Arden's Big Blue Test
The walk begins, CGM says 183
We decided to do the Big Blue Test during Arden's 7th Jdrf Walk. Arden woke up in the morning after being a little low overnight, she ate a banana as we were packing for the walk and then bolused appropriately. Normally I wouldn't treat a morning low with such a carbtastic food choice, but we were in a hurry and needed to get Arden's BG up so we could get out the door for the walk. With no pre-bolus to help battle the banana I expected a BG rise to happen in a short time, and as you can see on the DexCom graph (above), that's exactly what happened.
The next BG hurdle came as we waited for the rest of our walk team, and the soft pretzel table beckoned our son Cole. We Cole returned, I watched as Arden's eyes became fixed on the doughy confection. "Dad, can I get a pretzel?". Arden returned with a giant, carb infused, pretzel. I didn't even bother trying to pre-bolus because Arden couldn't decide how much she may eat. I told her to just go at it, and I'd figure it out when she was finished. At 10 AM, just as the walk was beginning, Arden announced that she had eaten as much as she could, which was well over half of the pretzel. I took my best guess at how many carbs she had, closed my eyes, and bolused away. Then we walked...
One hour and fifteen minutes later we stopped on the last leg of the walk to play by the water... Arden's CGM read 189 (image below). I know you are seeing a ton of people holding up their CGMs and meters before and after their Big Blue Test work outs. I know most show a decrease in their BG from just 15 minutes of activity, but this is even more amazing then that, and I'll show you why. I can almost guarantee that without the exercise that Arden did her BG would have been in the mid 300's, if we were lucky. Look again at the few hours prior to the end of the walk. A banana with no pre-bolus, a soft pretzel only 30-45 minutes later, again with no pre-bolus. These two food choices should not only have driven up Arden's BG, but decimated her BGs for the rest of the day. But look what happened...
CGM says 189 after 75 minutes of walking, even with all of those carbs
The rest of the day and night followed suit.
Before lunch, 2 hours since walk start.
12.5 hours since walk began and after Chinese food at 7PM!
Check out the overnight graph that goes from Chinese food to waking. I made no overnight basal adjustments and gave no bolus.
Arden took The Big Blue Test to help The Diabetes Hands Foundation in their effort to send $100,000 in diabetes relief to places in need. In the process we learned that not only does moderate exercise help to control Arden's blood glucose, but it can provide a full day and night of BG stability. The experience also gave me a lot to think about regarding my own activity level.
I hope you take the Big Blue Test right now, you don't have to be a person living with diabetes to benifit from the activity or help the effort, just click the link. I'm very glad that I did!
Feverish thoughts of love and life
Maybe it was the fever, but being sick this week made me think about my family in an oddly morbid, yet thoughtful way. I was on the second floor of our house trying to weather the storm of what ever virus had grabbed a hold of me. My back hurt, my stomach was in one giant knot, I was feverish and for a number of hours had a genuine concern that I was more then just sick. At the height of my worry my children began to arrive home from school. Kelly worked from home this day so she was on the main floor to greet them and take care of the afternoons events. I was trying to find a comfortable position and get the sleep that I hoped would drive away all of these terrible aches, pains and concerns when I heard Cole come home from school.
I have these great conversations with my son Cole each day after school. He walks in through our garage, most days full of energy, then we talk about his day. He almost always tells me about some silly thing that he and his friends did, we go over test and quiz results and there is always a moment when we hug. Frequently we take the talk outside, throw a baseball around for a few minutes, and wait for Arden to get home. It's one of my pure joys as a stay-at-home dad. On this day, my sick day, Cole came in and found that I wasn't there. I don't get sick often so it was a bit of a surprise for him to hear from Kelly that I was upstairs in bed. He came up to check on me, but I was too ill to talk. When he returned to the first floor, I listened as he and Kelly had the conversation that we have together each day. I loved that Kelly was getting a chance to enjoy one of these moments with Cole. I heard him find a snack, get out his books, and begin his homework just as he does everyday. A little while later Arden and I made the last adjustments to her BG via text message, and I sent Kelly a note telling her that Arden would be home soon, where I thought her BG would be when she arrived, and that I was done for the day managing diabetes.
Arden soon arrived home, all of the noises and movement that I experience each day as a stay-at-home dad began to fill the air. I don't know why, and as I said maybe it was the fever, but I started imagining their lives without me. I guess I felt pretty sick, because I was pondering my mortality on a serious level.
I've been the type of person throughout my life that thinks scenarios out to their end. What would I do if the house was on fire? How would I react if someone grabbed my child in a store? I have a contingency plan for all kinds of reasonable, yet unlikely moments. Here is a true, yet embarrassing admission, now this is sharing... I know what I'd ask a genie should one pop out of a lamp. I just wouldn't want to waste a wish, ya know?
Anyway, I spent the next few minutes listening closely to my family, and even though I already have a huge heart full of gratitude for what they mean to me; this moment took that feeling to a new, and higher level. I thought about throwing the ball with Cole, and how sad it was to consider never hearing one of his stories again. I wondered how Kelly would handle the afternoons with me not there? Who would help Arden with her diabetes when she was at work? I didn't realize that I would miss making them dinner or breaking up one of the ridiculous disagreements that they seem to have around 5:30 everyday.
My family means everything to me. I am sure they would eventually move on if I was gone, but it wasn't the idea of leaving them that made me sad, I mean it did but I was most struck by how difficult it was to consider not having the conscious notion of them ever again. I couldn't believe how much listening to them go about their day filled me with love and joy. It was obviously the concern in my mind about my health that led my thoughts to something unpleasant, but I am glad that I considered them. Life is so short, and it's easy to take the little stuff for granted.
My fever has passed, and I'm no longer worried that I have something significantly wrong with my health. I decided to tell you this story in the hopes that you may take a few minutes and listen from another room to your family. Little moments and the pauses in between, that's where life and love live. We could all use a reminder of that now and then, this was mine.
JDRF T1D4ADAY
On Thursday, August 16, 2007 I posted for the first time on Arden's Day in a post titled, "Decided to Share". At the time I wasn't trying to 'launch a blog', I didn't really know what a blog was. Here's proof that I didn't know what I was doing, the image from the first post, the one shown above, it was named "1.jpg" - I was more then a novice. All I wanted was a way to explain what a day in Arden's life was like to the people in my immediate circle of family and friends. So I decided to post something each and every time that diabetes entered our day for one day.
I was so moved by what I was about to do that I, uninvited, emailed (Geez, I'm embarrassed to say this)... emailed everyone in my address book at each diabetes moment. I think that I did that for the first few of the morning and then invited people to follow along for the remainder of the day at a link. I did send a note first, though that doesn't make it much better, announcing my plan. Looking back, people must have thought that I was nuts, and mabe I was. It was a few days before Arden's first diaversary and I was probably extra emotional because I had some lofty and unrealistic expectations about what I imagined the first anniversary would bring. I expected clarity to arrive on that day, strangely I thought the keys to diabetes knowledge were about to be dropped at my door. Anyway, I just put it out there in a big bad way and people responded, and many told me how impactful the experiance was. After that I just kept going...
The JDRF has just announced a program called 'T14ADAY', that invites people to sign up for text messages that will arrive over a twenty-four hour period with the intention of showing someone the extent to which type I is involved in our days. I really think that this is a great idea! Here's more info directly from the JDRF:
Throughout November, we're asking people to better appreciate what people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) experience every day, every hour by taking part in a unique mobile-based challenge: T1D for a Day.
When you sign up for the T1D for a Day text challenge, you agree to receive as many as 24 text messages over a 24-hour period that simulate the constant blood sugar testing, insulin injections, and dietary decisions that confront people with T1D.
While no virtual campaign can recreate the many needles required or the physical and financial tolls of this serious disease, T1D for a Day seeks to deepen understanding of the many heroic steps our friends and loved ones with T1D take each day.
Please sign up for the T1D for a Day challenge now!
There is more information at the this link including how to get started online or with your cell phone. I'm spotlighting this effort from the JDRF becasue I know first-hand how much of an impact what I did all those years ago had on the people in my family and our friends. This is a great oppurtunity for the people in your life, the ones that may be struggling to understand type I, to get a closer look at why you look so tired.
You can find all of my DayOne posts from 2007 here or by clicking on the DayOne tag.
Big Blue Test
Join the movement!
Exercise is good for you. You know that. But did you know that the average Big Blue Tester has seen their blood glucose level drop 20% after 14-20 minutes of exercise?
And if that isn’t enough reason to get active, every time you enter a Big Blue Test you help us get one step closer to our goal of 20,000 entries. If we hit our goal, the program sponsor will donate $100,000 to organizations that provide life-saving supplies and services to people with diabetes in need.
Do the test as often as you can between today and the end of November 14th.
Arden's 2012 JDRF Walk
Later this month Arden will be walking for the seventh consecutive year to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. She has walked every year since her diagnosis in 2006 and her efforts have raised tens of thousands of dollars to support the JDRF!
Arden's First JDRF Walk 2006
Making Walk Shirts 2008
In addition to walking for the past six years, Arden has attended multiple Promise Meetings, appeared in a local JDRF commercial and more to support the good work that the JDRF does. If you would like to walk with Arden this year or make a donation in honor of her efforts, please see the information below.
We would be ever grateful if you were moved to make a donation, but it would be even more wonderful if you are able to join us for the walk.
You can make a donation or join our walk team at this link.
Walk Date: October 28
Location: Bucks County Community College - Newtown, PA - Google Maps Link
Time: Walk begins at 10, we usually arrive between 9:15 and 9:30
Please let me know in the comments if you plan on walking so I can contact you the day before with meet up details.
Have a wonderful day and thank you for your love and advocacy!
Scott