Go Redhead's Walkers

Our local JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes is this weekend, and we have been busy preparing for it.  We have nearly 30 walkers this year and can't wait to show off our team shirts.  The walk theme this year is Treasure the Cure and the kids (and probably some adults too) are dressing up likes pirates. 

Emerson is extremely excited for her walk and asked if she could draw a picture asking for donations and  hang it on our door (although I'm pretty sure our UPS man will be the only one to see it).  As you can see below, she proudly displayed her sign that reads "Will you donate to my walk.  Love Emerson" and continues at the bottom with "My walk theme is a pirate."  We are also displaying one of our Diabetes Awareness wreaths (to see our Etsy shop, click here). And lastly, we displayed a yard sign that was provided by JDRF this year.  We hope to have a great walk this weekend and will post pictures soon!

Happy Birthday Emerson!

Happy 5th Birthday to my sweet girl!

Go Blue for Diabetes

Looking for another way to increase awareness of T1D in your community?

Need something to help with your fundraising efforts?

Simply want an additional way to show your support for diabetes – perhaps on World Diabetes Day or during Diabetes Awareness Month?

Like many families impacted by T1D, we participate in different fundraisers for organizations that are focused on improving the lives of those with the disease and on finding a cure.  We also hold some of our own, which are generally very small scale obviously.  We have always wanted to do more though.  We wanted to create something that would be meaningful and useful to people affected by the disease, the proceeds from which would be used to support the fight against the disease.

Given our concern for how our daughter, and other kids with T1D, will be perceived and treated as they grow up, we have always taken every opportunity to raise awareness of the disease with those we interact with.  So our thoughts about how we could contribute to the cause have many times included the idea of furthering that awareness.  We sought to somehow use the international symbol for diabetes, a blue circle, to achieve this goal, which quickly led us to the idea of creating blue wreaths.  While we believe they are very nice decorative pieces, these wreaths could more importantly be used by those affected by this disease, and their friends and families, as a way to show support for the disease, to assist in any fundraising efforts they are engaged in, and to increase awareness within their community.  This would be achieved through the wreaths being great conversation pieces as friends and neighbor are sure to inquire as to their unique color and look.

As we planned for making this idea a reality we realized that we would have broader appeal by creating other types of wreaths as well, and by setting up an online store that could reach a larger audience.  Therefore, we have setup a Redhead Living shop on Etsy, which can be located at here. 

All proceeds go directly to JDRF.  Feel free to visit our store to see if you have an interest in the blue wreaths, or one from the selection of other styles we offer, which we will be expanding as others are completed (check back this weekend for a couple of non-blue decorative wreaths – the proceeds will go to JDRF for those as well).  With World Diabetes Day and Diabetes Awareness Month right around the corner we hope to have these on display in all corners of the country, and sparking up conversations that allow others to become educated on diabetes and its impacts on those we care about.  If you think others would be interested in our products please do not hesitate to let them know about our shop.  We appreciate your help in making this endeavor successful.  Together we can bring more attention to T1D and contribute to the fight against it at the same time.

Walgreens Supporting T1D

Earlier this week I was shopping at Walgreens and learned that Walgreens is supporting JDRF for the month of July.  The month is almost over but you can still head out to your local Walgreens and buy a scan-able paper for $1 at the register which is donated directly to JDRF.  Let your friends and family know to spread the word on this fast, simple, and convenient way to support JDRF!

Showing our Support

It was time to renew our license plates, so we decided to renew and at the same time support two great causes...JDRF and Riley Hospital.  The Riley Hospital plate has been around for awhile so we see them everywhere.  However, we have seen only a couple of JDRF plates so we are hoping that our new plate will help spread awareness and we will soon see more JDRF plates.

Rock Star Energizes JDRF Fundraiser

Saturday night was the Indiana State Chapter’s JDRF Promise Gala, which was held in downtown Indianapolis.  The theme of the Gala, which was the 15^th annual event, was “Picture a Cure,” with funds being raised to support the promising research towards finding a cure for T1D.  The event included both silent and live auctions and a special appearance by a well known rock star. 

Items available to be bid on during the silent auction included the normal autographed sports memorabilia, artwork, ticket packages, etc.  The live auction included some items that inspired more excitement, including a trip to California’s Wine Country, rounds of golf at prestigious courses with Athletic Directors from universities in Indiana and a black Lab…yes a dog, which you can imagine drew some bids that were well above what the dog could normally be purchased for.

But the night was highlighted by an appearance by Bret Michaels, who also provided some items for the live auction.  For anyone that isn’t already aware, Bret Michaels has had T1D since he was 6 years old and has been a great voice in raising awareness for the disease and in fundraising efforts.  His presence and obvious dedication to this cause really raised the excitement level of the event. 

The first of his items up for bid was a Bret Michaels acoustic guitar, with custom graphics and autographed personally for the winner.  During the bidding he added some perks to keep the bidding going, including the opportunity to come on stage and sing with him at an upcoming concert and a trip to the party bus after the show.  His second item was a “VIP Experience” package at an upcoming concert put on by Poison and Def Leppard.  This experience also included spending time with the band after the show and the bidding picked up quickly.  The night was capped off by an exclusive after party reception with him, for folks willing to donate the necessary amount to obtain a ticket.

This was our first trip to the Gala and we left feeling very thankful for the generosity of the people attending and to Bret for his willingness to be such a strong supporter of everything associated with this disease.  It was clear from the moment he stepped on stage how committed he is to doing everything he can to help ensure progress continues towards a cure, and towards improved management of the disease in the meantime.  Funds are still being tallied by JDRF but from all indications their fundraising goal for the night was eclipsed, thanks certainly in part to his attendance, commitment, and energy.  If any of your local JDRF chapters or other organizations are looking for a celebrity to invite to a function you certainly would be privileged to have Bret Michaels.

To CGM or Not?

Emerson recently had a quarterly appointment with her endo.  During this appointment we met with the practice’s nurse that handles the different technologies available to T1Ds, including pumps and CGMs, to talk about getting a ketone meter.  As we have mentioned in various posts in the past, we have been interested in getting a CGM for Emerson but her endo had not yet thought it would be a valuable tool for us and hadn’t given us the approval. 

During our time with the pump nurse she asked if we had considered getting a CGM, as she thought it would be beneficial and help us continue to improve on Emerson’s BG consistency.  This was a surprise to us as we assumed her and the endo would be on the same page but clearly they were not.  We let her know that we expressed interest to the doctor on a couple of occasion but that she hadn’t yet thought there was a need for one.  The nurse volunteered to mention it to the doctor again and see if she could have any more luck. 

We figured it would be after we left but when Emerson’s endo came in the room the first thing she mentioned was the CGM.  She still suggested that we might not gain much from it but that if we thought it would be helpful she would support us getting one.  This sort of caught us off guard so we weren’t prepared to make a decision right then on whether to go with one and if so, which brand, as we had quit researching them when we thought it was well off in the future.

So we are looking for help from fellow T1Ds and their families.  If you are able, please let us know what you see as the pros and cons of having a CGM, whether you use the Dexcom or Medtronic CGM, and what you like and dislike about it.  We would appreciate any help or guidance you are willing to offer.