Over 72 hours have passed...

(Photo is courtesy of my friend Ange)

So it's been a crazy, happy, stressful, chaotic 72 hours.  On Friday morning I got a call from the head nurse from the Glucose Management Team of Animas.  It was a 45 minute call, basically giving me an introduction to the program Anastasia is now in and how her blood sugar will be monitored.  I have homework for the next few days from our workbook, and honestly I feel like we have just rewound back to last June.  We are starting all over again just with another piece of technology.

Blood sugar is checked upon waking in the morning, 2 hours after every meal, bedtime, midnight and 2 am.  If we change her site we have to add another check 2 hours the site is changed.  If she has high blood sugar (which she has had) we have to check 2 hours after the high blood sugar to ensure it's going down.

We suspect her carb ratios are not right resulting in the high blood sugars, again like in June its just trying to figure out the right formula for our girl.

Friday afternoon I had to change her site since she had a messy poop and it went all over her site.  I diverted from the procedure we were given which resulted in a very stressed out mommy and little girl.  Saturday we got to go to Anastasia's friend's birthday party.  The difference in her behavior from the party last year and this year was outstanding to me.  I have not seen Anastasia so happy in a long time.  She had so much fun playing with her friends and showing off her pump.  

She is so proud of it.  She loves it when I administer her insulin from the remote.  When she knows I have done it she smiles and looks at her pump and says "I got my insulin!"  

We are so happy she is taking to the pump so well.  We ordered a pouch for her so hopefully soon that will come and make dressing her a bit easier (for now no dresses :(  ).  

And we are live....

This is a blurry picture, but you can see the joy on Anastasia's face.  She is showing off her insulin pump which went on here at 6:45 pm today.  She is so happy and cannot stop talking about wearing it.  There was a challenge getting her site in, she knew we were putting it in her butt, and she hates getting her lantus in there but once we were done she was okay.  I am so proud of her.  She truly is so brave and my little hero.

So now we have to call our glucose management team representative tomorrow with numbers (oh joy this again hahaha).  We also have to wake up several times a night to do checks (more than just the 2 am).  It is worth it though.  To see the smile on Anastasia's face about not getting anymore needles except a site change every 2 days (which of course we will do when she is sleeping).

I am so grateful that now we are on a new journey, a pumping journey.

The app I love and hate at the same time...

I love and hate the app Time hop at the same time.  I love it because it shows all your past fb & instagram posts for the day in years past (as well as tweets).  I hate it for pretty much the same reason. 

I enjoy seeing posts and comments about my accomplishments  (when I got my job at Hallmark, the first sonogram pics of Anastasia, feeling good about my job etc).  But now we are getting close to it being a year after our diagnosis and what I am seeing is actually making me question myself as a mom.

I know I shouldn't dwell but that is just who I am and what I do.  In today's feed there was a picture of Anastasia watching cartoons on our tablet.  She had been sick the day before and I just stared at the picture wondering why didn't I see that she still looked sick?  Why did I think she was better?

Looking back I know I should have listened to my mom when she suspected  Anastasia was diabetic.  I should have taken her to a doctor sooner.  But I can't change the past. I can learn from it though,  and as I struggle through the next few weeks I pray to have the courage to stay strong during our transition from syringes to the pump.

This is the hand we were given and we will make the best of it no matter what.

7 days

Next Thursday is our scheduled insulin pump start.  Training went okay last week.  I am confident in administering insulin from the pump, now all I have to do it feel comfortable with loading the insulin into the pump and putting the needle which Anastasia's site in.

Everytime we practice with the meter and pump Anastasia says "look it's my pump!  no more needles!"  I pray this is true.  I pray with every fiber of my being that this works out because if it doesn't it will be like we wasted a ton of money on this device.

So if you can say a prayer or send us a positive thought.  We truly do appreciate it.

Many apologies for not posting alot recently, May has been a whirlwind between my competition, MOD walk, Mother's Day, and this training.   Not to mention allergies, and a lingering cough which is very tiresome.

Hopefully I will get in a better habit of posting our journey....and soon.

Stressing

So in less than a half hour our pump trainer will be here to start us on our journey with our insulin pump.  To say I am scared and nervous is an understatement.  I pray we are doing the right thing and that we have everything. 

It's been a busy time for us.  On May 2 I had my regional chorus competition.   Then the 3rd I had the March of Dimes walk.  After that it was the craziness of working the week before Mother's Day...and finally our card revision at work (which was much easier this year than 2 years ago).

During all this I have gotten a cold or been affected by allergies or both.  So all this Chaos and not feeling 100% has been just ducky.

So if you could say a prayer for our training session because it's very overwhelming for me.

It's here It's here...

Well after weeks of waiting for approval and trying to figure out how to make the fiances work Anastasia's pump arrived.  Now what do we do...we wait some more for a trainer to call and set up a time for us to learn how to use this high tech device.

I am a huge mix of emotions right now.  First of all it's competition week so I am stressed out about that.  Then the day after my chorus competition it's the March of Dimes walk so I have to make sure all my ducks are in a row with that before Saturday.

Just a lot going on, I'm trying to take it one day at a time, but if you know me you know that is hard for me to do.

Thanks for reading, I hope you know how much I appreciate it!

All Aboard the Choo Choo Train.....

Anastasia was about 1 when she discovered the Disney Jr musical short Choo Choo Soul.  I had known about them for a couple years because when we lived in our apartment and decent teeny bopper shows were on Disney Channel, I always ended up catching their video for Freeze Dance.  If you know anything about Anastasia you know she loves music in general.  So everytime the short came on, everything stopped so she could watch the TV.

I started finding the videos on YouTube and one morning I happened to find their live performance at the National Book Festival from a could of years ago.  I was impressed with it, especially at the fact that it was hot out, and here is Genevieve Goings dancing around with a Polyester Train Conductor outfit on and she is proud to do it to prove she can be a good role model without showing alot of skin.  I always said if they were in the area I would do my best to get Anastasia to a show.

Then the diabetes came...we caught Choo Choo Soul a couple times when she was hospitalized in Albany and there was really no reaction.  Usually she would be singing and dancing around, but this time nothing...

June 17th we were released from Albany Medical Center and we went to run some errands.  I wanted to thank my boss for being so understanding throughout the emergency and to let her know we were home.  We put our Choo Choo Soul CD on. When her favorite song Animals on the Farm came on, she started singing.  Alex and I both knew at that point that Anastasia was getting better.  I remember crying because I was so happy.

Fast forward to February of this year, on the Hudson Valley Moms board on Facebook a mom mentioned that Choo Choo Soul would be performing at a theater 40 minutes from us.  The tickets were a good deal so it was a no brainer that we go.

The show was today and I cannot tell you how wonderful it was!  It was so entertaining for the kids and parents alike.  I will never forget the expression on Anastasia's face when she saw Geneveive LIVE!  It was priceless and so happy.

The last song was their version of When You Wish Upon a Star and Geneveive said that her wish was to meet every child who came to the show afterward.  So after we waited on line to meet them.  I have to say they are the nicest people I have ever met.  I would post the picture that we took with my husband in it as well, but I look weird in it.

If you have toddlers or kids who love the show you will love it live.  Both Genevieve and DC were so personable and fun!

So Thank you Choo Choo Soul for a very memorable day!  My whole family loves you and I don't think that will change any time soon!!!!

FYI if you are curious about the music that's performed here is a youtube link to one of Anastasia's favorites Numbers