Today started out pretty laid back, really. We had a crazy week and I am so incredibly thankful that Clint was able to take Thursday and Friday off so that I had very little stress getting to various activities and appointments. However, the kids decided that Sunday evening was the time they were going to completely lose their minds and make mummy crazy. I was counting down the minutes until we could put them in bed and when it was late enough I did not waste one single moment getting them tucked in.
I love our children but oh my were they nuts tonight. We have this bin for blocks that fits perfectly over a child's head down to their shoulders. That was the coveted toy this evening and sparked many crying and screaming fits. Emily would have it over her head and run around the play room with it, falling over this way and that; Colin would pick it up off of her head while standing on the couch and throw it across the room; Nathan would pick it up and put it over his head, spin around, fall down and wouldn't give it back to Emily who would be expressing her irritation with her brothers VERY vocally. Add to that business that Colin took the push-popper (noisy toy) and ran around the room, running into whatever he came across, including both siblings. Nathan took a blanket and pretended to be Super Nathan, jumping from the couch multiple times and spinning around knocking his brother and sister over. Have you ever seen Kindergarten Cop?? That scene where the kids are all running around like feral animals?? And Arnie goes all Terminator on them? I am quite proud of myself that I didn't lose it but I was so close to curling up in the fetal position and just rocking myself quietly until it was 7:30.
I'm not sure what prompted this little spurt of crazy but I sure hope that we all have a good sleep tonight and awake calm and patient (me) tomorrow. I'm going to go have a drink now ;-)
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Lactose and Carbohydrates and Gluten, Oh My!!
When I was about 15 I started having some, ahem, digestive problems. My super intelligent older sister had had similar symptoms and had started taking lactase (brand name Lactaid) with any dairy and found that helped relieve most, if not all, of her symptoms. I followed her advice and avoided dairy for a few days and when I tried it again, this time with the magical Lactaid, voila! No symptoms. It was like I was given my life back. I will say that it was a few years before I really had it under control as I didn't always know what was in my food (I was 15 and living at home) nor did I really think too much about it. My mom just couldn't believe that this was my problem and she even tried to kill me once with a quiche. After that episode I think she got the point. I never had the lactose intolerance tests done as this seemed to so obviously be my problem.
Then this year I was hit with this Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) crisis. An autoimmune disease. Autoimmune means that, for whatever reason, the body is attacking healthy cells. In T1D the body is attacking the cells that make insulin. No one knows for sure why it happens but they do know there is some genetic link. But what makes that genetic marker "turn on" and present as diabetes?? One of the theories is that a viral infection of some kind is the trigger. Apparently in schools where there are chicken pox outbreaks the community sees an increase in the number of T1D diagnoses several months later. An interesting theory but definitely difficult to prove. Another theory is that a stressful event is the trigger. I would say that being pregnant with twins and then having 2 babies and a toddler has been a stressful event. Days and months on end of stressful events. I think it is a little coincidental in my case that as soon as I started to feel normal again and had things under control that was when I started showing diabetic symptoms. Why is it important to know why? Well, if we can figure out why it happens then maybe we can prevent it in others. I would love to know how to prevent this from happening to my own children as I'm sure that at least one of them is also a "lucky recipient" of this oh so fantastic gene.
If you are diagnosed with T1D where I live the endocrinologist sends you for blood work to screen for Celiac Disease. Celiac Disease is another autoimmune disease that damages the small intestine. They do blood work that tests for certain antibodies and if those antibodies show up in the blood work it is an almost certain diagnosis of Celiac Disease. If you are diagnosed with CD you must never eat gluten. Ever. The list includes anything made with wheat, rye or barley (as well as others). Have you ever looked at the ingredients of the food in your cupboard? If you were to gut your pantry of gluten you'd probably have a very empty pantry afterward.
So why am I talking about Celiac Disease now? It turns out that in my antibody screen my levels were 10 times what a healthy person should have (normal is less that 20 and I was greater than 200). I will have to have an endoscope done to look at my small intestine and take some samples for testing. They shove a tube down your throat and look at your small intestine with a camera and then take teeny, tiny tweezers and collect samples. They better knock me out for this one. At this point I have been advised to continue eating gluten until the tests can be run to verify the diagnosis. I'm trying to enjoy my favorite snacks/meals now as I will almost certainly need to make changes in the very near future. This actually terrifies me. What kind of damage am I doing to myself while I continue to eat gluten?? I am actually looking forward to going gluten-free, as hard as it will be, because I am hopeful that I will just feel better. At least I will be able to manage this little lovely with diet. Insulin therapy is enough, thank you very much.
With all that is going on I am constantly watching my kids for signs and symptoms of both T1D and CD. I am more than a little paranoid and have checked the blood sugar levels of 2 of my 3 kids when I thought they were acting weird (both were normal). My husband outed me at our last diabetes appointment with my nurse and told her I even tested one of our cats (also normal). I have since tested the other cat too (normal). So now I have to consider doing blood work on my kids to see if they have Celiac Disease too. I don't present with "classical" symptoms and it could very easily go unnoticed in my kids. It is amazing to look at the looooong list of symptoms for Celiac disease, many of them NOT digestive symptoms. Depression. Lethargy. Migraines. Infertility. Miscarriage. Irritability (I bet my husband is looking forward to me going gluten-free to see if that helps!). From the reading I've been doing it appears that as many as 97% of people with Celiac Disease are undiagnosed. I guess that means I am in the lucky 3% that knows and can actually do something about it.
FYI, November is Diabetes Awareness month. Please visit http://www.diabetes.ca/awareness/ and donate today :-)
So why am I talking about Celiac Disease now? It turns out that in my antibody screen my levels were 10 times what a healthy person should have (normal is less that 20 and I was greater than 200). I will have to have an endoscope done to look at my small intestine and take some samples for testing. They shove a tube down your throat and look at your small intestine with a camera and then take teeny, tiny tweezers and collect samples. They better knock me out for this one. At this point I have been advised to continue eating gluten until the tests can be run to verify the diagnosis. I'm trying to enjoy my favorite snacks/meals now as I will almost certainly need to make changes in the very near future. This actually terrifies me. What kind of damage am I doing to myself while I continue to eat gluten?? I am actually looking forward to going gluten-free, as hard as it will be, because I am hopeful that I will just feel better. At least I will be able to manage this little lovely with diet. Insulin therapy is enough, thank you very much.
With all that is going on I am constantly watching my kids for signs and symptoms of both T1D and CD. I am more than a little paranoid and have checked the blood sugar levels of 2 of my 3 kids when I thought they were acting weird (both were normal). My husband outed me at our last diabetes appointment with my nurse and told her I even tested one of our cats (also normal). I have since tested the other cat too (normal). So now I have to consider doing blood work on my kids to see if they have Celiac Disease too. I don't present with "classical" symptoms and it could very easily go unnoticed in my kids. It is amazing to look at the looooong list of symptoms for Celiac disease, many of them NOT digestive symptoms. Depression. Lethargy. Migraines. Infertility. Miscarriage. Irritability (I bet my husband is looking forward to me going gluten-free to see if that helps!). From the reading I've been doing it appears that as many as 97% of people with Celiac Disease are undiagnosed. I guess that means I am in the lucky 3% that knows and can actually do something about it.
FYI, November is Diabetes Awareness month. Please visit http://www.diabetes.ca/awareness/ and donate today :-)
Friday, October 21, 2011
Danger and Opportunity
Life is mental right now. When I say it is mental I mostly mean that I am going mental with everything that I'm trying to manage. Some days are great and I feel like I have total control over what is going on in my body and other days I feel like I'm falling apart, physically and emotionally.
Since September 22nd I have had 13 appointments for my own medical purposes, had lab work done 3 times, taken my children to various appointments, taken my older son to preschool and swimming classes, and attended 2 births as a doula. This was me "scaling back". I scoffed at my diabetes nurse when she suggested I try to cut back on things for a little while. I have 3 kids under the age of 4 and the idea of scaling back is somewhat laughable.
When I look back at this month I realize that I actually HAVE scaled back. The problem is that I have scaled back in areas that I get great enjoyment out of for my own emotional well being. I've only adventured out on one playdate this month (fun but exhausting) and haven't done anything for purely social purposes. I have a coffee date with two girlfriends on Sunday morning and I am giddy with anticipation to get out of the house (sans kids) and NOT have to see any doctors, nurses, dietitians, psychologists or lab techs. Don't get me wrong - they are all great - but enough is enough. I am now attempting to find a balance between giving our children the life that they deserve while also making sure that they have a mother to enjoy it with them who hasn't gone completely nuts (or worse).
Now for some technical data. Type 1 diabetics need to have lab work done (at minimum) every 3 months. They do a blood test called hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) that measures the average blood glucose concentration over a period of time (about 3 months). When I was diagnosed my A1c was 11.5 and I guess that is uber bad. I think that is about as high as it can go without something really terrible happening. Healthy non-diabetics would have a number more like between 4 and 6. Type 1s aim for a number between 6.5 to 7. The good news is that in the short month since my crisis I am now at 9.0 - a huge improvement in a short time.
In terms of blood glucose levels I am self testing a minimum of 10 times a day; always before meals and 2 hours after as well as at bedtime and anytime I feel "low". My finger tips look like a war zone but I am a little OCD about checking my numbers at this point. Non-diabetics can expect to see their blood sugar range anywhere from 3.8 to 7.8, although most often their bodies would keep the numbers closer to about 4.4 to 6.1. As a diabetic my ranges are more difficult to control as I am doing it with injected insulin so my targets are between 4 and 7 pre-meal and between 5 and 10 two hours after I eat.
Prior to this I had experienced what the average person might consider hypoglycemia - basically an unwell feeling, maybe some shakes, a foul mood and an urgent need to eat asap. Prior to my diagnosis I maybe had that happen once or twice a year, at most, and it was nothing that a little food couldn't easily fix. This is what I assume the average non-diabetic experiences when they wait too long to eat and we've all been there. In these cases blood sugar levels are likely in the 3.8 to 4.4 range and the body with a perfectly normal pancreas will very likely compensate before something really bad happens.
True hypoglycemia is somewhat like this but much, much worse. In my case my legs go to jelly, I get confused, I have trouble walking and my heart races. It is a scary feeling and makes my whole body hurt. After one of these episodes I am exhausted emotionally and physically and the rest of the day is usually a write off. I have been experiencing some lows while we figure out how much insulin I should be using and how my daily activity effects how the insulin works in my body.
I put the kids down for a nap yesterday and felt like it was dipping. I checked and it was 4.1 - low but not extremely low - so I had a quick snack. 10 minutes later I was at 2.6 and could barely function. A scary time since I was alone at home with our kids. I treated with sugar and got it to start coming back up just as Clint was getting home from work. Severe hypoglycemia can cause seizures and loss of consciousness. Neither is an option for me EVER, much less when I am at home parenting by myself.
We have an emergency glucagon injection kit that Clint will hopefully never have to use on me. If he finds me unconscious he will need to inject the glucagon into me. This is basically the same thing EMS would inject if anyone ever called 911 for me. Now, when I heard about this little kit all I could think of was that scene in Pulp Fiction when they have to stab the overdose victim in the chest with a giant needle. I picked up my glucagon a couple of days ago and it is MUCH less dramatic than that (thank goodness!). It really is just a simple syringe and he would inject it in my stomach with no stabbing effort required.
I spoke to someone at the diabetes clinic today that told me that the Chinese word for crisis is 2 characters that each mean "danger" and "opportunity". The danger is all of those scary things that I am at higher risk for (heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, etc.). The opportunity is that I now have this whole team of people helping me to figure out how to live a long and healthy life. This crisis is my job right now but I get to make decisions, inform myself, make choices and problem solve. I am the CEO of my diabetes, not the other way around.
Since September 22nd I have had 13 appointments for my own medical purposes, had lab work done 3 times, taken my children to various appointments, taken my older son to preschool and swimming classes, and attended 2 births as a doula. This was me "scaling back". I scoffed at my diabetes nurse when she suggested I try to cut back on things for a little while. I have 3 kids under the age of 4 and the idea of scaling back is somewhat laughable.
When I look back at this month I realize that I actually HAVE scaled back. The problem is that I have scaled back in areas that I get great enjoyment out of for my own emotional well being. I've only adventured out on one playdate this month (fun but exhausting) and haven't done anything for purely social purposes. I have a coffee date with two girlfriends on Sunday morning and I am giddy with anticipation to get out of the house (sans kids) and NOT have to see any doctors, nurses, dietitians, psychologists or lab techs. Don't get me wrong - they are all great - but enough is enough. I am now attempting to find a balance between giving our children the life that they deserve while also making sure that they have a mother to enjoy it with them who hasn't gone completely nuts (or worse).
Now for some technical data. Type 1 diabetics need to have lab work done (at minimum) every 3 months. They do a blood test called hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) that measures the average blood glucose concentration over a period of time (about 3 months). When I was diagnosed my A1c was 11.5 and I guess that is uber bad. I think that is about as high as it can go without something really terrible happening. Healthy non-diabetics would have a number more like between 4 and 6. Type 1s aim for a number between 6.5 to 7. The good news is that in the short month since my crisis I am now at 9.0 - a huge improvement in a short time.
In terms of blood glucose levels I am self testing a minimum of 10 times a day; always before meals and 2 hours after as well as at bedtime and anytime I feel "low". My finger tips look like a war zone but I am a little OCD about checking my numbers at this point. Non-diabetics can expect to see their blood sugar range anywhere from 3.8 to 7.8, although most often their bodies would keep the numbers closer to about 4.4 to 6.1. As a diabetic my ranges are more difficult to control as I am doing it with injected insulin so my targets are between 4 and 7 pre-meal and between 5 and 10 two hours after I eat.
Prior to this I had experienced what the average person might consider hypoglycemia - basically an unwell feeling, maybe some shakes, a foul mood and an urgent need to eat asap. Prior to my diagnosis I maybe had that happen once or twice a year, at most, and it was nothing that a little food couldn't easily fix. This is what I assume the average non-diabetic experiences when they wait too long to eat and we've all been there. In these cases blood sugar levels are likely in the 3.8 to 4.4 range and the body with a perfectly normal pancreas will very likely compensate before something really bad happens.
True hypoglycemia is somewhat like this but much, much worse. In my case my legs go to jelly, I get confused, I have trouble walking and my heart races. It is a scary feeling and makes my whole body hurt. After one of these episodes I am exhausted emotionally and physically and the rest of the day is usually a write off. I have been experiencing some lows while we figure out how much insulin I should be using and how my daily activity effects how the insulin works in my body.
I put the kids down for a nap yesterday and felt like it was dipping. I checked and it was 4.1 - low but not extremely low - so I had a quick snack. 10 minutes later I was at 2.6 and could barely function. A scary time since I was alone at home with our kids. I treated with sugar and got it to start coming back up just as Clint was getting home from work. Severe hypoglycemia can cause seizures and loss of consciousness. Neither is an option for me EVER, much less when I am at home parenting by myself.
We have an emergency glucagon injection kit that Clint will hopefully never have to use on me. If he finds me unconscious he will need to inject the glucagon into me. This is basically the same thing EMS would inject if anyone ever called 911 for me. Now, when I heard about this little kit all I could think of was that scene in Pulp Fiction when they have to stab the overdose victim in the chest with a giant needle. I picked up my glucagon a couple of days ago and it is MUCH less dramatic than that (thank goodness!). It really is just a simple syringe and he would inject it in my stomach with no stabbing effort required.
I spoke to someone at the diabetes clinic today that told me that the Chinese word for crisis is 2 characters that each mean "danger" and "opportunity". The danger is all of those scary things that I am at higher risk for (heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, etc.). The opportunity is that I now have this whole team of people helping me to figure out how to live a long and healthy life. This crisis is my job right now but I get to make decisions, inform myself, make choices and problem solve. I am the CEO of my diabetes, not the other way around.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Expired Pancreas
Just when I thought I was finally getting our home life organized and becoming Super Mommy, I have been given a swift kick in the gut. The pancreas to be more exact. It turns out I am the "lucky recipient" (the words of my nurse) of a gene that basically stamped my pancreas with an expiration date.
About 6-8 weeks ago I started having some symptoms... extreme thirst, frequent and excessive peeing, weight loss even when I wasn't really trying.... and I knew something was not right with my body. Denial prevented me from making an appointment with my doctor and I just kept hoping that it was just my body resetting after my last pregnancy and finally being done with breastfeeding. On September 22nd I went to my GP and got the bad news that I am a diabetic.
Now, she couldn't tell me what kind of diabetic I was (Type 1 or Type 2) and I have to admit that I really hoped it was Type 2. You see these people on the Biggest Loser that get themselves into great shape and basically "cure" their diabetes. They don't have to take meds or insulin and just need to be reasonable about diet and exercise. Diabetes wasn't brand new to me - I had gestational diabetes and required insulin when I was pregnant with the twins - so my GP had me start insulin that day. I still had all my supplies leftover from last summer thinking that I would never need them again.
The next 48 hours were dramatic and I ended up in the emergency room by 3:30 the next afternoon. My body had been suffering long enough and needed fuel. With no insulin to help the glucose entering my body to fuel my cells and brain, I actually felt like I was wasting away. Truth be told, I have never felt that bad. When I got home that night I collapsed in bed.
The next morning I went to the diabetes clinic (they fit me in on a Saturday even though they don't normally do that) and I met with a nurse and a dietician. I was told then that I am a Type 1 diabetic and will require insulin multiple times a day for the rest of my life. What? Why? How? Is there any chance you are wrong and this will go away? That my body will "fix" itself? Nope and Nope.
I had so many questions: How on earth am I going to manage this with 3 kids at home? What are the chances that any of our kids will develop it? What restrictions will I now have on my diet? How do I explain this to my family/friends/colleagues?
It sucks. I'm trying to find new routines for everyday things like providing meals for my family and taking Nathan to preschool. I feel like this is going to be my 4th baby - this baby requires 24/7 attention from me, I need to feed this baby carefully and always be aware of what this baby is doing. I can't leave the house without a drink and a snack for this baby and I need to always remember this baby's medication. However, this baby will never grow up, learn to take care of itself and move out. I am also a single mom to this baby since Clint and other family members can't really help me take care of it and I will never get a night or weekend "off" from this baby as it will always be with me. No babysitter in the world can take care of this baby for me.
I'm learning so much right now and slowly getting my blood sugar under control. I've been struggling with how to tell people about it or even if I should tell people about it. I decided to just rip the bandaid off and get it out there. I'm not embarrassed but I'm not at the point yet where I feel like I want to explain every detail to everyone I tell. People are generally misinformed and/or uninformed about diabetes. Here are some things I've learned so far that should help with the questions I pretty much would prefer not to talk about as well as some safety information in case of emergency:
1. Type 1 is most often diagnosed in childhood or adolescence but can occur in adulthood as well (my pancreas "expired" at age 33).
2. I am insulin dependent. My pancreas is producing little (if any) insulin at this point. I take insulin with every meal as well as slower acting insulin at bed and in the morning for a total of 5-6 injections a day.
3. If I feel crappy (and right now frequently even if I don't feel crappy) I will prick my finger to check my blood glucose. I'm sorry if that makes anyone uncomfortable but the alternative is me having a seizure and/or losing consciousness if I am hypoglycemic.
4. If you are going to be eating a meal with me I will need to inject insulin into my stomach. I will attempt to be discreet but you are more than welcome to look away if it makes you uncomfortable.
5. If I appear confused, drunk or otherwise not myself, please sit me down and give me some juice, sugar or other sugary treat. I have glucose tablets in my purse and if I am conscious you can give me 4. When I come around tell me what is going on since I likely won't have any idea what is happening.
6. If I am unconscious please call 9-1-1 and tell them I am a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic.
So, there it is. I have no doubt that I will be OK as I'm a planner and will take care of this. I'm angry that this is happening but also thankful that we were done having kids before it happened. I'm also so thankful that we have such great medical systems in place to help me cope and manage it (so thankful for universal health care!!). Insulin was invented in 1923 (by a Canadian) and life expectancies were only months prior to that so I'm also happy that I live here, in this time to deal with this illness. I'm also so happy that our family now has medical coverage through Clint's work so it won't be as much as a financial burden on us either. I am having a good day today but also know that not everyday will be a good day and I will be OK with that. I am fortunate to be an intelligent person with a lot of family and friends for support. I plan to live a long, healthy and happy life regardless of my useless pancreas.
About 6-8 weeks ago I started having some symptoms... extreme thirst, frequent and excessive peeing, weight loss even when I wasn't really trying.... and I knew something was not right with my body. Denial prevented me from making an appointment with my doctor and I just kept hoping that it was just my body resetting after my last pregnancy and finally being done with breastfeeding. On September 22nd I went to my GP and got the bad news that I am a diabetic.
Now, she couldn't tell me what kind of diabetic I was (Type 1 or Type 2) and I have to admit that I really hoped it was Type 2. You see these people on the Biggest Loser that get themselves into great shape and basically "cure" their diabetes. They don't have to take meds or insulin and just need to be reasonable about diet and exercise. Diabetes wasn't brand new to me - I had gestational diabetes and required insulin when I was pregnant with the twins - so my GP had me start insulin that day. I still had all my supplies leftover from last summer thinking that I would never need them again.
The next 48 hours were dramatic and I ended up in the emergency room by 3:30 the next afternoon. My body had been suffering long enough and needed fuel. With no insulin to help the glucose entering my body to fuel my cells and brain, I actually felt like I was wasting away. Truth be told, I have never felt that bad. When I got home that night I collapsed in bed.
The next morning I went to the diabetes clinic (they fit me in on a Saturday even though they don't normally do that) and I met with a nurse and a dietician. I was told then that I am a Type 1 diabetic and will require insulin multiple times a day for the rest of my life. What? Why? How? Is there any chance you are wrong and this will go away? That my body will "fix" itself? Nope and Nope.
I had so many questions: How on earth am I going to manage this with 3 kids at home? What are the chances that any of our kids will develop it? What restrictions will I now have on my diet? How do I explain this to my family/friends/colleagues?
It sucks. I'm trying to find new routines for everyday things like providing meals for my family and taking Nathan to preschool. I feel like this is going to be my 4th baby - this baby requires 24/7 attention from me, I need to feed this baby carefully and always be aware of what this baby is doing. I can't leave the house without a drink and a snack for this baby and I need to always remember this baby's medication. However, this baby will never grow up, learn to take care of itself and move out. I am also a single mom to this baby since Clint and other family members can't really help me take care of it and I will never get a night or weekend "off" from this baby as it will always be with me. No babysitter in the world can take care of this baby for me.
I'm learning so much right now and slowly getting my blood sugar under control. I've been struggling with how to tell people about it or even if I should tell people about it. I decided to just rip the bandaid off and get it out there. I'm not embarrassed but I'm not at the point yet where I feel like I want to explain every detail to everyone I tell. People are generally misinformed and/or uninformed about diabetes. Here are some things I've learned so far that should help with the questions I pretty much would prefer not to talk about as well as some safety information in case of emergency:
1. Type 1 is most often diagnosed in childhood or adolescence but can occur in adulthood as well (my pancreas "expired" at age 33).
2. I am insulin dependent. My pancreas is producing little (if any) insulin at this point. I take insulin with every meal as well as slower acting insulin at bed and in the morning for a total of 5-6 injections a day.
3. If I feel crappy (and right now frequently even if I don't feel crappy) I will prick my finger to check my blood glucose. I'm sorry if that makes anyone uncomfortable but the alternative is me having a seizure and/or losing consciousness if I am hypoglycemic.
4. If you are going to be eating a meal with me I will need to inject insulin into my stomach. I will attempt to be discreet but you are more than welcome to look away if it makes you uncomfortable.
5. If I appear confused, drunk or otherwise not myself, please sit me down and give me some juice, sugar or other sugary treat. I have glucose tablets in my purse and if I am conscious you can give me 4. When I come around tell me what is going on since I likely won't have any idea what is happening.
6. If I am unconscious please call 9-1-1 and tell them I am a type 1 insulin dependent diabetic.
So, there it is. I have no doubt that I will be OK as I'm a planner and will take care of this. I'm angry that this is happening but also thankful that we were done having kids before it happened. I'm also so thankful that we have such great medical systems in place to help me cope and manage it (so thankful for universal health care!!). Insulin was invented in 1923 (by a Canadian) and life expectancies were only months prior to that so I'm also happy that I live here, in this time to deal with this illness. I'm also so happy that our family now has medical coverage through Clint's work so it won't be as much as a financial burden on us either. I am having a good day today but also know that not everyday will be a good day and I will be OK with that. I am fortunate to be an intelligent person with a lot of family and friends for support. I plan to live a long, healthy and happy life regardless of my useless pancreas.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Dealing with multiple kids during a stomach flu
This past week has been pretty awful around here as everyone (except me *knock on wood*) developed some kind of nasty stomach flu. All 3 kids got it a varying times and had some of the same symptoms and some different. Colin did not have the stomach problems that Nathan and Emily had but had a high fever for quite some time (over 40 for more than 12 hours). Two times in the last week I was so scared for one of our children: the first time was when Emily woke up and was white with grey lips on Saturday morning with no energy to even cry, and the second was Nathan screaming in pain for more than 4 hours on and off on Monday night due to gas pain in his stomach. I actually took him to the hospital because I was worried that perhaps he had appendicitis. I learned quite a bit from this relentless stomach beast - these tips are for all of you moms and dads out there that have not had to deal with more than one puker/pooper at a time yet:
- Throw down blankets/towels all over the carpet/couches. This will save your own gag reflex during clean-up and will prevent the need to carpet clean.
- Put a towel down on the bed covering not just where their head is but under their bottom as well. I don't think I should go into why this is advisable but it helps with clean-up as well.
- Don't give milk. For the love of God, do NOT give milk. They will whine and cry for it but it will only make them feel worse and is NOT fun to clean-up *gag*.
- Even if your child is toilet trained, use a pull-up anyway. Maybe two.
- Have a bucket near your kids at all times. Do not attempt to get them to the bathroom to throw up as this will just give you more things to clean.
- Wash your hands. Wash your hands until they crack and bleed. Seriously. It seems to have worked so far for me.
- Use latex gloves when cleaning up messes. Then wash your hands multiple times anyway.
- Make a pact with your partner. In our house when we are both home I clean up yucky bums and Clint cleans up regurg.
- Make another pact with your partner that if either or both of you get sick that you agree to continue to help each other as much as you can. It sucks to take care of 3 sick kids when you are well and I can't imagine trying to do all of that when you are sick and by yourself.
- Do ridiculous amounts of laundry. Use hot water on every cycle. Some things may require multiple washings.
- Use receiving blankets (those little ones that are useless if your baby weighs more than 7 lbs at birth) and just throw them out as they are "used". Put your kids in clothing you don't care about and if it is particularly nasty you can just chuck those too.
- Put your kids (and particularly babies) in clothing that opens at the front. There is nothing worse than trying to pull a nasty shirt off over their head.
- If they have a pretty bad "episode" just take them to the tub/shower and clean them off really well with soap and water. You will never get it all unless you do this.
- Make sure that extra sheets and changes of clothes are laid out before they go to bed at night. That way you may not need to turn on all the lights to search for a clean crib sheet and new PJs if there is an incident.
- When it seems to be over, sanitize the crap (literally?) out of your house.
I hope that this is the last time I will experience such an sickness in our home..... I seriously doubt that is possible since we have three young children that are building immunities to the viruses of the world. Good luck to all of you if you ever encounter such a beast!!
Time flies when you're busy raising 3 kids!!
I just can't believe that it has been nearly 4 months since my last post! I guess it should be obvious to everyone that I am a ridiculously busy Mum!
Colin and Emily turned 1 on July 27th and their birthday had me thinking back to where we were 1 year ago. So many things have changed and our lives have become far more predictable and routine. When I think back to those early days all I can remember is trying to nurse two babies out of their state of jaundice, recovering from my c-section and trying to give Nathan as "normal" of a summer as we possibly could. It was a good night if Clinton and I both got 2 hour stretches of sleep at a time and a total of 5-7 hours total (broken in chunks) was pretty common for the first 2-6 weeks. The sleep deprivation was brutal but we knew that it would be a relatively short time in our lives that we would have to push through. Around 5 weeks of age I started feeding them 100% on my own through the night since I was healing well and Clint was able to get some pretty good nights of sleep. The compromise was that I would try to nap each afternoon when the babies were asleep and Clint would play with Nathan (usually outside) so I could get some rest. We were also pretty lucky to have both of our moms nearby to help out with everything in the first month and that took a lot of pressure off of Clint to do everything else around the house.
As we approach the anniversary of their due date (August 21st) it is amazing to think of all that they have learned in the last year. It just a few more days or weeks I'm sure they will be walking. If I am being 100% honest, I'm not doing a whole lot to encourage it! The longer they are crawling around the longer I can keep what little sanity I have left. It is amazing though to see their little faces when one of them stands on their own, takes a step or two, signs a word to me or even attempts to actually communicate with words. Pretty soon they will be chatting up a storm and running around like crazy animals. Christmas is going to be really interesting this year!
Since my last post our family of 5 (plus my mom) travelled to Ottawa and area to visit family. It was a quick 4 night trip over May long weekend but was so worth all of the effort to get there and back. My grandparents (who also had boy/girl twins) were able to meet Colin and Emily and visit with Nathan for the first time since he was 6 months old. Family showed up from hours away just to see our "litter" :-) It was an excellent excuse for us to all get together again. It took me well over a week to pack for the 4 nights we were gone and another week or more to recover from it all! A girlfriend of mine asked me if I would do it again and I said "I'd do it again so that my grandparents could meet them but I won't be doing it again until they are MUCH older". It all went quite well considering we were travelling with an almost 3.5 year old and almost 10 month old twins but it really was a lot of work. And I realized on this trip why they tell you to get to the airport so early - in case you have 3 kids under 4 you will absolutely need every moment to get to your flight on time. We literally just got to the gate and it was preboarding time!
Once I recovered from that adventure it was time to get super busy leading up to Stampede. Since I volunteer with the Talent Search Committee there were many things to organize and prepare for the Show during Stampede. This year I took on more than I had in the past and was more than happy to do so. It's not that I don't love being a wife and mother but I love the feeling I get from being a part of something that has nothing to do with that other part of my life. It gives me an opportunity to have adult conversations about non-childrearing things and allows me to use my brain as well. I often tell people that there is never a shortage of things to do when you are a full time mum but the work is so not glamorous. It is nice to have somewhere to be that gives me the motivation to wear make-up, do my hair and wear regular clothes! I hope to have even greater responsibilities next year and look forward to the challenges that committment will present to me.
I was supposed to attend a workshop to train as a Childbirth Educator at the end of June but that fell through and should (hopefully) be rescheduled to this fall. I took on 3 clients as their doula and have attended one birth so far. The next one should be any day now and the one after thant about a month later. It is an extremely gratifying experience for me to be there for a woman as she labours and then births her baby. There aren't too many jobs out there that allow you to witness a miracle at the end of a very long day! I have decided to not make huge attempts to market myself for the next couple of months as I am finding that being on-call is quite a challenge when you have 3 small children. I hope to use these first 3 births towards my DONA certification and will likely only take on about another 4-7 mamas within the next year. I just want to ensure that any clients I do take I can give them the support that they need and deserve :-)
We have camped 3 times so far this year and hope to get out once more. Camping with 3 under 4 deserves a post all on it's own so I will have to get on that someday soon.....
So, what's next? Nathan starts school in less than two weeks and will be taking his first unparented swim classes this fall. He was in an outdoor soccer program this summer and seems to really like it. I took him yesterday for the first time (it is Clint's thing) and he did a great job so I think we will maybe look into doing soccer again soon too. He will be taking a music class in November/December as well and will get to make his own musical instrument. I so look forward to seeing what he creates :-)
More to come soon - if I can find the time!!!
Colin and Emily turned 1 on July 27th and their birthday had me thinking back to where we were 1 year ago. So many things have changed and our lives have become far more predictable and routine. When I think back to those early days all I can remember is trying to nurse two babies out of their state of jaundice, recovering from my c-section and trying to give Nathan as "normal" of a summer as we possibly could. It was a good night if Clinton and I both got 2 hour stretches of sleep at a time and a total of 5-7 hours total (broken in chunks) was pretty common for the first 2-6 weeks. The sleep deprivation was brutal but we knew that it would be a relatively short time in our lives that we would have to push through. Around 5 weeks of age I started feeding them 100% on my own through the night since I was healing well and Clint was able to get some pretty good nights of sleep. The compromise was that I would try to nap each afternoon when the babies were asleep and Clint would play with Nathan (usually outside) so I could get some rest. We were also pretty lucky to have both of our moms nearby to help out with everything in the first month and that took a lot of pressure off of Clint to do everything else around the house.
As we approach the anniversary of their due date (August 21st) it is amazing to think of all that they have learned in the last year. It just a few more days or weeks I'm sure they will be walking. If I am being 100% honest, I'm not doing a whole lot to encourage it! The longer they are crawling around the longer I can keep what little sanity I have left. It is amazing though to see their little faces when one of them stands on their own, takes a step or two, signs a word to me or even attempts to actually communicate with words. Pretty soon they will be chatting up a storm and running around like crazy animals. Christmas is going to be really interesting this year!
Since my last post our family of 5 (plus my mom) travelled to Ottawa and area to visit family. It was a quick 4 night trip over May long weekend but was so worth all of the effort to get there and back. My grandparents (who also had boy/girl twins) were able to meet Colin and Emily and visit with Nathan for the first time since he was 6 months old. Family showed up from hours away just to see our "litter" :-) It was an excellent excuse for us to all get together again. It took me well over a week to pack for the 4 nights we were gone and another week or more to recover from it all! A girlfriend of mine asked me if I would do it again and I said "I'd do it again so that my grandparents could meet them but I won't be doing it again until they are MUCH older". It all went quite well considering we were travelling with an almost 3.5 year old and almost 10 month old twins but it really was a lot of work. And I realized on this trip why they tell you to get to the airport so early - in case you have 3 kids under 4 you will absolutely need every moment to get to your flight on time. We literally just got to the gate and it was preboarding time!
Once I recovered from that adventure it was time to get super busy leading up to Stampede. Since I volunteer with the Talent Search Committee there were many things to organize and prepare for the Show during Stampede. This year I took on more than I had in the past and was more than happy to do so. It's not that I don't love being a wife and mother but I love the feeling I get from being a part of something that has nothing to do with that other part of my life. It gives me an opportunity to have adult conversations about non-childrearing things and allows me to use my brain as well. I often tell people that there is never a shortage of things to do when you are a full time mum but the work is so not glamorous. It is nice to have somewhere to be that gives me the motivation to wear make-up, do my hair and wear regular clothes! I hope to have even greater responsibilities next year and look forward to the challenges that committment will present to me.
I was supposed to attend a workshop to train as a Childbirth Educator at the end of June but that fell through and should (hopefully) be rescheduled to this fall. I took on 3 clients as their doula and have attended one birth so far. The next one should be any day now and the one after thant about a month later. It is an extremely gratifying experience for me to be there for a woman as she labours and then births her baby. There aren't too many jobs out there that allow you to witness a miracle at the end of a very long day! I have decided to not make huge attempts to market myself for the next couple of months as I am finding that being on-call is quite a challenge when you have 3 small children. I hope to use these first 3 births towards my DONA certification and will likely only take on about another 4-7 mamas within the next year. I just want to ensure that any clients I do take I can give them the support that they need and deserve :-)
We have camped 3 times so far this year and hope to get out once more. Camping with 3 under 4 deserves a post all on it's own so I will have to get on that someday soon.....
So, what's next? Nathan starts school in less than two weeks and will be taking his first unparented swim classes this fall. He was in an outdoor soccer program this summer and seems to really like it. I took him yesterday for the first time (it is Clint's thing) and he did a great job so I think we will maybe look into doing soccer again soon too. He will be taking a music class in November/December as well and will get to make his own musical instrument. I so look forward to seeing what he creates :-)
More to come soon - if I can find the time!!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
What's new?
So much! In the last few weeks since I was able to post an update on our family we have been ridiculously busy. I am back at the gym now and back on the Weight Watchers program. That has all been going really well - until this Easter! - and I have lost more than 10 lbs and at least 2 inches from around my waist. I'm finally starting to feel like a human again and that is fantastic. Clint played in the orchestra for an Operetta playing at Morpheus Theatre and was out a LOT more than normal to rehearse and perform over the weeks leading up to the opener as well as the 3 weeks it was on. With those gigs and my meetings and trips to the gym most evenings we traded off on childcare responsibilities. I'm really glad that the show is done because I really missed my husband!
Nathan is finally toilet trained, Colin is crawling, Emily rolls across the room and does a funny little inchworm thing to get around, and teeth are sprouting up at a really quick rate. Colin now has 4 teeth and Emily has 6!! She's my land shark :-) Emily had another follow up with her hips and they are coming along nicely. We will have one last check in a few months of both of them and then I think we are in the clear where that is concerned. We will soon be taking them to Ottawa to meet my grandparents and I'm already starting to think about getting packed for that adventure. My only hope is that Colin doesn't figure out how to stand up and cruise before we take that trip.
I have registered to take a course to become a certified Childbirth Educator in June and hope to have all of the requirements completed in the next couple of months. I've always thought that the best job was one you would do for free anyway and that is definitely how I feel about it. I just hope seeing all those pregnant women won't make me want to have another baby (hahahahaha).
We have had many playdates recently, visits with friends (without children!), baby showers, birthday parties, committee meetings, etc. I applied to teach on-line summer school, joined the Calgary Doula Association, booked my first client and have been getting baby items ready to sell at the spring TTMAC sale that is this coming weekend. I also took Emily to Banff for a night this past weekend to help celebrate my sister's birthday with her and have our girls spend some time getting to know each other better. Phew! No wonder I'm so tired!
We are in the process of getting our gardens all completed this year. I ordered some soil today and started some seeds in the house tonight in the hope that I can transplant them in a few weeks. We'll spend some time in the next week getting things ready for planting so all we'll have to do is transplant and sow our hearts out once the risk of frost has passed. Clint is taking a week off in May and we hope to be able to do some fun things together as a family but also to get some things done around the house that we have not had the time or energy to complete.
People still ask me how things are going with having twins and a 3 year old at home and I have to say that right now things are pretty good. Both babies are finally sleeping through the night (from about 7:30-7) and I'm only nursing Emily twice a day so that gives me a little more freedom as well. They love to explore their environment and really don't need me to constantly entertain them as much so I am able to at least clean the kitchen after meals while they play in their play yards or even in the kitchen on the floor near me. They nap pretty regularly twice a day and have longer periods of being not just awake but happy and content about it too. My biggest challenge right now is keeping Nathan's unsafe toys away from the babies (as well as other things they might stick in their mouths) and keeping Nathan happy inside. He asks to go outside several times a day but we often have to wait until Clint gets home or the babies are napping so one of us can go out with him. And even then he only wants to be out for a few minutes so it is a lot of shoes and coats business for only a short time. The babies are also getting really good at finger foods so that makes mealtimes a bit easier. More messy but definitely easier. Colin used to fuss so much more since we couldn't get the food in his mouth fast enough but since he can shove a piece of banana or some peas in his mouth between spoonfuls he is much happier. They are both chatting away all the time now and I look forward to hearing their first real words soon. Emily says "Mama" and Colin says "Dada" all the time and we respond with enthusiasm each and every time but I don't think they are meaning it just yet.
Nathan is still just as sweet to the babies as ever and still gives them hugs and kisses and tells them he loves them. I think he is favoring Emily right now because she hasn't shown as much interest as Colin in his toys yet! He gets quite upset when Colin gets ahold of something that he loves and says "No, Colin! That's mine!" and quickly whips it out of his hands. While I love that he is keeping unsafe toys away from the babies, we are working on the manner in which he does it. I have nightmares about what this place is going to be like in the next few months when the babies start caring about having things taken away from them. AND when they are big enough to fight back with Nathan. I also fear them walking, then running because if they take off in 2 (or 3!!) different directions how on earth do you decide which one to chase first???
So this spring and summer is going to be jammed packed with a trip to Ontario, zoo trips, a day with Thomas the Tank at Heritage Park, trips to Calaway Park, the Stampede, maybe swimming lessons and definitely camping weekends. I am already so excited to do all of these fun things with my family and I think this will be our best summer yet :-)
Nathan is finally toilet trained, Colin is crawling, Emily rolls across the room and does a funny little inchworm thing to get around, and teeth are sprouting up at a really quick rate. Colin now has 4 teeth and Emily has 6!! She's my land shark :-) Emily had another follow up with her hips and they are coming along nicely. We will have one last check in a few months of both of them and then I think we are in the clear where that is concerned. We will soon be taking them to Ottawa to meet my grandparents and I'm already starting to think about getting packed for that adventure. My only hope is that Colin doesn't figure out how to stand up and cruise before we take that trip.
I have registered to take a course to become a certified Childbirth Educator in June and hope to have all of the requirements completed in the next couple of months. I've always thought that the best job was one you would do for free anyway and that is definitely how I feel about it. I just hope seeing all those pregnant women won't make me want to have another baby (hahahahaha).
We have had many playdates recently, visits with friends (without children!), baby showers, birthday parties, committee meetings, etc. I applied to teach on-line summer school, joined the Calgary Doula Association, booked my first client and have been getting baby items ready to sell at the spring TTMAC sale that is this coming weekend. I also took Emily to Banff for a night this past weekend to help celebrate my sister's birthday with her and have our girls spend some time getting to know each other better. Phew! No wonder I'm so tired!
We are in the process of getting our gardens all completed this year. I ordered some soil today and started some seeds in the house tonight in the hope that I can transplant them in a few weeks. We'll spend some time in the next week getting things ready for planting so all we'll have to do is transplant and sow our hearts out once the risk of frost has passed. Clint is taking a week off in May and we hope to be able to do some fun things together as a family but also to get some things done around the house that we have not had the time or energy to complete.
People still ask me how things are going with having twins and a 3 year old at home and I have to say that right now things are pretty good. Both babies are finally sleeping through the night (from about 7:30-7) and I'm only nursing Emily twice a day so that gives me a little more freedom as well. They love to explore their environment and really don't need me to constantly entertain them as much so I am able to at least clean the kitchen after meals while they play in their play yards or even in the kitchen on the floor near me. They nap pretty regularly twice a day and have longer periods of being not just awake but happy and content about it too. My biggest challenge right now is keeping Nathan's unsafe toys away from the babies (as well as other things they might stick in their mouths) and keeping Nathan happy inside. He asks to go outside several times a day but we often have to wait until Clint gets home or the babies are napping so one of us can go out with him. And even then he only wants to be out for a few minutes so it is a lot of shoes and coats business for only a short time. The babies are also getting really good at finger foods so that makes mealtimes a bit easier. More messy but definitely easier. Colin used to fuss so much more since we couldn't get the food in his mouth fast enough but since he can shove a piece of banana or some peas in his mouth between spoonfuls he is much happier. They are both chatting away all the time now and I look forward to hearing their first real words soon. Emily says "Mama" and Colin says "Dada" all the time and we respond with enthusiasm each and every time but I don't think they are meaning it just yet.
Nathan is still just as sweet to the babies as ever and still gives them hugs and kisses and tells them he loves them. I think he is favoring Emily right now because she hasn't shown as much interest as Colin in his toys yet! He gets quite upset when Colin gets ahold of something that he loves and says "No, Colin! That's mine!" and quickly whips it out of his hands. While I love that he is keeping unsafe toys away from the babies, we are working on the manner in which he does it. I have nightmares about what this place is going to be like in the next few months when the babies start caring about having things taken away from them. AND when they are big enough to fight back with Nathan. I also fear them walking, then running because if they take off in 2 (or 3!!) different directions how on earth do you decide which one to chase first???
So this spring and summer is going to be jammed packed with a trip to Ontario, zoo trips, a day with Thomas the Tank at Heritage Park, trips to Calaway Park, the Stampede, maybe swimming lessons and definitely camping weekends. I am already so excited to do all of these fun things with my family and I think this will be our best summer yet :-)
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