started getting warm these last few weeks, I asked my sister-in-law, who is the only person I know who likes to go to garage sales as much as I do, if she would keep her eyes open for a play kitchen for Leah.
She delivered it in less than a week! And, since Leah got it, she has played with hardly nothing else! And, being the youngest member of the family, and therefore the most spoiled, she has been receving gifts from Aunt Claudia as well as grandma to "outfit" her little kitchen. Without exaggeration, Leah now has enough cups, plates, bowls, saucers, utensils, and accerssories to host at least 5 full fledged tea parties simultaneously.
Last night, while on her 10th hour of playing in that kitchen, I guess she decided to change things up a bit.
She walked over to me with a dry erase board and marker in her hand, and said "Excuse me, mam. What would you like to eat?"
"What do you have? I inquired.
"Well, you can have a popsicle, popcorn, or green beans."
"Great! I would love a popsicle."
After she left my table, she went into the kitchen and returned with a small bowl with a single, frozen, green bean and a small plate carrying the popsicle. Next, she decided to get something for Ryan, too.
This time she came out of the kitchen with an actual tray that held a plate of popcorn and a small glass of water. As she approaced Ryan's table to deliver his order, she started saying "Here you go, sir...her is your dinner!" and then, as if on que, she slowly extended the tray to him and the glass of water slid off the tray and right onto Ryan's lap.
I can honestly say I have not laughed that hard in YEARS!
Thanks,Leah!
She delivered it in less than a week! And, since Leah got it, she has played with hardly nothing else! And, being the youngest member of the family, and therefore the most spoiled, she has been receving gifts from Aunt Claudia as well as grandma to "outfit" her little kitchen. Without exaggeration, Leah now has enough cups, plates, bowls, saucers, utensils, and accerssories to host at least 5 full fledged tea parties simultaneously.
Last night, while on her 10th hour of playing in that kitchen, I guess she decided to change things up a bit.
She walked over to me with a dry erase board and marker in her hand, and said "Excuse me, mam. What would you like to eat?"
"What do you have? I inquired.
"Well, you can have a popsicle, popcorn, or green beans."
"Great! I would love a popsicle."
After she left my table, she went into the kitchen and returned with a small bowl with a single, frozen, green bean and a small plate carrying the popsicle. Next, she decided to get something for Ryan, too.
This time she came out of the kitchen with an actual tray that held a plate of popcorn and a small glass of water. As she approaced Ryan's table to deliver his order, she started saying "Here you go, sir...her is your dinner!" and then, as if on que, she slowly extended the tray to him and the glass of water slid off the tray and right onto Ryan's lap.
I can honestly say I have not laughed that hard in YEARS!
Thanks,Leah!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The Awful Truth
Diabetes. Just typing, saying, or even looking at the word makes me anxious. My heart races a little, my palms start to sweat, and the steam starts coming out of my ears. Without our consent, this disease has become a fourth member of our family and no matter how hard we fight it, try to outsmart it, or work towards controlling it, it will NEVER leave.
Even as I type the words, I can hear the chorus of nay-sayers. "But why don't you just take care of yourself? Should you REALLY be eating that? I thought diabetics weren't allowed to eat sugar? If only you would have tested your sugar more often, these terrible things wouldn't be happening to you." Statements like this come, for the most part, from people who have a very limited view of what diabetes is...let alone any kind of understanding of the differences between the TYPES of diabetes.
If you were to ask a random stranger on the street "What do you know about diabetes?" chances are their answer would be something like "Oh, well, isn't that the disease where you can't eat anything sweet? Man, I'd hate to have that disease!". To the typical layperson this might seem a harmless statement, but to a hardened victim of the disease it sounds uninformed at least and insulting at best. Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't expect everyone to be as educated as I have become about this disease but at the very least, be open to the idea that the patient probably understands it better than you ever will.
Would you believe that a staff member at my husband's endocrinologist office explained that the reason the doctor was so busy was because she had 4000 patients and that if "people would just start taking care of themselves, they wouldn't get diabetes in the first place?". If this is the kind of thing that people IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION are saying, how can we expect anything more from the general public??
With the increasing focus in this country on obesity, especially in childhood, which has led to increasing rates of Type 2 Diabetes, this disease has become something that its victims are BLAMED FOR and the more severe and lesser known form of Type 1 Diabetes has become all but forgotten! Try to think of it this way. If you ran into someone who told you they'd just been diagnosed with breast cancer, would your first thought be "Oh, you POOR thing!" or "How could you let that happen to yourself? You should not have been ingesting all those free radicals!" Sounds ridiculous, right?
If you were a cancer patient, would you tolerate being told, on a daily basis, by friends, family, strangers, politicians, comedians and anyone else in the peanut gallery that you don't deserve sympathy or treatment because it is your FAULT that you are sick? Hardly. Yet Type 1s suffer this injustice daily. Society has come to view the diabetic as a fat,lazy, and irresponsible malingerer unworthy of sympathy.
My husband was diagnosed with TYPE 1 Diabetes when he was 19. He passed out and was admitted to the hospital with a blood sugar of over 700mg/dl. (non diabetic people have blood sugars that range from 70 to 100). He was immediately put on insulin, and being an adult capable of caring for himself, let back out into the cold cruel world. TYPE 1 diabetics differ greatly from Type 2 diabetics. TYPE 1's produce very little insulin of their own, or in extreme cases, not at all. They will surely die without immediate and constant injections of synthetic insulin. A Type 2 diabetic probably makes their own insulin but has a decreased capacity, or resistance, to use it. In many cases, a type 2 diabetic will become symptom and complication free within a few months just by taking an oral medication and monitoring their blood sugar daily.
While the difference may seem subtle, the reality is not. Part of the societal stereotype comes from the fact that of the 23.6 million people (or 7.8% of the population), only about 5 to 10% are Type 1, therefore the majority of the education, emphasis, research, media coverage and time is spent on Type 2. Left out in the cold, the Type 1s are alone left to defend themselves against a society that could never possibly understand their plight.
Because Ryan and I have faced so much injustice, misunderstanding, and questionable health care, I decided it was high time to get out my soapbox and share some things with you that do not seem to be general knowledge.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, debilitating, and often fatal autoimmune disease that currently has NO CURE.
Type 1 diabetes is NOT caused by obesity, lack of exercise, or an overactive sweet tooth...in fact, there is little more than speculation about what the cause actually is. Some theories of the cause are viral infection, drinking too much cow's milk as an infant, genetics, nutrtional deficiencies, etc.
Typee 1 diabetes is sometimes called "Juvenile Diabetes" because it tends to be diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. However...adults can develop Type 1 diabetes and children can develop Type 2. As far as I am concerned, they should be considered entirely different diseases.
Type 1s can eat sweets in moderation, just like everyone else. The only difference is that when a "normal" person eats a piece of cake their body takes care of the sugar for them. The TYPE 1 must count the number of carbohydrates in the cake and then give themselves enough insulin to counter act it. Interestingly enough, many of those "Sugar Free" products out there these days contain MORE carbohydrates than their "normal" counterparts, therefore requiring MORE insulin.
At any given moment, a Type 1 must carry a glucometer, a lancet, test strips, extra batteries for their equipment, extra accessoriees, a glucagon syringe in case blood sugars go to low, glucose tablets, a journal to record insulin usage, blood sugar readings and carbohydrates consumed, a reference manual for counting carbs, ketone test strips...the list goes on and on.
A 19 year old Type 1 who lives to age 70 will stick himself with a needle more than 100,000 times in his life.
Type 1 effects virtually every organ system in the body (info below taken from Merck.com
Blood vessels
Fatty material (atherosclerotic plaque) builds up and blocks large or medium-sized arteries in the heart, brain, legs.
The walls of small blood vessels are damaged so that the vessels do not transfer oxygen to tissues normally, and the vessels may leak.
Poor circulation causes wounds to heal poorly and can lead to heart disorders, strokes, gangrene of the feet and hands, erectile dysfunction (impotence), and infections.
Eyes
The small blood vessels of the retina are damaged.
Decreased vision and, ultimately, blindness occur.
Kidney
Blood vessels in the kidney thicken.
Blood is not filtered normally.
The kidneys malfunction, and ultimately, kidney failure occurs.
Nerves
Nerves are damaged because glucose is not metabolized normally and because the blood supply is inadequate.
Legs suddenly or gradually weaken.
People have reduced sensation, tingling, and pain in their hands and feet.
Autonomic nervous system
The nerves that control blood pressure and digestive processes are damaged.
Swings in blood pressure occur.
Swallowing becomes difficult.
Digestive function is altered, and sometimes bouts of diarrhea occur.
Erectile dysfunction develops.
Skin
Blood flow to the skin is reduced, and sensation is decreased, resulting in repeated injury.
Sores and deep infections (diabetic ulcers) develop.
Healing is poor.
Blood
White blood cell function is impaired.
People become more susceptible to infections, especially of the urinary tract and skin.
Connective tissue
Glucose is not metabolized normally, causing tissues to thicken or contract.
Carpal tunnel syndrome and Dupuytren's contracture develop
Do you know of any other disease that effects as much?
The best way to slow the progression of these complications is to monitor and keep tight control of blood sugars.
Seems easy enough, right?
WRONG!
THe amount of work and dedication it takes for a Type 1 to maintain "good" sugar levels is monstrous and sometimes even impossible. Even with excellent life long blood sugar control, Type 1s will still suffer from many of these complications. If someone said to you "hey, you should eat a bowl of lima beans every day for the rest of your life to avoid developing cancer" and then went on to tell you that it might not even be affective, would you eat the lima beans? (okay...not the greatest analogy, but I hope you get the idea).
In addition, blood sugar levels can rise and fall for a million reasons...
- eating too much carbs
- not eating ENOUGH carbs
- eating "bad" carbs
- taking insulin too late or too soon
- stress
- physical activity
- vitamin deficiencies
- weight loss
- weight gain
- insulin going bad
- insulin pump malfunction
- rebounding from a high sugar
- rebounding from a low sugar
- dawn phenomena - when insulin levels in the morning are lower than usual
- medication reactions (Ryan has been prescribed drugs that will raise his blood sugar levels...more than once!)
So, there you go.
Thanks for listening to my rant. Could you do me a favor please? Should you ever meet a Type 1 diabetic, be kind.
Hearing some one say "Wow...I've heard how horrible that disease is...it must be so tough on you!"
Believe me, they will appreciate it...more than you know.
Even as I type the words, I can hear the chorus of nay-sayers. "But why don't you just take care of yourself? Should you REALLY be eating that? I thought diabetics weren't allowed to eat sugar? If only you would have tested your sugar more often, these terrible things wouldn't be happening to you." Statements like this come, for the most part, from people who have a very limited view of what diabetes is...let alone any kind of understanding of the differences between the TYPES of diabetes.
If you were to ask a random stranger on the street "What do you know about diabetes?" chances are their answer would be something like "Oh, well, isn't that the disease where you can't eat anything sweet? Man, I'd hate to have that disease!". To the typical layperson this might seem a harmless statement, but to a hardened victim of the disease it sounds uninformed at least and insulting at best. Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't expect everyone to be as educated as I have become about this disease but at the very least, be open to the idea that the patient probably understands it better than you ever will.
Would you believe that a staff member at my husband's endocrinologist office explained that the reason the doctor was so busy was because she had 4000 patients and that if "people would just start taking care of themselves, they wouldn't get diabetes in the first place?". If this is the kind of thing that people IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION are saying, how can we expect anything more from the general public??
With the increasing focus in this country on obesity, especially in childhood, which has led to increasing rates of Type 2 Diabetes, this disease has become something that its victims are BLAMED FOR and the more severe and lesser known form of Type 1 Diabetes has become all but forgotten! Try to think of it this way. If you ran into someone who told you they'd just been diagnosed with breast cancer, would your first thought be "Oh, you POOR thing!" or "How could you let that happen to yourself? You should not have been ingesting all those free radicals!" Sounds ridiculous, right?
If you were a cancer patient, would you tolerate being told, on a daily basis, by friends, family, strangers, politicians, comedians and anyone else in the peanut gallery that you don't deserve sympathy or treatment because it is your FAULT that you are sick? Hardly. Yet Type 1s suffer this injustice daily. Society has come to view the diabetic as a fat,lazy, and irresponsible malingerer unworthy of sympathy.
My husband was diagnosed with TYPE 1 Diabetes when he was 19. He passed out and was admitted to the hospital with a blood sugar of over 700mg/dl. (non diabetic people have blood sugars that range from 70 to 100). He was immediately put on insulin, and being an adult capable of caring for himself, let back out into the cold cruel world. TYPE 1 diabetics differ greatly from Type 2 diabetics. TYPE 1's produce very little insulin of their own, or in extreme cases, not at all. They will surely die without immediate and constant injections of synthetic insulin. A Type 2 diabetic probably makes their own insulin but has a decreased capacity, or resistance, to use it. In many cases, a type 2 diabetic will become symptom and complication free within a few months just by taking an oral medication and monitoring their blood sugar daily.
While the difference may seem subtle, the reality is not. Part of the societal stereotype comes from the fact that of the 23.6 million people (or 7.8% of the population), only about 5 to 10% are Type 1, therefore the majority of the education, emphasis, research, media coverage and time is spent on Type 2. Left out in the cold, the Type 1s are alone left to defend themselves against a society that could never possibly understand their plight.
Because Ryan and I have faced so much injustice, misunderstanding, and questionable health care, I decided it was high time to get out my soapbox and share some things with you that do not seem to be general knowledge.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic, debilitating, and often fatal autoimmune disease that currently has NO CURE.
Type 1 diabetes is NOT caused by obesity, lack of exercise, or an overactive sweet tooth...in fact, there is little more than speculation about what the cause actually is. Some theories of the cause are viral infection, drinking too much cow's milk as an infant, genetics, nutrtional deficiencies, etc.
Typee 1 diabetes is sometimes called "Juvenile Diabetes" because it tends to be diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. However...adults can develop Type 1 diabetes and children can develop Type 2. As far as I am concerned, they should be considered entirely different diseases.
Type 1s can eat sweets in moderation, just like everyone else. The only difference is that when a "normal" person eats a piece of cake their body takes care of the sugar for them. The TYPE 1 must count the number of carbohydrates in the cake and then give themselves enough insulin to counter act it. Interestingly enough, many of those "Sugar Free" products out there these days contain MORE carbohydrates than their "normal" counterparts, therefore requiring MORE insulin.
At any given moment, a Type 1 must carry a glucometer, a lancet, test strips, extra batteries for their equipment, extra accessoriees, a glucagon syringe in case blood sugars go to low, glucose tablets, a journal to record insulin usage, blood sugar readings and carbohydrates consumed, a reference manual for counting carbs, ketone test strips...the list goes on and on.
A 19 year old Type 1 who lives to age 70 will stick himself with a needle more than 100,000 times in his life.
Type 1 effects virtually every organ system in the body (info below taken from Merck.com
Blood vessels
Fatty material (atherosclerotic plaque) builds up and blocks large or medium-sized arteries in the heart, brain, legs.
The walls of small blood vessels are damaged so that the vessels do not transfer oxygen to tissues normally, and the vessels may leak.
Poor circulation causes wounds to heal poorly and can lead to heart disorders, strokes, gangrene of the feet and hands, erectile dysfunction (impotence), and infections.
Eyes
The small blood vessels of the retina are damaged.
Decreased vision and, ultimately, blindness occur.
Kidney
Blood vessels in the kidney thicken.
Blood is not filtered normally.
The kidneys malfunction, and ultimately, kidney failure occurs.
Nerves
Nerves are damaged because glucose is not metabolized normally and because the blood supply is inadequate.
Legs suddenly or gradually weaken.
People have reduced sensation, tingling, and pain in their hands and feet.
Autonomic nervous system
The nerves that control blood pressure and digestive processes are damaged.
Swings in blood pressure occur.
Swallowing becomes difficult.
Digestive function is altered, and sometimes bouts of diarrhea occur.
Erectile dysfunction develops.
Skin
Blood flow to the skin is reduced, and sensation is decreased, resulting in repeated injury.
Sores and deep infections (diabetic ulcers) develop.
Healing is poor.
Blood
White blood cell function is impaired.
People become more susceptible to infections, especially of the urinary tract and skin.
Connective tissue
Glucose is not metabolized normally, causing tissues to thicken or contract.
Carpal tunnel syndrome and Dupuytren's contracture develop
Do you know of any other disease that effects as much?
The best way to slow the progression of these complications is to monitor and keep tight control of blood sugars.
Seems easy enough, right?
WRONG!
THe amount of work and dedication it takes for a Type 1 to maintain "good" sugar levels is monstrous and sometimes even impossible. Even with excellent life long blood sugar control, Type 1s will still suffer from many of these complications. If someone said to you "hey, you should eat a bowl of lima beans every day for the rest of your life to avoid developing cancer" and then went on to tell you that it might not even be affective, would you eat the lima beans? (okay...not the greatest analogy, but I hope you get the idea).
In addition, blood sugar levels can rise and fall for a million reasons...
- eating too much carbs
- not eating ENOUGH carbs
- eating "bad" carbs
- taking insulin too late or too soon
- stress
- physical activity
- vitamin deficiencies
- weight loss
- weight gain
- insulin going bad
- insulin pump malfunction
- rebounding from a high sugar
- rebounding from a low sugar
- dawn phenomena - when insulin levels in the morning are lower than usual
- medication reactions (Ryan has been prescribed drugs that will raise his blood sugar levels...more than once!)
So, there you go.
Thanks for listening to my rant. Could you do me a favor please? Should you ever meet a Type 1 diabetic, be kind.
Hearing some one say "Wow...I've heard how horrible that disease is...it must be so tough on you!"
Believe me, they will appreciate it...more than you know.
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