The Olsen Update

 This is one of the saddest posts I've had to write in some time... Two weeks ago I got a phone call from my brother in law, Brad.  He started the conversation with a little laugh and "I think your Alana has rubbed off on Reed" I was perplexed.  Oh no.  What did Alana do now?   "It looks like Reed is a type 1 diabetic too" I was floored.  I had just gone to Alana's school to give a talk on T1D, now we have another child in my husband's family who is insulin dependent. (My pancreas prop) Reed and Alana were born a year and two days apart. Reed had to go to the hospital in DKA on his tenth birthday.  It's the worst birthday present EVER!!! I felt hopeless and all I wanted to drop everything and fly out to Utah to help out.  But Alana was turning nine the next day and there was just no way I could make it happen.  So we scheduled to skype that night. While laying in his hospital bed, we talked to him, c...

Today is Alana's 2nd "Diaversary".  I'm so proud of her and how far we have come. I remember sitting in the ICU with my 6 year old, who was dying before my eyes.  She was weak and not there.  Alana was so brave.  She saw the pain  in my eyes and would tell me that she was going to be Okay. Jen (Alana's first DIAbuddy) and Wendy where the first people I called. I know they came into our lives when they did for a reason.  With out them I may have fallen apart. It seemed like a whirl-wind. Dr.s, nurses, educators.  I felt like I was in a dream land.  There's no way that this was happening to my child. She was perfect.  After four days in the ICU we were left to medically care for someone who's life now relied so heavily on us and insulin.  Alana was thrilled to go home.  I on the other hand was scared to death.  As we drove away from the hospital, I half wanted to turn back. As I look back at these events, I think ...

I've had a few people ask me what I want for my birthday and rather than responding to these messages one by one, I think I'll post it here for all to see.  What do I want? I want a cure for Type 1 Diabetes. I know that seems to be an odd thing to ask for. Maybe unreasonable, but even my little Alana asked for it for Christmas last year. I want my daughter to have the childhood that she once had. I want her to be free from finger pricks, site changes and getting her insu lin pump tubing stuck on door knobs. I want her to be able to pushed into the pool by her friends (with out the worries that it will kill her pump). I want her to be able to eat carbs with out counting them and indulge in chocolate and ice cream with out an injection or fear that her blood sugar will be high.  This is my simple birthday wish. Please donate to JDRF and type one diabetes research. Help us find that cure. Even if its a dollar. Every cent counts. Thanks. ♥

While at fundraising event for our Walk to Cure team, I was asked the same question several times.       So who's Alana? After pointing her out their response to her was... But you don't look sick. How many times do you look at a person with a handicap permit and say... They don't need that.   They look fine. I'll admit.  I've shamefully said it before.  So many of us look at people with a disease or disability as if it's something you have to see for it to be real. If you don't see Alana's insulin pump or see her check her blood sugar, you might not realize she has a disease at all.  She's a pretty healthy kid, diabetes aside. She rides her bike, swims, climbs the monkey bars and gets good grades. But we're that family.  The one who's counting every single carb that enters Alana's body.  Always referring to our Calorie King app for the right numbers.  We're that family who dreads pizza night because we know that it make...

Tonight I met Mrs. Darring at a vendor event/fundraiser for Alana's Brave Crew.  She was sweet and kind and I could tell that she has a huge heart.  She asked if she could share a little piece about us one her page Anne B Darring For Judge .  It warms my sole to read this.  Thank you Anne. And Good luck in the election.   The Face of Juvenile Diabetes This is Alana Olsen with her mom Carina. Alana has juvenile diabetes and has to wear an insulin pump at all times. Her brave battle is undetectable through her enthusiasm and cheerful energy. The thing is,  juvenile diabetes is incurable at this point. Research is the key. We must find a way to bring an end to this suffering. This is a life-threatening autoimmune disease in which a person's pancreas stops producing insulin - a hormone essential to the ability to get energy from food. It strikes both children and adults suddenly and changes life as they know it forever. On October 26th there is Walk...

Just a few days away  from celebrating Alana's first "DIAVERSARY", we received the news we had been waiting for.  Check out the video for our results... YIPEEE!!! YEP!  Ariana is not likely to EVER develop an auto immune disease.   Thank you God! It's likely that both girls had a virus that was causing their blood sugar to fluctuate.  Testing will eventually be done on Amelia as well.

This is what we did instead of getting work done today. Happy Spring Break EVERYONE!!!

Some days like today, I wonder what my true calling in life is. When you have a love for one thing...  The thing that has devoured your life since your youth.  Then this new thing... something totally out of left field hits you and you begin to question yourself. Was my passion just a passion? Is this NEW THING your life's calling? It has been waiting to hit you like a ton of bricks. You just didn't know it.         ... and then it lands on you like the anvil from the Wile E Coyote cartoons. I'm really not sure what's bringing this all on right now.  There's a little flame in my head that's burning away at me. Call it Mothers Intuition... I'm not sure. Maybe I'm waiting to see what happens.  There are several things just UP IN THE AIR right now... Time will tell. I'm living in limbo... or maybe on the TV show LOST.  There's this smoky monster called DIABETES lurking around the corner and in a flash....It's eaten up an...

I know a lot of people have been waiting to hear from me since yesterday.  To be honest  I'm not  sure what I'm supposed to think at this point. To lighten the mood.  Here's a pic of Ariana in what she wore to the DR. appointment. It went a little like this... Dr. Riley sat Ariana and I down.  He gave her a look over and looked at her charts and results from the test done by  Dr. Sim. He then quickly jumped in telling me about the different studies he had worked on for over thirty years. Two of which was geared towards us. The first was a study where they tested siblings of T1D patients for the markers of T1D.  Those who had the markers (classified as T1D Dysglycemic) would be tracked by the Doctors to see what happened with their blood sugar leading up to going "full blown".  What they found was, in the weeks, months or even years before they were full blown, their Blood Sugar would do this little ...

This morning I got a call from the nurse (Rosie) in our pediatrician's office. She told me that Ariana's test results are back and everything looked "Normal", but that it seemed that Ariana was dehydrated.  Rosie then wend on to tell me that they sent on the results to our Endocrinologist and that they would take care of things from there. But if everything is ok, why are they sending her to the Endo? Then I sent a text to our Diabetic Educator (Nannette) to verify the info had been sent. She had received it and told me to make an appointment for "Hyperglycemia". WHAT? Nannette told me that they would do more blood work and dive deeper into this. Tomorrow I'll be taking Ariana to the Endo, which is totally weird to me.  Dr. Riley has been Alana's zone.  Now my girls will share this.  Maybe.  I guess nothing is written in stone yet. So now what? I get to sit for over ...

This morning I woke up frustrated.  Both Ariana and Amelia's blood sugar both are up... AGAIN.  I hate waiting for results. Ariana's morning fasting BG: 134 Amelia's morning fasting BG: 138 UUUUUugggggghhhhh!!!!! Today I took Cupcakes to Ariana's school to celebrate her birthday.  She wore yellow.... AGAIN.  I'm guessing it's a yellow kind of week. There is a tention in the air in the Olsen home.  Not understanding whats going on in these girls bodies. Is this what Alana's blood sugar did before she was diagnosed? The ideas keep rushing by us so fast and no one thing makes since. ...still waiting for test results...

I got the sweetest email that was being sent around my Granny's church.  We feel so blessed to have people all around the world praying for our girls.  From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and everyone of you. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's her message... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And he [Jesus] took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:16 I have 3 great granddaughters. They are sisters. The oldest was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes last year at age 6. Now her two younger sisters ages 5 and 2 are having the same symptoms for Type 1 Diabetes. Please pray for these precious little girls that these tests will be negative for T1D. The family would appreciate your prayers. This little family are believers and the oldest said prayers at dinner the o...

After yesterday's testing, Ariana wanted to wear her favorite color to school.  Can you tell what it is? It's so weird that I'm bloging about Ariana and Amelia on Alana's blog.  I hope this doesn't become habit. Ariana's Morning fasting BG: 124 Amelia's Morning fasting BG: 108 Still waiting for test results. What the heck is causing them to flux?

After all of this weekend's events with the girls.  I feel calm.  Slightly stressed.  But calm.  Ky White (a very dear family friend) came and gave Ariana a blessing tonight and I got that "All is well" feeling.   No matter what happens we'll make it through.   Type 1 diabetes is a scary beast.  But I have faith that the Lord knows what burdens we can take on. My heart is heavy with the love and support our friends, family, Dia-buddies and even my clients at Kat's Photography  have shared.  It is the most sincere prayer that Ariana and Amelia will be diabetes free their entire lives.

Who said diabetes couldn't be fun. Here are two projects I've made in the last two days... We bejeweled Alana's test strip container... Lenny also got his very own insulin pump! I made it out of Oven Clay, a clear tile, and infusion set (donated by our Medtronic rep Debbie) and a few rhinestones.    Now he just needs a pump pouch like Alana!

I can't believe this day is here.  It's been almost 7 months since Alana's diagnosis with type 1 diabetes. The day I thought would never come is here.  Alana was hooked up to her pump. I had done a lot of training ahead of time to prepare for our training class and I'm glad I did.  I feel 100% comfortable with managing the pump.  If you would have asked me a few days ago things would have been different. Our Diabetes team is AMAZING!  They're like our family.  We text and call, joke, play and pick on each other.  It's the best. Even sport AlanasBraveCrew bracelets! { Alana right after we hooked up her pump for the first time. }  { Sweet little Lenny.  The newest member of the Olsen Family. I think he needs an Alana's Brave Crew Walk to cure shirt.  Don't you? } I'm excited for this new chapter.  I know with out a doubt that the pump is going to help prolong Alana's life and give her a better quality life.  Let...

She's a crack up. I loved her reaction when I told her that she wan't getting her night time injection anymore.

I think this is a great video.  I want all our friends and family to realize that carbs are what effect a Type 1 Diabetics blood sugar.  NOT SUGAR.  Halloween is coming up and Alana will be on her shiny new insulin pump. Yes we will still have our target carb numbers each day. BUT COME ON.... Halloween is only once a year.  LET THERE BE CHOCOLATE!!!!!

I found a new channel on Youtube that I LOVE. I'm sure you'll be seeing lots of video posts from them Enjoy this video from humaBLOG...