• National Diabetes Month

    ByKristin diabetes

    Of all the things I talk about online, Type 1 Diabetes isn’t typically one of them yet it has affected my everyday life since I was diagnosed in January 2004. Diabetes doesn’t affect me the same way each day, but it’s an ever-present detail of my life. 

    I’ve used an insulin pump since 2011. At the time, my doctor was right when he said I would regret not doing it sooner. Technology has changed a lot since then, which has been good for my diabetes management. 

    Just a couple of weeks ago, I switched to a Tandem Mobi, which is the smallest pump I’ve used. It’s controlled with an app on my iPhone, so the actual pump basically just holds the insulin. I previously used a Tandem t:slim X2 insulin pump, which I loved. But this Mobi is even better – and easier to have on me. You can see in the picture the size difference! That’s the Mobi sitting on top of my phone and the X2 beside it. I also use a Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor, which communicates my blood sugar numbers to my pump, which adjusts insulin delivery accordingly, thus mimicking a pancreas.

    Technology has come so far since I was diagnosed, and I’m so grateful!

    November is National Diabetes Month, so I wanted to share about my experience. National Diabetes Month is to raise awareness about diabetes and to encourage people to take action to prevent diabetes-related health issues. 

    Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use insulin properly. This results in too much sugar in the bloodstream, which leads to various health issues, such as eye problems, nerve issues, and kidney failure. 

    National Diabetes Month is in November to honor the birthday of Dr. Frederick Banting, who discovered insulin in 1921. Banting’s discovery was truly life-saving for diabetics. Diabetes doesn’t run in my family, but at some point a virus likely caused my insulin-producing cells to stop producing, therefore my pancreas doesn’t make insulin. I need synthetic insulin to mimic a working pancreas to manage this endocrine disorder. 

    Type 1 Diabetes used to be called Juvenile Diabetes, but it’s when someone’s body doesn’t make insulin, like me. Type 2 Diabetes is when a body doesn’t properly use the insulin it makes. (Learn more at the National Institutes of Health.)

    Obviously, this isn’t a month to celebrate a disease but rather a time to be aware of how far we’ve come in managing this chronic condition. 

    *****

    I’ve written about my diabetes journey a little bit in the past :

  • Five Things I Learned in January

    ByKristin adoption, Ben, diabetes, food, technology, Things I Learned, winter

    January and I have a history. 

    It’s the month I decided to follow Jesus two decades ago, we met Cate’s birth mom nine years ago, Greg proposed 14 years ago, Ben’s adoption was finalized six years ago, and I was diagnosed with diabetes 12 years ago. In 2012, it was January when decided to adopt a third time, and while we waited more than three years for that to happen, I remember the day God freed me from those fears. Last January, we decided to go on a mission trip to Guatemala, a trip that’s still rocking my world.

    So, yeah, January. 

    Honestly, this January hasn’t had big moments. Rather it’s been the kind of month where I’ve felt settled with where I am and who I am. I see God working in the everyday moments. I get teary thinking about all that God has done for us, in Januarys and all the other months of our lives.

    In no particular order, here some things I’ve learned this month … 

    1. Snow days are the best.

    Okay, so, really, I’m a summer girl. But if we’re going to do winter, let’s have some snow days! And then when the snow days are over, let the sun come out and the snow melt. Clearly, I’m an all-or-nothing girl too.

    And, yes, I’ve had snow days before, but we had a couple in one week (the same week the kids already had that Monday off in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.) and having everybody home FOR TWO DAYS PLUS THE WEEKEND was so great.

    One snow day was a Wednesday, and then the roads were fine enough for a delayed-start school on Thursday, which worked out well because I needed to go to the grocery. And then more snow came so the kids were off school again Friday. Hello, long weekend! And Greg stayed home Wednesday and Friday too, which is a definite perks of owning his own business.

    We played games, ate warm foods, drank hot chocolate, made snow cream, and hung out with neighbor friends. One day our best friends were even here for eight hours. We managed to play five games of various versions of Settlers of Catan while the kids enjoyed each other’s company.

    The whole third week of January was a sweet balance of each of doing our own things and hanging out together as a family.

    2. Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa (Milk Chocolate) is the best packaged hot coca.

    I don’t drink hot drinks. Not coffee. Not tea. And I used to only want real hot chocolate, like the kind my mother-in-law makes or the kind that comes from a coffee shop. But I bought this on a whim in January. And we liked it so much I bought it again. And, well, those snow days I mentioned gave us ample opportunity to heat some milk to mix with these packets.

    3. Strep throat can still happen even when someone doesn’t have tonsils. 

    Ben, who is 6 years old, and strep throat are not strangers. Since he was 11 months old, he’s had it 16 times. But only two of those have been since his tonsils and adenoids were removed nine months ago. So, basically, we’ve had a good stretch lately.

    Ironically, Ben was at the allergist the day before his latest strep diagnosis and the nurse practitioner even looked in his throat, which was red and irritated by the time the pediatrician looked at it. Within hours of leaving the allergist, Ben started running a fever. The pediatrician did say the way the winter weather has been back and forth around here is hard on kids with allergies.

    4. Technology makes managing a chronic condition more efficient and fun. 

    Medtronic Diabetes has the best customer service of any company I’ve ever used for anything. When I called to order some glucose sensors (a little piece of technology that is inserts near where my pump is inserted and monitors my blood sugar levels) and the lady told me I could get a free Connect , which is a small Bluetooth device that lets my pump and sensor communicate send data to an app on my phone.

    {Read more here about my diabetes diagnosis 12 years ago and what living with a pancreas that doesn’t produce insulin in like.}

    5. Those DVR shows will have to wait. 

    Greg and I started watching “The West Wing” when all our regular shows took a holiday break. Now there are multiple episodes of “Madam Secretary,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Blacklist” on the DVR just waiting for us. We can’t stop watching Josiah Bartlet and company.

    {Speaking of President Bartlet, why is Jed a nickname for Josiah?}

    _____________________

    I’m linking up with Emily Freeman, like I do at the end of every month. 

    {2013} June. July. August. September. October. November. 
    {2014} January. February. March. April. May. June. 


    Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”

  • {around here}

    ByKristin Ben, books, diabetes, life, motherhood, Rachel

    This week sort of kicked my butt, so, honestly, I’m glad it’s Friday. My calendar was busier than it needed be, but there wasn’t really anything I could leave off. I had to tell good friends I couldn’t hang out a couple times because I didn’t have the mental capacity to do anything else. There was a rough night of sleep (or, lack of sleep, rather …) followed by an excellent night that gave me fresh perspective and helped me feel like a new person.

    Ah, real life with a newborn.

    Rachel is doing well. She’s the perfect addition to our family. She’s going to be one month (!) next week, but for now I want to capture some of what’s been going on around here …

    WATCHING :: I’m addicted to “Graceland.” No, it’s not about Elvis. It’s about some undercover federal agents (FBI, immigration, DEA …) who live and work together. I’ve been watching it in the mornings and afternoons when I’m at home feeding my baby. And I’m going to need season three to be added to Netflix soon, although I think it’s airing in real life on USA, because I finished what’s on Netflix this morning.

    My DVR has also been recording “Quantico,” “The Good Wife,” “The Blacklist,” “Madam Secretary,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Wahlburgers.” Clearly I have a show type, mostly. And I like Donnie Wahlberg.

    READING :: I recently finished “Double Cross” by DiAnn Mills and started “My Southern Journey: True Stories from the Heart of the South” by Rick Bragg. I’m also in the middle of “A Beautiful Exchange” by Megan Nilsen. But, um, I just told you about my current TV addiction, so, well, that’s taken away from my time with books.

    EATING :: Y’all I have cooked very little since Rachel has been born. But we’ve eaten well, thanks to our friends who have been bringing us meals. Such a blessing!

    EXPLORING :: I went with Ben’s class to a field trip to The Homeplace at Land Between the Lakes. It was a perfectly beautiful day and a fun outing. I wore Rachel in a wrap and she slept though most of the morning.

    REMEMBERING :: Newborn days (and nights!) can be exhausting but they’re sweet. And I know this season won’t last for long. I read an excellent post this week about how even when we reach our Promised Land, there can be hard days. And that’s okay, especially when we cling to God. While the article is about the author’s experience with a move, her words resonated with some of my adoption experiences throughout the years.

    STUDYING :: I missed my every-other-week Bible study meeting this week because I just couldn’t have another place to be, but I’m working through the Precept study on Covenants. It’s been good.

    FORGETTING :: I had a training session in Mayfield (about 30 minutes away) for a new continuous glucose monitor that goes with my new insulin pump. But I got there and realized I forgot one of the key components at home. So I did part of the training that day and then went back two days later.

    PLANNING :: I somehow decided I needed to make Christmas plans. That was overwhelming for a tired momma who spent way too much time overthinking things, but I think I have a plan.

    CREATING :: Scrapbook pages on the Project Life app. I’m printing some 12×12 for the scrapbooks and some 8×8 for Rachel’s baby book. I have some paper stuff in progress on my craft table, but making pages from the palm of my hand is much more convenient right now.

    So, what have you been up to?

    _____________________

    Want more insights? “Peace in the Process: How Adoption Built My Faith & My Family” is available on Amazon. Like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, peek into my life on Instagram, follow 152 Insights at Bloglovin’, or subscribe to receive “Insights in Your Inbox.”