Kirsten, how time flies! It's been a year! Do you still visit tudiabetes? I was wondering how your family and Madeline are doing! I hope that life is good for you! Madeline loves hew pink pump (is it still pink - we changed colors 3 times)?

As for us, we had an answer last year about my son's stomach pains, it's called mesenteric adenitis, at least we have a name to his pain but took a long time to find some kind of relief. There is nothing they can do medically speaking. This last episode has lasted since beginning of December. It usually starts in the afternoon until nighttime, extreme stomach pains, turns white, his BGs are fine, has nausea, sometimes cries because it hurts too much. No drugs would help (tylenol, advil, motrin...).

We were fortunate enough to find a doctor that also has training in natural medicine and she suggested some homeopathic drops for him to try and found some relief after almost 3 months of pain. We were desperate for something to help him cope with this. My father at Christmas was mad (that's how he expressed his sadness) to see my son crying in pain and not being able to eat XMas dinner.

But now, let's hope only good stuff ahead!!!

Hope to hear from you!!!

Take care, -- Gina

Kirsten,
Congratulations! What cute pictures, I just showed them to my son, he has the silver Animas pump. He thought it was cool that you live in Australia.

One good thing about the Animas, it has the very smallest doses available. We have adjusted Alden's basal dose to drop down to .025 units/hour from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am, and it has made a real difference. Now he wakes up with decent numbers, before he actually had to go to bed high and would wake up in the 90s (his target GB is 130). I'm very impressed that infusion set changes are going well, and that she's testing her BG. These kids are tough, aren't they? We still have some issues with the set changes, but it is getting better.

The wildfires look very scary. It's been all over the news here. I hope you are not close to any of it. I've not been on line for a while because life/work has been all-consuming. We laid off more people at our firm, and I have just been offered a new job! I've been at the same place for 10 years and it will be hard to leave, but my husband and I work together and we just don't feel that in this economic climate it is safe for us to be at the same firm. Also, my new job will be 5 minutes from our house and the kid's school (instead of 30). The peace of mind alone that I will have knowing that if something comes up with Alden I'm right there during the day is worth it. I'm a little on pins and needles about telling my current employer and settling into a new place, but I'm sure it will be a good change.

Good to hear from you, take care, Nina.

HI ITS ME JUSTIN COMMENTING BACK. I LIVE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN THE US AND I HAVE TYPE ONE.

Hi Kirsten, I'm glad to have some news of you and Madeline! It's fun not to to give shots anymore (well mostly never ;) there are times when emergency called for shots, but the thing I do is I give the shot and disconnect the pump and give a bolus for the same amount, so it follows the Insulin on Board for future corrections or meals).

Having the pump is like starting over in some sense. It gives so much freedom, but when we have to adjust the basal rates, it can be tiring sometimes (especially during the night). I remember that for a month straight, I would get up twice during the night, not because the doctor said so, it was to be sure he was alright and I almost broke down. I had to work full time, that didn't help.

For the last 6 months, hubby is working night shift, he comes home at 1:00 AM, so I do one before his bedtime and one before mine and hubby does one to 2 during the night. It depends if he's low or high. At least, that works out good for us, but before that I relaxed a lot on the nighttime testing.

I can understand why people like the CGMS so much. Where I live, they don't promote that technology that much, but it is one of the questions I want to ask the endo this month. I wouldn't use it all the time, just when adjustments are needed it would be so helpful to see how his BG fluctuates...

I am not sure that skipping honeymooning is such a bad thing! I'm saying that because for us, it was a hard time. Having no clue when his remaining living (but dying) insulin cells would want to quick some insulin in more than usual and his BG would be so unpredictable. But you know, it isn't simple either way I am sure.

You're doing a great job!!! It takes courage to fight like you did for the pump and it's paying off quite well!!! I hope that you are proud of yourself, you should!!!

It must be so amazing to see Madeline doing her own testing, wow that is great! 3 years old and already testing herself, I'm s impressed!

I am doing good and my son also. We are having trouble with the weekday/weekend transitions, especially the one when it's his first day of school, he's usually high all morning, but fine after. During the week, we send him 2 snacks and his lunch. We put up the basal rates higher than the weekend because he eats his snacks and the excess covers his snacks. During the weekend, if he has a snack, I give a bolus. Since his weekdays basals are higher, than we have to reduced the carb/insulin ratios (to receive less insulin), so the carb/insulin ratios for the weekend are higher (he receives more insulin for his carbs). On Fridays, I put the carb/ratios for the weekend and the basal rates for the weekend.

I am sure we will figure the transitions better soon. It was fine before Christmas, so I know it's possible ;)

I started a work contract until the end of May, I am wondering if I'm not going to take the summer off. Here we have "day camps" they call it, for kids between 5 and 12 and the staff are teens finding summer jobs. I am worried about how they could take care of my son... I was thinking of maybe putting and add saying that I could take in a D child for the summer days. Those are just thoughts, I still don't know what I'm going to do.

I'm going to finish my novel here ;)

Take care, I'm happy that you keep in touch!

Gina

YEAH!! She loves her pump!! I'm so happy that it is all working out. I too still get up at 2:00am and sometimes again. Jillian had a 422 reading last weekend (along with other highs) and we couldn't figure out what was going on. It was almost the third day for her changing of the infusion set and after we changed it her numbers were better. They say that the area will not absorb as well after a while and I guess that it is true. We also discovered that with the humalog we started using the humalog pen instead of the vials because with the vial we are wasting so much insulin because it expires 28 days after opening a new vial. With the pen you get 5 pens at a time so you can start the 28 days 5 different times. Anyway... Madeline looks so cute in the new pictures. She looks so much older than 3 years old. It looks like the little pump is her new best friend. You had mentioned that the architectural business has slowed. Do you work from the home or outside of the home? Funny you should ask about my work, we just signed a contract last night to purchase a pharmacy. I've been working there for almost 2 years now and it is about a 50 minute commute from my home. Now we just have to wait and see if we can get the financing for the purchase. Business has not slowed in the drug business. Take care and keep me updated. Leah

Just a quick note. I guess you are in the hospital now almost with your first day completed. I hope all is well, I was thinking about you both today.
Take care,
Leah

Hi Kirsten, well you must be so excited and nervous about Madeline getting so close to her pump now. I told you that I would update you on Jillian. She started using her pump yesterday. She used the emla cream and said that she did not feel anything at all. Thank God. We took our family to lunch afterward and she had 2 rolls, hamburger and fries. She went to her violin lesson as usual and then went home. We had some highs after lunch and had to figure out how to do a correction properly. With the help of our nurse we were able to get the number back down. She tested her bg thirteen times yesterday (including her am tests). We did not take her normal bath after dinner because we didn't realize that she was set on a dual-wave bolus and if we disconnected her tubing for her bath, she would not get the second half of her bolus. Anyway, we will be changing our routine and do baths BEFORE dinner instead of after dinner. It felt strange to not have to give her shots. It felt like we were forgetting something. Her pump has a timer on it to remind her to test her bg after a bolus (we have it set for 1 hour later). This is a great feature especially for school. It is tricky for her to use the restroom with the pump because it is clipped to her pant, we are working on that one. I just asked Jillian if she had anything to tell Madeline and she said "at first you may be afraid, but it won't hurt". I know that this went a little long but I hope that it helps and I will be thinking about you both!! Just know that even though she will be in the hospital, she will be fine and be able to have a bit of her old life back (with no shots). Let me know how it goes.
Leah

Hi Kirsten, it's me again ;) the endo called my back today and my son doesn't have celiac, what a relief! She says that if the pain keeps being regular, she will have him do more tests in February and even referrer him to a specialist (gastro something?). I don't know if it's that specialist that is going to do the weird h pylori test or not, we'll see.

Hi Kirsten, you must be so happy that the pump day is coming next Tuesday! I remember that we had to put the infusion set ourselves at the hospital and we were sooooooooo nervous (we do it manually). But after changing them a few times, the nervousness subsides.

Good luck!!!