My cuties and I were sitting on the rocking chair one night this week enjoying a Christmas movie on ABC family. P looked up at me and said, "Mommy, you do all kinds of things to take care of us." I am not sure where this sentiment came from, but it was enough to warm this mommy's heart!
Maybe it was the visit to Santa's Secret Shop at school this week that got him thinking about that...I'm not sure. He was so excited about Santa's Shop! You know what he bought (other than a few gifts for his family)?...A gift for Santa! You know what it was? CANDY! (So thoughtful for a six year old diabetic child!) And he didn't even buy anything for himself! He didn't even ask!
Earlier this week P said, "I love Christmas!" "Do you like getting presents?" I asked. "I wasn't ready for his response..."Because I like giving gifts!" he said.
"God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a GIFT from God." - Ephesians 2:8
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
- Romans 6:23
We all were given a gift over 2000 years ago. That's the true meaning of Christmas...isn't it? Remembering the gift that we were given. When someone gives you a gift, you just say, "Thank You," right? We don't even have to do anything for it. It's free! We should respond like that to Jesus...with gratitude, praise, and joy.
God, thank you for my two special little gifts. They bring a smile to my face. God's light shines through my children. They are constant reminders of God's goodness.
As we go and get our Christmas tree today...I will look up, just as that tree points up...and praise God for all the GIFTS we have been given...especially for my child with diabetes...
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
The fun's over...back to reality...
It's the eve of heading back to school after Thanksgiving break. Feels like Sunday night, before school Monday...only worse.
But as I sit here thinking of going to work tomorrow...I am so thankful that I work where I do. For lots of reasons, but mostly because I am there with P. What would I do if I didn't work there?
God always has a purpose and a plan. Even though we may not see it for years. I will attempt to list how I have been able to watch God work in my career.
1. I was so fortunate to land a job at Marclay. I was only a substitute for 1 year before getting a full time job (at the best school, I may add). I had a job offer in North Carolina and actually had a job at a Christian School, but neither of those seemed "right." I knew God was in control after getting my job after subbing for one year!
2. God has also blessed me with wonderful co-workers. We're like a big family. We all work together so well...which is part of what makes our school successful. Everyone has been so supportive for both P and I since his diagnosis. His teacher has been awesome, the cafeteria ladies have been exceptional, everyone has been generous (they got P a bunch of John Deere toys and Toy Story games...he was thrilled!).
3. The "small school" advantage. One class per grade is kind of unheard of these days. It's awesome for our students and us. We ALL are like a big family. By the time those kids are in 5th grade, we know them so well.
4. P was approved to attend at Marclay. Based on where we live, P should go to a different school. But because I work at Marclay and can provide transportation to school, P is able to come to Marclay.
5. Great health benefits. Between P and S's healthcare, we've needed those benefits! So thankful for those!
6. The doctors and nurses (and everyone else) told me how lucky I am to be in the same place as P for school. It's less worry for him, for me, for the teacher, and everyone at the school.
But I'm not lucky...God has been planning it all for years! He knew way back when that I would need the job where I have it now.
I praise God for my job! (I may need a little reminder at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning...)
But as I sit here thinking of going to work tomorrow...I am so thankful that I work where I do. For lots of reasons, but mostly because I am there with P. What would I do if I didn't work there?
God always has a purpose and a plan. Even though we may not see it for years. I will attempt to list how I have been able to watch God work in my career.
1. I was so fortunate to land a job at Marclay. I was only a substitute for 1 year before getting a full time job (at the best school, I may add). I had a job offer in North Carolina and actually had a job at a Christian School, but neither of those seemed "right." I knew God was in control after getting my job after subbing for one year!
2. God has also blessed me with wonderful co-workers. We're like a big family. We all work together so well...which is part of what makes our school successful. Everyone has been so supportive for both P and I since his diagnosis. His teacher has been awesome, the cafeteria ladies have been exceptional, everyone has been generous (they got P a bunch of John Deere toys and Toy Story games...he was thrilled!).
3. The "small school" advantage. One class per grade is kind of unheard of these days. It's awesome for our students and us. We ALL are like a big family. By the time those kids are in 5th grade, we know them so well.
4. P was approved to attend at Marclay. Based on where we live, P should go to a different school. But because I work at Marclay and can provide transportation to school, P is able to come to Marclay.
5. Great health benefits. Between P and S's healthcare, we've needed those benefits! So thankful for those!
6. The doctors and nurses (and everyone else) told me how lucky I am to be in the same place as P for school. It's less worry for him, for me, for the teacher, and everyone at the school.
But I'm not lucky...God has been planning it all for years! He knew way back when that I would need the job where I have it now.
I praise God for my job! (I may need a little reminder at 6 a.m. tomorrow morning...)
Thursday, November 24, 2011
So thankful for the people in my life!
Sometimes you can take for granted the people that you have in your life. God has given me such a great support structure with my family and friends. THANK YOU to all of you out there, I love you all!
AND...he keeps adding to it! Read more to find out!
This school year I found out that I was getting a new student from Menallen. I thought it might be nice for her if we had pen pals with some of her former classmates. So I asked around and found a teacher that was willing to have her class write to my students. We've been writing back and forth a few times. The teacher and I have been writing as well. I had told her briefly about P's situation in my last letter to her. Well, look what response I received yesterday: (GOD IS AWESOME!)
"Tiffany,
I know how your lives have changed! My son is also a Type I Diabetic. He was diagnosed when he was 5. It's heartbreaking, but you're able to deal with it, with time. My son participated in all kids of sports and even stayed at friends' houses. Thirty years later, he doesn't have any complications! He is married and has a son. He wears a pump, which he really likes. If you ever need to talk, I have a good ear!"
Wow! What an encouragement! I opened that letter yesterday and couldn't believe my eyes! You should be always waiting for a God moment...because you never know when you are going to be given one.
AND...he keeps adding to it! Read more to find out!
This school year I found out that I was getting a new student from Menallen. I thought it might be nice for her if we had pen pals with some of her former classmates. So I asked around and found a teacher that was willing to have her class write to my students. We've been writing back and forth a few times. The teacher and I have been writing as well. I had told her briefly about P's situation in my last letter to her. Well, look what response I received yesterday: (GOD IS AWESOME!)
"Tiffany,
I know how your lives have changed! My son is also a Type I Diabetic. He was diagnosed when he was 5. It's heartbreaking, but you're able to deal with it, with time. My son participated in all kids of sports and even stayed at friends' houses. Thirty years later, he doesn't have any complications! He is married and has a son. He wears a pump, which he really likes. If you ever need to talk, I have a good ear!"
Wow! What an encouragement! I opened that letter yesterday and couldn't believe my eyes! You should be always waiting for a God moment...because you never know when you are going to be given one.
Monday, November 21, 2011
A Third Birthday Celebration!
Today is my daughter's birthday! Three years ago today we were blessed with a very special gift from God.
As I look back, maybe the challenges we faced in my pregnancy with S were to get me ready for what I am facing today. For those of you who don't know, we found out when I was pregnant that S was going to be born with some type of cleft lip/palate. They noticed some "off" markings on some of my blood work. So the doctor sent me to Magee Women's Hospital to have some extensive ultrasounds. After several long ultrasounds, part 3D, they told us that she would have some type of cleft.
What a blessing to know this issue in advance. We were able to research and prepare (somewhat) before she was even born.
S's cleft lip was unilateral incomplete...which meant that the cleft was only on one side and it did not extend up to the nose. Another blessing!
She had her cleft repaired on April 1, 2009, when she was only 4 months old. Looking back, I didn't handle that situation near as well as I handled P's. (Maybe because she was so small.) I remember I didn't eat all day, I was a nervous wreck! Seeing her in the recovery room was really rough. We couldn't believe how much she looked like her brother! She looked so different. Her surgeon, Dr. Jiang, was AWESOME! Yet...another blessing! (We have been so blessed with wonderful doctors!)
She had to wear "no-no's" (like casts) on her arms for two weeks, so she couldn't bend her arm to touch her mouth. We had to clean and change dressings and bandages and massage her lip. I was nursing so I had to pump and give S a bottle. Those two weeks were tough. I wanted to hug Dr. Jiang when he said we could return to life as normal.
In our follow up appointments, Dr. Jiang was very pleased with her progress. We were too! We were amazed at the transformation!
We did notice some speech delays over time, however. We first noticed that she wasn't saying momma or dadda or even babbling. We expressed our concerns to our pediatrician and they suggested a program called Early Intervention. In a short amount of time, we had a speech therapist coming to our home and working with Sadie. Miss Chrissy worked on getting S to talk more...and eventually we saw progress! It was slow going for awhile, but S does everything in her own time frame.
This past Friday, we said goodbye to S's speech therapist, Miss Chrissy. When S turned 3, we had to transition from Early Intervention to the Intermediate Unit. She will be meeting her new speech therapist next week. S may see this new experience as a challenge, because they will be working more on articulation, which she really needs at this stage.
S is definitely our ornery child. Everyone says you can see it on her face. I always say it's a good thing she's so cute...
What did S want for her birthday? A hot dog. She thinks that's funny. If you ask her what she wants for Christmas, she says the same thing. So guess what? We had hot dogs for dinner. And CAKE! (as our night time snack...P's first piece of cake after diagnosis!)
Looking forward to what the next year brings...
As I look back, maybe the challenges we faced in my pregnancy with S were to get me ready for what I am facing today. For those of you who don't know, we found out when I was pregnant that S was going to be born with some type of cleft lip/palate. They noticed some "off" markings on some of my blood work. So the doctor sent me to Magee Women's Hospital to have some extensive ultrasounds. After several long ultrasounds, part 3D, they told us that she would have some type of cleft.
What a blessing to know this issue in advance. We were able to research and prepare (somewhat) before she was even born.
S's cleft lip was unilateral incomplete...which meant that the cleft was only on one side and it did not extend up to the nose. Another blessing!
She had her cleft repaired on April 1, 2009, when she was only 4 months old. Looking back, I didn't handle that situation near as well as I handled P's. (Maybe because she was so small.) I remember I didn't eat all day, I was a nervous wreck! Seeing her in the recovery room was really rough. We couldn't believe how much she looked like her brother! She looked so different. Her surgeon, Dr. Jiang, was AWESOME! Yet...another blessing! (We have been so blessed with wonderful doctors!)
She had to wear "no-no's" (like casts) on her arms for two weeks, so she couldn't bend her arm to touch her mouth. We had to clean and change dressings and bandages and massage her lip. I was nursing so I had to pump and give S a bottle. Those two weeks were tough. I wanted to hug Dr. Jiang when he said we could return to life as normal.
In our follow up appointments, Dr. Jiang was very pleased with her progress. We were too! We were amazed at the transformation!
We did notice some speech delays over time, however. We first noticed that she wasn't saying momma or dadda or even babbling. We expressed our concerns to our pediatrician and they suggested a program called Early Intervention. In a short amount of time, we had a speech therapist coming to our home and working with Sadie. Miss Chrissy worked on getting S to talk more...and eventually we saw progress! It was slow going for awhile, but S does everything in her own time frame.
This past Friday, we said goodbye to S's speech therapist, Miss Chrissy. When S turned 3, we had to transition from Early Intervention to the Intermediate Unit. She will be meeting her new speech therapist next week. S may see this new experience as a challenge, because they will be working more on articulation, which she really needs at this stage.
S is definitely our ornery child. Everyone says you can see it on her face. I always say it's a good thing she's so cute...
What did S want for her birthday? A hot dog. She thinks that's funny. If you ask her what she wants for Christmas, she says the same thing. So guess what? We had hot dogs for dinner. And CAKE! (as our night time snack...P's first piece of cake after diagnosis!)
Looking forward to what the next year brings...
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sugar Boy
When life gives you lemons...you make lemonade!
So P has a project due for Cub Scouts. He had to start his own scrapbook. So unlike me, but he was given this project to do about 2 weeks ago...and we just worked on it tonight...it's due tomorrow! (I know all of you that know me well are shocked!)
Anyway - we made sure to include recent pictures, including the one above. P dressed as a sugar box for the Halloween party at school. He says he was a sugar box because the doctors and nurses said he is too sweet!
P had an exciting day today. He helped gather and deliver shoeboxes for Samaritans Purse's ministry, Operation Christmas Child. He went with my parents to deliver the boxes to be put on the tractor trailer to go to be sent around the world. He loved every minute of it!
He is a sweet boy!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
"I'm glad I have you in this difficult thing called life..."
Genesis 2:18 - "The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
Why does God trust me with a diabetic child? Because God gave me a suitable helper! I'm not in this alone...
In one of the books I read about raising a child with diabetes, it talks about the mother taking on the primary caregiver role in a parental relationship. The mother is usually the one that is more comfortable with treatment and is there everyday to get the practice. The father is usually the one to step back and be there, if needed.
Well, this is not the case in our family. Shon is most definitely my suitable helper! We were right there together in the hospital learning how to care for P together. My weaknesses were his strong suits and his weaknesses were my strengths. We take turns getting up at 2 am and 4 am to check P's blood glucose levels. We help each other count carbs, calculate insulin, and give shots. You might think that this is pretty normal...but, let me go on.
Shon has the privilege of working from home some. Well, I am so thankful that he has that type of schedule...because for the first three weeks after P's diagnosis...Shon did all the laundry and helped me keep the house cleaned up. What a blessing! I would come home from work with clothes baskets full of clean clothes instead of dirty ones!
The first night at the hospital, when things calmed down and we were trying to get some sleep...I told Shon, "I'm glad I have you to go through all this with." It reminds me of that song, "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes. This song has always been one of my favorites...but it has much more meaning now. Especially the following lines:
On my own I’m only
Half of what I could be
I can’t do without you
We are stitched together
And what love has tethered
I pray we never undo
One morning recently was pretty rushed and busy...when I got to work I had a message from Shon, "Luv U <3." My reply was, "Thanks. Love u too. Glad I have you in this difficult thing called life."
Why does God trust me with a diabetic child? Because God gave me a suitable helper! I'm not in this alone...
In one of the books I read about raising a child with diabetes, it talks about the mother taking on the primary caregiver role in a parental relationship. The mother is usually the one that is more comfortable with treatment and is there everyday to get the practice. The father is usually the one to step back and be there, if needed.
Well, this is not the case in our family. Shon is most definitely my suitable helper! We were right there together in the hospital learning how to care for P together. My weaknesses were his strong suits and his weaknesses were my strengths. We take turns getting up at 2 am and 4 am to check P's blood glucose levels. We help each other count carbs, calculate insulin, and give shots. You might think that this is pretty normal...but, let me go on.
Shon has the privilege of working from home some. Well, I am so thankful that he has that type of schedule...because for the first three weeks after P's diagnosis...Shon did all the laundry and helped me keep the house cleaned up. What a blessing! I would come home from work with clothes baskets full of clean clothes instead of dirty ones!
The first night at the hospital, when things calmed down and we were trying to get some sleep...I told Shon, "I'm glad I have you to go through all this with." It reminds me of that song, "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes. This song has always been one of my favorites...but it has much more meaning now. Especially the following lines:
On my own I’m only
Half of what I could be
I can’t do without you
We are stitched together
And what love has tethered
I pray we never undo
One morning recently was pretty rushed and busy...when I got to work I had a message from Shon, "Luv U <3." My reply was, "Thanks. Love u too. Glad I have you in this difficult thing called life."
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"D-day"
October 16, 2011 - one month ago today. It seemed like a normal Sunday. Our family attended church and a family lunch at my in-laws house. The odd happening of the day (or so I thought) was my daughter eating the leaf of a (what we thought to be) poisonous plant. We called the poison control center and she was fine. That evening we attended a hay ride at the home of one of the other church members.
My husband and I had noticed in the previous week that our son, age 6, had been going to the bathroom a lot, especially at bedtime and during the night. I had asked his teacher to keep track of his restroom use, and had even called the pediatrician about my concerns. A few minutes into the hayride, P said he had to go to the bathroom. We told him he would need to wait until we were finished with the hayride. But as the ride went on, P became more pale and quiet. My husband took him off of the hayride, went to the bathroom, and walked back to the house. We knew at that point we needed to do something! We needed to at least check to see if he had a bladder or kidney infection. We were sure that's what it was.
So after the hayride, we headed to MedExpress. I dropped P and Shon off at MedExpress and my daughter and I went to Target. I hadn't heard back from Shon, so we headed to Gabes. A few minutes later, I received a phone call that shook me to my core. Shon told me that I needed to get to MedExpress right away that they were telling us to take P to the ER. Thank goodness it was a quick walk to MedExpress from Gabes!
When the nurse practitioner came into the room, he asked if we had a family history of diabetes. At that point, I was in disbelief. He said that P's sugar in his urine was high and we needed to get to the ER.
So off we went to Morgantown...still in disbelief and feelings of uncertainty. I could never have imagined what would happen next!
We didn't sit in the waiting room at Ruby long. In triage they again asked about a family history of diabetes. Now it was starting to sink in. I couldn't stop shaking. P was scared...and honestly, so was I. It took some convincing, but the nurse was finally able to do a finger stick to check P's blood glucose level. I could tell by the look on the nurse's face that something was wrong. His sugar was somewhere over 600. (Normal would be 80-150).
They were able to get us a room right away and it wasn't long until they were putting an IV in P's arm. That was also very difficult. This event was probably the worst for P of the whole experience. (The nurse joked with P that his mommy must be a party-time wrestler, since I had a good "head hold.") Once the IV was in, they drew some blood for blood tests and gave him IV fluids.
About 9:30 p.m., the doctor came in and told us, "I am sorry that I have to be the one to tell you, but your son has Type I diabetes." We were somewhat prepared for this, since we had both been searching diabetes on our phones. He said they would be admitting him to the pediatric ward for a few days and a diabetic educator would be training us on how to care for P in the next few days as well.
I just have to pause here and praise God for such wonderful care at Ruby. All the doctors and nurses were (and still are) so caring and compassionate! Our pediatric endocrinologist is top notch! He is also a big joke teller. P is working on some jokes to share with him the next time we visit him. (Feel free to share if you have any good ones!)
The nurses and doctors just loved P. Everyone kept saying that we caught it just in time before it could get bad. We were very fortunate and very observant parents. It was still in the early stages and easily treated.
The diabetic educator came to visit us early Monday morning. We had a crash course in type I diabetes, high blood sugars, low blood sugars, and general treatment. Monday afternoon we learned how to check P's blood glucose level, draw insulin into a syringe, and give him his insulin shot. Shon was the first to give him a shot, I was too chicken!
Tuesday we learned how to carb count and to use an insulin pen. Then she said we were ready to take care of Payton on our own. I wasn't ready. I was nervous. I wanted to stay there and have the nurses to help! But we knew we had to do it on our own at some point!
We left the hospital around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18. Our lives have changed immensely since those few days. As P says, "We'll all be healthier now!" He's such a positive thinker!
We've all adapted to our "new normal" and things are going great. Everyday I see God working. So many people have been kind to our family, especially to Payton. He's been showered with gifts and cards.
Looking forward to the next month and trusting God for every moment.
My husband and I had noticed in the previous week that our son, age 6, had been going to the bathroom a lot, especially at bedtime and during the night. I had asked his teacher to keep track of his restroom use, and had even called the pediatrician about my concerns. A few minutes into the hayride, P said he had to go to the bathroom. We told him he would need to wait until we were finished with the hayride. But as the ride went on, P became more pale and quiet. My husband took him off of the hayride, went to the bathroom, and walked back to the house. We knew at that point we needed to do something! We needed to at least check to see if he had a bladder or kidney infection. We were sure that's what it was.
So after the hayride, we headed to MedExpress. I dropped P and Shon off at MedExpress and my daughter and I went to Target. I hadn't heard back from Shon, so we headed to Gabes. A few minutes later, I received a phone call that shook me to my core. Shon told me that I needed to get to MedExpress right away that they were telling us to take P to the ER. Thank goodness it was a quick walk to MedExpress from Gabes!
When the nurse practitioner came into the room, he asked if we had a family history of diabetes. At that point, I was in disbelief. He said that P's sugar in his urine was high and we needed to get to the ER.
So off we went to Morgantown...still in disbelief and feelings of uncertainty. I could never have imagined what would happen next!
We didn't sit in the waiting room at Ruby long. In triage they again asked about a family history of diabetes. Now it was starting to sink in. I couldn't stop shaking. P was scared...and honestly, so was I. It took some convincing, but the nurse was finally able to do a finger stick to check P's blood glucose level. I could tell by the look on the nurse's face that something was wrong. His sugar was somewhere over 600. (Normal would be 80-150).
They were able to get us a room right away and it wasn't long until they were putting an IV in P's arm. That was also very difficult. This event was probably the worst for P of the whole experience. (The nurse joked with P that his mommy must be a party-time wrestler, since I had a good "head hold.") Once the IV was in, they drew some blood for blood tests and gave him IV fluids.
About 9:30 p.m., the doctor came in and told us, "I am sorry that I have to be the one to tell you, but your son has Type I diabetes." We were somewhat prepared for this, since we had both been searching diabetes on our phones. He said they would be admitting him to the pediatric ward for a few days and a diabetic educator would be training us on how to care for P in the next few days as well.
I just have to pause here and praise God for such wonderful care at Ruby. All the doctors and nurses were (and still are) so caring and compassionate! Our pediatric endocrinologist is top notch! He is also a big joke teller. P is working on some jokes to share with him the next time we visit him. (Feel free to share if you have any good ones!)
The nurses and doctors just loved P. Everyone kept saying that we caught it just in time before it could get bad. We were very fortunate and very observant parents. It was still in the early stages and easily treated.
The diabetic educator came to visit us early Monday morning. We had a crash course in type I diabetes, high blood sugars, low blood sugars, and general treatment. Monday afternoon we learned how to check P's blood glucose level, draw insulin into a syringe, and give him his insulin shot. Shon was the first to give him a shot, I was too chicken!
Tuesday we learned how to carb count and to use an insulin pen. Then she said we were ready to take care of Payton on our own. I wasn't ready. I was nervous. I wanted to stay there and have the nurses to help! But we knew we had to do it on our own at some point!
We left the hospital around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18. Our lives have changed immensely since those few days. As P says, "We'll all be healthier now!" He's such a positive thinker!
We've all adapted to our "new normal" and things are going great. Everyday I see God working. So many people have been kind to our family, especially to Payton. He's been showered with gifts and cards.
Looking forward to the next month and trusting God for every moment.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Don't cry over spilled milk...
As you may or may not know, we have to count all the carbs that P eats. The other morning, we were into our normal routine...I measured the Raisin Bran (3/4 cup = 45 grams), the milk for his cereal (1/2 cup = 6 grams), and his milk to drink (1 cup = 12 grams). I've never used my measuring cups so much!
Anyway...so it's breakfast as normal...until P spills his cereal and milk goes everywhere! You know how they say you can't put toothpaste back into a tube? Well, you can't measure spilled milk either.
But the saying came to my mind, "Don't cry over spilled milk!" It wasn't a big deal (other than cleaning it up). I just had to adjust his insulin based on how much milk I thought he drank and had on his cereal.
Counting carbs is probably the most difficult thing to do in treating P. I calculate and check and recheck. Today at school, they had Thanksgiving Dinner for lunch....well, P ate a few (only a few) bites of everything. How to calculate that? I did my best. Again, just trusting that I gave him the right amount of insulin.
It's such a releasing feeling to know that I can trust in God and not cry over spilled milk!
Anyway...so it's breakfast as normal...until P spills his cereal and milk goes everywhere! You know how they say you can't put toothpaste back into a tube? Well, you can't measure spilled milk either.
But the saying came to my mind, "Don't cry over spilled milk!" It wasn't a big deal (other than cleaning it up). I just had to adjust his insulin based on how much milk I thought he drank and had on his cereal.
Counting carbs is probably the most difficult thing to do in treating P. I calculate and check and recheck. Today at school, they had Thanksgiving Dinner for lunch....well, P ate a few (only a few) bites of everything. How to calculate that? I did my best. Again, just trusting that I gave him the right amount of insulin.
It's such a releasing feeling to know that I can trust in God and not cry over spilled milk!
Monday, November 14, 2011
November 14, 2011
Tonight was the thirty-one meeting where I shared with my thirty-one family my scripture card experience. I also gave them their own scripture cards. I trust that God will use those and my story in a very unique and profound way. If you are a member of my thirty-one family that received a card tonight, please feel free to comment (especially if you now have your own scripture card story!).
Today is World Diabetes Day - What's that?....
Today is World Diabetes Day - What's that?....
World Diabetes Day takes place on 14 November every year and is an official United Nations World Day. The date was chosen because it marks the birthday of Frederick Banting, who, along with Charles Best, is credited with the discovery of insulin. While many events take place on or around the day itself, a themed campaign runs throughout the year.
World Diabetes Day was introduced by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1991, in response to concern over the escalating incidence of diabetes around the world. Since then, the event has grown in popularity every year.
Straight A's!
Report card day! Straight A's! I'm one proud momma!
Not only am I proud of those grades...I am proud of him for taking what he has been given in life and making it his new normal. He is one awesome little man!
Payton can read food labels and tell the serving size and how many carbohydrates are in that food. He is now checking his own sugar and reporting the results to me. He sits there while I poke his arm with that needle 4 times a day. He isn't giving in to the pressure of the snacks and candy that he is sometimes presented with. He keeps track of all the food he eats so I know the right about of insulin to give him. He recognizes his signs of low blood sugar and lets me know so he can be treated.
Never once has he asked me, "Why did I get diabetes?" I hope that through our lives he can see that God has allowed him to have this disease so that he can help someone else...or better yet...develop a cure!
Why did God trust me with a diabetic child? Because with God's help, I've spent the past 6 years fostering his personality and intelligence to be able to handle what he has had to deal with.
His report card may show all A's in reading and math...but he also deserves an A in living with diabetes!
Not only am I proud of those grades...I am proud of him for taking what he has been given in life and making it his new normal. He is one awesome little man!
Payton can read food labels and tell the serving size and how many carbohydrates are in that food. He is now checking his own sugar and reporting the results to me. He sits there while I poke his arm with that needle 4 times a day. He isn't giving in to the pressure of the snacks and candy that he is sometimes presented with. He keeps track of all the food he eats so I know the right about of insulin to give him. He recognizes his signs of low blood sugar and lets me know so he can be treated.
Never once has he asked me, "Why did I get diabetes?" I hope that through our lives he can see that God has allowed him to have this disease so that he can help someone else...or better yet...develop a cure!
Why did God trust me with a diabetic child? Because with God's help, I've spent the past 6 years fostering his personality and intelligence to be able to handle what he has had to deal with.
His report card may show all A's in reading and math...but he also deserves an A in living with diabetes!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Why God Does Trust ME!
So before I go into my son's diagnosis...I want to share how I got here, to this blog...and why I named it "Why God trusts ME with a diabetic child."
On October 15, 2011, I attended my church's annual Women's Conference. I was given a scripture card by one of the families that pray for the ladies attending the conference. I was in charge of passing out these cards, so I read my verse, but didn't give it much thought. I tucked it away safely into my purse.
So what was on my card you may ask?
Proverbs 3:5. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."
Yeah, we've all heard this verse a hundred times. Yes, I thought I trusted God. I trusted him that I would have food to eat, a house to live in, clothes to wear...all that normal "trust" stuff.
but then...my son was diagnosed with Type I diabetes.
DIABETES? What? No one in our family has diabetes! This was my baby! Lying in a hospital bed with an IV! Shots? Checking his blood sugar?
Those were some of my thoughts...but mostly I thought, "God would never give you more than you can handle. These things happen for a reason." I really needed to trust God...because I sure didn't understand any of this!
It wasn't until the day after D-day that I thought about that little card again. So I pulled it out and read it. I didn't share my thoughts with anyone, but I thought to myself, "I didn't need this two days ago...but boy, do I need it now!" (isn't God's timing perfect!)
So on go a couple more weeks. I was asked to lead a devotion at a meeting that I would be attending. I told my husband that I was asked to do this during this time in my life for a reason. But that sentence didn't even make sense to me yet. I thought it did...but it was clarified for me about a week later. I was searching and searching for inspirational quotes and motivational thoughts to share at this meeting. But I couldn't find quite the right "word" to search for. So I gave up efforts.
In the shower this morning, November 13, 2011 (exactly four weeks after D-day)...I thought about that little card again. I wondered where it was. My purse maybe. Hah! Think I'll find it there? I know it had something to do with TRUST...yeah, that was it. I can't rely on myself to take care of my son, I need to rely on God.
So I knew that if I could find that little 3x5 card in my messy purse, among all those old church bulletins, coupons, old kleenex, etc...that this was meant to be. And that's what I would share at my meeting tomorrow night. And I could maybe pass on an "encouragement card" to everyone at the meeting.
So I finished getting ready for church and went to my purse. Guess what was the first thing I pulled out of my hundreds (ok, I may be exaggerating) of papers? That small 3x5 card! God was again showing me to trust Him!
And where did the name of my blog come from? Well, when I was searching last night for poems and quotes, I came across a poem called, "How God Selects the Mother of a Diabetic Child" by Erma Bombeck.
So, here I go...with this blog to share with you why I think God trusts ME with a diabetic child.
On October 15, 2011, I attended my church's annual Women's Conference. I was given a scripture card by one of the families that pray for the ladies attending the conference. I was in charge of passing out these cards, so I read my verse, but didn't give it much thought. I tucked it away safely into my purse.
So what was on my card you may ask?
Proverbs 3:5. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."
Yeah, we've all heard this verse a hundred times. Yes, I thought I trusted God. I trusted him that I would have food to eat, a house to live in, clothes to wear...all that normal "trust" stuff.
but then...my son was diagnosed with Type I diabetes.
DIABETES? What? No one in our family has diabetes! This was my baby! Lying in a hospital bed with an IV! Shots? Checking his blood sugar?
Those were some of my thoughts...but mostly I thought, "God would never give you more than you can handle. These things happen for a reason." I really needed to trust God...because I sure didn't understand any of this!
It wasn't until the day after D-day that I thought about that little card again. So I pulled it out and read it. I didn't share my thoughts with anyone, but I thought to myself, "I didn't need this two days ago...but boy, do I need it now!" (isn't God's timing perfect!)
So on go a couple more weeks. I was asked to lead a devotion at a meeting that I would be attending. I told my husband that I was asked to do this during this time in my life for a reason. But that sentence didn't even make sense to me yet. I thought it did...but it was clarified for me about a week later. I was searching and searching for inspirational quotes and motivational thoughts to share at this meeting. But I couldn't find quite the right "word" to search for. So I gave up efforts.
In the shower this morning, November 13, 2011 (exactly four weeks after D-day)...I thought about that little card again. I wondered where it was. My purse maybe. Hah! Think I'll find it there? I know it had something to do with TRUST...yeah, that was it. I can't rely on myself to take care of my son, I need to rely on God.
So I knew that if I could find that little 3x5 card in my messy purse, among all those old church bulletins, coupons, old kleenex, etc...that this was meant to be. And that's what I would share at my meeting tomorrow night. And I could maybe pass on an "encouragement card" to everyone at the meeting.
So I finished getting ready for church and went to my purse. Guess what was the first thing I pulled out of my hundreds (ok, I may be exaggerating) of papers? That small 3x5 card! God was again showing me to trust Him!
And where did the name of my blog come from? Well, when I was searching last night for poems and quotes, I came across a poem called, "How God Selects the Mother of a Diabetic Child" by Erma Bombeck.
So, here I go...with this blog to share with you why I think God trusts ME with a diabetic child.
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