July: Things I am Loving

July: Things I am Loving

1.) This Podcast

Are you on the podcast bandwagon yet? Why not?! I have been binge listening to this podcast throughout July. I love it!! It combines several things that I love: books, discussion of books, and podcasts. The podcaster is Anne Bogel. She writes the blog The Modern Mrs. Darcy. Have you heard of it? I have been enjoying her reading lists for years. If you like to read you really need to check her out. On the What Should I Read Next podcast she interviews people from all different walks of life and asks these questions:

1.) Name 3 books you love.
2.) Name one book you hate.
3.) What are you currently reading?
4.) Is there anything that you would change about your current reading life?

Then based on all that information she selects three books that she thinks they would enjoy reading. She also occasionally brings back previous guests to discuss which of her picks they read next and what they thought of it.

It is highly enjoyable and addictive listening. I love this podcast because it covers all kinds of genres and authors but isn't snobby or esoteric. Most of the books discussed I have at least heard of or know of the author. It feels like the kind of conversations I like to have with my own book loving friends. Listening has given me many more ideas on what I should read next and has allowed me to participate...vicariously...in discussions about books that I have read, loved, or hated. Good times!! I highly recommend.

2.) Tyler's New Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor

This little piece of equipment has been life changing. It really should be number one. Dealing with Tyler's blood sugar is pretty much an all day/all night...24/7... experience. If I had a dollar for every time I said "Test your blood." I would be a billionaire a million times over. Testing your blood multiple times during the day and night is absolutely vital to a diabetic. Your life depends on it. And...the lives of others if you intend to drive a car or do any other task like that. Tyler probably tests his blood about 10 times a day. His fingers are tough scar tissue. He is having to test on the sides of his fingers now which is much more painful. He knows that he has to test often to find out how much insulin he needs and then he programs his pump to supply it automatically. But sometimes he forgets or he ate a big meal and dosed up too high or exercised and didn't take that into account. Even extreme heat or eating food with ginger in it will make his insulin extra effective and his blood sugar plummets. There are hundreds of things that can effect his blood glucose levels. "What is your blood sugar?" is the first question that I ask every morning and the last one I ask every night. I also wake up in the middle of the night (every night for the last 21 years) and usually multiple times a night to ask him what his blood sugar is or to have him test his blood. It's not fun for either one of us but we don't have a choice. The kids and I are good at watching him to see when he is just a little off. I am a darn good judge at whether his blood sugar is high or low. Better than Tyler in fact. He's usually pretty good about listening to me. During the night I can get a good gage just by asking him "Are you okay?" and listening to his response. He has only been taken by ambulance once in our marriage. (knock on wood). But he has gotten pretty darn low about 25-30 times over the years. Maybe once or twice a year I am required to literally force orange juice down his throat. (No, it is not like that scene from Steel Magnolias. Tyler HATES that movie depiction.)

Tyler has had diabetes for 36 years now and takes very good care of himself. He is in very tight control which causes his blood sugar to dip more often. (High blood sugar is actually more dangerous to your organs but low blood sugar makes it difficult to function.) Over the last year, we've noticed his blood sugar dropping super low without him being aware of it at all. Even I am not seeing all the things that usually tell me that something is off. He can now have a blood glucose reading a good 20 points lower than what sent him to the hospital in the middle of the night years ago and he is acting almost completely normal. Scary. Something needed to change. Luckily technology is keeping up. Tyler told his doctor what was happening and was able to get a continuous blood glucose monitor. This is a wearable device. It has some nasty looking prongs and implants into the skin. He claims it doesn't hurt once it is on. He wears it on his upper arm. It tracks his glucose throughout the day and night. It notifies you of highs and lows so you can take action. So he can be at work sitting at his desk working away and he will get an alarm and notification on his Iphone. Kind of like a text message sound. It will let you know that your blood glucose is high or low. It is AWESOME!! Even better I get an alarm on my Iphone too. Plus, I can track his blood glucose all day and all night just by an app on my phone...as can Tyler. I can see what it is at any time day or night. Kameron also has the app on his phone and gets the notifications too.

It makes me cry thinking about how miraculous and life changing this is for us. Tyler is in even better control. His poor fingers are spared. I am not constantly worried. I have slept through the night for the first time in 21 years. If I want to (and I usually still do) I can roll over in bed in the middle of the night and just check his blood sugar super quick on my phone. I can't tell you how comforting it is to know that an alarm will go off if anything changes. It has been such a HUGE blessing in our lives.

I think this technology is especially amazing for parents with kids who are diabetic. You don't have to worry about sending them to school or camp or to a friend's house or to college. (Reilly can track Tyler's blood sugar from Utah if she wanted to.) I am so thankful and grateful for technology that has truly improved our quality of life.

Now onto things more fun...

3.) Red Sour Patch Kids Slurpees at 7-11

This is my summer treat pick of 2016. They are delicious especially if you are a sour Slurpee lover like me. Kameron was the only one who didn't choose the red sour patch flavor on this particular day and boy did he regret it!

4.) Snap Chat Bee Videos

Yes, yes! They are obnoxious but they are also hilarious to all of those involved. This is pretty much our family's favorite way to communicate about our day. I probably have over a hundred of these videos and more are taken every day. You have been spared the actual videos... for now.  There are some serious gems though that I will probably share on the blog eventually.

Kameron despises these videos and has only participated in three... all of which are pure joys!! Ha Ha!!

5.) Summer Reading 

It really is my favorite. Reading by the lake, the pool, in the afternoons, or out on our deck. It just doesn't get any better!! Cozy winter reading is nice and all but there is something so delightful and decadent about reading late at night knowing that you don't have to get up early in the morning. Guilt-free afternoon reading is pretty grand too. I have truly been enjoying it and breezing through the books!!