Friday, December 31, 2010

2 weeks from today!!

  Well, I must say this is a first for me blogging at 4:30 a.m.Who can sleep?? The day I have prayed for is exactly 2 weeks from today.. Sammie will be admitted to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus Ohio on January 13th. She will have a antroduodenal manometry and then the 14th , she will get her temporary pacemaker. Is it possible to be happy and sad at the same time? I am so happy and excited and thankful she is getting a pacer but sad to be away from home for so long, worried about my love ones I must leave in Franklin Furnace. Happy and blessed that Nationwide Hospital offers such a great amount of support for families, one of us can stay in the room with Sammie , the other parent will stay in The Ronald McDonald House located across the street from the hospital, anxious and scared to death that this procedure may not work and that would be devastating. I know that it is in the Lords hands. I am thankful for the support of my brothers and sisters, I am blessed with an amazing family, I am thankful for the support of dear friends  and scared and worried for my Sammie, she has such a long road ahead of her. She has had much to deal with the last 6 years. Monday, January 3rd, is Sammie's  diagnosis anniversary. Our lives changed forever that day.
  I am so thankful for my husband Randy, he is a great dad and husband, I would be lost without him. Ok, I am rambling, this emotional mommy better try to get some sleep.
Love, Caroline

Monday, December 27, 2010

Endo appointment

  Well, Sammie had her 3 month Endocrinologist appt today.     Our A1C was not that great 7.5, dissappointed that number was so high. Maintaining good blood sugar numbers is very difficult when you have gastroparesis. On a happier note Sammie is spending the afternoon with her best friends, this really cheered her up. Thanks Elizaabeth and Jessica!!!! 18 more days until Sammie gets her pacemaker!!!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Sammie's Story

        Today, our local newspaper ran a story about Sammie. I thought I would update our story from the beginning.
       Sammie has been  a Type 1 diabetic for almost 6 years.  The first 5 years , Sammie did not have any major complications. Her average blood sugars ranged between 170 - 190.  Last year , during basketball season Sammie started complaining of foot pain, after a game at Clay Sammie said "mom, I really think you should know my feet feel like there are asleep" Things began progressing fast, she was diagnosed with the beginning of neuropathy ( nerve damage).  The neuropathy did not stop with her feet, it is now in her hands. Our Neurologist explained that neuropathy in someone this age and with diabetes for only almost 6 years is rare. The doctor seemed concerned about the neuropathy possibly moving to the nerves on the inside. This could be stopped by having tight control of blood sugars, after a follow up with our diabetes doctor, we all felt sure the neuropathy would not spread.
     In July 2010, I took Sammie to her diabetes doctor because of random vomiting. Her A1c was great, 6.6. ( that is good, our average blood sugars were 160) Sammie went home thinking it was a virus. She would get better for a couple days and then the vomiting would start again. Our doctor this time tested her for celiac disease ( a disease where your body can not digest gluten ) , this test came back negative.  September 2010 , things fell apart. Sammie spent 5 days in Cabell Huntington Hospital. She left the hospital with a diagnosis, it was gastroparesis. The neuropathy had damaged her nerve that controls stomach function. Sammie's stomach is paralyzed causing severe nausea and vomiting. Our doctor tried many different medications that aid in stomach function, nothing helped. 
    Currently, Sammie is scheduled to get a gastric pacemaker implanted in mid January, at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. 
   Diabetes isn't something that happens to other people.  To people with a family history.  To people who are overweight.  It can happen to you.  

Know the warning signs.  Know they can occur suddenly.




  • Extreme thirst
  • Frequent urination
  • Sudden vision changes
  • Sugar in urine
  • Fruity, sweet, or wine-like odor on breath
  • Increased appetite
  • Sudden weight loss
  • Drowsiness, lethargy
  • Heavy, labored breathing
  • Stupor, unconsciousness



This is the reason I work so hard.  This is the reason I blog, I advocate, I educate, I care. 
Help us find a cure!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Have you ever wondered what would happen if the grinch had Diabetes ???

Have you ever wondered what would happen if THE GRINCH had DIABETES???

Click HERE to read it for yourself!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

New Surgery Date !!!!!!!!!!

    Our surgeon's office called and told us that Sammie's surgery needs to be moved from February 1st to January 14th.  OMG, that is in 28 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I wish she felt like celebrating!! She is really been struggling the past couple days :(   She really is just tired of being sick, she is missing school and her friends. She wants to go Christmas shopping and to basketball games.  28  more days!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

FINALLY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  Today, we finally got the call we have been waiting and praying for, a set date for Sammie's surgery.
   FEBRUARY 1st.
  February 1st , Sammie will get a temporary pacemaker. Two insulated wires will go down her nose and attach to her stomach. The pacemaker will hang around her neck. She will stay like this for 3 days ,making sure the pacemaker is doing it's job. After those 3 days, if things are working well, she will get the permanent pacemaker.
  In the permanent surgery each lead is placed in the muscle wall of the stomach. The lead bodies are then routed under the skin to the pacemaker. The pacemaker will be placed in a pocket just beneath the skin in the lower abdominal area. She will get to go home 3 or 4 days later.
  I am so thankful but extremely anxious , I just hope and pray this will help Sammie.
ONLY 47 MORE DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Update on Sammie

    Progress is going so slow. Our appointment with Dr. Teich was Monday, December 6th. Today is December 10th and still there is not a set surgery date. Sammie has not had a good day, I have been in touch with doctor in Huntington and doctors in Columbus, if Sammie has not improved by morning , she will have to be admitted to Cabell Huntington Hospital. I feel so helpless!!! Sammie's blood sugars are crazy, which is not normal for her. Typically, she averages 152 a day, today it has been more like 352.  I am praying tomorrow will be better. Praying everyone else who is struggling has a better day tomorrow. ( Kelli and Kat )

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Believe

  
BELIEVE,
  
INSPIRE,
  
IMAGINE

 and Expect Miracles 
We Believe that one day there will be a cure.  
We hope that our stories and our actions will Inspire others.  
We Imagine a life without type 1 diabetes and 
We always Expect Miracles to happen.
A Miracle is the reason why Sammie and many of you are still here with us today.  The very first medical miracle... INSULIN. There are many little miracles all around us in our everyday life, you just need to look for them and once you find them never forget how truly lucky you are.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Nick Jonas - A Little Bit Longer


Nick Jonas wrote this song about being a Type 1 Diabetic. Today on the way home from Children's Hospital we heard this song,  maybe it is a sign!!!  :)

EXCITING NEWS

  Today, was great !!!! Randy and Sammie and I got to see and hold a pacemaker. Dr. Teich was amazing, he made Sammie feel comfortable. He answered all our questions and calmed our reservations. This device is not FDA approved for children so there is some red tape. In JANUARY, Sammie will first get a temporary pacemaker , because this is so expensive they make sure the device relieves symptoms before implanting the permanent pacemaker. if it works, 3 days later a permanent will be implanted. Now we wait.!!! I really stink at waiting. LOL

Sunday, December 5, 2010

THe night before we meet the surgeon

    I can not explain but my day has not been pleasant. I was feeling so low and so sad, so worried and anixous. I have a wonderful cousin who lives in Wisconsin , her name is Anna, she sent me a wonderful heart felt message . I would like to post part of that message. 
                                                                                                                                                   

Isaiah 40:28-31 says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
   Thank you so much, Anna.
 
                


   

Friday, December 3, 2010

WE HAVE A DATE WITH A SURGEON!!!!!!!!!

  MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2010, BIG RANDY, SAMMIE AND I WILL MEET DR. STEVEN TEICH, AT NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN COLUMBUS. We are one step closer to getting Sammie the GASTRIC PACEMAKER.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

  I am holding the hand of the sweetest  14 year old little girl I know. Ok, she is not so little, she stands 5 foot 9 inches, but she is sweet. I try to find the "silver lining" in troubling times and tonight I am so thankful for my relationship with Sammie. Our relationship is changed , not that it was bad before but now there is an appreciation. I admire how tough she is, and the fact that is smiles through it all. Sammie is feeling so tired this evening. Last night she was able to eat a few egg noodles, tonight she feels so nauseous she can only drink an Ensure, if she did not have diabetes and have to keep her blood sugar levels up she would not drink anything.
  Sammie and I now know the name of the surgeon doing our gastric pacemaker surgery, his name is Dr. Teich and we are so anxious for the phone call telling us when to meet him for the 1st time. I actually spoke to his secretary today, we are so fortunate to live in Ohio, relatively close to Columbus. Families come from all over the U.S. to visit Nationwide Children's Hospital for help with Gastroparesis. I am sure we will get our appointment date tomorrow.
  I guess to sum up my day I would say" I am a basket case and I am so thankful God is holding my basket."
 

Monday, November 29, 2010

Gastric Pacemaker

TODAY HAS BEEN HUGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Our nurse from Nationwide Children's Hospital called today to check on Sammie's progress with the Domperidone. I explained that there are no changes, still extremely nauseous, with vomiting after most meals and dri - heaving for a majority of our day. The medication side affects are not pretty to say the least. The medication is being stopped and we are starting the process to get the GASTRIC PACEMAKER!!!!!! I don't know if I should laugh or cry, all I know is I don't think I have ever been so worried about my child.  This pacemaker is truly our last option.

Sunday, November 28, 2010


Sammie is blessed with an amazing siblings. Cassie is 18 and she helps me so much!!!
Diabetes and it's complication affect the whole family  Now that Sammie is unable to attend High school Cassie is always there for her. Cassie makes sure she is checking her blood sugar and helps her when she is sick to her stomach. Cassie makes it possible for me to go to work.
Cassie , I just want you to know that your dad , Sammie and I appreciate all you do. You are a great sister and daughter.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Domperidone Update

Well, I wish I could report that the domperidone is working and that Sammie was able to enjoy Thanksgiving yummies. The medicine is not working yet, she started taking 1 pill 3 times a day for  1 week, then 2 pills 3 times a day .  It has been kinda a sad Thanksgiving, it is so hard to see her so hungry and not really be able to eat normally. She tried a small piece of ham and a cresent roll, and one chocolate chip cookie. She is finally asleep ( it is 12:41a.m.) , she spent hours dry heaving and crying. I am trying so hard to stay positive and be strong for Sammie. Black Friday shopping will cheer her up.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

What am I thankful for today?

 WHAT AM I THANKFUL FOR TODAY?

I am thankful for the discovery of insulin, without insulin my child would not be alive.

I am thankful for good insurance, we are able to afford the medical care and prescriptions we need.

I am thankful Sammie no longer endures multiple insulin injections daily and only needs an insulin pump site every 2 days.

I am thankful to live in a developed nation becuase medical care is so diffierent in other parts of the world.

I am so thankful for Big Randy, he is my shoulder to cry on, my best friend and a great dad to our children.

I am so thankful for the love and help from the Lord.

I AM THANKFUL!!
WHAT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR ?

                                                      

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Back to Children's

  Well, we are back at Children's today. Sammie is having a  gastric emptying study.
She had to eat scrambled eggs sprinkled with a radioactive tracer. Then she gets x-rayed for 3 minutes, we wait for 2 hours then she gets x-rayed again for another 3 minutes. This should tell the doctors here how slowly her stomach emptys. This test was done at Cabell Huntington in October and  after 235 minutes her stomach was still not emptying. We are praying for an improvement today.
  She woke this morning with a blood sugar of 60, and was not allowed to eat or drink anything. We were able to get her glucose levels up by disconnecting her insulin pump for a while. She is feeling very sick to her stomack today and was only able to eat about half the eggs before her vomiting started.  Praying the test will be successful!!!! Now for some quality time with her, my better half and Little Randy.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

6 things I want people to know about Diabetes!!!

.  
 

I asked S if she wanted to weigh in on the six things she'd like people to know about diabetes.  Here's her list...

#6.  It sucks.
#5.  It sucks.
#4.  It sucks.
#3.  It sucks.
#2.  It sucks.
and #1...... IT REALLY SUCKS AND I WISH IT WOULD GO AWAY!
(excuse her langauge)


Ok.  We know how she feels!


As for ME....
Six Things, huh?  ONLY 6?  I have a feeling I could go on all day.  But I'll cut it down to the top 6....


The Top 6 Things I Want People to Know about Diabetes:


# 6. You can't just take a pill or change your diet and expect diabetes to go away.  It's not that easy.  But I wish it were...


#5.  There is NO CURE.  "S"  WILL NOT GROW OUT OF IT.  Insulin and pumps and CGM's are great - but they are not a cure.  They are advanced forms of life support.  


#4.  Diabetes is not controlled.  It is managed.  Some days better than others.  You can do everything right and things can still go horribly wrong.
( and they are going horribly wrong)


#3.  Diabetes never sleeps.  It never takes a vacation.  It never takes a day off.  Or an hour.  Or a minute.  And neither do we.  We fight this disease 24/7/365.   


#2.  Diabetes hurts.  It means blood.  Pricking  fingers 6-8 times a day.....around 3,650 times a year.  It means needles and shots and site changes... around 1,825 shots and 183 site changes a year.  It means arm draws and visits to the hospital.  It means more tears than you can count.


#1.  Diabetes can happen to you.  It happened to us on January 3 2005.  Our beautiful, healthy child.... who was 8 years old... was no longer so healthy.  Diabetes snuck in and decimated her immune system.  It left her so sick she could barely walk and sent us to the hospital .  


Diabetes isn't something that happens to other people.  To people with a family history.  To people who are overweight.  It can happen to you.  

Know the warning signs.  Know they can occur suddenly.




  • Extreme thirst
  • Frequent urination
  • Sudden vision changes
  • Sugar in urine
  • Fruity, sweet, or wine-like odor on breath
  • Increased appetite
  • Sudden weight loss
  • Drowsiness, lethargy
  • Heavy, labored breathing
  • Stupor, unconsciousness


This is the reason I work so hard.  This is the reason I blog, I advocate, I educate, I care. 
Help us find a cure!

Monday, November 8, 2010

All About 'S'

  Since part of my blog is about living and loving my child with Type 1 diabetes, I thought I would help everyone get to know her better.

FAVORITE MOVIE
Twister and She's the man

FAVORITE ACTOR
Tyler Perry and
Kellen Lutz

FAVORITE ACTRESS
Amanda Bynes and
Dakota Fanning

FAVORITE  PLACE TO SHOP
Bookstores and
Hot Topic

FAVORITE PLACE TO VISIT
 The Beach

FAVORITE FAMILY ACTIVITY
Roadtrips

FAVORITE BOOK
Morganville Vampire Series

FAVORITE MUSIC
A little of everything

FAVORITE SUBJECT
Spanish and
Science

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM
Chicago Bears ( Jay Cutler)
UK Basketball and
Kerri Walsh / Misty May Treanor

WHAT YOU MISS MOST ABOUT BEFORE DIABETES
Grape Pop and Fruit Roll ups

FUTURE PLANS
I do not know, let me check my crystal ball   LOL

WORD THAT DESCRIBE YOU
 BLESSED!!!!

Sunday, November 7, 2010

World Diabetes Day

The number of diabetes supplies needed to manage Type 1 diabetes at times is staggering. Here is what our supply list looks like:
                                blood glucose meter,
                                test strips
                                insulin,
                                lancets,
                                alcohol pads,
                                glucose tablets,
                                glucagon emergency kit
                                syringes
                                insulin pump
                                infusion sets for pump
                                reservoirs for insulin pump
                                continuous glucose montior
                                sensors
                                bandages
My family is blessed with amazing insurance that covers most of S's medical needs. There are so many families with children suffering from this terrible illness without insurance, jobs and money to take care of their health needs. Please click the video below as many times as you can. each click raises money and with 100,000 clicks by November 14th ,  $75,000 will be raised to provide insulin for children in need. You can make a difference today by doing nothing more than pressing a button on your computer. What are you waiting for?
                             

Do the BiG Blue Test, on World Diabetes Day

Friday, November 5, 2010

Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus

  Well, it was all I hoped for, the people in Columbus opened their arms and hearts and pulled me and Sammie inside a circle of support.. It felt so good to have people say " we know what you are going through, it is hard but we can help"  My fears and worries just evaporated. We now have a plan, Sammie is starting a clinical trial and going on a drug called domperidone. It is a medication that is not FDA approved for use in the US. but is used in other countries to treat stomach motility problems. It has some side affects but hopefully the good will out weigh the bad.   The doctor talked of feeding tubes and then of researching our insurance to see if it will cover the gastric pacemaker. It feels so good to have hope.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Here we go!!!!!!!!

 I am the King Mom , along with the King Dad we are raising 3 children. C . S. and R. Our blog is about the struggle of raising 3 kids. C. is the oldest, she is a college student amd works at a local grocery in the deli. She loves shopping, texting her friends and our dog Snoopy. R. is the youngest, he is in the 5th grade. He loves video games, country music and his b.b. gun. S. is the middle child, she is a freshman, she loves volleyball, reading and our dog Snoopy. Our blog is dedicated to other families struggling with Type 1 diabetes and it's complications. S. was diagnosed with Type 1 when she was 8, we have had 5 years of no real problems. This summer S. started having  a variety of symptoms, 1st  was exhaustion. a blood test discovered low acting thyroid. She started taking Synthroid and she started feeling better. 2nd symptom was tingling and numbness in her feet,  that was Peripheral Neuropathy. We started the medication Gabapentin.  Our A1c has consistanly been 7.4 , our doctors did not seem openly concerned. Our endocrinologist said we are doing everything right. In August S. started randomly vomitting. Our blood sugars were crazy up and down like a yo yo. We went to our endocrinologist, he thought maybe a virus but he wanted to check for celiac disease first. The test was negative. The vomitting was getting worse and she now didn't even want to eat. After being in the hospital for 4 days we left with the diagnosis of gastroparesis.  and here is where we begin.