My Sweet, Diabetic Son

A Little over 15 months ago, I experienced something no mother should have to experience. In this day and age, with all the advances in medicine, why my son, Lord? My wonderfully "different" 12 year old son, I will call him BJ, seemed to changing before my eyes. He was slower than usually at his school work. He started drinking more and more gatorade then water. He used the bathroom quite frequently. As a homeschool teacher, I was very upset with what I thought was shirking. One day BJ asked if he could take a nap after he finished his current assignment. Wow, was that a shocker! He hadn't take a nap since he was 4. My husband tried to get a doctor's appointment but they sent us to one of those 'quick care' places. He sent BJ home saying he "just has a virus. He'll get over it." The next morning BJ wasn't any better. He was gray and looked like those pictures I had seen of WWII prisoner of war camps. I called my husband at work and told him I was worried. Something was just not right. My husband rushed him to the ER while I stayed home with our other 4 children. My husband had to carry him in. Since he lost more than 15 pounds, it was not too difficult. The ER Med Tech took one look at BJ and said, "Your son is a diabetic." My husband said, "Uh, no, he's not." "Yes, he is." BJ was taken to the back right away. His blood sugar was off the 'chart'. Our son was indeed a diabetic. It came out of the blue. We didn't know what to think. All the signs were there. It was just something that never occured to me. My son was transferred to a major hospital with a PICU. He was the one and only patient with 2 nurses 24 hours a day. He was only in the PICU for 2 days and stayed on the ward another 2. He has a wonderful endocrinologist and diabetes nurse (they are husband and wife BTW). He no longer takes injections but has an insulin pump. Someone once asked, "Will he have to take insulin for the rest of his life?" The answer is of course he does. His body no longer makes its own insulin. If you don't know what insulin does, it is the hormone your body uses to process the sugars that give your body energy. People are always talking about a cure for cancer, or AIDS, or heart problems. I think we need to take a closer look at Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. It is on the rise and there is no cure or prevention yet. I pray to God that no one reading this has the same experience.

My son is now a happy and more normal teenager. He did go through a grieving process and the "why me"s. I let him. Now he says, "It really isn't that bad being diabetic." He even talks about writing a comic with a diabetic hero. He is back to his wonderful, different, and sweet self.

For more information about juvenile diabetes or to contribute to the cause go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund (JDRF) website at http://www.jdrf.org/ . Thanks.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day !

What Your Shamrock Says About You

You express yourself well - you are very verbal. You are good at perceiving the world and understanding people. At times you can be moody and lack direction. You have an artist's temperament. You consider yourself a lucky person. Luck always seems to be on your side. You are traditional, easy going, and appreciative of the simple things in life.

The Shamrock Personality Test

Easter Approaches

As Easter approaches, I have been thinking a lot about charity. The love we should have for God (with all our mind, soul, heart to quote Jesus) and love we should have for our neighbor (also from Jesus). I have been working on my own attitude toward others. My Lenten 'promise' to God was to love more. That may seem very general but I am the type of person who grumbles at the person who cut me off on the freeway, the one who glares at the person who cuts in line after I've been waiting 20 minutes. My mother wisely told me that it only hurts you to get angry at those people. She is right. If they cared about your feelings, they wouldn't cut you off, cut in line, or push your cart out of the way at the supermarket while you are talking to the butcher. I have been trying hard to smile at all that I meet and not worry about the people who are in a hurry on the freeway or in the supermarket. My life has been much calmer because I've changed my attitude. People are nicer when you are nicer.

One incident hurt me deeply, however. I think it may be a test that I am not passing. On a discussion forum, someone who is supposed to be on my side of the 'aisle' critized what I said. The man I was talking to is very snide and condescending to me but I have been trying my best not to respond in kind. So when he made another snide remark disguised as 'humor' and responded with a serious post. I do not believe I was uncharitable in any way. But, this other man just had to cut in and explain to me that the other one was 'just being funny.' I was hurt because the man has been nasty, snotty, and snide and not one word to him. But this person, who should have been a friend, decided he needed to let me know that I should get a sense of humor and not take things so seriously. Maybe I should take it as a compliment that Satan is trying to get me to break my 'promise' of Charity. I don't know.

I will try my best to love God with all my heart, mind, and soul and love my neighbor as myself. (Matthew 22) After all, isn't that what Jesus did at Easter? He loved us so much that He died and came back for us. He is in Heaven waiting for us to join Him. Let us love Him and strive to be there with Him.

Peace.

Church Bulletins

They're Back! Those Wonderful Church Bulletins! Thank God for church ladies with typewriters. These sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services (Summer, 2006 Release).
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The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
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The sermon this morning: 'Jesus Walks on the Water.'
The sermon tonight: 'Searching for Jesus.'
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Our youth basketball team is back in action Wednesday at 8 PM in the recreation hall. Come out and watch us kill Christ the King.
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Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
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Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community. Smile at someone who is hard to love. Say 'Hell' to someone who doesn't care much about you.
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Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
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Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on October 24 in the church. So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
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At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be 'What Is Hell?' Come early and listen to our choir practice.
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Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
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Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person you want remembered.
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Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
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The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
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Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM. Please use the back door.
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The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basement Friday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
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Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church. Please use the large double door at the side entrance.
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The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaign slogan last Sunday : 'I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours'.

Intelligent Design vs Evolution - You Gotta See This

Ben Stein is at it again. Intelligent Design? What? How could you question Neo-Darwinism? See Expelled: the Movie in April 2008, if you REALLY believe in free speech. Go to:

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/playground.php

for a trailer. And to read articles about/by "Trouble Maker" scientists who DO question Darwinism, go to this page:

http://www.expelledthemovie.com/bigscienceacademy_trouble_makers.php

I've always suspected it, but now I know--the phrase "academic freedom" really is an oxymoron.