Day {Twenty-4} : Brother's Gifts & Church

As I mentioned yesterday; Zane had started to get sick while at grandma & papa's...he just progressively got worse over the night.  He had an eye appt this morning, so was planning to take him to that and then into see his pediatrician.  I didn't want to end up in urgent care on Christmas and I could tell things were headed in an ugly direction with him quick.  We pulled into the eye doctor and he was very lethargic and unhappy - I knew he would not be cooperative for the doctor, so decided to reschedule that appt.  We headed to his doctor's clinic (which also happens to be my place of work - so its very convenient and helpful in times like this).  As soon as we got there he got out of the car and vomited twice.  This is NEVER good and can earn him a 1 way ticket to the hospital very quickly.  Even though there are many GI bugs going around - I was hard pressed to believe that's what he had since his blood sugars were running on the higher side and just about always with a GI bug he would run dangerously low.  I texted Josh immediately and asked him to head to my work and bring Zane's anit-vomit meds as well as his ketone meter so we could see if his vomiting was from ketones (dangerous).  He rushed down and sure enough - Zane had large ketones which was causing his vomiting and is a sign of ketoacidosis.  I called Children's immediately and the nurse helped calm my fears and walked me through what to do (give him lots of insulin basically) and what things to look out for.  She also asked that we have him see his pediatrician to get his lungs checked out to see if that was causing his ketones to be so large.  He saw the doctor, had a chest x-ray and sure enough has some pneumonia going on.  Although, its most likely just viral, but the doctor was concerned with his ketones so opted to put him on antibiotics anyway - its hit or miss whether they'll work or not, but better safe than sorry.

Josh took Zane home to give him his meds and keep a close eye on him so I could get a few hours of work done.  His ketones slowly started to lower and he slept a lot which is always good to help you get better!

After work - Landon and I braved Fred Meyer; it was just as crazy as I had imagined - but we got through it!

On our way out of the store he wanted to know what the red bucket was for - so I let him learn first hand!

Once we got home and Zane woke up from his nap; he seemed a little better and really wanted to go to the candle light service with us - so we headed to church.

We got home and the boys exchanged their gifts to each other.  This is a tradition we started last year after learning about it from a friend who does it with her kids.  It really makes sense...they can always remember what they gave each other and not have it get mixed in with all of the chaos on Christmas morning.  I'm sure its a tradition we'll carry on for years to come.  After gifts they put out their cookies for Santa!

The boys headed to bed and Santa and Mrs. Claus went to work to make the boys' next day special!

::Crispy::

Day {Twenty-3} : Boys Came Home

Boys came home from grandma & papa's - they had a great time - but Zane started to get sick while he was there and its never just a "small cold" for this kid - so things quickly became touch and go.

Crispy doesn't rest just because one of the kids is sick though...

Day {Twenty-2} : Not Much...

The boys are at Grandma & Papa's today/tonight - so its just Josh, Crispy and I around here!

::Crispy::

I think he misses Zane and that's why he was camping out in his bed!

Friend-mas

There are a handful of friends that we still exchange gifts with - well, the kids all exchange gifts.  After building Gingerbread houses with Luke; the boys all exchanged gifts - Karena and I about died laughing when we realized that we all gave Spiderman t-shirts as one of the gifts!  Great minds think alike I guess!

After we were finished at Karena & Luke's we headed over to Brenda's house to exchange gifts with the kids!  I don't think any of our kids were disappointed at all!  Landon is in love with his new Chuggington movies!  It looks like Berkley is happy with her Minnie Mouse hoodie too!  

We couldn't let the kids have all the fun with the photos!

Day {Twenty-1} : Gingerbread Houses

::Crispy::

Day {Twenty} : Snow; Dinner; Photobooth

A couple of days ago our plans for tonight were cancelled, so we came up with impromptu ones!  I think we had even more fun!

Was nice waking up to snow today!  Thankfully Zane's school was not cancelled, so he didn't have to miss his PJ Polar Express Party at school!

We headed out to a carb loaded dinner in celebration of Zane living 3 healthy years with Type 1!

We invited the neighbors over for an impromptu photo booth!

::Crispy::

{Happy} Third Diabetes Birthday Zane

Three years ago this evening, Zane was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes - this night forever changed our lives...we are better because of it.  That does not mean I'm happy about his diagnosis at all - but it has proven to us how far we can go as a family and just how strong we are.

I thought I'd share an email that I wrote his grandparents this week - it just confirms what an amazing person Zane is turning into:

I thought you might all appreciate this...so, Zane's 3 year "Diabetes Anniversary" is this Friday and we always try to do something to celebrate it (celebrating his health with T1 - not necessarily celebrating that he has T1) - we try to get together with Keegan usually (girl who was dx'd same day as him) - but she had to cancel last minute this year.  Kind of bummed me out - needed a plan B.  Anyway, yesterday I decided that I was going to give him the afternoon/night off of Diabetes (Friday).  I may need a bottle of wine and some anti-anxiety meds - but I was going to be the cool mom and do it.  I was going to solely rely on his continuous glucose monitor "Dex" and just bolus for carbs as is - no blood sugar checks.  If Dex alarmed low - I'd just give a juice box and watch Dex.  If it alarmed high - I would base my decision on correcting or not on how accurate Dex had been that day (earlier while at school) and go from there.  I would only check if he started to have some very scary/warranted behaviors (which is unlikely).  I would onlyl check at midnight before I went to bed and go from there - but from 1 p.m. (when school got out) until midnight - he'd be essentially diabetes free (aside from insulin via his pump) - but no pokes.  Great plan right?? Coolest mom ever right??  Nope.  

So last night I sit Zane on the counter and point to Friday on the calendar and explain to him what that day is and let him know that we wouldn't be having dinner with Keegan anymore and that I had another idea.  Told him he could pick whatever activity we did that night to celebrate, but that I was going to give him the afternoon/night off from all blood sugar checks.  Explained that I'd just give him insulin for carbs consumed and that he wouldn't have to have his finger poked once.  He looked a little confused; yet excited at first.  Then I could see his wheels turning and he looks at me and says "mom, I don't want to do that".  I was dumbfounded.  I asked him why not (with a tone of complete shock in my voice) and he said "I don't mind checking my blood sugar".  I told him that I knew that and was proud of him for that, but wanted to give him this - wanted to give him a night off and I'd just take care of it all for him.  He looked at me again and said so sweetly "mommy, I just don't think that's a good idea".  

I was crushed at first (for complete selfish reasons) - I was crushed that he didn't like my idea; that he didn't think it was the coolest thing ever; that he didn't think I was the best mom ever for coming up with this grand plan that was going to cause me great anxiety (but he didn't know that part).  I of course told him, that it was fine and that it was his decision, but to come up with a fun activity that he wanted to do to celebrate.  I just couldn't stop thinking about our little conversation and was still so shocked.  Then it hit me...he has NO recollection of his life before Diabetes anymore - he had no idea what life was like when he didn't have to poke his finger 15 times a day.  To ME this plan was to let him remember the "good ol' days" for a few hours, to give him a part of his life back that he essentially will never have back...but to HIM it was breaking a big rule; to him it was taking something away from the only life he knows; taking a part of his day away from him so to speak.

I was talking to Josh last night about it all after Zane was in bed and we were both so proud of him - yet so sad at the same time that he was so wise beyond his years at such a young age (as are ALL of these kids of course).  It just baffles me and amazes me all in the same breadth.

Thought you'd like this little story of our brave, smart and wise beyond his years little boy.

I'm amazed by this child every minute of every day.  I know there will be rough roads down the way - there will be moments of distress and frustration and even hate for this disease - but we'll deal with those when we need too.  Right now we are relishing in the fact that he is awesome and that he cares just as much about himself as we do.

Please remember that insulin is not a cure - its a lifeline - we really need a cure!