Where's Waldo? Still here....barely! :)

I haven't posted in a long while but, have tried to keep the Facebook page active as much as I could. With trouble going on with my sister and trying to keep her from getting custody until she gets help, and then the whole month in a cast plus month of physical therapy and then getting the whooping cough thing, it's been a little hard.
The whooping cough thing was and still is probably the single worst experience I've had getting sick period. Most adults it barely phases but, me it dang near landed me in the hospital for a lengthy stay. I begged to be let out under strict orders of bed rest and the promise that my mother would be with me 24/7 to care and look after my boys so I could rest. Then the hospital staff went to work on why a month had past and the cough and lung congestion was bad. There is where my life will forever change.

First let me start off by saying it has been a rough decision on whether to share all of this with you. It is personal and there are a lot of misconceptions associated with this. I still hesitate to tell some folks because of this but, I tell my boys never be ashamed of who you are, no matter what tic, what you can or cannot do, what you can or cannot hear, what you comprehend or what you have don't know. Embrace what makes you, you and then make the world accept you or leave. It will be their loss for not having known you. So, here I go about to tell you all something that overall is no big thing but, is personal for me, for some reason.

I want to premise this though by saying two things though. One, I have been exceptionally tired the last few years. If you knew me personally, I'm one of those annoying morning people, I sing and dance in the middle of the store, for my boys and I don't care who is looking. I am annoying bubbly and there is always a silver lining. Over the last few years though, it would take everything I had to get up and clean or make meals. I was tired all the time, to the point I began to wonder if I was depressed. Even blogging and trying to keep FB up was beginning to get harder. The more stress I was under the worse I felt too. I used to workout vigorously 6 days a week - yes, one of those annoyingly perky people in the gym at 5am! :P If I couldn't afford the gym, I would work out 4x a day at home in 15 - 20 min. increments. I love it but, as I grew more tired, I lost the motivation to do anything, including walking.

Secondly, I had two pregnancies, both were different. One more difficult than the other but both similar in that I had gestational diabetes. I was told the first time that there would be a chance that I may get diabetes later in life, the first time. The second pregnancy I was told that having gestational diabetes meant that I would hands down, no bones about it, get diabetes at one point in my life. I was thinking, that like most of the population not until my 50s, 60s or 70s. What I have learned in this last week is that having it guaranteed I'd be diabetic within 5 - 10 yrs of the very first time I had it....my oldest son is almost 8yrs old.

The reason I could not shake the whooping cough and am still fighting it, you guessed it I am diabetic. It's not the end of world really by a long shot but, the misconception I've faced in the last week alone is a bit disheartening. Because of my lack of energy, yes, I have put on a bit of weight and if you know anything about diabetes, high blood sugars are really not conducive in loosing weight, they're very good at adding those extra pounds though. So, to hear family members say, well you're diabetic because, you've put on weight is a tad annoying, not to mention a bit hurtful. It's true I've put on weight but, not for trying hard not too.

Talking to the doc, the diabetic nurse and the dietitian, they pulled my records from the last 5 yrs at least. What they found was that I've been spilling sugars in my urine at high levels for years now and that NO ONE told me! What they told me was devastating to me. That I would have to go on medications along with the diet to control my sugars. That they were going to start me on a small dose and in a week or two raise my dosage. Confident in my ability to control my sugars with my diet, as I had done it twice before, I asked him if I got it under control could I go off of the meds. He knows me well enough to know that I prefer to do things on my own, not even taking an Ibuprofen unless I can't deal with the pain. He grabbed my hands and told me that because I had had gestational diabetes, there was most likely no way that I could ever go off of meds. They could reduce the dosage but, in all likely hood, short of a miracle, I would take meds for the rest of life.

Alright, this is not a death sentence, I know this but, if you knew how I am, this was awful to hear. I actually broke down in tears. :P So, between the meds that I actually begged for to help with the pain of torn, stretched and ripped muscles in my back and sides, I've spent the week trying to quickly master the diet I knew how to do once before only with a lot more restrictions. It's been a little harder than I remember. lol I can hit the carb count but, way overshoot the fat, or vice versa. It's been worth it though, a few days in and I have a lot more energy than I have in years. Though that comes and goes. I have even celebrated not seeing a sugar level past 300 for at least a couple of days now and today I awoke to my first "fasting" level below 200! It was barely below but, it was a great feeling to see a 1 in that spot instead of a 2!

I am telling you all of this because well, I don't want you to think I've abandon you. I'm a little tired from the meds they have given to help the muscles and the ups and downs of blood sugar, plus that medication have made me a little up and down as well! :) The good news is that so far, no kidney damage, circulation is good, and though my eyes are of  concern, and will be checked once my sugars come down to a more stable, lower level, Which brings me to a third point, please don't tell someone that if they just loose a few pounds they're be fine or that because they're overweight, that is why they're diabetic. While this may hold true for some people it is not always the case. Like in mine, I got it because of genetics and because I had it unknowingly, I then put on the weight. The weight wasn't the cause of it. So, please be mindful of what you say and maybe learn a bit about it before you open your mouth.

Thirdly, though my friend Jessie never reads my blog, I want to thank her for all of her support through this. She has Type 1 Diabetes. Still she had 3 kids, even though she wasn't suppose to. She is on an insulin pump and has lost an eye even but, despite it all, she coached me through both pregnancies and now is helping me acclimate to being diabetic for life. She's a rock star! Also, my momma, who does read this sometimes. At 66yrs old, she dropped everything to come and take care of 2 special needs boys who even on ADHD meds and diet can run rings around someone half her age. Who is also type 2 and has agreed to go on this journey with me, eating right and exercising again. Which is a big deal for her. I really hope that you all have this kind of support in your lives and I want to thank you all for being here waiting on me. As soon as my muscles heal a bit better, the cough ceases to be so severe, I'll be back and better than ever!

Hugs to all of you.

Cool Summer Refreshment

Thanks for hanging with me while this whole family thing gets sorted out. It's been a rough go of things lately and it's not over yet. Anyway, onto cheerier subjects....well sort of.

Reaching midsummer almost, all I can think of is when does fall get here?! The heat wave and drought that has stretched across a lot of the U.S. has made a lot of us think that. Triple digit numbers for the highs of the days and days and days of it....I hate to say it but, I'm ready for snow! And we all can't do this...

Well, we could but, for some of us (me) it wouldn't be as cute as this!

Anyway, though we are blessed to have air here, when the power is going on and off...that's a whole other story, all I can think of, is ways to keep my boys hydrated and cool. So, here are some things that I have found across the internet and have even tried a few goodies myself. Some of these may contain food allergens, though most will not. You can always substitute ingredients in them though!

So, first off when we all think of our childhood days, lazing by the pool, we think of popsicles. Here are 3 treats that are not only delicious, but nice and healthy that are sure to cool you down.

This beauty is a Sugar Free Banana Popsicle from The Bubble Bean blog. The only allergen that I could think of in here was strawberries but, she says you can use cherries as well. I've never outright heard of a banana allergy but, as a latex allergic individual, you can imagine I avoid them. Still, this looks delicious!

Another yummy looking popsicle, is the all natural Strawberry Banana Popsicle. I imagine if your child is allergic to strawberries, you could again use cherries.

And of course I would be remiss if I didn't share Laurie's goody! Her High-C Herbal Pop is perfect for my herbal minded folk out there!



Popsicles not your thing? How about smoothies to keep you refreshed and hydrated? Here are 3 that you or your kiddos are sure to love.

On Laurie's heels, it's only fitting to share this Berry Green Smoothie, complete with Kefir.

This one, Veganluscious Blueberry Smoothie, is perfect for my little guy because it doesn't involve strawberries and he's a blueberry junkie! He asks for blueberries with everything. It's also from the Gluten Free Goddess so you know it's good! 

Another good one but, I can never seem to get a picture of it before my little minion drinks it all is Go Dairy Free's Berry Banana Breakfast Smoothy. We don't always use the spinach. Or even the cinnamon and a lot of the time, I don't have Flax on hand so you guessed it, we go without that as well! It's still amazingly delicious no matter how it's made!



Now onto the most overlooked idea of all....flavored WATER!  No sugars, no preservatives, no chemicals, actual nutritious fruit and good old H2O.
This one from The Yummy Life, is the one being passed all around Pinterest. The article is full of great ideas Raspberry Lime to All Citrus water. Tons of good info and ideas here for you.

Sue's Nutrition Buzz also has a fantastic post on flavored water. Including how to add other nutrients or vitamins if you choose to do so.

Another great idea I nabbed from my friend Ida's page! Who got it from her friend Laura's FB page. :P

FRUIT WATER: 1 each of the following fruits: apple, lemon, orange, pear, 4 large strawberries, a handful of raspberries, a handful of mint leaves, 1 half-gallon of water. Cut large slices or thin wedges of each fruit; place them in a large glass pitcher and add water. Refrigerate 2 hours and serve in tall glasses for a delicious and refreshing drink!

If these don't entice you in the least bit...I'm afraid the unbearable heat has taken it's toll on your brain already and the only remedy is to enjoy one of these tasty treats! So, sit back with a glass of flavored water, a popsicle or smoothie of your choice with a million fans blowing on you and enjoy the summer sun....while you dream of a cooler fall! 

Not Your Typical Child Tuesday #7

Again, to all of you that follow my FB page, thanks for being so supportive and hanging on while my family went through this stressful time. It's not over yet but, at least we have respite for a couple of months! Anyway, I can't think of better way to kick back into blog mode than another "Not Your Typical Child Tuesday"! :)

If you couldn't guess by last weeks post, I am going to talk about Tourette Syndrome today. If you think you know all about it and it's not in your life, then you don't know a thing! For example, the stereotypical misconception of TS is that you have coprolalia (yelling curse words) is actually rare in people with TS and that the percentage of people with coprolalia is something like LESS than 10%?! Did you also know that even though when TV shows or news shows mention TS, we typically think of adults but, that a majority of people with TS are children?!

Tourette Syndrome affects something between 1 and 10 students per 1000. Which sounds like pretty good odds your child or family won't have it but, since my son has been diagnosed, I actually see a lot of people that I can honestly say would fit the diagnostic criteria for having TS and they don't know they have it! TS can be so mild that a varying amount of adults have had it a majority of their life and not know it nor have their 'tics' get fully noticed by family or the public or they get misdiagnosed even. In fact, most females with TS will often get diagnosed with OCD!

TS affects boys 3x more often than girls and is prevalent in the Caucasian population versus any other. There are some genetic components as well in developing TS. It has been known to run in families but, a lot of the time, it appears for no reason. There are certain familial traits that often seem to be present in families though that many a researcher finds interesting when TS finally manifests. For example, OCD is hugely prevalent in families of a child with TS. Though again, it's not always that way but, a large enough number of things like this seem to happen and it has caught researchers' attention. Another main focus is the dopamine and serotonin levels and receptors in the brain. The theories go that either the receptors are hypersensitive or that the person with TS over or under produces those chemicals in the brain. They have even found that mutations involving the SLITRK1 gene have been identified in a small number of people with Tourette syndrome. SLITRK is responsible for providing instructions for making a protein that is active in the brain. They believe that the SLITRK1 protein might plays a role in the development of nerve cells, including the growth of specialized extensions (axons and dendrites) that allow each nerve cell to communicate with nearby cells. It is unclear how mutations in the SLITRK1 gene can lead to this disorder.

So, what do we take from this? TS is a neurobiological disorder that usually presents with tics. Tics being involuntary, rapid, repetitive movements or vocal outburts. Tics will wax and wane but, be present for at least one year. Tics often change and go away or change and reappear. For example, they may have a blinking tic that stays with them and a sniffing tic that changes to a humming, etc. Some tics reappear intermittently and others may only appear once. There is no rhyme or reason for it. Tics vary from person to person in severity and duration. Some kids may have days, weeks or months with no outright noticeable tics, while others will never have a tic free day. Some kiddos may have severe enough TS on an upswing that they cannot walk, talk, or eat normal! For some other kiddos that severity of tics may be an everyday thing!

Children with TS typically have a normal range of IQs, meaning just like the normal nuero-typical children, they have a normal intelligence and some have high IQs. They are in every way as normal as your son, your daughter or you neighbor's children. They may have other issues though, called comorbid disorders, like ADHD, OCD, Sensory Processing Disorder, ODD, Asperger's, etc. It is these accompanying disorders that often times gives the child some trouble, be it with school, attention, behavior, etc. To make matters worse, children and adults with TS often times have episodes we as parents typically call rages. These are never pleasant for anyone involved. They often times on an upswing or if their TS is severe, are exhausted by their constant body motion and it's painful. As a parent, there is nothing more painful than to watch on in helplessness.

There is so much more to say on TS but, I will save it for another post! :)

Thanks again for joining me for another Not Your Typical Child Tuesday and thanks again for hanging with me while we went through this difficult time in our family. Your support was seriously amazing!

Not Your Typical Child #6

This Not Your Typical Child Tuesday is another one that is personal to our home. Probably THE most personal one for me to share yet. Mainly because of the HUGE misconceptions associated with this disorder and the obstacles that my son will have to overcome. It is the one thing that still feels very raw on a bad day, as many a mother of a child with TS will agree. Today begins a month long awareness campaign for Tourette Syndrome Awareness in the U.S. So today, we begin to tackle Tourette Syndrome.

I can't really talk about Tourette Syndrome without introducing you to one of the loves of my life, my son DW. So, instead of giving you the stone cold facts and statistics, I will show you the personal side to TS in my life today. Please take a moment and get to know my son.

Here's his little brother's video he helped make dedicated to his big brother: 

                                        

Before you judge, before you joke, make sure you know what you're talking about first. These are just two of the faces affected by TS. There are millions more faces just like this affected by it. Take some time this month to get to know more about TS and destroy the myths and stigma that surrounds it.

Thanks for joining me again for another Not Your Typical Child Tuesday!

Favorite Blog Friday #5

This week's favorite blog Friday is, The Morristribe!

Welcome to one of the most enthusiastic blogs I've come across when it comes to teaching and learning to homestead. One of the things I do when I come across a new blog is read their "About" page. What struck me about Kelly's page:
It wasn’t until 18 years ago that I made the correlation between “time” and “stuff”.  To acquire more “stuff”, you must continually give up parts of your “life”.  Almost overnight, my enthusiasm about my career and  current way of life began to diminish.


She's absolutely right of course. This began her transformation into a one income family and a new way of life. What I love most about her blog, is she's more than willing to share what she's learned with her readers in order to make their lives a little simpler.

Her series on How to Get Started Homesteading, is a great place to start for beginners. It covers things from getting to know your farming community, how to get good soil, to easy crops to grow and composting! She often times has a great series like the ones on homesteading. She recently had one of my favorites from any blog, on the Depression. It was a reminder of all that my grandparents had been through and why I do what I do for my family.

She even has articles on how to be a bit more self sufficient and even some on getting out of debt. If none of these interest you, Kelly has a ton of great things in the recipe department. Here is the link to her recipe section. She even has some really good posts on stuff that has to do with kids. Which includes things like motivating your kiddos, how to make chores more fun and even a little something on "the talk"! She even has a video series for the newbies, called A Year on Homestead.

Together, she sells them for only $9.99 or individually for between $2.99 - $4.99. So, it's not going to break the bank if you want to buy them all at once or one at a time!


Another bonus that Kelly does is her Homesteader Blog Carnival. A great linky party that showcases everyone's best in homesteading and sustainable living.

There are so many great things on Kelly's blog that I honestly don't know where to begin! She has giveaways regularly and on her FB page, shares all of these goodies plus a little bit more! So, grab a glass of your favorite summer time beverage (it's almost 90 degrees here today!) and give Kelly's blog a minute or ten! :)