Keeping up with life

Long time I know I have been super busy with work and college and my neice and with the big D. School is seriously kicking my butt. I mean I thought this would be a cake walk to get my NP but lord knows it is a struggle but I know what the end result is so I am sticking with it. My neice is doing great she is pumping away and will lift her shirt to show her infusion site to anyone who will looks good lord it is like whooa kiddo keep the shirt on in church please lol. she is thriving and just doing wonderful.
Work well it is the summer and what fire/ems dept would not be complete without the crazy hard core kids out there getting hurt. We had a 26 yr old guy who decided to see how long he could hold on to his friends car while on his skate board with the car driving 30 miles an hr. umm can we say dumb!! the car took a right turn and the guy on the skate board kept going stright right into a tree!! needless to say he is visiting our local neuro ICU till he recovers. We got called to a party last night college kids drinking and some passed out well one girl was in this outfit that I doubt even a hooker would wear and she passed out on to of the guy she was well in the middle of relations with and when she passed out she fell to the side and that poor guy he was in tears I have never in my life ever had a patient where I needed to give pain meds to just to stop me from hurting just from looking at him. he was so embaressed asked us to not call his parents till he could figure out a story to explain this. At the same party we were called out again to treat yet another drunk he decided to jump from the sec. story deck to the pool only he jumped into the shallow end and shattered one ankle and fratured the other femor. lucky he was that he did not jump in head first. crazy I tell you.
My diabetes is doing well despite all the stress in my life right now my A1C was 5.7 this time so yeah for me. I have not had a low in geeze at least a month so the doses I am on must be doing thier thing. on monday I have knee surgery scheduled to fix an OCD lesion on my right knee. so that should be fun. Not to excited but it will help with fixing the everyday problems i have with it. I will be down and out for a week but then should be recovering well. I must head out for ice cream with the neice she is giving me the look. lol

I hate diabetes

I am one of the most happy people about my life diabetes and all it is something that won't go away and I didn't cause so I just take it day by day. today is different some how not sure why my blood sugars are good between 100 and 140 so no problems there and I even got a shower device free as it is change out day. I was thinking though showers for me are not just hair washing and body soap nooo my includes diabetes it is everywhere in my life food, shower, work , driving and all. It does not take a vacation and even though I have a good healthy outlook well except that whole cure stuff I mean seriously can we get one?? but I usually don't mind it but today I was in a food joint and doing my BG check and bolusing and what not and even with the pump I got a dirty look! like I am some freak!!which don't worry I know I am not but they looked at me like stay away you might catch it to their child. Really catch diabetes you can't catch it not type 1 or type 2. I wish people were more educated. It is sometimes like oh poor girl she is too young for that. well not really it is type 1 a childhood disease but yes no child should have to endure shots and needles or even bg checks unless it is birth you know the double check of an infants bg before they leave. Today my niece the sweet adorable 2 yr old with her whole life ahead of her asked me about the cure. When?? why not now? how come I have to take shots?? I didn't know how to explain to her that she didn't deserve this and that she will become a stronger person because of it or that I am so sorry that I could not fix her. the hardest part was her asking since I am a medic why is it I can help others but not her? Her child like faith and what not are in question. How do I fix that?? We never tell her she can't do something or eat something it is just all in moderation. I hate giving her shots and inflicting this on her but it keeps her alive you know? she will look at me with those big blue eyes and she does not cry instead she is strong and deals like we all do. she just can't grasp the concept of no cure. that breaks my heart!! I have been with this disease for so long it does not phase me except when it comes to her. she deserves to go play without us checking her bg or never having to deal with a low. my biggest blessing would be for her to never have to see the inside walls in the ER due to her diabetes. what a gift that would be. She is wierded out by taking her shoes off at the docs office to ensure healthy feet blister free. and her doc is amazing heck he put up with me so she will be a cake walk. okay sorry for the rant but she is too young and deserves a cure. she gets top notch diabetes care we would do anything to make it easier but till the cure comes she is stuck with shots and ketone strips and BG checks. So we have decided to bump up our fundraising efforts for the cure and I can't wait to kick diabetes to the curve for her me my sis and the millions afficked by it.

yeah I know could have posted sooner lol

Okay well lets see. First work has been well one word busy!! I love my job it is like a passion and therefore I am living the dream My dream. We have done a lot of summer calls this month you know what I am talking about kids playing doing what they should not and people getting beat by the summer heat ( People please drink water!!! ) lot more car wreaks and ohh yeah the summer college is out parties!! so needless to say I have worked on and on and on!! But I do not complain my friends because I do have a job that puts a roof over my head and food on the table and I kinda like it!!. Now with the diabetes all is okay I was saved by a great friend when my order shipping got mixed up and so I was soon to be out of infusion sets but they arrive tomorrow and she helped me till them TY you know who you are!! umm still a problem though they are sending the wrong infusion sets so I have to send the others back and get the right ones but it will take 3 days total and I will be good till the right ones get here. So summer I personally love it my birthday was last monday and now I am old lol J/K and I worked on my birthday what a day to my patients were gifting me left and right one guy with the smell of a ruptured abdominal cyst!! ( yuck so ugh they stink beyond belief if you didn't know ) another with the gift of throwing up on my shoes ( better then my shirt I guess ) and the best of all the one I will never forget and brought tears to my eyes an 12 yr old little guy. He was hit by a passing car while riding his bike. We get there and the feeling or Vib you got was no way is this kid going to make it but I am stubborn so lets see it ( guess you got to be stubborn for the job ) flat line again and again but ohh wait in the bus is there a glimpse of light?? yes a fixable rhythm..... Shock him!! we did and by Gods hands we got him back not great vitals but good enough to pass him to the trauma docs to do their job. Today he is alive a sweet 12 yr old at that he loves his DS and can't wait to get to his friends again he joked as to why could this could not have happened to him during school time we all laughed but knew he was lucky to be here. I just had to stop by and see him he is so full of like and when he grows up now he wants to be a medic!! ( yes another for the team !! ) that in its self made my birthday so worth it!! Well soccer games are starting up again not the world cup we will talk about that in a min. but pick up games and rec leagues so I am excited to help out with the rec leagues this yr we have some great players!! Now on to world cup first off these are just my thoughts so please take them with a grain of salt. USA out, unfortunately we did not win v.s Ghana but Germany on the other hand beat england!! that rocked my socks off!! Arg V.S Mexico well Arg took it with flying colors which is what I expected. Arg V.S Germany should be a good game I will be working but that is what your cell is for these days people!! and if I am in station then the game will be on no if ands or but's guys!! umm this weekend I work one day but folks how this happened to me I don't know but the EMS God motorola must be mad at me because I have to work 4th of july!! AHHHHHH!!!!!!! yes I am running away now!! people fireworks are dangerous if not handled properly just like the grill and drinking!! then there is the whole don't and I mean DO NOT!!! drink and drive!!! it is not worth the pain and suffering you will go through not to mention the pain and suffering the people who you may hit or your family might endure. Taxis are there for a reason people!!! and if you get burned do not put butter on it geeze go to the doc and see what he says as I am no doc and will not give you med advice as I prefer not to be sued ty. Enjoy this holiday with your family and friends and be blessed we get to celebrate it free!! I am off to do work things like stock the truck and hope my EMT - I newbie does not kill me with his driving. Safe days people!!

The call I never wanted

I have been a medic for 9 yrs now and you would think nothing could phase me but this call did. It was late we were at Waffle house eating ( love the food and 24 hr service ) A call comes over the radio and it is to a very well known home, but not for drugs or stupid stuff but instead for a 12 yr old little boy with leukemia. His mom had called because he was in horrible pain ( this kid is amazing has the highest threshold for pain of anyone I know ) and struggling to catch his breath. I knew it was going to be a bad call as this is his third relapse. We get there and this sweet little guy in his pj pants and under a blanket while watching his fav T.V show house. ( I asked him once why that show and he said to me " Dr. house can fix anyone so maybe there is a doctor who could fix me? ) Tears were in my eyes the day he said that. I go up to him and ask him whats going on and how can I help? he looked at me in the eyes and said it hurts so bad and I just don't feel right. So I get vitals and he is really bad off his pulse was 192 from dehydration and his blood pressure was 80/55 and breathing was 33 so I pack him up and had to start a line since he has a port and we can't access it. I push the pain meds and get some fluid going and off we go with mom following us. he looks me in the eye and said the one thing I didn't want to hear " I am ready to die " I paused for a moment to try and keep my self dry eyed he said he didn't want to tell his mom that he couldn't go because no one would be there for his mom. I was so amazed at this young man he is looking at death tired of the pain and treatments and where his life is right now but none of that worried him like his mom's feelings and care. You could just see it in him he was so weak and pale and small and just all out ready to get rid of this cancer. I said the one thing I knew to say and that was your mom is going to weep when you go and she is going to pray for you and miss you but most of all she is going to be so relieved that you are no longer in pain and that you will be healthy again and that is what is going to get her through. and your job will be to keep an eye on her from up above. This was his third relapse and he so deserved freedom from that cancer. ( I had the same leukemia he did when I was 14 but it was caught early and I was cleared of it after 3 yrs. ) He was so strong and he wanted to be that way for his mom he would not cry in front of her nor complain. We got him to the hospital with his fav quilt his mom made and his gameboy or whatever those new things are and we took him in to the children's hospital where he is known and his fav nurse was working ( thank goodness ) Today I found out he passed on due to infection raiding his body. I cried for his mom as she is at a loss I will go see her today after class is over and for him to be pain free and able to run and play like a normal kid. I know in medicine we are taught to not let things get to us but this little guy was amazing and I've known him since before I left GA and weird enough I took him for his last ambulance ride. Please keep the mom in your prayers I will not post names but just know that she needs them right now.

Numbers, and crazy laws

Highs and lows come with the D territory and we all know this but sometimes I just feel like my whole life even whole days is based on a number on A meter. !20 Yeah baby! 201 seriously? what the crap? 42 how low can you go? all of these numbers can happen all in one day trust me I know it just happened yesterday lol. You get happy for the good numbers and feel like a failure for the highs and seriously don't understand the lows although that might be because your mind is way off the rocker with a low. I hated going to the Endo's office for the longest time as it was always the three month A1C check and I would sit in that cold room waiting for the ever so important number and the judgement that might follow good or bad. I have a great endo now and that is no longer an issue he just says we will get through this together. I like the sound of that I mean it makes me feel like I am a part of the team.

On another note I wanted to address another issue a fellow blogger posted at diabetics corner booth. He posted about CA where a judge has ruled that school nurses are the only ones allowed to administer care to D kids. Now I don't know about you but me being a medic sees a lot of 911 calls for help at schools since there is a huge nurse shortage. these schools have nurses maybe twice a week or if lucky 3 days a week. seriously no insulin or Glucagon is allowed to be given by anyone other then the school nurse. now I understand the issues of what if they are low and someone gives them insulin? Parents of D kids are great teachers they could train anyone to care for their child like ensuring the person in charge of helping when needed knows to check BG first before treating and what the plan is for treating a low or a high. My parents were great they made me take my lunch to school and put the carb count of every single item in the box so if I didn't eat something it could be subtracted from the amount of listed carbs to adjust my dose. They taught my teachers what to watch out for with low symptoms and how to treat it. Lucky for me I only went low like 4 times in my whole school yrs. My coaches were taught to make me test before playing in practice and in games as well as during half time. they always had me covered heck I think the whole team knew how to look out for me. I was lucky but the D kids in CA are not so lucky this really can put a child's life in danger. seriously it just makes me mad thinking about it. how does this follow a child's 504 plan?

Life in Ga

I love this state I really do it is full of great people and I love the weather. Since moving I have had yet to unpack fully unless you count stuff being in the Apt but just on the floor. I am not used to no washer or dryer in my places so I had to use a laundry place where you put the coins in. Not horrible though I can manage to get all my clothes done in one load which is a lot btw. then one more load for my towels sheets and blankets. never could do that with my little washer and dryer back home. I have found a great set of doctors for my diabetes team and some wonderful dietician and diabetes educators. I found a great gym on post here and it is great and free!! I am still loving this place called Marietta square it is so cool they have little festivals and bazaars and great food it is like Marietta from the older days. but a beautiful place for pictures and just to walk around in the park. I am loving work the guys are great and really made me feel welcome. The fire dept I work for is in a nice area so a lot of our calls are legit for the most part unless it is for spoiled teens and college kids with a drug or drinking habit. Now someone please explain to me why you would buy a fast nice car for a 16 yr old? I mean do you want to go through the pain of losing your kid to a car wreck we all knowhow we were when we got our first cars very inexperinced and accident prone. I had the unfortunate job of working a wreck of a kid who was 16 who wrapped the car around he tree I mean head lights were touching tail lights. He didn't make it even with life flight to the hospital his injuries were bad. Open tib/fib fracture. laceration to the liver and spleen and subdural hematoma so he was circling the drain the who time and just didn't make it. These things remind me when I have kids one day to number 1 buy a really slow car 2. teach them so they will be safe. although as a parent there is only o much you can do before it becomes the teens decision. Lord be with that family. As for diabetes front well all is doing well for the most part and so I am now looking into different bolusing techniques and I have found so far that a bolus 20 mins before the meal really helps my 2 hr after meal sugars. So that is all for now. God Bless

Please tell me I am not the only one who has done this

So I am on a mini med pump and I love it but the darn thing stopped working like the buttons wouldn't do their job so I had to send it in for a overnight replacement except i had to wait for two days since it was Saturday. no problem right? I have done my insulin pens before and took humalog since it is what I use in my pump and ugh lantus (so hard to figure out the dosing on that junk for me anyways. anyway my pump finally comes in on mon. at like 10a.m and I had taken lantus at 7 a.m that morning but since my brain was fried from the 24 hr shift I work I put my pump on set it all up and went on my happy way. Stupid me was trying to figure out why the sugars would not come up so the ER we go because it would not get above 40 mg/dl. then finally in the room it hit my friend ( hubby is in Iraq so I am with a friend till he gets back) "dude did you take the lantus this morning?" me : " um yeah oh crap stupid me!!! the doc comes in we tell him and I had to stay the night to let the lantus wear off and get my bg back in order but all because of a big stupid thing I didn't pay atten too. so if you read this let it be a lesson if this has never happened to you and if it has I won't feel as bad. LOL