The Life of a Super Hero

During the month of November Jack said to me on more than one occasion that he was a super hero. He would say "Mom, I'm super Jack-Jack, and you are super mommy." This is significant to me because on December 16, 2013 Jack was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and really did become my super hero.

It has been a whirlwind the past couple of weeks and I have had a lot of people asking me questions. I have been meaning to write this post for a while to help answer some of these questions and I am just now getting to it. I am by no means an expert about diabetes. With this disease you learn by fire. We are still in the fire, so I am still learning something new everyday. There is a lot of trial and error involved and a huge learning curve involved. I'm sure by the time I get it all figured out Jack will be ready to do it all on his own.

Hopefully this post will help educate some of our family and friends on diabetes.  If nothing else it will help me to write down and review the information for myself. I honestly didn't know anything about diabetes before Jack was diagnosed except for that it involved high blood sugar and insulin.

Here are a few of the questions that I have been asked:

What is Diabetes?
I thought this video from youtube would be better at explaining diabetes than I could. It is 2 minutes long and explains it in a way that my 6 year old can understand.

Right now Jack is in what they call the "honeymoon" stage where his body is still producing some insulin, although it is a guessing game to know how much. My Dr. described it as wringing out a wet rag. You never really know how long you will be able to get a few drips out. It can last for weeks or months. This is why getting his dosages correct right now is kind of a guessing game.

What are the signs for Diabetes?
Of course when I talk to other moms about Jack being diagnosed they want to know what the signs are so that they can make sure their own children don't have any symptoms. It is something that can really sneak up on you. Especially in toddlers because a lot of the signs are common for really any toddler.

- increased thirst
- increased (or decreased) hunger
- increased urination
- weakness or fatigue
- weight loss
- blurry vision
- fast, deep breathing
- slow or confused thinking

The last few symptoms come when your blood sugar has reached its max. Your body starts breaking down your fat causing you to go into what is called DKA (Diabetic Ketoacidosis). It can be a very scary thing and these kids are very sick.

Fortunately, we caught Jack very early. Looking back I am not sure how long he was really showing signs of diabetes. The only signs that I saw were the week before his yearly check-up. He was always asking for water, peeing about every hour, waking up at night in a panic to use the bathroom, and fighting us at every meal to get him to eat.

I have told many people this, but I honestly think that the spirit was prompting me that something wasn't right and told me to ask questions. Two, almost 3 yr olds, are like this, so I have no other reason why I was lead to get him checked out. One night as Shad and I laid in bed my mind went to a conversation that I had with one of my friends whose son was diagnosed recently. I asked her what the signs were and she talked about frequent urination and loosing weight. Shad and I looked up all of the symptoms of diabetes, and although I didn't think they sounded like Jack at the time, I couldn't get the thought of diabetes off my mind.

This is what led me to ask the Dr. at his appointment a few days later. This was the first time that we had seen our new pediatrician and I wasn't sure how seriously he would take my concern, however, he immediately had him tested in the office and his A1C (a sample of blood that can tell the doctors what your blood glucose has been like in the past 3-4 months) indicated that he was indeed diabetic. He was an 8.7 where as a normal A1C is around 6.5

Honestly I was in a little bit of shock, especially when the doctor told us to pack our bags and get down to primary children's hospital in Salt Lake that night and expect to spend the next 2 days there. As we left the office I just kept thinking "but he's not sick." However, I heard from a number of people how lucky we were in finding out in this way. Unfortunately a lot of cases go unnoticed until something serious happens and they have no choice but to go to the hospital. I was able to finish my laundry, let Jack finish his nap, and have dinner with my parents before we were admitted into the hospital.

I wasn't always a believer in getting those yearly check-ups done with my children. I always did, but they were always healthy so I never worried. Now I know just how important they are. What if I would have put it off or not done it at all? What if I wouldn't have followed the promptings and asked questions? The timing couldn't have been any better.

So, my advice to all of the moms that have asked me if they should get their children checked because of things they have noticed, I would say "it doesn't hurt." Ask questions. All it takes is a urine test or a little finger poke for a peace of mind.

What causes type 1 diabetes?
Type 1 is more common in children or adolescents. It is the result of an autoimmune process, which is basically like a case of mistaken identity. Your body's immune system, which is responsible for protecting your body from invading illness, attacks your own healthy tissue by mistake. With type 1, the autoimmune process attacks the pancreas, damaging it so it can't produce enough insulin.

Scientists aren't sure what triggers the autoimmune process but there are two factors that seem to play a role:

- Genetics. People with diabetes are more likely to have inherited certain genes that make them vulnerable to the disease.

Jack doesn't have any immediate relatives with type 1, although my teenage cousin was diagnosed a few years ago and Shad also has a cousin with type 1. My other children will be tested since it does seem to run in families.

- Environment.  Something sets off, or "triggers," the autoimmune process in a person with a genetic tendency toward diabetes. The trigger could be a virus, a chemical, stress, or something else the person encounters in daily life.

I have wondered since diagnosis if all of the stress of moving to grandma's house and then to our new house this past year could have been his "trigger." Not to say that if we didn't move this wouldn't have happened. If it wasn't moving, it would have been something else later on. Diabetes doesn't happen suddenly, although it did seem that way. It happens over a matter of months or years in where the beta cells (those that produce insulin in the pancreas) are under attack. This is how they can actually test to see if you are at an increased risk for diabetes before you even show visible signs. The damage to the beta cells is detectable through tests.

Is it possible to grow out of type 1 diabetes?
No, Jack will have this for the rest of his life. He will need to manage his blood sugar through food and insulin until they find a cure, until someone creates an artificial pancreas, or until the resurrection comes. This sounds a little daunting to me. I try not to think about it too much and take one day at a time.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Jack won't know any different once he gets older. This will be a way of life for him and something he will have always known. For those that are diagnosed later in childhood or adolescence know what it was like to live without diabetes.

How do you treat type 1 diabetes?
Diabetes is treated with basically two things: Food and insulin. Food brings the blood glucose up and insulin brings it back down (so essentially food is like medicine for Jack). Our goal is to keep Jack's blood sugar within a target range at all times. Since Jack produces no insulin (or will eventually produce no insulin) his blood sugar has to be treated using artificial insulin. This can be given through a shot or a pump that is attached to the body (something we hope to get before he starts school.)

There are two types of insulin:

- Long acting (basal): taken once a day and lasts 24 hours. This insulin stays in his body for a longer period of time and essentially gives him a small dose of insulin throughout the day to keep him in check. This dose stays the same everyday, but changes slightly as he grows and needs more insulin.

- Meal insulin (bolus): taken every time he eats. Since food brings up the blood sugar, this has to be counteracted with a calculated amount of insulin based on what he eats. For those without diabetes our bodies do this naturally based on what we eat.

 This is the tricky part of diabetes because everything that he eats has to be counted for carbohydrates to see how much insulin he will need for that particular food. If it is not calculated correctly or food is taken without insulin it could cause a high or low blood sugar which can cause complications.

Right now since he is on his "honeymoon" and doesn't eat very much he hardly ever has to have a bolus shot and is on a very low dose for his basal shot. Almost enough that it makes me wonder if it is worth dosing him at all.

Obviously, it is impossible to keep him completely within target range all of the time. You are continually correcting the highs with additional insulin and the lows with additional snacks. The goal is really to just make sure that everything stays in check all of time (or MOST of the time). As long as you know what is going on then corrections can be made. This is why we check Jack before he puts anything into his mouth so that we know how to treat him. We also check him even when he doesn't put anything in his mouth just for peace of mind. This includes checks at 2:00 am, which he hardly ever wakes up for.

How is Jack taking all of this?
Honestly, for anyone who knows Jack knows what a happy and carefree kid he is. Although he doesn't like the shots entirely well, and he would prefer not to check his blood when all he wants is a few crackers, I think he has accepted this new way of life already. The needles are so small that you really can't even feel them and I think he is already starting to develop some calluses on his tiny fingers.

He still can to anything that any other normal 3 yr old can do. His diet has not changed at all. He can still have snacks, candy, and his beloved peanut butter and honey sandwiches. He is not limited to a "sugar free" diet. Just like any kid, it is important for him to have a balanced diet and that still includes sweets. However, now everything he eats has to be counted, calculated, and a possible shot given. I think it will make him value what he eats that much more once he gets older.

How is our family handling this?
It has been a lifestyle change, a stress, a learning experience, but also a huge testimony builder for us. We have already learned to rely on the Lord for help and never to ignore promptings when they come (which I am sure will become more frequent than ever.) Haken has learned the value of empathy (a topic for another post), and Gracie has learned that she is not always going to be the center of the universe with our attention turned to other things lately.

We are taking it in stride, but that is because we have been blessed by some of the most amazing doctors, support groups, ward members, friends, and family. We have a stable job with insurance (something I will never take for granted again), and have had confirmation after confirmation of why/when/where things need to happen.

When I see my sweet little boy's fingers already developing "prick marks" my heart hurts a little, but then I realize that he is alive and I will take seeing that little drop of blood every few hours to see his sweet little smile every second of the day. Being a diabetic is not what it used to be. We live in a day when it is better understood and controlled than it has ever been.

It is an adjustment (probably the biggest understatement of my life), but nothing we can't handle. People do this everyday and we are going to take this disease one day at a time because being a super hero isn't supposed to be easy.

Merry Christmas from the Anderson's

Today is the shortest day of the year. It seems opposite from the year we just had. I'll attempt to be brief yet thorough.

The year began in Tremonton bouncing around the idea of buying a short sale. We decided to try, sold our house, lost the short sale, lost our home sale. Then it was March.

Decided to try again, sold our home, put money down on a new build, moved in with grandma and grandpa, discovered the joy of commuting including a bus that caught on fire, and then observed that building a house was not for us. Now it's August.

It began to dawn on us that maybe we weren't supposed to remain in Tremonton so we looked into Cache Valley. Three days later we had an offer accepted and we were off to Providence. Then it was September.

We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas gift in October as we went to Disneyland. Haken became a man as he rode every ride he was tall enough for (there was only one he wasn't). Jack remained a sweetheart as he flirted with every girl in the magic kingdom (he was also super obsessed with his Disneyland map). Gracie was a little late as she figured out walking in November (grandpa Guy didn't mind stroller sitting anyway). Shad lost his glasses in the ocean, and Bonnie's hot (just saying).

It was about this time that we began to wonder if things were going a bit too smoothly.  I promise we didn't pray for trials, these found us all on their own. Two diagnosis' have changed our lives. First, Bonnie's father was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer which is terminal. He's doing very well currently. Second, Jack was diagnosed with type 1 Diabetes a few days after his third birthday, which has been an adjustment for all of us.

Fortunately, we have a knowledge of God's plan for our salvation. We understand the conditions of the Fall, and we have hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We're happy, and are enjoying life.

We would love to hear from you and visitors are always welcome to our new home in Cache Valley. 

Love,

The Anderson’s

Tender Mercies

My Dad has cancer. Last night we found out that it is terminal.
It is treatable, but not curable. 

One of my very favorite General Conference talks of all time is
Elder Bednar's talk entitled "The Tender Mercies of the Lord". 

"We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord's tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequalities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty, even unto the power of deliverance."

I can not "attempt to explain that which is unexplainable" and I am struggling to understand the "injustices and inequalities of life," but I can tell you about the tender mercies that have blessed my life in the last three weeks. They truly have helped to make me "mighty" and have brought to me the "power of deliverance."
(1 Nephi 1:20)

1) There is never a good "time" to be diagnosed with cancer. Cancer is not convenient. However, knowing my parents history, you would know that the timing of this diagnosis couldn't have been much better. About three years ago he was out of a job for some time. It was a very hard time for us as a family but we got through it and he now has a great job with great insurance. For that we are grateful. He is young, 57 on Christmas Eve, however he is strong and will fight this as long as he can. We are so blessed to have medical technology that gives us the best fighting chance and time to spend with our loved ones. My Dad's Grandma also had a brain tumor around this age. She died when when my dad was 5 years old, on the operating table. We have come so far in the last 50 years. My dad had a brain tumor removed last week and although he has to learn to write again, he is still alive. That to me is amazing. 

2) Last Christmas my parents surprised us with a family trip to Disneyland. It was a much anticipated trip. We didn't get to go until the middle of October, one month ago. It was a dream vacation. My mom got a little teary as we all walked into the gates of Disneyland as a family. We used to go every few years with my family and there are lots of memories shared there. But, I will never forget this last Disneyland vacation. We had no idea that just two weeks after we got home my dad would be going in to remove a brain tumor. It all came on so fast after we got home. The Lord saw it fit to let us have a worry free vacation as a family. The Lord was waiting for us to have that magical time together.

3) Over a year ago my dad was feeling a real push to move out of the house that he had built with his own hands and raised all of his kids in. They had been in that house for 28 years and my mom was a pretty hard cookie to crack when it came to this subject. She loved that house. There were so many memories in that house, and yet, she knew that the upkeep of it in the long run wasn't going to work. So, finally, after about a year of pushing my mom finally conceded and made the leap to a new house in Centerville last July. I myself was sad to see the other house go, it was the only house that I had known growing up (they moved in when I was only a few weeks old), but the house they have now is PERFECT for them. Now seeing what the future holds, I am convinced that the spirit was speaking to my dad telling him to move.

The ward that they are in is amazing. They truly take care of one another. One of the connections that was made that I also see as a tender mercy is a relationship that was rekindled with my dad and Elder Baxter who lives in their new ward. My dad served a mission in Scotland and Elder Baxter was his Assistant to the mission president while he was there. About a year ago Elder Baxter also went in for surgery to remove a brain tumor. His experience has brought strength to my dad during his struggle the last few weeks. The night before the surgery Elder Baxter gave my dad an amazing blessing. I am truly grateful for the power of the priesthood in the last few weeks. 

4) The last tender mercy, although I know there are probably hundreds more that will become apparent, is one that I wouldn't have even suspected. A year ago we started our whole fiasco of moving (a long story for another post soon to come). Somehow in all of that moving we ended up living with my parents for 2 months this last summer. During this time my children developed a love for their grandparents that I don't think we could replicate any other way. Jack became grandpa's "little buddy." Every day when he came home from work Jack would yell "Grandpa!" and jump into his arms. My dad told me that that was the highlight of his day. I'm sure it wasn't easy to share a house with us, but there was never a question of them saying "no," even though we made their move to the new house much harder than it needed to be. I hope that my children will always remember those special two months that they got to spend with their grandpa.

I repeat Elder Bednar's words as he said:

"I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord's timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge him."

I absolutely know this to be true. The Lord is truly mindful of us.

"The Disneyland Part"

Here we go... the day the kids (and I) have been waiting for for almost a year. I think that I was equally excited, if not more so, to go to Disneyland. There is something about this place that is just magic. This is probably why Disney can charge crazy prices for everything and people still continue to come back over and over again. The magic doesn't end when you are an adult either. I remember the feelings that I had while at Disneyland when I was little and it is the same now that I am older, although they are influenced by different things. The excitement that I feel is more to see the smiles on my kids faces this time around. I love the awe that I see in their eyes as they try to take everything in. It reminds me of my experiences as a kid and just compounds the excitement and happiness I feel.

I have posted lots of pictures in this post and it is not even close to everything we experienced. We were there for a total of three days. My parents bought us all "Hopper passes" where we could go to both Disneyland and California Adventure for the three days we were there. 

As I looked at the pictures later my first thought was "I wish I took more pictures of us doing _____ or standing by ______ or with _______," but then I decided that it was so much better living in the moment than looking at everything through my camera lens. Shad and I laughed when we were in line for the "Indiana Jones" ride and a couple in front of us each had their own cameras taking pictures of every curve and corner in the line. Although I won't remember all of the little details of what the Indiana Jones line was like, I remember that I had a fantastic time with my family. The feelings that I had there with my kids can not really be captured in a picture anyway, although we tried to do that a little bit with the smiles that you see on these kid's faces. 

Day One

Today we spent the whole day in Disneyland. It being a Thursday it was supposed to be least crowded this day so we took advantage of that. Honestly it wasn't that crowded the whole time that we were there. The longest we waited was 40 minutes for a ride and that was because the kids absolutely had to go on a ride again, even though the timing wasn't quite right. Most rides were about a 10-15 minute wait. Some we walked right on. 

 It was a lot of fun seeing Disneyland all decked out for Halloween. The weather was absolutely perfect the whole time we were there. It was only hot for maybe an hour out of the day and then a tiny bit chilly an hour before we left each night. I really liked going this time of year more than any of the times I went before (or that I remember). 

Jack's first sight of Disneyland

Standing at the gates of Adventureland to get in.
We started there and we got right on every ride.

The first ride that we went on was the Jungle Cruise. This typically has a long line towards the middle of the day, but we walked right on. My mom was so smart in her planning. We really maximized our time with her research.  

Next, we went over to Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. Jack took a little flashlight in with him that we brought and he wasn't scared at all. Gracie didn't make a peep the entire time and sat very still taking it all in. I loved seeing the Haunted Mansion made into "The Nightmare Before Christmas." I guess my kids need to watch that show now so that they know why it was decorated the way that it was. 

We spent a bunch of time over in the classic Disney rides in Fantasyland. Haken wasn't as impressed with these as he was the big roller coasters, but Jack really liked them. 

Shad and I got to spend a little bit of time alone while the rest of the group went to a show. We went back to the Hotel to grab and few things we forgot that morning. I loved just walking around with my sweetheart probably more than all of the rides I went on. 

Love the photo bomb in this picture.

When we got back, we all went to "It's a small world." We waited about 30 minutes for this ride, which Shad says was entirely too long, but the kids loved it. You have to go on this ride once when you are in Disneyland, no matter how much you will despise the song after you get off.

The afternoon was spent in Toontown where Haken saw Mickey at his house and I got to ride a roller coaster with my handsome little guy.

We had tons of good food while we were there. I was really impressed with the quality of the food. Although it pretty much costs your first born to eat there, I would recommend that everyone who goes to Disneyland plans on buying at least one meal a day there. My parents bought us dinner every night (love them!) and I did bring sandwiches one day for lunch, but we never ate them. Eating the food there is part of the experience. Although it is expensive, you did get a lot of food and I was never hungry. While there we had Cajun, Mexican, Chinese, and American. I learned the hard way not to buy kid's meals. After the first day the kids basically ate off of our plates because there was so much food. 

Day 2

Today was spent in the California Adventure park. This was a day of divide and conquer. We split up a lot more this day so that everyone would have a chance to do what they wanted to do. It was SO nice having so many adults there so that we could switch off watching the kids. I honestly think that I will never want to go with just our little family while we have babies because then I would never get to ride any of the big rides with my hubby. One of us would always be watching them. That would be lame! Having Grandma and Grandpa there was also tons of fun for the kids.

Shad and I volunteered to get everyone "fast passes" for the "Radiator Springs Racer" ride right as we got into the park while the rest went to ride another ride and then we would switch. We heard they go fast and boy were they right! We were there when the park opened and the fast pass time was all the way until 5:00 pm! (I'll talk a little more about that ride later) Once we got the passes we headed to Bug land. Jack liked the little rides in this area.

We also saw a show in bug land on the third day as a family. It was an 3D interactive show where you actually feel like there are bugs around you. Kind of creepy. This is the only time that I can remember hanging out with just our little family. We maybe should have done that more, but I enjoyed the company of my siblings as well. 

In the bug cave waiting for the show to start.
We had 3D bug glasses on.

We didn't get a lot of signatures because that really wasn't what the kids wanted to do (thank heavens!) but we did get a few that were easy to catch. When Jack met Minnie he was excited at first, but then had second thoughts when we got close. It was all we could do to get him to at least hold her hand for the picture (at the top of this post).

We saw the Pixar parade down the streets of California adventure this night. We weren't really planning on it, but everyone started lining the streets, so I found a place and marked our territory while I waited for the kids to get off of a ride. I think they really enjoyed the parade so I'm glad that we made time for it. 

Radiator Springs was probably my favorite part of California Adventure. It was SO well done. It looked exactly like the movie. It was like we were walking right into Radiator Springs. I was especially impressed with the mountain scenery they had created for the background. It looked completely real and huge.  

The Radiator Springs Racers ride put a bit of a wrench in our evening. We went back for our fast pass time (which was a genius idea, because the wait time was 90 minutes) only to find that the ride was having issues. They told us to come back later and they would honor our fast passes. Once they got the ride working we hopped into the line and everything looked great, until we were almost on. It looked like it was going to be a revisit to our experience last night with the Matterhorn (which I never got to ride) where it broke down just a few people in front of us. Radiator Springs had issues off and on for the next 45 minutes but we finally got on. I'm glad we weren't the ones in the line with the two hour wait behind us. It was worth the 45 minute wait for sure. It really is an awesome ride! They take you all through the movie and then there is a surprise at the end. I wish we could have gone on it again, but there just wasn't time. 

This is the only picture that I got of my parents. I know it is kind of lame, but we saw them sitting there. alone. eating dinner. I just thought that it was so cute that they were having a little date there on their own. They were hardly ever together on this trip. My dad was usually the one who volunteered to sit with the babies while the rest of the adults went on every ride. He really gave up a lot of riding to see everyone happy. 

That night a few of us stayed and watched the "World of Color" show. Shad took the babies back to the hotel and Haken stayed with me. I enjoyed being with my little guy and not have other kids to worry about. He really got a lot of moments of one-on-one attention that the other kids didn't get and I think he really like it. He was willing to go on EVERY SINGLE ride, even the one that he was 1/2" too short for. Shad LOVED having such a brave little kid to hang out with.

On the tower of terror. 

Day 3

The last day we spent in both parks going on what we missed. We had one day of early entry into Disneyland that came with our pass. I was exhausted after two days of nonstop going. Disneyland is fun with kids, but also so much more exhausting than I thought it would be. Sometimes I wished I could sit in their stroller and have someone push me around the park! 

Which totally didn't happen by the way....

So, I stayed and took my time getting ready with the baby while Shad took the boys. Or actually, I should say, while Shad took Haken, and Auntie Meggie and Uncle B took Jack. I was going to keep him with me, but Megan said that she would love to take him. 

She told me later that that morning of her alone with Jack was one of the highlights of her trip. They rode the Buzz lightyear ride over and over and shot all of the "bad guys." Also a big shout out to uncle B who made his shoulders numb so that Haken could see the "World of Color" show. That kid is not light. I am so glad that my kids have such great aunts and uncles. 

Pretty much my favorite picture from the trip

Shad and Haken got a lot of riding in going early that morning. They hopped right on every ride, including the Matterhorn, which was broken when we tried to go on it earlier.

Haken said he was really going to try hard
to smile in this picture

I met up with them later and rode on Splash Mountain with them. It was their third time in a row. They were pretty wet, but Haken loved it. The Grizzly run water ride in California adventure was also one of his favorites. The last night he convinced the adults that stayed late to ride that one twice in a row, even though it was cold and dark. 

Listening to the BYU game on the go.

My princess

This picture is one of my favorites. It perfectly describes Jack for the last day. He was obsessed with the Disneyland map. He folded it up and put it in his little zipper pouch around his neck. When we would stop he would pull it out and let us know where we should be going. 

And last of all is the Carousel. I don't even know how many times we rode that carousel, but definitely more than any other ride in either of the parks. Looks like we didn't need to even go all the way to California to find happiness. We had to pry her little fingers off the handlebars every. single. time. the ride stopped. She would cry as we carried her away and walked right back into the line and then the process would start all over again. I think I went on it at least 6 times in a row just for her. 

This is what Disneyland is all about...