I know... this is a blog about diabetes... but diabetes invades just about every part of someone's life, so then really if you think about it, that means this blog can include posts about almost anything...
I am SUPER excited, I was just approved today to adopt a rescued retired racing greyhound dog. The organization I am working with is AWESOME, and we're working on figuring out which dog is the best fit for me, and which dog would like living with me the best. It's SUCH a process with the group I'm going through, but honestly - that's comforting. I feel like I'm adopting a baby, which in a sense I am - just not a small human baby.
Anyway, if all goes well and a match is made, I should be getting a furry companion sometime in the next 2 months or so.
Now to contemplate names.
For a girl, I'm thinking:
Phoebe
Finley (Finn for short)
Reilly (or Rylee or Ryleigh)
Sadie
For boys, thinking about:
Dexter
Charlie
Finley
Murphy
These are if the racing name they had doesn't seem to fit or if I don't like they name they have...
Of course I have to see the personality and what they look like before deciding, just like I feel like before making a baby name official, I'd need to see the baby and get to know them a bit to make sure the name would fit....
Any advice, thoughts on names, etc.?
Friday, August 24, 2012
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Dogs and Diabetes
I have wanted a dog for as long as I can remember. Growing up, we never had pets unless you cound the suicidal fish I has when I was somewhere around 10 - 12 (don't ask, traumatic experience, fish jumped the tank and I found it dead on the floor).
I am now living alone in a city where I know my coworkers and the apartment leasing guy and that's literally it! I have decided that I am going to rescue a dog. I am a super overly-analytical person who researches EVERYTHING far more than I need to or should. I have even started watching 'The Dog Whisperer' since I have always kind of thought that when I have kids, they will end up needing therapy for some reason because of something I said or did to them. I figure if I start being proactive with this before getting a dog, maybe said dog won't end up needing psych meds or major interventions of some kind.
I have found a dog that I'm in love with (based on his pictures and internet description), so I plan on visiting him next weekend and possibly adopting him (after a 1 week trial if they'll let me do that since as a nurse, I can have REALLY wonky schedules and I want to see how adaptable and ok with being alone he is before I officially adopt him).
Okay, so now to the title of my post... Dogs and Diabetes. I have thought the idea of a diabetic alert dog was really cool for years, but as a nurse, it's not like I work somewhere that I could bring the dog and have them funciton as a true full time DAD. I have thought about maybe doing some training with a rescue dog and if they take to it, GREAT, I'll have an unofficial part-time DAD for when I'm with them, but SO much cheaper, and I've always felt like a dog would love me more with being a rescue rather than a bought dog...
So... I'm going to adopt a dog hopefully sometime in the next 2 months, possibly next weekend even, and I'm going to try to do some informal DAD training if they'll take to it - after we both adjust to each other a bit... and if they don't get it, if I decided not to put in all the extra time for that intensive extra training, oh well - I'll still have a totally awesome roomie to love and snuggle!
I am now living alone in a city where I know my coworkers and the apartment leasing guy and that's literally it! I have decided that I am going to rescue a dog. I am a super overly-analytical person who researches EVERYTHING far more than I need to or should. I have even started watching 'The Dog Whisperer' since I have always kind of thought that when I have kids, they will end up needing therapy for some reason because of something I said or did to them. I figure if I start being proactive with this before getting a dog, maybe said dog won't end up needing psych meds or major interventions of some kind.
I have found a dog that I'm in love with (based on his pictures and internet description), so I plan on visiting him next weekend and possibly adopting him (after a 1 week trial if they'll let me do that since as a nurse, I can have REALLY wonky schedules and I want to see how adaptable and ok with being alone he is before I officially adopt him).
Okay, so now to the title of my post... Dogs and Diabetes. I have thought the idea of a diabetic alert dog was really cool for years, but as a nurse, it's not like I work somewhere that I could bring the dog and have them funciton as a true full time DAD. I have thought about maybe doing some training with a rescue dog and if they take to it, GREAT, I'll have an unofficial part-time DAD for when I'm with them, but SO much cheaper, and I've always felt like a dog would love me more with being a rescue rather than a bought dog...
So... I'm going to adopt a dog hopefully sometime in the next 2 months, possibly next weekend even, and I'm going to try to do some informal DAD training if they'll take to it - after we both adjust to each other a bit... and if they don't get it, if I decided not to put in all the extra time for that intensive extra training, oh well - I'll still have a totally awesome roomie to love and snuggle!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Low BG epiphany
If only that title referred to an epiphany I had during a low blood sugar...
I work on a mother / baby unit as a nurse now, and am learning all sorts of new tidbits and fun facts about mamas and babies.
At our hospital, any blood sugar over 45 for newborns is considered good or normal. When babies have blood sugars lower than 45, you have to treat the low with formula, dextrose, breastmilk, etc.
The low symptoms for babies are generally much more subtle than those for most older kids and adults. For babies, when low, they can get jittery, lethargic, cranky, startle more easily, and THEIR TEMPERATURES CAN DROP!! This was the epiphany for me! I tend to get sleepy and cold when I'm low (among some other symptoms here and there) - I just want to curl up under a blanket and take a nap.
For babies, if their temperature is running low, we bundle them up or put them under the warmers and then do another temperature check again in a bit. If that second temperature is still on the low side despite these warming interventions, one thing we check is a heel stick blood sugar to see if that could be causing the lower temperature.
I work on a mother / baby unit as a nurse now, and am learning all sorts of new tidbits and fun facts about mamas and babies.
At our hospital, any blood sugar over 45 for newborns is considered good or normal. When babies have blood sugars lower than 45, you have to treat the low with formula, dextrose, breastmilk, etc.
The low symptoms for babies are generally much more subtle than those for most older kids and adults. For babies, when low, they can get jittery, lethargic, cranky, startle more easily, and THEIR TEMPERATURES CAN DROP!! This was the epiphany for me! I tend to get sleepy and cold when I'm low (among some other symptoms here and there) - I just want to curl up under a blanket and take a nap.
For babies, if their temperature is running low, we bundle them up or put them under the warmers and then do another temperature check again in a bit. If that second temperature is still on the low side despite these warming interventions, one thing we check is a heel stick blood sugar to see if that could be causing the lower temperature.
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