Diabetes Blog Challenge: Freaky Friday

Just like in the movie, today we’re doing a swap. If you could switch chronic diseases, which one would you choose to deal with instead of diabetes? And while we’re considering other chronic conditions, do you think your participation in the DOC has affected how you treat friends and acquaintances with other medical conditions?

Freaky Friday:

If I had to choose a chronic disease for my boys instead of Diabetes, I guess I'd choose Eczema.  I don't have it, but I know a few who do.  It's unsightly at times.  It may itch.  You gotta buy some creams and make sure not to eat allergen-triggering foods.  No disrespect, but SO WHAT!  I'll take it!  At least it can't kill you if you mess up!  

But, the ultimate Freaky Friday for me would be to trade places with my sons.  I'd take their disease and bear that cross myself if I could.  If it meant they'd never have to check their sugars or get a shot, I'd take Diabetes from them!  I'd give them my pancreas if it were possible. Unfortunately, I can't.  

It's their cross to bear, and since I can't take it away or fix it, I have to nurture them now, and teach them to manage their disease as best as possible when they're grown.

Rhonda

Diabetes Challenge: (Art) Wanted Dead or Alive (Diabetes Style)

Diabetes Blog Challenge:  Diabetes Art

Saturday Challenge:

This year Diabetes Art moves up from the Wildcard choices as we all channel our creativity with art in the broadest sense. Do some “traditional” art like drawing, painting, collage or any other craft you enjoy. Or look to the literary arts and perhaps write a d-poem or share and discuss a favorite quote. Groove to some musical arts by sharing a song that inspires you diabetes-wise, reworking some song lyrics with a d-twist, or even writing your own song. Don’t forget dramatic arts too, perhaps you can create a diabetes reality show or play. These are just a starting point today – there are no right or wrong ways to get creative!

I’m going a bit out of order here, but I have to act on my little strokes of genius when they strike.

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE (Diabetes Style)

It’s never the same

Only the days will change

Every day

It seems I’m dosing away

Another day

Where the numbers just won’t hold

I try all night to fight that low

I’m a D-Mom

Got Glucose on my mind

I’m wanted (needed)

Dead or alive

Sometimes I sleep, Sometimes it’s not for days

The people I meet

Don’t know what’s right to say

Sometimes I tell the day

By the carbs that I treat

Sometimes when I’m alone

All I do is think

I’m a D-Mom

Got Insulin on my mind

I’m wanted (needed)

Dead or alive

I Walk for the Cure

Meters and Snacks are on my back

Appointments we keep

There’s just no turning back

I’ve tried everything

And sometimes we hit a wall

Given a million shots

And I’ve rocked them all

I’m a D-Mom

Got A1C on my mind

I’m wanted (needed)

Dead or alive

I’m a D-Mom

I’ve got Science on my side

And I’m wanted

(Needed)

Dead or Alive

Not always right

Dead or Alive

I still try

(I still try)

Until I'm Dead ... or Alive

Now, If I could get Jon and Richie to sing it…

Rhonda

Diabetes Blog Challenge, Day #2 Wildcard: Dream Device

Diabetes Blog Day #2

Tuesday May 14, 2013

Wildcard:  Dream Device

It would be so easy to say, “A New Pancreas”.  I mean, really?  Can’t they make a mechanical pancreas like they make a mechanical heart?  But, I’ll get a bit more creative.

My dream device would be a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)-like device that would tell us what the glucose not only currently looks like, but will look like in the next few hours after a meal.  My Crystal Ball Glucose Monitor! It would have to be a “smart device” where we plug in what the meal was, what amount of carbs were, what amount of insulin was given.  Then, it could tell me over the course of the next 4-8 hours what the circulating glucose level would be.  That way, I could know when to give more insulin and how much.  With that device, I could know whether I could sleep through the 0200 am check or get up.  With this device, I could relax a bit instead of continually analyze my child for signs of low or high sugar.  Maybe, I could take one of these weights off of my shoulders.

Second device:  Laser glucose tester.  It’s very disheartening to see little black dots on my babies’ tiny fingers.  I poke their toes at night just to give their fingers a break.  How about a device that I just wave over their arm that could measure circulating glucose levels?  You know?  Kind of like the black light when you get the stamp to return to the park at Six Flags.  Yeah!  Like that.

Until a cure is found, those are my two dream devices.

Rhonda

Diabetes Blog Challenge #1: Share or Not to Share

Diabetes Blog Challenge Week #1: 

Share and Don’t Share

I work in healthcare, and although I can understand a plethora of medical conditions, I cannot fully understand what it’s like to live every one.

I never knew how helpless a parent felt when their baby was in the NICU until my twins were in there.  I never knew how much a C-Section hurt until I had one (not that that would stop me from being up in 8 hours).  I’ll never know what it’s like to have Gestational Hypertension.  I’ll never know what it’s like to lose a fetus.  I can “nurse” any patient under any condition, some times better than others, but I’ll never really know unless I’ve walked in their shoes.  The things I have experienced have made me a more empathetic nurse, but I can never fully “know” it all. 

Quarterly, my sons have to visit the Endocrinologist.  Quarterly, these healthcare professionals get a glimpse into my life. It’s just a glimpse.  Just like I work with pregnant women and newborn babies every working day, I'm only getting a 'snapshot' into their entire world. They work with Type One Diabetes every working day.  But, at the end of the day, they get to go home and think about other things.  No fault of their own, but most do not understand what it’s like to live with this beast every minute of every hour of every day. They are only getting a snapshot of our busy, crazy, hectic, beautiful world.

Beyond the smiling faces of my cute boys; beyond the weights and measurements; beyond the numbers on the last two weeks chart; beyond that dreaded “Mommy Report Card”, the Hemoglobin A1C…there’s so much more.  I wish they could see how Diabetes takes a piece of almost every facet of our lives. 

1.     When we wake up, the first thing we do is make sure our children are alive. *poke, poke*

2.    Get ready for school, check the morning blood sugar, eat breakfast.

3.    Once breakfast is selected, now Daddy and I have to THINK about breakfast.  What is he eating?  How much of it is he eating?  How is this particular meal likely to influence his blood glucose for the next few hours?  Did he finish his meal?  (All the while, someone has to feed the dogs, clean up, referee the fights, and get themselves ready for another day).  Voodoo, Science, Math and Luck.  Dose insulin.

4.    Put the boys on the bus and hope they don’t crash before they get to school. (Fortunately this has never happened on the way to school.  *knock on wood*)

5.    While they’re at school, Daddy goes to work, and Mommy does any multitude of things:  Go to the gym (and wonder how their sugar is); Go to the store (and consider Diabetes on every aisle); Pay Bills; Go to the Pharmacy (to pick up Diabetes medications and supplies); Make calls; Run Errands; Work on fundraising for our JDRF Team; Sleep for the night shift I’ll work that night.

6.    At 2:55, the boys are released from school, and I impatiently watch the clock until they get home.  I hope they don’t drop their sugar on the bus (they have provisions in their backpacks in case).  I won’t relax until they are safely back in my “nest”. 

7.    Wait, with baited breath, to get the coveted email from the school nurse.  It’s a mini-report card.  How’d we do dosing for breakfast?  How are our basal and bolus rates working while they are at school?  How was their Diabetes Day at School?  Jot all the numbers down on the clipboard, and try to make sense of it all.  *It’s an exercise in futility*

8.    Chores, Homework, Playtime.  Get dinner planned and prepared.  As I cook, I jot down the carb count of each serving of each item on the “menu” so I can keep a running tally while the boys eat.  Of note, since I’m now the Mathematician Waitress, I don’t eat until they’re done.

9.    Playtime.  Clean. Showers. Let them be “children” while I wrap my brain around it all.

10.  Bedtime blood sugar check and snack.  To dose or not to dose?  That is the question.

11.  Once the boys are in bed, that’s Mommy & Daddy time.  Time to decompress, be a husband and wife.  The length of this time is determined by fatigue level and the last glucose level.  See, Diabetes dictates when and how much sleep we can get. There’s no such thing as ‘going to bed early’ anymore without an alarm set to interrupt said sleep.  Murphy’s Law:  The more fatigued I am, the crappier the blood sugar will be…demanding I stay up even later or get up more frequently.

12.  At our bedtime, another sugar check.  Gear up with Spelunker light on head (*very sexy, I may add*).  Try to figure out which boy is which since they like to play switch-a-roo on us.  Insulin one, carb another.  Don't mix the two up! Plan the next time to get up to recheck depending on the readings.

13.  What?  Sleep all night?  Don’t make me laugh!  Get up heifer, and make sure your boys don’t need anything else….more insulin?  More carbs at 0200?  Drop back in bed, hopefully, for a very few more hours.

14.  0545.  Start all over again.

I wish they could see how our hands are now tied since our babysitting options are severely limited. I wish they could see how managing ONE diabetic is difficult, but managing TWO is formidable! I wish they could see how seriously I take every meal.  I wish they could see how much I worry.  I wish they could see how hard I try.  Surely if they could, I could get a “handicap” or bonus points on that A1C.

I’m glad they don’t see me cry (*wait, yes they have.  I fell apart 2 visits ago!*)  I’m glad they don’t see me get frustrated and angry.  I’m glad they don’t see the dark circles under my eyes and crazy hair at 0200.  Mostly, I’m glad most of them don’t have to live with this because it’s not something I’d wish on my worst enemy.

To know scientifically and medically “know” a condition, it’s very easy to advise.  It’s easy to make suggestions.  It’s easy to judge when you’ve never walked in someone else’s shoes.  I’m guilty of it myself when I give the SAME lecture EVERY shift about the importance of adequate WATER intake in pregnancy. 

Looking at the “glimpse” of our lives doesn’t tell the entire story.  It’s only a facet of who we are and what we do to keep our boys healthy, thriving and alive.  

It's My Party, I'll Whine if I Want To

It’s My Party, I Can Whine If I Want To.

Nobody has necessarily outright told me I’m playing the victim after my sons’ Type One Diabetes diagnoses, but it begs the question if some have thought it.  If the thought has ever crossed one’s mind, this one’s for them.

Most days I handle this diagnosis well, but there are days it gets to me.  This craptastic disease victimizes not only the innocent patient, but it also victimizes the family.  Diabetes, the Robber.

My 7-year-old sons did nothing to cause or deserve this disease.  Yet, it was thrust in their laps, and they will be forced to deal with it until the end of their lives or until a cure is found…whichever comes first.  Diabetes is not the worst enemy in the world, but he has still stolen so much from my sons and our family.  In the words of my friend, “because of this theft”, they will always have sore fingers that get more calloused and tougher by the day.  They will always have to take insulin just to survive, whether by regular shots or via pump.  They will have their blood drawn via venipuncture and have to see the Endocrinologist every three months.  As if that wasn’t enough visits, they still have to see the pediatrician for regular check-ups (like any other kiddo), and they have to go to the Ophthalmologist annually.  All of this, to screen them for long-term complications including kidney damage, vascular damage, blindness, and nerve damage.  That’s a big EXPENSIVE pill to swallow for an 8-year-old baby…an expense they’ll have all of their lives. Most of the time we do our best and roll with it, but there are days when it just gets to me and I feel a bit sorry for myself (and them even more!).

Diabetes the Hijacker has hijacked their innocence.  Now, they know way too much about anatomy, medicine and health than any child their age should have to know.  They worry about immediate and long-term complications of an abnormal glucose (high or low). They have to suffer the curious stares and questions of classmates, friends, and strangers when they check their sugars, have to go to the nurse daily, or hear their Omnipods beep.  They have to endure being teased by ignorant idiot children who target anyone who has to do something out of the ordinary.  And, Mommy has to worry about ANY minor illness knocking them down and hospitalizing my child with diabetic complications. What you fix with TLC and Tylenol can devastate my diabetic child.  The majority of the days, we work hard to manage it and teach the boys to roll with the stares and teasing, but sometimes, I feel sorry for us, and I just want to throttle someone.

Diabetes the Burglar has stolen the simplicity of having a meal or an outing.  We have to count every carbohydrate my boys consume, every meal, every day, every time.  Nothing is free.  Diabetes robbed them of the freedom to just pop some M&Ms in their mouth or grab a cookie and run about their day.  A field trip, walk to the park, or picnic is not simple anymore.   A restaurant outing can be a nightmare with trying to make sure everyone orders what they want, count the carbs, dose the insulin.  Needless to say, I don’t think I’ve eaten a hot meal in a restaurant in a long time if the boys are with me! Most parents just grab their shoes and head to the park or for a walk.  I have to bring the D-bag and pack a snack. Most parents just worry about what the kid will wear and pack a quick lunch for a school field trip.  Today, it took me almost 45 minutes.  Pack 2 lunches.  Document the carb count of every item in the lunch kit.  Pack Diabetes Bag…the same D-bag that has to be taken with them wherever they go.  Don’t take your simple picnic or field trip for granted.  Most days I just roll with it, but sometimes it really pisses me off!

Diabetes the Bandit has stolen regular undisturbed sleep from my boys, my husband, me and the grandparents.  I paid my dues.  I breastfeed twins for 8 months, and I spent over 6 months without sleeping longer than 4 hours at a time in order to give them the best start possible.  Now, there’s no such thing as going to bed early.  If I do, I have to set an alarm to check the boys’ blood glucoses (or make sure the hubby stays up).  One night, it’s high and I have to fix that.  Other nights, it’s low and I have to poke them and hope they will wake up enough to consume carbohydrates to restore normoglycemia.  Unless the boys are at Grandma’s house (whereby she is getting up in the middle of the night checking them), I don’t get to sleep uninterrupted.  Ever.  I think when they are 33 I’ll still worry about them in the night.  Most nights, the boys sleep through the checks, but sometimes it awakens them, too.  I stay up late to assure they are ok, and I get up again during the night to make sure they stay ok. On top of that, there’s no sleeping late either.  If the boys sleep past a certain hour, I’m immediately gripped with gut-wrenching, heart-pounding fear that the worst has happened to them. It’s not cool at all.  I thought I was over that when they passed the age of SIDS risk.  Life's not fair. Most night, I just suck it up, but sometimes, I just cry. 

Diabetes the Mugger has taken away life options for my boys.  Never will their lives be like someone without diabetes.  They can pursue almost any career path…almost.  They’ll never be a soldier as much as they’d like to.  They’ll never be able to live alone as it would be unsafe for them, thus stealing complete independence from them.  They will have to have constant medical identification on so they aren’t mistaken for a drunkard, thus advertising their private business for all the world to see.  They’ll have to make special provisions before they operate any vehicle. In whatever schooling, work, or activity they choose, Diabetes will insist upon being noticed and acknowledged…or he WILL wreak havoc!  Most days, I don’t think too much about more than the immediate future.  But, when I hear them passionately singing “Army of One” (by Bon Jovi, of course), it breaks my heart that they’ll never get to be that soldier Jon sings about.  Sometimes, I pity us.

I was invited to this party, but I didn’t want to go.  Now that it’s “My party”, I’ll cry (and whine, and pout, and feel victimized) if I want to!  I’m not usually and don’t like to be a Debbie Downer, so most days are fine. If you know me, know that I try not to saturate every conversation with Diabetes talk. But, this thief has not only stolen so much from me and my boys, but he dominates my thoughts to boot.  I try to keep it light, but we live with this every day.  Every. Day. And, since I’m forced to act in a role for which I am ill-equipped, will never fully understand, and will always be inadequately trained….I’ll whine and cry if I want to! 

What I can do to cope is listen to my Bon Jovi, joke, love my family, and do my part to raise money in the hopes of finding better treatments and a cure.

Support us today so we can party without crying!

Rhonda

www2.jdrf.org/goto/FuseA2Team

Dreams Come True

This one's not too T1D related, but it sort of is.  And, I can't help but shout it to the world!

I've mentioned my love for Bon Jovi in a past blog (http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3991210116007822858#editor/target=post;postID=8613411686367354952;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=21;src=postname
  (Sure hope that link really works).

I've been a fan since I was 13.  Love Jon. Richie is a guitar god! Love the music.  It's really dope for my soul.  It's upbeat when I'm feeling good and calming when I'm feeling stressed.  It motivates me in the gym and when I run 5Ks.  I've never run without Jon singing in my ears. 

Ok, brief story.  In all the concerts I've attended, I've wondered how people got so close.  I was never lucky enough to have an accidental run-in with any of the band members.  After finding my awesome Bon Jovi buddy and joining the Fan Club, I've gotten closer by degrees each time since about 2008.  My dream:  Get a photo with Jon Bon Jovi and tell him what Bon Jovi has meant in my life.

I've gotten pretty close with our fan club seats and backstage tours.  In one group, I was the only one who missed shaking Jon's hand backstage (that's another story).  Up close on stage, I've narrowly missed Jon although I did get to shake Tico Torres' and Richie Sambora's hand once!

In Austin, I got to shake Jon's hand outside the Circle (part of the stage).  I swear he made eye contact and had a prolonged handshake with my friend Gennie.  In Dallas, I was inside the Circle.  I held a little boy up so HE could shake Jon's hand, which meant I missed my chance.  That was ok.  That little boy had a wonderful moment, and it was up on the Jumbotron!  :)  I got lucky, Jon came back around and I indeed got to shake his hand after all.  Getting closer to my dream, closer by degrees.

A couple of weeks ago, my friend and I stumbled into the band in hotel bar and got to hang out with two band members and Jon's brother.  That was WICKED cool!  We're not crazy.  We didn't press for secret information.  We just hung out and talked like normal folks.  They thought we were totally cool...and we are! :)

Gennie and me hanging with keyboardist David Bryan after the Dallas concert

Gennie and I jetted to Las Vegas on April 18 for an organized Fan Club trip.  This was yet again something I've been dying to do, but the timing and/or $ never seemed to pan out.  I told people I was going to Vegas, but I kept my clam shut about this:

Yep, that's the real Jon Bon Jovi with his arm around me!



I was a brief photo op, but it felt so good to stand next to him, say hello, and "smile for the cameras"!  I didn't get to say what I'd wanted because of the hurried situation (photos for 200 folks takes a lot of time), but it was wonderful nonetheless!

And, here's the kicker.  When I'm at Bon Jovi, I don't think about Diabetes.  For those couple of hours, my mind is immersed in the music, the crowd, the entire experience.  It's a much needed dope injection for my soul! 

It's all made possible by having a cool like-minded and fun Bon Jovi buddy, and it's all made possible by having the coolest husband alive who takes over so I can "breathe" and recharge.  A husband who is secure enough to know that I loves me some JBJ, but he is the only man for me and the one I'm coming home to!

*squealing like a school girl*,
Rhonda

Unbreakable Bonds

Unbreakable Bond

April 17, 2013

Two incidents yesterday reminded me how precious and strong a bond is between twins.  Unless you are a twin or have had the honor of parenting twins, you’ll just never get it.  It’s incredible.  Here’s my story:

Imagine our surprise when I thought I was expecting Baby #4 (our 6th together), only to be told on OB/GYN visit #1 that there were TWO.  There aren't very many adequate words that describe that moment and that day.  Shock. Disbelief.  Elation.  Shock.  From that moment on, I wished only to carry my babies to as close to term as possible.  I didn't care the gender; I just truly wanted non-premature healthy babies.

Only 4 weeks early (and with big brother Jace only16 months old), Asa and Aiden were born healthy (albeit a little skinny).  I brought home two healthy 5-lb babies with no medical complications.  My wish came true. 

Asa and Aiden at 3 weeks old.  All head and eyeballs!

 

 

Our first year was filled with diapers (in triplicate), sleepless nights and very little money, but every bit of it was worth it to watch these boys grow together. We were told they were fraternal twins, but we could find no differences, and we had to be very diligent in how we dressed them in order to tell them apart.  By age one, we still couldn't tell easily, so we had them genetically tested.  They are indeed identical twins.  I figured this information could help us answer the questions of interested friends and nosy strangers; this information could serve them well medically in the future.



 



Asa and Aiden, Age 1

 

Watching them throughout their infancy was amazing.  They'd hold hands while breastfeeding. They'd snuggle up to each other in the night.  They'd crawl to each other.  Laugh at each other.  Look for each other.  They walked at approximately the same age.  They erupted teeth at the same time.  Once upon a time, they were ONE person (one ball of cells), and they turned into two magnificent and cute baby boys!

 

 

The twins went to preschool together at age 2.  They were nervous to leave Mommy, but they were secure as long as they had each other.  If anyone suggested separating them so they could "form their own identities", I think all three of us cried.  It just wasn't right for them.  Even in preschool, the girls loved them.  One loved them "because they have the same head".  :)

First Day of Pre-K 4

 

Fall 2007...Lookin' JUST like their Daddy's kid photos!

 

 

When Kindergarten started, we opted to keep our boys together.  They needed each other to brave this new adventure of "big boy school".   Seated apart in class, they thrived.  They made friends.  They learned, they excelled, and they sat by each other at lunch and PE.  The girls chased them mercilessly.  Asa recently told me, "You don't EVEN understand Mommy!  They hug us, and kiss us!  It's tough!"

 

 

After Kindergarten, Asa decided he wanted to be in different classes for First Grade.  Aiden did NOT.  I talked to each of them individually about their feelings.  Asa said, "I don't like people always asking me 'Are you Asa or Aiden?'"  He wanted his own identity separate from Aiden. (I knew this day would come, and I was glad it was on our terms and not the school system.) 

 

When I asked Aiden about his feelings, he threw a dagger right through my heart. 

"When Asa's not with me, my body just wants to cry." 

 

I had to put on my Mommy-Fix-It hat.  We compromised and came to an agreement.  The boys stayed together one more year in First Grade, and they separated this year for the first time in Second Grade.  They are happy, but they still flock to each other every chance they get.  They play at recess together.  Go to the nurse together.  Stay together on field trips.  I don't think anyone can really fully make them ever be completely apart. Covalent bond.

 

Examples of this bond, you ask?  Ok.  Here's a couple.

When the twins were about 3 or 4, one of them got a swat.  Broken-hearted, he sat on the floor and cried.  The other ran to his side, crouched down and hugged and held him.  In brave defense of his twin, he shouted at me, "YOU NOT HURT MY FRIEND!"  How can  you argue with that?  That's how they are. They'll whack each other out of frustration, but nobody else better even try.  They'll immediately rush to each other's aid, worry about each other, and look out for each other.

 

When Aiden cut his forehead open around age 3 or 4, ASA was the one losing it, scared his brother was going to die.  I had to "stop the bleeding" on two fronts there!  It was sort of hard to hold pressure on a cut and assess the situation with a hysterical twin in the background. 

 

When Aiden was diagnosed with diabetes, it made me cry even harder to see Asa's face when we told him Aiden had to go to the hospital...as if I hadn't cried enough already.  Daddy brought Asa (and the other brothers) up right after school to see Aiden.  He NEEDED to see Aiden was ok.  That was the first night in their lives they'd slept apart from each other.

 

Everyone piled in to see Aiden in hte hospital.  D-Day 2/20/12

Five months later, Asa was diagnosed with diabetes.  When we told Aiden, his face lit up.  He smiled.  Now, he was worried on one level, but he knew Asa would be ok.  And, he knew that now there was again no difference between the two of them.  Now, he had someone to brave this fight with.

Aiden hugging Asa in the hospital, August 2012

 

Asa and Aiden getting their new Omnipods!

 

 

 

Now, with Diabetes running the show, they have a new level of concern for each other.  Their bond is stronger and deeper.  Like atoms and electrons, it's on a cellular level that isn't even visible to the eye.  The first time Aiden's sugar got crazy high (due to Mommy's bad SWAG), ASA was the one who was most worried and scared. He was freakin' out, wouldn't sleep, demanding I take Aiden to the hospital because he didn't "want him to go into a coma".  It was more work reassuring him than it was to correct the bad glucose level.  The same happened in reverse a couple of weeks ago.  Asa's sugar got way high; Aiden exhibited the most concern.  He didn't go into a full-scale panic like Asa, but I knew he was terribly worried because of the questions he fired at me (like the Spanish Inquisition).

"What number makes you go into a coma?"

"When will you check him again?"

"Will you check him during the night?"

"Did you give him insulin?"  "How much?"  .... and on and on. 

 

In all fairness, what 8-year-old should have to know this much, worry this much?

 

Asa and Aiden on their 8th birthday, October 2012.  In another day and time, they may not have lived to see this day. 

 

 

So, yesterday, I was given another glimpse into the level of covalent bond of these boys.  I took the boys for a walk.  Asa decided to ride his bike.  Since they are not immune to the laws of physics and momentum, I require they walk their bikes down the hill.  To Aiden, Asa looked like he was about to ride his bike down the hill, and Aiden clearly felt immediate terror.  He shouted, "Asa, no!  Asa, Stop. Walk!"  When Asa got off his bike to walk it (as he'd already planned to do), Aiden said, "He scared me to deff.  He broke my heart cuz I thought he was going to be hurt". 

 

At the park, Aiden tied up with his older brother over a ball.  Before I could respond, Asa ran Olympic speed to Aiden's side and was pulling Jace away from him!  He also threw himself over Aiden and fussed at Daddy for ticklin' their toes!  They don't even consider the consequences; they are just immediately by each other's side for defense or protection.

 

It never ceases to amaze me how much these boys love each other.  How they feel each other.  How they worry deeply about each other, oftentimes before themselves, and will defend each other against the strongest forces (ie., Mommy and Daddy).

 

Diabetes may have invaded their bodies, but it didn't destroy that bond.  Yet another thing you can't break, Diabetes!

 

It can be difficult to raise twins; it's very hard managing two identical diabetics.  But, watching this impenetrable bond makes mothering them an honor.

 

Christmas 2012.

100 years ago, Type One Diabetes was a death sentence. I cannot imagine how I would have survived to have these children placed into my care, watch them grow, witness this amazing bond...only to have them taken from me by a cruel disease.  I'm thankful every day that times have changed, and although Diabetes is Stupid, it hasn't taken them from me!  However, we still have a LONG way to go in finding a cure and better treatments for Type One Diabetes.  Help me help JDRF in finding a cure for my boys.

 

www2.jdrf.org/goto/FuseA2Team

 

 

 

Rhonda