Our long story shortened...

20 years of being in love

14 years of marital bliss

5 years of infertility

9 months of a high risk pregnancy

2 perfect boys (at the same time)

1 heart failure

1 type 1 diabetes diagnosis

1 happy life

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I am a stay at home mom who is raising twins. One of my guys has type 1 diabetes and one does not. I am writing this blog to unite type 1 parents or twin parents. Comment on my posts or in the "what's your high?" and "what's your low?" to join the community of parents just trying to do the best we can!

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10/29/12

He can because he is able!




Last November, this blog was a concept we discuseed in my sister-in-law's kitchen on Thanksgiving Day. November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. As I researched other blogs, I was watching everyone do all kinds of neat things online to create awareness of diabetes. I was bummed that I wasn't part of it.



So, this year, I now have the platform with which to really help out. wanted to do something useful and also fun! I just wasn't sure where to start. I knew it could be an amazing opportunity to share what it's like to have a child with diabetes and a twin without. Also, I wanted to learn and understand other's lives with diabetes. I wanted to write or share something to explain the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.  At the very least, that would be in my plans. But, we could do better than that.  How? I started looking up ideas of past happenings online. I also started asking around about fundraising ideas that the boys and I might be able to handle. I was walking around for a week with my ears, eyes and heart wide open to great ideas. So here is how my week went.

 

Monday: I had a conversation with Rocco.




"If you could tell someone about diabetes what would you tell them?", I asked.

He stared up at the ceiling for a minute then said, "I would tell them that I can do everything they can do, I just have to stop and check my blood sugar sometimes".

"Ok. Why would you want diabetes to stop?", I asked.

Again with the ceiling. "I wouldn't."

"You wouldn't?", I was surprised.

"No because then I wouldn't get to see you so much in school and I would miss you".

I didn't know whether to cry, laugh or hug him til he popped.

"What if you could take off your pump and put it in a drawer forever?"

"Mom! It helps hold up my pants!" 

I think he thinks the fanny pack type thing he carries it in, is like a belt. I laughed at his perspective.

 


So, I decided then to call our National Diabetes Awareness Month project,  "I can because I am able".  Even at seven, Rocco understands that his diagnosis is life changing but not life debilitating. He still can do everything else everyone else can do, he just has to stop to care for himself sometimes. 


So, now what? How can I take that and turn it into a month's worth of blog posts? Still open...

 

Tuesday: I did a yoga class and the instructor talked about a documentary she saw called "Happy". She said she learned that 50% of your happiness comes from physically doing something everyday to make yourself happy. She said it could be exercising, finishing a project, volunteering or getting an ice cream cone by yourself. But, getting up and creating something to do every day creates happiness. The giving part stuck out for me. Like most children today, my little guys are so spoiled. No fault of their own. It's just the times. Toys are easily accessible. However, even if I got their toys at a garage sale or a toy store, I have never left them with the feeling of want. A trait I believe inspires creativity and adaptability. It was always easier to spend the $5 for the crying toddler. Let me tell you Zeke really knew how to turn it on. So, I decided in between the downward facing dog pose 




and the warrior pose, that I would try, as hard as I could, to find situations and walks of life that were different from ours. To break out of our bubble and expose us outside of our comfort zones. To really know the pure joy of giving. To experience people from all situations. We will give because we are "able".

 

Wednesday: No inspiratation came on Wednesday. ;)

 

Thursday:  I decided to include pictures of a project that Michael, the boys and I are working on. See the post called "little authors".  We will educate because we are "able".

 

Friday: I went out with a girlfriend and she shared a website she saw last year. The woman writes a blog called This Lunch Rox. This lady had the same idea as I but she put her action steps in a beautiful bowl with ribbons and cool paper. Their family would pick the activity from the bowl. She said she loves to inspire others so I will include her site and idea here. Here is the site. 

 

Saturday: The boys went to birthday party. The mom had specifically bought sugar-free cookies for Rocco in case he couldn't eat the cake. it wasn't necessary because with all the running around Rocco's blood sugar became low and actually needed the sugar in the cake to bring his blood sugar up. However, her generosity once again showed me that people are genuinely concerned for other's well-being. It kind of brought me to tears but I held it back. We will treat others with blind compassion because we are "able". 

 

Sunday: Rocco and Zeke played outside all day with the neighbor kids. Rocco came back to the house two times because he felt low.  He drank some juice or ate some glucose tablets. Zeke came back one time to get their little phone, in case they needed to call me. I went out to check on them one time to make sure they were still at the neighbors. But, we managed. We actually had a normal kid day with diabetes! It was really the first time the boys had a day like I had growing up. Playing outside all day is sadly "old school" now. We play because we are "able".

 



By the end of the week, I was happy and I had it down! 




I try to will post every day about our regular life with diabetes. I will show others Rocco's message that he can do everything because he is "able". I will stretch my imagination to make it a little more than regular. Hopefully turning our month from ordinary to extraordinary. Nothing more than other wonderful families posting online, I am sure. But, we will also push ourselves outside of our own comfort zone. We will teach ourselves about other ways of life. We will give ourselves in a way that we otherwise wouldn't have. We will share our experiences and hopefully inspire other families to do something to create happiness in their lives.

 

I have already scheduled five volunteer opportunities! I feel excited and a little nervous about the unknown. But to show the boys how to build character, I need to build some of my own, right? I will start posting November 1, hopefully every day all month. I only want to post to Facebook and Twitter and maybe to Pinterest (if I can figure that one out by then), once a week as to not clog up people's Facebook page. So, if you want to see how it goes just keep checking www.everydayhighsandlows.com every night! As always, thanks for reading and supporting Everyday Highs and Lows!


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