Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation walk

Today the whole family, all 7 of us ventured out for a 1.5 mile walk in the pouring rain. Why on Earth would we do that?  A very imporatant cause, the 1st annual Juvenile Diabetes research Foundation walk.  Our family named ourselves Adairas Strange Striders. Our goal was $1000.00. Let me just say our family and friends ROCK OUT LOUD!! We raised $3075.00!!! oh yeah, that was 1/6 of the total brought in. Huge thanks to Erik The Viking (ETV) who donated a huge huge amount that almost made me cry, Ricks office matched all the donations made by Ricks co-workers, which proves that Stark and Marsh chartered accounting is the best accounting firm ever, just so you know.

They had bounce houses set up inside the rec center for all the kids, which was great. And a barbeque lunch before the walk. After the walk there was a brief space and then another barbeque supper and an information meeting for parents and type 1 adults. Seems like everyone is going for the insulin pumps, we might have to talk to Adaira about that.

On the diabetes and Adaira subject...  We met in Saskatoon last fri with Dr. Best, the pediatric endocrinologist, and after 2 years of hell, he thinks maybe she's getting too much insulin, so he reduced it drastically and this week she's been pretty good save the morning she was so tired she forgot to take any insulin. (we later discovered midnight DSI play to blame for the tiredness)

In other news I finished the shell of the mega tab purse, and the necklace orederd from the home party, and the million bead custom order necklace as well. My challenge theme was Earth on artfire this time and

Here is my bracelet:

So that's how it's been. I'll try to blog more often, honest!!

I'm Back

Ok I am back now!
No pictures for this post as my computer in in the tech hospital while Dr Lloyd fixes him. and all my pictures were there and all my favourite sites ect.

So the renovation is STILL not done! we were supposed to be able to be living in the new space in August, or so the contractor said. Will NEVER use him again. We were going to do all the drywall ourselves, however hubby over did it and has carpal tunnel in BOTH wrists! And I have weak wrists from a previous injury and while i could do a bit at a time it would take months. so we hired a guy who is doing fabulous work, a wizard with mudding compound. If luck holds I'll be able to paint this weekend. The 4 kids with new rooms or new walls (1 had horrid panelling before) all want sky blue. 3 want clouds painted on the walls and the 4th wants a blue winter tree pattern. luckily the 5th kid is fine with her wall colour for now. So I googled how to paint clouds on walls and the 5 sites i hit all had the same instructions so that's reassuring. So as far as the reno goes all I need to panic about is getting the cat to stop "going" in there instead of the litter box.

crafting news
I am selling a bunch of the poptab purses just from people seeing mine and asking. I don't have any in my etsy shop, and at shows people ooh and ahh at the ones displayed but no buyers. But I have had enough buyers to make me think that after Christmas I should list them. i am starting to make tab book marks and my 12 yr old DD wants me to attempt a tank top. we shall see after all the painting in my near future is done. jewelry sales have been a dissapointment. I lost a lot of money trying to do big city shows. And even my usual big sale show in Eastend was lower than usual, no loss but maybe made 1/3 of my usual. So next year I will go back to the tiny rural shows and maybe even put one on with a friend who has been tossing the idea around with me.

Adaira
As you know my now 12 yr old has been having major issues with her diabetes which is the major reason I haven't been posting. her health declined rapidly going from once a month hospitalization to every other week to every week. her specialist still insisted it was our fault and hinted we didn't know how to count carbs or that she was rebelling and not taking her insulin. so we ignored him and went hunting for a pediatrition who would listen and care. (I know i ask a lot in the "don't care" health system) finally we found Dr. Addai. at first he was the same as her specialist, but after a few weeks he realized that I was right, something was wrong. and then he noticed that the insulin type at home is not the same as the stuff given in hospital. so we switched insulins and poof her numbers are good. Ends up she DID have a resistance to the insulin she had been on. Even though it is very rare to have happen. He actually appologised for the way he treated us (like we were not taking care of her right) when do Drs EVER do that?!
During all this there were a few visits to hospital where she should have been in a coma. she was in ICU enough for the nurses to notice when she had growth spurts. I know some of the peds nurses birthdays, stories about their families, and things you really shouldn't be able to recall about the peds nurses.

So thank-you to everyone who prayed for and supported us through this struggle!! it looks like we have it figured out! There will be a few weeks of tweeking her new doses, but her blood sugar is still a lot better.

I have a new Niece!! And a frustrating daughter :(

May 18 2009 my brothers wife had to have a C-section delivery to bring ino this world my adorable neice! Ilainna Lee at a weight of 9 lbs 3 oz ( did you read about the C-section?) and 22 inches long with a mop of dark glossy hair! I am so excited, I have 4 nephews and now finally a girl!! I totally love being an auntie, and Ilainnas big brother Logan is a totally sweetie at age 3 you never can be sure what he might say next! On my husbands side we have twins 4 yr old Izak and Aiden and their little brother Keane age 1, who are in another province, and so I am missing out on seeing them very often.

So that's the happy for the week. Now for the frustrating.

As you know my 11 yr old (Seen with new cousin) is having a terrible time with her diabetes. When we went to see Ilainna, Adaira was also getting a blood test done, and the results were bad. Very bad. So this fri I am taking back up to the city hospital for a weekend of observation and monitoring. And likely a bunch of people who will not be thinking that I know what or how to handle her diabetes. Last time when they tested this knowledge Adaira left them speachless with how adept she is at it. In addition this weekend my other kids are supposed to go to scout camp, and my husband is the leader and in charge of the whole thing. so lots of figuring out was done tonight on how to manage this. And i must say juggling scedules with your X-in laws is never fun, interesting, but not so much in the good times department. But her good friend lives in said city so maybe it won't be as boring this time, being a weekend when they might be able to come in to see her. Lucky for me my craft is very portable so i will be working on more tab purse orders, and a wire necklace idea. I can't keep my hands still, for long without them twitching for a hook :)

Anyway that's my world for this week! With all these ups and downs I hope i don't get motion sick!

The week from Hell

Sun March 22 began the week from Hell.
Adaira had been at her friends down the street. At noon her blood sugar was pretty good 9. 2 hours later she was ill and vomiting. Her blood sugar spiked to a reading of just "HI" on the monitor, and her urine showed high high keytones. So off to the hospital we go. Expecting that she would be in for a night or 2 as usual. instead she was put in the ICU with 2 Ivs each one taking about 6 tries to get into her tiny veins. Over night her blood pressure became a concern and she was put on a heart monitor and oxygen. Monday morning she could barely stay awake long enough to know i was there, it was decided to airlift her to a larger city hospital where her endocrinologist is. I think I may have sprained my tearducts crying, and praying. A woman from my church came to pray with me as we waited for the plane, and My best friend Jackie came to stay with me until we left. The weather was not co-operating, it was so icy there were a lot of accidents, so everything was delayed. Finally the plane arrived and we loaded her and I into the ambulance, drove over the worst road in Saskatchewan to the airport. *Side note* Wouldn't you think the road from hospital to airport would be at least paved? Really ill people shouldn't be jostled about! The flight was about 30 min. Her first flight and she was really to ill to notice. another ambulance from that airport to the hospital. Remember the icy roads i mentioned? There were so many accidnets that our ambulance couldn't park in the ambulance bay we parked outside and wheeled the stretcher bed in. once in i had to sign papera and then i turned around and she was gone!! OMG where is my child in this mess!! I was directed down a series of hallways to the pediatric emergency area. we sat there for a few hours... Finally an intern came and when we told him how long we had been waiting and that we had been airlifted he was surprized. Yeah they forgot us! Nice touch. 10 min later we were on the peds floor in the observation room. more IV fun, 2 interns and a nurse, gave up after 6 tries and called in a nurse from the NICU to get a line in. then another heart minitor, more oxygen, and another IV in her foot. They took blood every 4 hours, had more fun finding veins for it too. She wasn't allowed food or much water for 2 days. Rick and I stayed in the Ronald McDonald house across the street. WONDERFUL place for families with sick children, and 10 bucks a night, full kitchen, some food available space for your own groceries ect.Tues night she was allowed to eat. The Dr wanted us to count the carbs in her meals. this would have been easier if the nutrition labels were available to us or if the food wasn't all packaged. I told them that i didn't have the info i needed for the carbs. shrugged shoulders and then they report to the dr that we don't know how to count carbs!! She's been diabetic for almost 5 years I certainly know how to count carbs!! I was so mad I had to leave the room, twice before i started to knock heads together!
Wed she was doing much better and was off the IVs, YAY! That afternoon she made a friend and they watched the Twilight movie before bed. Thursday afternoon she was finally released! But because we were reported as not being able to carb count we were send to the dietician... When we and Adaira were able to answere all the questions and then explained what had happened she was a bit upset with the lack of respect we were given.
So.. Dr figures she needed a little change in her usual routine, meaning she now needs a shot of insulin at bedtime too, making 5 shots a day. and Mostly it's puberty, wreaking havoc with her. insulin is a hormone and so anytime the body starts producing more of the other hormones it affects the way the insulin is absorbed. lucky Adaira.
So the weekend was spent getting things in order, and I had a bellydance performance Mon night, Tues was appointments and scouts, today I went to the banks, and plan to do laundry. Tomorrow is eye appointments for my 3 kids, Fri is set up for a craft sale and the sale is Sat and Sun. I am already tired. But Adairas blood sugar is Ok now, so hopefully the extra insulin will keep her out of the hospital!!