Monday, December 23, 2013

Blessed

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
When  a family has a member who is chronically ill it affects everyone. The siblings are often overlooked. I am so blessed to be the mom of these wonderful kids. This is Cassie. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Shawnee State University. I feel sometimes like she had to grow up quickly. She was only 12 years old when Sammie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. When Sammie was diagnosed with gastroparesis in 2010 Cassie was a high school senior. She has been such a big help. She watched Little Randy and truly mothered him when I had to be in the hospital with Sammie. I am so very proud of her and love her more than she will ever know.
 
 
 
This handsome young man is Randy. Poor guy he was 4 when Sammie was diagnosed with T!D and a 4th grader when Sammie was diagnosed with Gastroparesis. I have missed spelling bees and  band performances. It seems like I have blinked and he has turned into this special, sweet and kind hearted young man. I love how he makes me laugh and love how he lays his head in my lap for me to scratch his head and back. He is and will always be my baby.
 
 
 
 

Monday, December 9, 2013

Every picture



 Because every picture
has a story to tell.



A parent is supposed to teach their children, not the other way around. 
Sammie teaches me every day about faith, bravery, and hope.
I sit and try to read or work on my computer but I can only pray. I pray that this will be the round to give her some type of relief. I pray that this round does not cause Meningitis again.
When her team of doctors come in she is all smiles; talking about her dreams of college and what NFL teams play this Sunday. I am in awe of this precious child.
Every picture does have a story to tell.
 

 
LOVE AND PRAYERS,
MOM 2 A T1D PUKE PRINCESS


Thursday, December 5, 2013

    Sammie had her first gastric pacemakerr placed February 2, 2011. It worked well at first and then just stopped working. Our doctors tried adjusting the pacer setting but nothing seemed to work. April 2012 we were sent to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville Tennessee. We stayed with the doctor at VMC until November 2012, when he was not able to help Sammie he sent us to Jewish Hospital in Louisville Ky. A new pacer was implanted on January 22, 2013. This new pacer only relieved symptoms for 2 short months.
Today I thought I would share medications we have tried
Zofran - did not help
Phenergan -  helps quite a bit but can't function during the day because of the sleepiness side effect takes every night
Reglan - worked a bit but caused lactation
Erythromycin - did not help
Imipramine - did not help
Domperidone did not help and caused lactation. This medication is not FDA approved. We received this medication through a clinical trial through NCH
Emend- did not help
Kytril through IV- helped a bit
Sancuso - is patch form of Kytril and did not help
Compazine - worked but caused excessive urination
Meclizine - did not work
Scopolamine - worked great but caused temporary blindness
Marinol - did not help vomiting or nausea but increased appetite
New
Diclegis -helped nausea but not vomiting, side effect was VERY sleepy. Can not take and function during day
Zuplenz - worked great at first but lost it's effect the longer she was on it. It is a form of Zofran. It is a film that dissolves on tongue.

Remember I am not a doctor simply just a mom. Consult with your doctor.
I hope this medicine list helps :)
Love and Prayers

Tuesday, December 3, 2013



. I can't believe we have been on this gastro journey for over 3 years now. In January Sammie will have Type 1 Diabetes for 9 years. IF you new to the "King Family Blog" here is Sammie's Story





Sammie's Story.


 She was a 3rd grader on 1/2/2005 when diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I tried to give Sammie a normal life. She handled it much better than I did. I was so afraid to sleep. What if I made a mistake dosing insulin?? Her blood sugar numbers were crazy. December 2008 Sammie was not letting diabetes slow her down. She was now a 7th grader and loved playing basketball and volleyball. After playing in a basketball game Sammie said words that I will never forget, “Mom, I can’t feel my feet”. Several weeks later she was diagnosed with Peripheral Neuropathy. The diagnosis of neuropathy typically doesn’t happen until after years with diabetes. Sammie has never had an A1C above 9 except for initial diagnosis. Doctors told us that if would continue to maintain tight control that complications would not continue. The next 2 years Sammie had A1C’s in the high 6’s and low 7’s. June 2010 Sammie was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroid and Autonomic Neuropathy. Sammie was still playing basketball and volleyball. She was dreaming of playing volleyball in college. August 2010, while on vacation in Myrtle Beach South Carolina Sammie started vomiting. October 2010 we received a devastating diagnosis. Gastroparesis which means paralyzed stomach. Sammie’s stomach does not empty normally. She has constant and severe nausea and vomiting. She has to rely on a feeding tube to get life sustaining nutrition. . 8 years after diagnosis Sammie has lost all sensation in her limbs. She no longer is able to play the sports she loves and has not been able to attend high school since her freshman year. (She is a senior now) She has had 2 gastric pacemakers and both have not given much relief. She no longer has vein access in her arms due to 3 years of battling dehydration so she has a permanent mediport.  We have spent hundreds of miles trying to find medical help, from Columbus Ohio, next Nashville Tn. and now Louisville Ky. Our doctors in Louisville believe her immune system is on over drive and is attacking her body. So now she spends Fridays in the hospital for 6 hours getting IVIG treatments hoping that it will help combat symptoms and slow down her auto immune system.  IVIG caused meningitis which was pretty scary. It has not helped our nausea and vomiting but has helped the pain of peripheral neuropathy. I will be posting soon about two new medications that Sammie will be trying to help her gastroparesis.
Love and Prayers,
Mom 2 a T1D Puke Princess