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Please visit Haley's web page if you would like to donate online or see how close she is to her personal goal. Haley's link
HapPy BiRthdAy HaLey !!!
My baby turned 12 today, December 12. Golden Birthday !!! We went to dinner at Ruby Tuesday's (her choice) and then came home and did nothing- again , her choice. Tomorrow we are going to Hungry Howie's for pizza with her friends and then back to the house for a Cookie Cake and ice cream.
Mom, Haley, Dad
June 26, 2008
Haley had her second A1C test. Don't ask, I am still not really sure exactly what the A1C is. Doctor hasn't said anything so they obviously are good. I think her range is suppose to be 6. Again, I am not really well versed on the A1C. It is a blood test that she has every 3 months. All part of being a Type 1 Diabetic.
Haley has grown 1.5" and gained 2 pounds. She towers over me at 5'4". I did hop on the scale and was so glad to see that I have lost 18 lbs since mid February. YIPPIE !!! I'd like to lose about 10 more.
She wanted an insulin pump until about 7 pm tonight. We talked to Holly, one of my bestest friends in the whole world, who lives in Salinas and Haley decided that she will wait a few years until she gets a pump. She thought about it alot and decided that 3-4 shots a day was nothing compared to the "what if's". She said she never wants to feel like she felt the weeks and days prior to being diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. So, the pump is on the back burner probably until high school.
While we were at her appointment her endocrinologist, Dr. Nelson, commented on her medical ID bracelet. Haley told him that I make bracelets to match all her clothes. He was impressed and I told him I had a website and he asked me for some of my business cards. He said that he likes people to know that there are alot of other companies out there (besides "that" very well known one) and that people have lots of options and he liked the idea that I was local too.
"What bracelet was she wearing" you ask??? Here are pictures I took of Haley today after we got home from her appointment.
And the bracelet (drum roll!)
I made the bracelet using sterling silver corrugated beads, Swarovski crystals, Cat's Eye, rhinestone and a few acrylic beads. She loves it and that's what matters !!!
June 18, 1958
You read that right 1958 !!! I was born 50 years ago !!! I went to the beach today with today with L to R - Bailey, Haley, Me, Allyson, Jeremy. We had great time !!!
May 18, 2008
Wonderfully relaxing weekend. Spent Saturday basking in the incredibly awesome sunshine, took a dip in the pool, cleaned house early evening and then relaxed again with Haley (when she finally got home) and watched lots of the TV show MEDIUM. Haley went to a "Tigerfest" at Palmetto High School with our neighbors daughter, Allyson went "prom dress" shopping in Tampa with a friend, Richard went down the street to play poker with his friends. They have weekly Saturday night games. I slept a good solid 10 hours and woke up feeling great this AM. My sister and I decided to do a little bit of shopping. The most exciting things I bought were
Haley and her "new" turtle
Haley and her new friend again
April 6,2008
Our youngest daughter Haley was diagnosed as Type 1 Diabetic on March 20. Type 1 means you are insulin dependent for life !!! She was very sick, we could have lost her, she is on the road to recovery now. She spent 3 days in the hospital , 2 in ICU and was released in the late afternoon of the 3rd day.
On Tuesday, March 18 Haley came home from school with an upset stomach, "tossed her cookies" and laid down. About an hour later we went to check on her and she was out of it. Very tired and didn't feel good, she had a stomach ache. About 2 AM on Wednesday, March 19 she "tossed her cookies" , I told her to get a good night sleep that she was not going to school in the morning. March 19 she was tired, drinking fluids, going to the bathroom and had some jello. She slept all night long. Thursday, March 20 she said her stomache still hurt, not bad, just alittle and we attributed it to having not eaten much and suggested we introduce food slowly- crackers, jello, etc. Thursday evening about 6 pm I called the pediatrican and he said there was a stomach flu going around and all her symptoms sounded like the flu, if she wasn't better by Friday to bring her in. After I got the phone, she "tossed her cookies" and could not walk 15 feet to the couch. She was staggering, talking as though she had run 100 miles and telling me she had no energy.
OFF WE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL !!!
We were checked in to the ER room within 5 minutes. They popped our little girl onto the scale and she had LOST nearly 25 lbs. !!!! Richard (her daddy, my husband) and I looked at each other in amazement. We knew she had grown and was thinning out but had no idea she had lost nearly 25 lbs. They set her up in a room and tried to insert an IV, her veins were collasped- she was dehydrated, her heart rate was 161. The rapid heart rate was why she was talking as though she had run 100 miles. They got the IV in and she was given enough fluids in 12 hours that most people get in 3 days. Nurse started drawing blood for test and I said "can you do a test for diabetis?" and the nurse said "no" something about it being a more complex test.
About an hour later the doctor came in and said "You have a very sick little girl, she isn't going to die, she is Type 1 Diabetic. She is being transported to All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg." Richard and I were both stunned, to say the least. It was as though someone had knocked the wind out of us. It took me a few minutes to compose myself and then I stepped outside to call our oldest daughter, my sister, mom, in-laws and a few friends.
Returning to the ER room I asked the nurse who drew the blood how they knew she was diabetic when I asked for a test and was told it couldn't be done and he said it was because they always run a regular blood sugar test and her blood sugar was 491. The doctor came back into the room and told us that the reason she was not responding to the fluids being pumped into her was because her blood sugar was 491, she had ketone acid in her blood, her heart rate was high because of the dehydration caused by the diabetis and they had to start her in insulin immediately. They said the ambulane was on it's way from St. Petersburg. AMBULANCE ??? I thought I was driving her to St. Petesburg. ABSOLUTELY NOT !!! She was going by ambulance and I could follow in my car.
About 10 PM my sister, mom and Allyson- our oldest daughter all arrived at the ER. We were by then emotionally drained and had only just begun the journey into the world of Type 1 Diabetic, insulin dependent for life !!!
I sent daddy/hubby, sister and Allyson all home about 11:30 pm. Mom/Grandma Joyce and I decided that we would stay at the hospital with Haley that everyone else had to go to work and we knew she would be okay once the insulin started to work and her blood sugar came down.
About 1:30 AM the ambulance arrived, her blood sugar was checked before departing, it was 371, YIPPIE !!! The insulin was working. They loaded my baby girl in and off we went. Mom/Grandma Joyce and I headed off in Grandma's BMW following Haley in the ambulance.
All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg is about 30 minutes from our house. We didn't have a long drive. Arriving at the hospital, Mom/Grandma Joyce followed Haley and I parked the car, got into the hospital and she was already in a room. All Children's Hospital is AMAZING !!! In the 5 minutes it took me to park the car Haley was already in a room and was surrounded by doctors and nurses. No sleep for us, Haley slept off and on.
Friday morning about 4 AM Haley was finally allowed to have some ice chips. Her blood sugar was coming down, her body was responding. Yippie ! Mom left about 8 AM. I caught a few Z's until the doctors and nurses started coming into the room again. The dietician came in for about 1 hour. The diabetic educator came in about 3 and was there for 2 hours. I was now 36 hours without sleep and was physically sick and "tossing my cookies".
Haley was transferred to a regular room about 6 pm. Daddy arrives !
Friday evening about 7 pm the endocrinologist, Dr. Nelson, came in and begins our education on diabetis, insulin, why she needs it, how much, when, etc. 38 hours of no sleep for me and I am really "tossing my cookies" and have a raging headache. Hubby/Daddy and my sister insist that I go home, shower and sleep because t I am no good to anyone in my condition. I give in and we leave about 8 pm. We have to be back at the hospital Saturday morning by 7 AM because Dr. Nelson will be there about 7:30 for a few more hours of education.
I arrive home and get a water bottle take upstairs and suddenly EVERYTHING comes full circle ... yes, Haley has been drinking ALOT of water- like a gallon a day, she has been eating ice like it is going out of style, she wakes up at 2 AM to go to the bathroom, she has a stomache everyday, she is hard to wake up in the morning, her breath smells fruitty ... ALL THE SIGNS OF DIABETIS !!!
I shower, go to bed and sleep a good solid 10 hours. Up at 6, shower, do my hair, my sister arrives at 6:45, we hit McD for iced coffee and off we go to see Haley.
Arriving at the hospital, Haley wakes up about 7:30 AM, turns toward me and says "You're wearing Paris, I can smell it." Indeed I am !!! My baby girl is getting better !!!
Dr. Nelson arrives and we begin another 3 hours education. Everything makes senses to me today. This is simply a blimp in the road, not a road block. Haley can do anything she wants, she must monitor her blood sugar and take her insulin and she will lead a long healthy full life.
Haley is released from the hopsital about 2 PM and we make our way home.
