Why I am the way I am

I am weird. I know that and am quite comfortable with it. I have never fit in with the status quo, and am happy to do things differently than everyone else; if it works for me.

I am learning that this is also true in the way that I deal with Elise's diabetes.

And I feel the need to explain myself a little.

From day 1 of Elise's dx, I have thrown myself into the world of diabetes. I've read books, blogs, websites, message boards. Tried to absorb every word to help me understand this disease. I read all that I can about nutrition and meal planning, learning about complex carbs, protein, fats, good versus bad carbs and glycemic indexes.

I calculate every little carb that goes into Elise's body. I am armed with a calculator, pen and a piece of scratch paper every time I prepare food.

I use a scale. All the time. Everything Elise eats (that has carbs) is weighed. And I take that scale with me everywhere I go. Yes Meri, even to Chick-fil-a.

I use carb factors every day, every meal and every snack. And yes, if that piece of bread has 7.71g of carbs, I add the 7.71 to the 3.10g of soynut butter, to the 4.14g of grapes to get approximately 15g of carbs for Elise's snack.

And I am so okay with the fact that you are now staring at your computer screen in complete disbelief that there is someone out there who could be that anal retentive about things. And you might be saying to yourself, "oh my gosh, this woman must be a nightmare to live with!"

Why is this post starting to sound like a Talking Heads song? (and you may ask yourself, where is my beautiful house?)

Anyway, I do all this because I just might be a little bit insane. But also because it's how I am. I want to do it well, or not do it at all. And for me, when it comes to Elise's health, you bet I am going to do my best to make sure I have good control over her numbers.

I try to do it in a way that is laid-back and not overly intense. I know it sounds so over-the-top and control-freaky, but I really try to make it not seem like a big deal.

I haven't been exposed to that many D-Moms, so I have no idea how other people handle things. I've just aways done it this way and never given it any thought. It wasn't until I had lunch with Laura and Nate the other day that it dawned on me that there are other ways to figure out carbs.

But you know what? I'll keep doing it the way I'm doing it. Because it's working. I realize I have the luxury of only having one kid and not working outside the home. My view on all this might change if we ever expand our little clan.

So for now, I will stick to my weird ways... because I love that old adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". And you will keep doing it the way that works for you. And what is neat is that this disease isn't one size fits all and we have to be resourceful and creative about how we treat it.

Even if it puts us up for the Anal Retentive Mom of the Year Award.

These are a few of my favourite D things

So far in this just-over-a-year-long journey, I have discovered there are a few things that I just cannot be without when it comes to Elise's diabetes. And because I am such a wily veteran, I thought it would be fun (for me) to share some of them with you. I am in no way be compensated by anybody for saying nice things about these products, but it would be nice if I were.

The Multiclix - granted, I haven't used any other kind, but I love it. I love that you can't see the lancet at anytime during the finger poke. I think it helps to make it less scary for the little ones. I've used it on myself, and it's pretty close to being painless.

Ketone Meter - Yes the strips are expensive, but right now they are so worth it. We asked our endo for the meter, so we didn't have to pay for that. Putting cotton balls in Elise's diaper is a pain, and a lot of times they would shift and not even be wet when we needed to check for ketones. When Elise can pee on a stick, we'll probably go back to using the ketostix. I also have to say that I like that the blood ketone meter shows you what's happening right now, as opposed to the almost two hour lag time with the urine test.

My scale - Since day one, I have weighed everything (well everything with carbs) that Elise eats. I'm pretty good at estimating, but I would rather know for sure. I have one that stays at home and one in Elise's diaper bag. I like a scale that can weigh in grams, has a tare function, and on the rare occasion I do weigh something in ounces, it gives me the weight in decimals points, not fractions (1.25 as opposed to 1 1/4).


My calculator and scratch pad - When I weigh Elise's food, I figure out the carbs by using carb factors (more on that later). I find that using my scratch pad to write out the carb amounts is better than trying to remember that she had 12g of milk, the sandwich was 8g, cantaloupe, 2g... you get the idea. I also use the pad when I'm cooking and I need to keep track of the carb amounts of the ingredients, so I can figure out the carb factor when I'm done.

Carb factors - Don't know what these are? You need to read this post. They changed my life and helped me keep my sanity, such that it is. I keep a list of them in this notebook, adding new ones all the time. Hopefully one day I'll find some spare hours to do up a spreadsheet and post in on my blog.

Labels - Why yes, I am a freak, and I freely admit it. Pretty much everything Elise eats is labled with what it is, when it was made, and the carb factor. That way it's easy for Fred to prepare a meal for her too. I love these sticky labels, and as you can see, I got them at a pretty good price. Yay Target!

Apple juice - I don't use juice often for lows, I prefer to use bananas, but the juice is handy when I'm out and about. I love these Gerber juice bottles. They're 14g of carbs each, compact, don't need to be refrigerated (unless opened), and don't get all squished like a juice box does. Perfect to stick in the diaper bag and forget about until you need it.

My earpiece flashlight - Elise is still in a crib, making middle-of-the-night BG checks a little difficult. I don't like to lower the railing since Elise is a light sleeper and I don't want to wake her. So I have to stand on my tip toes to reach her. If I'm holding the flashlight in my hand, I have to do a juggling act with the meter, lancet, cotton ball and light. Then one day my Mom sent me this invaluable, little tool in the mail, and it has made those night checks so much easier. It hooks around your ear (like a bluetooth, I suppose), and you can point the light in whichever direction you want. Genius!

So what are some of the tools of the trade you just can't live without when it comes to diabetes?