tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118565642009-12-05T07:44:15.916-06:00Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.comBlogger235125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-86672658692661348462009-12-01T09:43:00.002-06:002009-12-01T09:50:41.697-06:00

Over the last four years I've received messages from readers telling me how we're doing a "beautiful job" helping Joseph manage his diabetes and that I'm an "amazing" mom.Well at the beginning of last month, I felt about as far from amazing as any mom could get — and even now, I'm still a little shaky.You see, Joseph was sneaking food, treats mostly — but worse, he wasn't bolusing for them.When I

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-91908803850764193362009-11-25T11:51:00.001-06:002009-11-25T11:52:53.509-06:00

As we've done in previous years, we'll be celebrating Thanksgiving with friends. Cooking, talking, eating... I just love it.Though I'm still not sure what dish we're bringing.I'm thinking something chocolate.(Maybe what I made that one year)Anyhow, I wanted to check in-- to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, and to let you know that a post is coming.A much longer post.We weathered a storm

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-57237691288834659702009-11-14T16:04:00.003-06:002009-11-14T17:13:43.568-06:00

People are gathering, talking, celebrating...Blue is everywhere.Once again, I'd like to add my son's voice to the chorus as he shares some of his thoughts about managing Type 1 diabetes and how he educates/involves his friends.(We had a lot of fun doing this... our own mini WDD celebration.) *Note: The blog stays blue until the end of the month in honor of Diabetes Awareness Month, returning to

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-876272344537397672009-11-09T14:34:00.007-06:002009-11-09T15:18:14.259-06:00

November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and today is D-Blog Day -- conceived four years ago by Gina Capone at Diabetes Talkfest as a means of celebrating the power of this ever-growing online community to share, to educate, to support anyone willing to write their story, make a comment, or simply read a d-blog.My son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just over five years ago -- and honestly, I

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-51000916049523887682009-09-21T14:29:00.003-05:002009-09-21T14:39:04.645-05:00

First-- Joseph is doing just fine.But I'll backtrack a moment because when I googled "H1N1" and "child with diabetes," I got nothing -- reassuring or otherwise. So here is our experience thus far:As I said in my last post, Joseph spiked a fever early Friday morning. Well, by early afternoon he was showing all the symptoms: cough, headache, fatigue... and his fever had climbed to 102 two hours

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-86221801003443034192009-09-18T08:37:00.006-05:002009-09-18T09:43:58.531-05:00

"Mama, why don't you write on your blog anymore?"I stop typing the press release I'm working on and look down at my girl's pale face, her dark brown and uncharacteristically watery eyes."Honey, I- well I've been busy with my job and you kids... and well... I don't know. Why do you ask?""Because I miss it.""You miss it," I say with a smile, "but Honey, you didn't really read it.""I did sometimes

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-84454294966647279872009-08-14T10:45:00.002-05:002009-08-14T10:49:08.959-05:00

We're in the homestretch of summer vacation and it's been crazy over here.Late last week, my external hard drive crashed... that would be the hard drive containing backups of our documents, photos and the only copies of my edited videos (files too big to store on our laptop).Thankfully, the Geek Squad was able to recover most of my files, however, a directory containing a large number of my

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-42245575943065126242009-08-06T12:44:00.003-05:002009-08-06T13:42:13.127-05:00

Finally.The piles of folded clothes that covered the dining room table are packed tightly into Joseph's large blue duffel-- along with sunscreen, bug spray, goggles, sneakers, flip flops...Everything my boy will need for a week at camp.And next to that duffel is a medium-sized black suitcase packed neatly with dresses, shirts, skirts and "skorts" -- along with no less than six "buddies" from

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-18815015205465830292009-08-03T11:45:00.001-05:002009-08-03T11:47:59.779-05:00

Okay, so.Joseph went to camp last week and I've got A LOT to say about it.Some absolutely awesome, some... pretty horrendous.But I can't write about it today because it's our first day home from Joseph's road trip with his little league All Star team. (I've got some stories about that, too.)Yes, I know. My posting has been choppy at best. I can't promise that I'll post more regularly because I've

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-67287093681293570602009-07-25T15:30:00.005-05:002009-07-25T17:38:10.531-05:00

Two days ago, I was flown to Indianapolis for a meeting with nearly 30 other diabetes bloggers and online community leaders-- many of them close friends.The vast majority I'd never met in the flesh.Throughout the evening and one-day event I was struck by the passion, the intense commitment of these bloggers to making life better for everyone living with diabetes.(When I wasn't fighting back

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-20926930087759145952009-06-29T08:20:00.000-05:002009-06-29T08:18:08.294-05:00

We leave tomorrow for a two week visit with family back east. If at all possible, I will post from there.In the meantime, for the sake of closure I'm sharing an entry I wrote on May 11th and just now found in a draft folder...___________________________________________________________I write my previous entry, hit "publish post" -- then sit back in my chair.Thinking.What if he gets this thing?

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-47268546483770250662009-05-08T17:30:00.002-05:002009-05-08T17:32:50.246-05:00

On my way to pick up Joseph, I can't help smiling.The sun is bright, the air warm, and it's Friday.Ice cream, that's all this day needs.Just as my boy climbs in the car, I turn and flash him a grin."How 'bout we pick up Evan and then go for some ice cream?""That'd be great," Joseph says.And then he turns and looks out the window."What's up, Bud? Anything happen at school today?""A kid got swine

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-84630232723884136872009-04-17T19:44:00.000-05:002009-04-17T19:45:44.477-05:00

... and could the freeze-frame look any goofier? Will write a post soon... really.

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-59893721368520121342009-03-29T18:43:00.005-05:002009-03-29T18:54:25.878-05:00

Have you ever lost touch with a close friend?Ever let so much time go by without talking that you just didn't know where to begin?And even when something truly wonderful happens, your shame at having let this friend fall so far out of your life prevents you from sharing it with them.Well, that's how I've been feeling for quite a while now.About this blog-- and about all of you.So I'm just gonna

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-70958356474097062902008-12-08T10:19:00.002-06:002008-12-08T10:27:20.174-06:00

Here we are coming to the end of the year, and what have I been doing?Stressing about money.Money for our property taxes, money for Joseph's orthodontia, miscellaneous medical bills, our insurance premiums, CHRISTMAS...Money for a new insulin pump.That's right, Joseph's current pump will soon be out of warranty-- and given our history, there's no way we can afford to be without a warranty.

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-5399238163865081262008-11-24T11:12:00.002-06:002008-11-24T11:20:31.655-06:00

I lean back and stretch, before glancing at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen.11:35 AMJoseph should have called by now to confirm his lunch bolus.Standing up, I stretch again-- then walk upstairs to the kitchen, drop into a seat at the counter and slide Joseph's bright yellow and green logbook in front of me.Hmmm.... 155 before breakfast-- that means the spike will be a

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-69990104731703967402008-11-14T09:25:00.004-06:002008-11-18T17:50:28.279-06:00

In honor of World Diabetes Day, and because this year's theme is again "Diabetes in Children and Adolescents," I'm going to step aside and let my son do the talking:

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-57251429320980443042008-11-09T15:36:00.002-06:002008-11-09T16:57:07.250-06:00

Back in 2005, when I wrote my first D-Blog Day post, I was a part of a small, but passionate group of people determined to tell our stories, to reach out-- to connect with others affected by diabetes.And now, just three years later, we are hundreds strong-- and still growing.Wow.Sometimes it just blows me away, how rapidly this community has become a source of support for thousands.A force for

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-20591739687894944202008-10-22T20:53:00.006-05:002008-10-22T21:18:10.180-05:00

"I can't believe it-- we're actually gonna see the Red Sox play tonight!""Mom, we should just get cable," Joseph says with a sly grin, "then we can see them anytime we want.""No."That's all I say. Because I don't feel like explaining yet again that if we had cable TV, we'd be a family of lab rats-- spinning endlessly through all of those channels...Nope, I'm not going there.We're having dinner in

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-48909219484292305402008-10-01T19:29:00.005-05:002008-11-11T11:47:46.859-06:00

Please watch....... and vote.

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-45727588953290543842008-09-25T11:03:00.001-05:002008-09-25T11:06:29.951-05:00

Taking a seat in the common room, opposite Joseph's cabin nurse -- a woman with wavy brown hair who looks to be about my age -- I'm not nervous at all.Determined, is more like it.We start out talking about basal rates and insulin-to-carb ratios; corrections and the timing of set changes.And then, I take a deep breath."Now, I'm sure you're aware that Joseph needs to be checked at both midnight

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-80914683472521863802008-09-18T16:53:00.001-05:002009-08-14T10:43:35.113-05:00

So yes, I really am back.Honest.I'm just trying to figure out where to start.You see, part of me feels that by writing about the present, I'm giving short shrift to the best summer we've had in years.I never wrote about all the summer baseball-- or those 15 amazing days out east bonding with my siblings and their kids.Or the swimming, fishing, and quirky fun we had in northern Wisconsin with

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-79865435556246904702008-09-08T11:06:00.005-05:002008-09-08T11:11:47.111-05:00

First.I am so sorry to have left you all hanging-- we're here, and we're fine.I think.So much has happened since my last post, I don't quite know where to start.I guess an explanation for the silence might be the best place.Now, I could just say I haven't posted because we've been busy -- DANG busy -- with multiple trips out of town, beautiful weather, preparations for school...All true.But

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-11647601428492365342008-06-12T21:16:00.002-05:002008-06-12T21:36:40.425-05:00

They're home.Thank. God.Half an hour before they got in, I called Ryan's cell phone yet again to see how close they were to home-- I was petrified because the news had said sections of I-94 between here and the Dells were closed due to flooding.They'd warned that road conditions were "extremely dangerous."Ryan's cell didn't answer, so I left a message.I tried again.Several times.I called Joseph's

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11856564.post-71073947390833129962008-06-12T18:25:00.002-05:002008-06-12T18:29:01.134-05:00

I'm sitting in my basement with Evan.The tornado siren went off about 45 minutes ago; there've been at least three confirmed touch downs in the area.Along with "hen's egg" sized hail, torrential rains, and 80 mile an hour winds.According to the news, at least three more "tornadic" storm cells are heading toward us.Right now, Ryan and Joseph are on the interstate just outside of the Dells --

Sandra Millerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16664436447708465809sandra_lm@yahoo.com4