Belated Diabetes Thanksgiving

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No, people who googled diabetes and thanksgiving, I am not about to provide carb counts for your pumpkin pie. (Sorry.) Rather, I'd like to take a moment to give thanks for the couple bright spots in the diabetic life--some meager, some more meaningful than others, but all reasons to be grateful.








1. OXO FOOD SCALE. After living with our son's type 1 diabetes for over two years, we finally purchased this scale, and I believe I have praised it aloud with nearly every use. It switches from ounces to grams! It zeroes out! Thank you, OXO, for making our lives a little easier.


2. WATER ON SPOON. On to the accidental discovery of water + tablespoon equals easier life. Measuring peanut butter, anyone? Try this: rinse the measuring spoon with warm water. Dip into jar. Voila! Peanut butter slides off spoon (mostly). I have not yet determined a way to coax the remaining 1/4 spoonful off unmessily, and yet this little trick makes me very happy. (A smarter mother might spray the spoon with cooking spray, but that mother should be concerning herself with her desecration of the peanut butter's taste. Water mostly works.)


3. THE INTERNET. When it comes to major diseases, the internet is both a help and a hindrance. I recall my very first search of diabetes, which turned up enough scary words to make me finally call the doctor and get Theo checked out. After his diagnosis, though, I quickly learned to stay away from this abundance of information and opinions; better to stay tuned in to our good doctor and his advice.

But later, as I branched out, I found an online T1 community of thoughtful folks who are trying to make their way, just as we are. Some are crafty, too; Shannon over at neurotic city was both creative and kind enough to send this postcard along in honor of World Diabetes Day postcard exchange, which I manage to miss every year. Shannon knows of my interest in boxing, and she tied this into our continual battles with diabetes. She's awesome.















4. ALMOND MILK. The unsweetened kind. Makes certain that Theo can occasionally indulge in cereal without a humongous shot. See, he needs more insulin at breakfast time, and cereal isn't much bang for the carbohydrate buck. Enter almond milk. At 1 carb per cup, he can have his cereal and eat it, too.


5. NICE SCHOOL STAFF. It's this time of year when I lament not having married a doctor, or having become one myself, only because (don't worry, Greg) I'd like bucketloads of money to treat the school secretaries to the world's most amazing Christmas gift. But what could I possibly give them as thanks for their nonstop, nurturing care for my son? We're on the phone at least three times a week, and they're spending time with him at least three times a school day. They do all this with a smile and, when necessary, sympathetic tears. I can't say enough about these women. Thank you just doesn't completely capture how I feel, and yet words are all I've got. And maybe a nice fruit basket.

Comments

  1. Lisa Creech BledsoeDecember 4, 2012 at 2:12 PM

    Loved this! Especially the water-on-spoon trick! Also got a huge charge out of seeing the "we are all fighters" postcard and your ferocious son posing with gloves. You rock.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amy PhillipsDecember 4, 2012 at 2:48 PM

    He's the most ferocious one around here, seeing as how I can't hit a bag without my elbow hurting. But yes, when it comes to diabetes, we are all fighters indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  3. shannonJanuary 9, 2013 at 5:42 PM

    please forgive my very belated visit to this post. thank you for your very kind words. i just love these pics so much. i will make a wdd postcard post on my blog someday and i will link over here when i do.

    also, re: 5, i agree! i have the same feeling of "how can i possibly thank the nurse enough for what she does."

    happy new year to you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Amy PhillipsJanuary 9, 2013 at 9:20 PM

    I wondered where you went, Shannon! No worries. I have the postcard hanging right above my laptop here and I love looking at it.

    ReplyDelete

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