Witches Brew!

Been awhile since I posted. Lyam contracted MRSA and his arthritis has not been cooperating. We had to start a new medication to control the arthritis which, unfortunately, comes with the side effect of increasing the chance of infection while we were still battling the MRSA. Made things more then a bit difficult and time consuming. Things are finally calming down now though, so I'm trying to get back on track with both Lyam and I.

Halloween/Fall is probably my favorite time of year, has been for as long as I can remember. Christmas, not winter, being a close second. With Lyam being so difficult and picky an eater I have been trying to have Halloween fun with his foods. Soups are a great way to hide vegis for him, though an immersion or regular blender are very necessary.

Today we made "Witch's Brew". There was lots of cackling and 'boil boil, toil and trouble' as we threw all the vegis I precut while he was in preschool into a pot of boiling chicken broth. We had a blast throwing 'frog legs' (cut zucchini), moldy plants (spinach), fresh and moldy mice brains (broccoli and cauliflower) and petrified caterpillars (carrots) into the pot. Lots of vegis I needed to finish up and didn't want to waste. We stirred and cackled while they cooked and Lyam never seemed to notice or care what I was throwing in cause he's a boy and it was gross so therefor fun. While our crackers and 'bones' cooked (premade pizza dough and Halloween cookie cutters.) we brewed the best darn witches brew ever.

Did he eat it? Yes, mostly as a dipping sauce for some nuggets and the 'bones', but he ate it all and did so happily. That's all I can ask for right now with him, cause anything other the sneaking the food in NEVER works. Do I try, yes. The dippers for the 'witches brew' consisted of nuggets, 'bones' and raw zuchinni, carrots and 'mice brains'. Unfortunately he decided that uncooked and pureed they were yuck.

Gotta take my wins where I can and keep trying on the others. I have stopped trying to force him to 'try' things to hard. I find that his stubborn streak ensures my failure as soon as I make too big of a deal over what he eats, while his curiosity has him trying things I don't expect him to as long as I am not pushing it. I'm sure force works for some kids, not with Lyam.

While I am not an exact cooker here's the basic recipe. The basic concept was a broccoli and cheese soup, but veg'd up.

1 box Chicken broth

Vegis, whatever you have in the house. Green vegis are a must for the color. Reserve some for dipping.

1/2 - 1 cup milk

2 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

salt & pepper

2 tbsp flour

1/2 - 1 cup sour cream

1 - 2 cups cheese - whatever you got (nice to use a creamy w a sharp for good flavor & texture, I used the Parmesan/cheese rinds I had frozen from wedges used at other times. Don't throw out any of the edges/ends of cheese they work great for flavoring sauces/soups. I also added a little sharp & regular cheddar as well.)

In a pot boil the vegis in the chicken broth till soft (broth should cover the vegis with about a 1/2 inch extra liquid. Puree till smooth (and green). Add milk (this is optional and just makes it creamier) In a separate pan saute onions in butter till translucent. Add garlic, s&p. Cook a minute. Add four. Cook another minute to get the flour taste out, but don't let it brown much. Add to simmering Vegi base, bring back to a boil. Once thick add sour cream and cheese till melted/combined.

Kids love to touch/play with food. This is a soup, so serve with a spoon, but give them things to dip, it'll be more fun and successful. I served with homemade chicken nuggets, 'crackers and bones', extra vegis - offer whatever you know your child likes and it will take the focus off the vegis.

For 'bones and crackers'

Pre made pizza dough

Halloween cookie cutters

Butter

Garlic

Salt&Pepper

Soften unsalted butter, add garlic, s&p and any herbs that strike you (I love basil myself). Using cookie cutters cut out ghosts, cats, brooms etc. Take the leftover and pull into strips (bones). Place on baking sheet and cover top w some of the butter. Bake.

Picky Eaters: My hiding foods basics

Here is the basic concept I use with Lyam to hide vegetables without giving up on getting him to eat them on his own and not wasting food.

The concept I read was go out, buy the different vegis and make them all into different purees, then use them in planned meals. If that works for you...yay! Go forth and sneak foods into your children!

However, I am either too lazy for that or too unorganized to make it work, so I made my own plan. I make dinner, serving Lyam one thing he likes, one new/not usual/previously rejected food and two vegis (making sure one is something he likes) NOT hidden. I tell him he must eat at least 4 of one of the vegis (rule is 1 piece for each year of his age: he is 4 so 4 peas, 4 pieces of corn, etc) or no dessert.

Sometimes I am successful, sometimes not.

However the one thing that does not happen anymore is the old stand off that comes from "You cannot leave the table till you clear your plate' or the sometimes impossible to enforce (for me especially with Lyam's diabetes) 'you get nothing till the next meal'.

After I clean up I take the left over vegis, puree them in a little water or their juice, place them in ice cube trays and freeze. After frozen I move them to a Ziploc that I label with date and contents.

The next meal I try to use some of the pureed vegis by sneaking them in. They work great in mac n' cheese, sauces, smoothies, milkshakes, pretty much in any liquid you can think of. (offer your kid a healthy 'milkshake' as a snack you will be a rockstar!) I try to match flavors/colors when I can. When I can't I still sneak it in, but use less then I might have. The meal stays the same though, one thing he likes, one new/not usual/previously rejected food and two vegis NOT hidden.

You are now guaranteeing your child eats some vegis, but they don't think they are getting away without eating any. To me it's just as important he knows he needs to eat his vegetables as it is that he actually eat them. He needs to know are important to him/her being healthy and strong and that it's not okay he skip them.

For a long time I hid the good stuff, but didn't bother to offer him it as a choice. Kids love choices. It makes them feel in control, even if it's just an illusion. I am embarrassed to admit I lost sight of that and one day I realized I didn't even know if he liked any vegis cause I NEVER offered them to him anymore. He ate them, but never consciously. I became a self fulfilling prophecy. He didn't chose to try to eat them cause I never gave him that chance.

So now he has a choice, but at the same time he still gets what he needs.

I have also found that having a choice between two vegis means he will more often choose to try one then when he was given just one and told 'eat it'.

Since I started this way of eat (about a month now) Lyam will eat corn, peas and cooked carrots, but only a little and he's still picky as hell. The most telling thing for me it he TRIED beets without me even saying anything. He didn't like them, but that in itself is a major triumph (he ate his corn that day). He thinks he makes the choice and sometimes willingly says "No. Don't want dessert." IE: he won't eat or try the vegis. He thinks he's won, but that's okay cause I know the truth...and so do you. :)

Diabetes: Pump vs Injections

This was a question I knew the answer to as soon as I was told Lyam was Type 1. PUMP!

What is an insulin pump?

The insulin pump is a medical device used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy.*

In easy speak it is a piece of equipment roughly 3" x 2" x 3/4" that holds a 3 day supply of insulin. You can program it for your basal rate as well as bolus for food as needed. Insulin is dosed through a small catheter which is changed every three days.

Why do I want an insulin pump?

Insulin pumps allow you to more accurately control your blood sugar and fine tune your basal rates hour by hour. Leading to a better A1C and longer, healthier life.

Insulin pumps dose your basal with fast acting insulin all through out the day. If the basal rate you need changes through out the day, less at night, more during the day. Maybe even from one hour to the next. A pump can do that, injections can't.

With slow acting insulin it works best when first administered and follows a slowly declining arc, so it's stronger when first given, but by the end...not so much. When you dose yourself with slow acting insulin you are simply doing an average. That means sometimes you are getting too much for your actual needs and others not enough. The idea is in the end you balance out.

You CANNOT be precise.

With a pump you tell it your needs and every hour is doses exactly how much you need that hour.

I don't want to feel like I have a ball and chain!

Option one requires needles, insulin, tester, something to carry it all in.

Option two requires the pump you are already attached to and a tester. (even the tester can be replaced with an glucometer that you wear which reads results right to the pump.)

Pumps are a bit better I'd say, but add this....with injections you have 1-2 slow acting injections a day, plus a bolus shot every time you eat (3-5 times a day) so you could be using yourself like a pin cushion anywhere from 4 - 7 or more times a day or.... One site every three days. That's it. I think that makes the old ball and chain much lighter.

You almost got me, but I want more!

So here are a few more reasons.

Control: You can fine tune and be totally in control of your diabetes. You feel less in the dark when you know every hour you are getting the right amount of insulin for your basic needs.

Freedom: You want to eat 15 times a day> Go ahead. You want that little piece of candy that's carb count is too low for you to inject> Bet the pump can do it! With Lyam I used to have to plan the meal, count the carbs, watch him eat it, make sure he ate enough to be full then dose him. Gotta be as accurate as possible but still hit a carb count you can dose him with a needle. Now he eats a chicken nugget and says done? I can dose that. I know he will eat some, but might not eat all? I can dose him half up front and the balance afterwards. No extra shot and a pump can dose as low as .025 units of insulin. Try that with a needle.

Yo-yo-ing = lack of power + knowledge: You know it and it sucks. I'm high, I dose myself. I dump, I eat something. Crap I'm high again.... some days can feel like the rollercoaster from hell. It's hard to keep track of everything and know how much insulin you currently have on board, especially if you feel sick... unless you have a pump. It keeps track of your insulin on board and it reverse corrects if needed.

I test and I'm low. I drink a juice box. With injections I wait awhile, test myself and see where I sit and hope it was right.... with a pump I dose it. Reverse correction at it's best. The pump takes the carbs of the juice box, subtracts the amount needed to get me back up to normal and doses only the difference. So my blood sugar goes to normal, not high.

I test and I'm high. I run that through the pump. The pump takes the amount of insulin I have on board subtracts it from the needed correction and only doses me the difference. Again I go to normal, instead of causing myself to dump.

The best thing I've discovered about the pump.....I'm low, but a safe low 70 for example. I'm right on that edge. I wanna bump up, but I'm not in danger. I can run the 70 through the pump, take that number and reduce my basal for that hour by that amount. So instead of eating unwanted calories to correct I let my own natural body's needs do the correcting.

Pumps! Check 'em out:

Animas (connected tester can actually dose through this pump that includes an on board carb count book)

Medtronic (Arguably the best pump out there but the remote for it lacks. the connected tester does send BG to pump)

Omnipod (while a Jonas Brother made every teenage girl want it, this is a pump that not everyone can use.)

Sometimes Brilliant Thoughts:

Pumps can be the best tool you ever found for controlling your diabetes. It can give you the ability to fine tune your diabetes in a way you have never experienced. My son's A1C dropped a full point just by going on a pump. I changed nothing and in the beginning the basal rate inserted was the generic slow acting insulin number. As I fine tuned it he dropped another 2 points. His A1C started at 10 and now sits in the low 7's. (They prefer children to run a bit higher then adults)

Breaking it down:

Fined tuned basal rates, hourly.

Ability to dose yourself as low as .025 units**

Dose more often with no additional needles

One needle every three days vs at least 4 a day

More accurate corrections

The ability to reverse correct

Ability to bump your BG without eating

Tracker for insulin on board

Most come with a remote of some kind (especially handy with children)

Even a pump can't do everything though, so one thing I urge is to test yourself! The more you do the better you'll be. The pump actually has a timer and I use it to remind me of when I need to test Lyam. I test him every 2 - 3 hours and, on the rare times I go through a bad spell, his A1C not so kindly reminds me of what happens when I don't.

*Wikipedia

**Different pumps have different minimums

Diabetic Beginings (for us): A Mini Novel

My son, Lyam, came by his diabetes through his father (we'll call him George for the sake of this blog) .

George was diagnosed after he was (arguably) an adult. When he first was diagnosed he was excellent at dealing with it. When I first met him he told me that anyone involved with him had to be at least familiar with it in case something happened with him. Made perfect sense to me.

I loved and wanted the best for him so I learned everything I could. What he taught me, what I could get from doctors, what I could learn from forums/internet. I wanted to support him and help him control his diabetes. I became very good at it. Unfortunately somewhere along the line he stopped trying and I ended up struggling against him and his illness to keep him healthy. While a definite learning experience, something I NEVER want to repeat. It's exhausting.

When my son was born I always had the thought that he could one day become diabetic, but since everyone in George's family got it later in life and no one in my life had it I figured that was a long way off. Of course in true human fashion I thought it couldn't/wouldn't happen to us (me). Boy was I wrong.

Sometime around 18 months Lyam started drinking way more then usual which, of course, resulted in excessive urination. At first I put it off, thinking it would stop, all the while a part of my head screaming a denial. Unfortunately it didn't stop. I took him to the pediatrician who told me all little boys go through a stage like that and it was nothing to worry about. I was relieved, but a part of me was still sure the doctor was wrong, however what mom doesn't want to hear the doctor say she was making something out of nothing in regards to her child health??

It stopped shortly afterwards and I quickly forgot about it. A couple months later there was a repeat, this time for longer then the first time. I went to his peds doc and was again put off. He reiterated that boys often go through stages like this. It felt wrong to me so I asked if he could just test Lyam to put my mind at ease. I was told that there was no reason to put my son through that and sent on my way.

It did eventually stop, but for a much shorter time before it started up again. I saw the doc, they refused to test him, it eventually stopped. This became a cycle that got spiraled shorter and shorter through the new year. Beyond the symptoms my son was showing I had also found ants all over his wet diapers in the garbage. Not a couple of ants, but TONS!

Let me preface the rest of this by saying we no longer see that pediatrician and have since found others having similar experiences with this practice. Most peds docs are not this difficult or idiotic. After this was over I reported them in every way I could.

I went to the doctor told him that ants were all over my sons urine like it was candy, seemed to me he was probably spilling sugar. Doc told me that ANTS ARE DRAWN TO WATER. WTF? I looked at him like he was the idiot he was and asked what did that have to do with urine? He told me to ants it was the same thing.... What exactly do you say to such stupidity?

I left frustrated and unsure what to do.

That night Lyam started throwing up and was obviously feeling ill. I took Lyam to the hospital they drew blood and said his blood glucose (BG) was elevated but was told that they were not pediatric docs and the number was not high enough to say it was diabetes vs being ill conclusively. They said I should give him pedialyte and see our doc in the morning.

Which proved useless. The doctor basically told me that I was just trying to get attention through my son and that he was fine and I would traumatize him if I didn't stop. I informed him I thought he was an ass and that if he really wanted to prove me wrong TEST Lyam.

Needless to say I lost the battle, Lyam wasn't tested and we gained an enemy.

I went home and my neighbor stopped by with his son to visit. It was obvious to him Lyam was sick. By that point, Lyam was in and out of sleep, breathing hard and having a difficult time focusing. I was in tears because I didn't know what to do. Going to the doc/hospital did nothing and I was scared.

I thank God to this day for Justin. He told me that the hospital I went to was the worst one to go to for children. He told me to go to Grandview which was affiliated with CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia). I took Lyam right away, my heart in my throat the whole way, fully expecting more of the same.

I walked in the hospital tears rolling down my face with Lyam passed out in my arms, breathing hard and pale. Before she could talk I said "Test his BG now! I don't want crap just test him!" I was yelling and a bit stressed at the time. I can say they were great. She just smiled and said, of course and took us back bypassing the front desk.

I think there was part of me that still didn't believe and another part that thought he must just be pre-diabetic. She tested him, then drew blood. Less then 10 minutes later I was informed that my son's BG was 723 and he was a Type 1 diabetic.

I still cry at the memory, I am in fact crying as I type this. Our worlds changed at that moment and would never be the same. My son would grow up with needles and doctors and blood as a part of his life. He would always have to count carbs and look at food different then other kids. Sleep overs, camps, babysitters, school, everything would become harder if not impossible and there was nothing I could do to fix it for him.

He was in DKA (Diabetic ketoacidosis). His blood sugar was too high and had been for too long. He was breathing hard to burn off the acidity and was unconscious as his body struggled with the burden. They gave him insulin and eventually unconscious turned into really deep sleep. We were sent via ambulance to CHOP to get him back in his feet and to ascertain if there was any permanent organ damage as a result.

We stayed for a week while I learned what I needed to care for Lyam. Came pretty easily for me with my previous experience with his father, however I learned that George had created a bunch of 'rules' and didn't really understand and treat his own diabetes correctly, even at the best of times...so I relearned what I George had told me so it was right.

We learned that there, thankfully, had been no longer term damage to Lyam and eventually were sent home with all the supplies necessary to keep Lyam healthy and his diabetes under control. Sometime over the week I had put on my big girl panties and accepted that, like it or not, I would do what I had to and he would grow up respecting his diabetes and not let it control him. Cause it starts with me.

Sometimes brilliant thoughts:

1. You think you or someone else needs to be tested you don't have to go to your doctor. Testing is easy and relativity painless, definitely less painful then DKA. Normal fasting BG can be as low as the 70's up to the 120's. After you eat it can go up to the high 100's and still be normal, depending on the carb count of the meal. In doubt? TEST.

*BG testers can be as cheap as $20 and come with some strips.

*If searched online there are sometimes free tester offers out there from the suppliers. (While in the hospital I requested online a coupon for a free one touch mini, which I used to get the blue mini I carry in my purse. Total cost: $0)

2. Not all hospitals are great with children's health issues. Even if you have a healthy child make sure you know the best hospital to take them to, it may not be the closest, but often you are better off going to them in the long run.

3. You know your child. If you have doubts, questions: ask. If you don't like the answer ask again or ask someone else, or both. Don't let anyone convince you you're wrong without proof.

4. Symptoms of diabetes:

* Excessive Thirst

* Frequent Urination

* Weight Loss

* Increased Hunger

* Blurry Vision

* Irritability

* Tingling or Numbness in hands or feet

* Frequent skin, bladder or gum infections

* Wounds that don't heal

* Extreme Unexplained Fatigue

(In some cases, there are no symptoms — this happens at times with type 2 diabetes. In this case, people can live for months, even years without knowing they have the disease. This form of diabetes comes on so gradually that symptoms may not even be recognized.)

Sidenotes:

I am extremely grateful for some great friends. While George couldn't seem to bother to be there throughout it all (a couple hours the first night and I was on my own parenting wise, then again I pretty well raised Lyam on my own from day one anyway, so not a real surprise) I made one call to my best friend Age and, though it was the middle of the night, she was there before George. Titi (Lyam's word for aunt) Age stayed and held my hand through that long night and came to realize herself that she loved Lyam more than she had even been aware. Love you Age!! Also Titi Sarah who was there during that week and had the wonderful shared experience of catching George, pulled over on the side of the road throwing up on our way home from the hospital. He was once again suffering from high BG and proving he is a great poster child for what NOT to do when you have diabetes.

Hi!

Welcome to my blog! I hope it will prove interesting, but if not I hope I at least have fun doing it. :) I plan to share my life, or at least the things I think worth mentioning, in the hopes someone else can benefit. I am the single mother of a precocious 4 yr old, Type 1 diabetic, picky eater who has struggled with my weight my whole life. My goal going forward is to be healthy. Not thin, not a certain number on a scale, but healthy. My goal for my son is to raise him the best I can so that he grows up to be a wonderful man who isn't defined by his diabetes.

Having a toddler with diabetes, though I guess now he's a preschooler (they grow too fast) is a challenge, having one who refuses to eat much of anything healthy is a nightmare. I found a cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld (yes she is Jerry Seinfeld's wife) called Deceptively Delicious that has a ton of great ideas for sneaking healthy super foods into your kids, I highly suggest buying it if you too have a picky eater. As I read it I realized I had already come up with many similar ideas on my own. For example: I always make Lyam's mac n' cheese adding things like tofu and pureed vegi's. I make my own chicken nuggets using healthy cereal and vegi's as a crust and/or a filler. Anything to sneak in the healthy stuff. Her book is way more organized and focused then anything I currently do, but I try to supplement my recipes w her ideas.

My thought is to Blog my recipes, tricks and tips I've learned about diabetes and general 'almost brilliant' thoughts I have (not all diabetic related). Hopefully my struggles/discoveries in life will help someone else, if not maybe putting them all here will help me improve my own situation. If I'm lucky it'll do both! :)