Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Where has time gone?
Ok, well I did not realize how long it has been since I posted my last entry. To explain why....... my baby began walking and now I have four mobile children. Enough said. I have to admit I will not be able to post daily but I will make a very good effort to post weekly.
So much has happened in a years time....
I lost both my grandmothers and an Uncle.
Felt the Lord calling us to homeschool our oldest son
Also feel the Lord strongly leading us to begin a diabetic camp for families.
Praying about adoption
I've been fortunate to have more quality time with my hubby
Helped my parents move out of their home of 35 years
And I am sure there is more that I cannot recall.
I will update how life is going, ask questions and post a survey I am working on.
I will also recommend books that I have read. I know... I am finding time to read again. YEA!
For now, I must close my eyes. Just wanted to let you know I was still here.
Goodnight.
So much has happened in a years time....
I lost both my grandmothers and an Uncle.
Felt the Lord calling us to homeschool our oldest son
Also feel the Lord strongly leading us to begin a diabetic camp for families.
Praying about adoption
I've been fortunate to have more quality time with my hubby
Helped my parents move out of their home of 35 years
And I am sure there is more that I cannot recall.
I will update how life is going, ask questions and post a survey I am working on.
I will also recommend books that I have read. I know... I am finding time to read again. YEA!
For now, I must close my eyes. Just wanted to let you know I was still here.
Goodnight.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Don't give up on me! I am super busy with the JDRF Walk on September 26th. I also lost my mammaw this past week. So, I am in a hard time right now.
Please view my letter about the walk and Sam. We would love to have you join us September 26th.
Greetings from Bart and Shannon Millard and Mark and Jade Matlock
We hope you never find yourself writing a letter like we are writing you today. But the reality is the increase of children with type 1 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate. Every 30 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is also the seventh highest reported leading cause of death. Overall, the risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people without
diabetes of similar age. But look at those smiles, Sam and Skye are living positive healthy lives for now, and they need your help to keep smiling.
This year alone, we have come to know seven children in Hunt County with this debilitating disease. We’d like to ask you for your help to bring an end to what Sam, Skye and these other seven children have to deal with everyday and make sure nobody in your family or circle of friends has to worry about diabetes in their future.
Imagine what it was like when the cure for polio, smallpox, the measles and chicken pox were discovered. For many of our children they will never experience any of these diseases, but diabetes could still take them. We are close to having a cure and as parents we are doing everything we can to keep the researchers doing their job every day to find a cure for Sam and Skye and millions of others. Won’t it be exciting to find a cure and know we were able to play a part? Together we can help make history!
The first three years with this disease was challenging. It altered just about every aspect of our lives including church attendance, because his new schedule and the intricacies of balancing diet and insulin were laborious. During the three transition years we started to find our groove. We had learned our “new normal” lifestyle to a point where we felt confident in leaving the house for more than an hour. We did this for five years. Then in July, we began a new lifestyle once again with a new insulin. It’s been another adjustment. Living with diabetes can be a real drag. It never goes away and with an active child like Sam, it makes it difficult to control his blood sugar.
This summer before our insulin change, we took a family vacation to Colorado. We were so excited to “get away “, but quickly realized that the hardships of diabetes still come along on vacations. There is no “getting away”. Time zone changes, excitement and lack of exercise alter body chemistry and blood sugar. So, with theses obstacles in our way, we were faced with a few challenges. Sam’s blood sugar remained high the entire drive there. This means we had lots of potty stops and some aggressive behavior along with the normal every two-hour stops for snacks and food; all of which are not good for car rides. Our drive that should have taken five hours literally took eleven. We encountered some very frustrating moments. Sam has to eat every two hours, so every time we entered a town at the time he needed to eat, our only option was McDonalds. We could not sit down to eat because we were already four hours off schedule from our other stops. Even if we wanted to eat at a nice sit down restaurant, it never came at the appropriate time. We ate McDonalds a total of twelve times in seven days. Isn’t that horrible! Even the little kids were tired of McDonalds. We were so frustrated that diabetes was controlling our vacation and our food intake.
At the end of July, it was time for the change. We were now gaining some freedom in our lifestyle with this insulin switch. This meant we did not have to eat McDonalds every time we saw one because Sam had to eat right then. Now he could go longer than two hours to eat, he just could not go under two hours between meals and snacks. We thought this would change everything. It did help tremendously. However, I guess we subconsciously thought it was the answer to everything and there would be no more issues. Well, during the first week of school, we realized we were wrong. No matter what type of insulin you are on, you are going to have some down right dirty days. Sam had come home from school and was hungry. He ate some of his free foods and had twenty more minutes before snack number two of his day. When he came to me and I had to tell him he had twenty more minutes, all reason left his body. He fell on the floor kicking, and screaming and yelling at me. There was such anger as the words left his mouth. He screamed, “ You NEVER let me eat. You never give my anything. I AM HUNGRY! I just want a snack. Why can’t you just give me some food? You are so mean!” Now say that in the loudest, most angry tone you can muster up and that was Sam on this particular afternoon. I felt horrible for him, for me, for us. I kept saying, “ Lord, why? Why do I have to have so many battles with my child over food? “ I went to my happy place to protect my emotions and remind myself that this was not my Sam. He kicked and screamed and turned around on the floor for at least thirty minutes before falling asleep. These situations are constant, frustrating and make for a long and hard day for everyone in the family. Once Sam ate, he was back to the Sam we all know and love.
Living with Type 1 is more than just 4-5 shots through out the day and endless finger pricks to draw blood. It makes life frustrating (as if it isn’t frustrating enough.) It affects everyone in the family. It affects our everyday choices, our relationships with others, our schedules, our food choices, our family time, schoolwork, concentration, our relationships with each other and our emotions. However, we are so proud of Sam and his ability to manage his diet, let us know when his blood sugar is low, check himself and accept the responsibility and limits this disease brings with it. But that is a lot for a seven year old to deal with, and he knows it isn’t going to end any time soon unless we find a cure.
We believe in the work and integrity of JDRF, they love our children and they want to find that cure. Will you join us?
For the past few years we’ve joined to form the Sam and Skye Walkers, to walk for a cure to end diabetes. Here is how you can help.
We ask you to help us find a cure by sponsoring or joining us on Saturday, Sept. 26,
2009 at Granite Park at 5800 Granite Parkway, Plano, TX 75024 .The Sam and Skye Walkers raised $45,000 including 110 walkers by our side last year! We need your help to make an even bigger impact this year.
Your contribution might make the difference in the one research laboratory where “the cure” will be achieved!
Please join the Sam and Skye Walkers team and/or donate at
http://www.samandskyewalkers.com Everyone who signs up by September 9th to walk will get a free Sam and Skye Walkers t-shirt to wear the day of the walk!
If you prefer to write a check, make payable to JDRF - send to
The Sam and Skye Walkers, PO BOX 166317, Irving, TX 75016-6317.
Please forward this newsletter to your friends. You can also direct them to samandskyewalkers.com for more information. Please ask your organization for a company match for your donation.
Your donation could change the lives of nearly 3 million Americans
and save our kids. Thank you!
Blessings,
Mark and Jade Matlock
Bart and Shannon Millard
Please view my letter about the walk and Sam. We would love to have you join us September 26th.
Greetings from Bart and Shannon Millard and Mark and Jade Matlock
We hope you never find yourself writing a letter like we are writing you today. But the reality is the increase of children with type 1 diabetes is growing at an alarming rate. Every 30 seconds someone is diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is also the seventh highest reported leading cause of death. Overall, the risk for death among people with diabetes is about twice that of people without
diabetes of similar age. But look at those smiles, Sam and Skye are living positive healthy lives for now, and they need your help to keep smiling.
This year alone, we have come to know seven children in Hunt County with this debilitating disease. We’d like to ask you for your help to bring an end to what Sam, Skye and these other seven children have to deal with everyday and make sure nobody in your family or circle of friends has to worry about diabetes in their future.
Imagine what it was like when the cure for polio, smallpox, the measles and chicken pox were discovered. For many of our children they will never experience any of these diseases, but diabetes could still take them. We are close to having a cure and as parents we are doing everything we can to keep the researchers doing their job every day to find a cure for Sam and Skye and millions of others. Won’t it be exciting to find a cure and know we were able to play a part? Together we can help make history!
The first three years with this disease was challenging. It altered just about every aspect of our lives including church attendance, because his new schedule and the intricacies of balancing diet and insulin were laborious. During the three transition years we started to find our groove. We had learned our “new normal” lifestyle to a point where we felt confident in leaving the house for more than an hour. We did this for five years. Then in July, we began a new lifestyle once again with a new insulin. It’s been another adjustment. Living with diabetes can be a real drag. It never goes away and with an active child like Sam, it makes it difficult to control his blood sugar.
This summer before our insulin change, we took a family vacation to Colorado. We were so excited to “get away “, but quickly realized that the hardships of diabetes still come along on vacations. There is no “getting away”. Time zone changes, excitement and lack of exercise alter body chemistry and blood sugar. So, with theses obstacles in our way, we were faced with a few challenges. Sam’s blood sugar remained high the entire drive there. This means we had lots of potty stops and some aggressive behavior along with the normal every two-hour stops for snacks and food; all of which are not good for car rides. Our drive that should have taken five hours literally took eleven. We encountered some very frustrating moments. Sam has to eat every two hours, so every time we entered a town at the time he needed to eat, our only option was McDonalds. We could not sit down to eat because we were already four hours off schedule from our other stops. Even if we wanted to eat at a nice sit down restaurant, it never came at the appropriate time. We ate McDonalds a total of twelve times in seven days. Isn’t that horrible! Even the little kids were tired of McDonalds. We were so frustrated that diabetes was controlling our vacation and our food intake.
At the end of July, it was time for the change. We were now gaining some freedom in our lifestyle with this insulin switch. This meant we did not have to eat McDonalds every time we saw one because Sam had to eat right then. Now he could go longer than two hours to eat, he just could not go under two hours between meals and snacks. We thought this would change everything. It did help tremendously. However, I guess we subconsciously thought it was the answer to everything and there would be no more issues. Well, during the first week of school, we realized we were wrong. No matter what type of insulin you are on, you are going to have some down right dirty days. Sam had come home from school and was hungry. He ate some of his free foods and had twenty more minutes before snack number two of his day. When he came to me and I had to tell him he had twenty more minutes, all reason left his body. He fell on the floor kicking, and screaming and yelling at me. There was such anger as the words left his mouth. He screamed, “ You NEVER let me eat. You never give my anything. I AM HUNGRY! I just want a snack. Why can’t you just give me some food? You are so mean!” Now say that in the loudest, most angry tone you can muster up and that was Sam on this particular afternoon. I felt horrible for him, for me, for us. I kept saying, “ Lord, why? Why do I have to have so many battles with my child over food? “ I went to my happy place to protect my emotions and remind myself that this was not my Sam. He kicked and screamed and turned around on the floor for at least thirty minutes before falling asleep. These situations are constant, frustrating and make for a long and hard day for everyone in the family. Once Sam ate, he was back to the Sam we all know and love.
Living with Type 1 is more than just 4-5 shots through out the day and endless finger pricks to draw blood. It makes life frustrating (as if it isn’t frustrating enough.) It affects everyone in the family. It affects our everyday choices, our relationships with others, our schedules, our food choices, our family time, schoolwork, concentration, our relationships with each other and our emotions. However, we are so proud of Sam and his ability to manage his diet, let us know when his blood sugar is low, check himself and accept the responsibility and limits this disease brings with it. But that is a lot for a seven year old to deal with, and he knows it isn’t going to end any time soon unless we find a cure.
We believe in the work and integrity of JDRF, they love our children and they want to find that cure. Will you join us?
For the past few years we’ve joined to form the Sam and Skye Walkers, to walk for a cure to end diabetes. Here is how you can help.
We ask you to help us find a cure by sponsoring or joining us on Saturday, Sept. 26,
2009 at Granite Park at 5800 Granite Parkway, Plano, TX 75024 .The Sam and Skye Walkers raised $45,000 including 110 walkers by our side last year! We need your help to make an even bigger impact this year.
Your contribution might make the difference in the one research laboratory where “the cure” will be achieved!
Please join the Sam and Skye Walkers team and/or donate at
http://www.samandskyewalkers.com Everyone who signs up by September 9th to walk will get a free Sam and Skye Walkers t-shirt to wear the day of the walk!
If you prefer to write a check, make payable to JDRF - send to
The Sam and Skye Walkers, PO BOX 166317, Irving, TX 75016-6317.
Please forward this newsletter to your friends. You can also direct them to samandskyewalkers.com for more information. Please ask your organization for a company match for your donation.
Your donation could change the lives of nearly 3 million Americans
and save our kids. Thank you!
Blessings,
Mark and Jade Matlock
Bart and Shannon Millard
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
It's been a while
Well, it seems like it has been a while since I have posted. We have been so busy with the daily summer fun..... workout, swim lessons, naps, some schooling, riding bikes and movie nights. I love summer. It is just a sweet time with family and friends.
WE had our JDRF kick off meeting to try and get everyone excited about the walk and raising funds and awareness for Type 1 Diabetes. The walk is September 26th in Plano if anyone is interested. We would love to have you! I had the priviledge of meeting two families who had just had a child diagnosed with type 1 in January of this year. My heart hurt with them as the tears flowed. I know exactly how they feel. I hope that Bart and I were an encouragement to them to see that it does get better, at least with how you deal with the situation. The night before the meeting I was walking around the house saying under my breath...:I HATE DIABETES!" So, every day is a new day and there will always be good and bad, but the Lord makes the days easier to deal with as the sun rises and sets every morning and evening.
Sam is doing amazingly well with the Lantis. At bedtime if he is high, he has to have two shots instead of one because we cannot mix the two insulins like before. He had never complained about it. THANK YOU LORD!
He is getting really excited about the walk coming up. I love to see the encouragement he receives from this event.
Sophie Kate is sitting up and trying to pull herself across the floor. She needs to slow it down. My sweet baby is growing up fast!
Gracie and Charlie are in swim lessons and today they finally accomplished putting their face in the water. They were so proud of themselves.
I know this is random but I have to be quick tonight. Sorry.
WE had our JDRF kick off meeting to try and get everyone excited about the walk and raising funds and awareness for Type 1 Diabetes. The walk is September 26th in Plano if anyone is interested. We would love to have you! I had the priviledge of meeting two families who had just had a child diagnosed with type 1 in January of this year. My heart hurt with them as the tears flowed. I know exactly how they feel. I hope that Bart and I were an encouragement to them to see that it does get better, at least with how you deal with the situation. The night before the meeting I was walking around the house saying under my breath...:I HATE DIABETES!" So, every day is a new day and there will always be good and bad, but the Lord makes the days easier to deal with as the sun rises and sets every morning and evening.
Sam is doing amazingly well with the Lantis. At bedtime if he is high, he has to have two shots instead of one because we cannot mix the two insulins like before. He had never complained about it. THANK YOU LORD!
He is getting really excited about the walk coming up. I love to see the encouragement he receives from this event.
Sophie Kate is sitting up and trying to pull herself across the floor. She needs to slow it down. My sweet baby is growing up fast!
Gracie and Charlie are in swim lessons and today they finally accomplished putting their face in the water. They were so proud of themselves.
I know this is random but I have to be quick tonight. Sorry.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
funny sayings
The kids have given boo boos a new name. The other day Gracie tripped and fell on both her knees. The next day she was looking at her injury and said, " I sure was lucky, I just fell and almost opened my blood holes again."
Last night the kids, my parents and I were at my G.G.'s house going through her things and seeing what we needed to get rid of. There was a large stack of books and I noticed Charlie looking at them. He picked one up, sat on the chair and begin to open it up and read to Gracie. He said, " Now, Jesus said..... he had a horse and we were going to ride it. Then Jesus said....." He went on and on and on. I laughed. One because of what he said and two because no one told him he was really holding a Bible. I love how he just assumes a book is the Bible. He is listening, even if it was about horses. Throughout the night, Gracie and Charlie took turns telling each other the words of the Lord in their version as they read and cooked. It was great!
Then on a sweet note, Gracie told me a couple of times while we were there, that it makes her sad that G.G. had to go to Heaven because she misses her. So, when she is crying, it is because she misses her and daddy when he is away.
On the way home, the kids asked me numerous questions about Heaven and the new earth. I LOVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. It is a great time and a scary time because my words are truth to them and I am laying a foundation for them. I pray I don't screw it up!
I LOVE how kids talk. They are such a blessing to me.
LANTIS
Ok so the "atlantis" as Sam calls it is going ok. His numbers are running way too high but people have told me it takes a while to get his body adjusted to it. It has been almost a week and Sam is handling it well. He is a little more hungry and trying to sneak here and there, but overall I am pleased. I can see where it is going to help his A1C (average blood sugar) and that is our goal. We want him to be level and not have lots of highs and lows. Sam's blood sugar should be around 80-150 with 150 being perfect. We rarely see that. Just to let you know, his blood sugar was 854 when we got him to Childrens at diagnosis. Thank you mom for saving his life. We were in complete denial and she noticed the signs and forced us to get him to the doctor. I am so thankful because I had no idea someone could die from diabetes. They said we were lucky.
SO, I was really nervous because our new insulin cannot be mixed with the other insulin Sam takes. This means we go from one shot to two shots at the same time if he is high at bedtime. Sam has not complained one time about it. I have been in complete amazement. I just knew I was going to get resistance. He is fine. I am so thankful for that little ray of sunshine in a confusing time.
SO, I was really nervous because our new insulin cannot be mixed with the other insulin Sam takes. This means we go from one shot to two shots at the same time if he is high at bedtime. Sam has not complained one time about it. I have been in complete amazement. I just knew I was going to get resistance. He is fine. I am so thankful for that little ray of sunshine in a confusing time.
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