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.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Part Time Caregivers Guide to Type 1 Diabetes
A while back, my best friend was interviewing for a nanny position. It just so happens that one of the 2 daughters had diabetes and was on an insulin pump and CGM. I started writing down all sorts of random thoughts and tips for my friend to helpeducate her about what all she'd need to know in order to care for this girl. The thing I discovered is that most, if not all of the diabetes guides in existence are geared towards full time caregivers. My friend wouldn't need to know every single detail, every scenario, etc. and these guides were just too overwhelming for someone like grandparents, babysitters, nannies, teachers, etc. who only care for a child with diabetes occasionally, just during the days, etc.
I decided that a guide specifically geared to this population was something that I felt could help loads of people. I started writing a "Part Time Caregivers Guide to Type 1 Diabetes". I went through a few drafts, and it is still (and probably will always be) a work in progress, but my issue has been how to get this guide OUT THERE to those who could benefit from it.
I looked into publishing it somehow, but that world is just far too overwhelming for me.
I got in touch with my old pediatric CDE, and she said they have their own kind of welcome pack / guide that they give to all newly diagnosed families.
I guess I have some questions for you all...
-- Is this something that there REALLY is a need for?
-- What kind of format would you like? (printed, computer so you can revise or edit as needed and print out for the people in your life who need it)
-- What all would you like in it - I have all the basics (checking blood sugar, operating a pump, giving a shot, treating highs and lows, basic trouble-shooting, etc. as well as worksheets for writing in insulin doses, bolus amounts for certain foods, correction amounts, important phone numbers, etc.)
If anyone has suggestions for how to get this out there, if you'd like to help by editing, or if you'd just like to see it and give feedback, any and all help would be great. Just drop me a message on here or by e-mail at triciamoore2@aol.com
Thanks!!
I decided that a guide specifically geared to this population was something that I felt could help loads of people. I started writing a "Part Time Caregivers Guide to Type 1 Diabetes". I went through a few drafts, and it is still (and probably will always be) a work in progress, but my issue has been how to get this guide OUT THERE to those who could benefit from it.
I looked into publishing it somehow, but that world is just far too overwhelming for me.
I got in touch with my old pediatric CDE, and she said they have their own kind of welcome pack / guide that they give to all newly diagnosed families.
I guess I have some questions for you all...
-- Is this something that there REALLY is a need for?
-- What kind of format would you like? (printed, computer so you can revise or edit as needed and print out for the people in your life who need it)
-- What all would you like in it - I have all the basics (checking blood sugar, operating a pump, giving a shot, treating highs and lows, basic trouble-shooting, etc. as well as worksheets for writing in insulin doses, bolus amounts for certain foods, correction amounts, important phone numbers, etc.)
If anyone has suggestions for how to get this out there, if you'd like to help by editing, or if you'd just like to see it and give feedback, any and all help would be great. Just drop me a message on here or by e-mail at triciamoore2@aol.com
Thanks!!
Fresh Start
Let's try this blog thing again... third time's the charm, right?!
Quite a lot has happened since I last posted forever ago. Since it has been so long, this post in particular will probably be even more of a random mish-mash of STUFF than my others...
Let's recap:
I'm an RN now, licensed in Illinois, Wisconsin and soon to be Indiana.
I moved to Janesville, WI and worked for an ER nurse there for about 6 months.
I lived in Janesville from October 2011 - July 2012.
This month (7/6 to be exact), I moved to a new city in a new state for a new job! That's a whole lotta new!
What am I doing with my life now you ask?
I am living in an Indianapolis, IN suburb and working as a Mother / Baby nurse at a suburban hospital and so far, LOVING it! The people I work with are awesome, the patients are super appreciative, and there are no drunks at work anymore! WOO! Oh, and I get to cuddle babies... pretty great!
I still know no one in the area aside from the leasing guy at my apartment and the people I have met at work, but hopefully once this ridiculous heat wave is over, people (including me) will be out of the AC more and I'll be able to meet more people. It's hard to want to be outside when it's 102 and muggy.
Two additional big (but not quite as big as the move and new job) things in my life right now that I'm trying to figure out are going back to school to finish my BSN (Bachelor's in Nursing - only have my ADN, or Associate's right now), and wanting to adopt a rescue dog of some kind in the fall once I'm a bit more settled into work and life here... well, and a perpetual goal is to get my CDE, but the darn NCBDE (national certification board for diabetes educators) apparently doesn't realize just how insanely hard it is to be your own pancreas, and they don't allow your time with your own diabetes to be included in the required hours for certification...
The unit I work on as an RN right now doesn't really see PWDs, so I have to figure out how exactly to work towards that goal in my new job...
I'm hoping this reincarnation of my blog will focus on all the craziness of diabetes PLUS working as a nurse AND working 12 hour shifts (days right now for orientation, but then nights once I'm on my own). It takes a lot to be your own pancreas, a lot to be a nurse, a lot to work 12 hour shifts, and a lot to work nights when most people are sleeping soundly in their beds at home... That's a LOT of stuff to orchestrate and make work.
Any questions about my life with diabetes, my life as a nurse, suggestions for posts, etc. please feel free to send me a message on here or e-mail me at triciamoore2@aol.com
I hope to do at least a post a week, so if I haven't posted in a while, feel free to also send me an e-mail nudge to get the ball rolling on a new post.
Quite a lot has happened since I last posted forever ago. Since it has been so long, this post in particular will probably be even more of a random mish-mash of STUFF than my others...
Let's recap:
I'm an RN now, licensed in Illinois, Wisconsin and soon to be Indiana.
I moved to Janesville, WI and worked for an ER nurse there for about 6 months.
I lived in Janesville from October 2011 - July 2012.
This month (7/6 to be exact), I moved to a new city in a new state for a new job! That's a whole lotta new!
What am I doing with my life now you ask?
I am living in an Indianapolis, IN suburb and working as a Mother / Baby nurse at a suburban hospital and so far, LOVING it! The people I work with are awesome, the patients are super appreciative, and there are no drunks at work anymore! WOO! Oh, and I get to cuddle babies... pretty great!
I still know no one in the area aside from the leasing guy at my apartment and the people I have met at work, but hopefully once this ridiculous heat wave is over, people (including me) will be out of the AC more and I'll be able to meet more people. It's hard to want to be outside when it's 102 and muggy.
Two additional big (but not quite as big as the move and new job) things in my life right now that I'm trying to figure out are going back to school to finish my BSN (Bachelor's in Nursing - only have my ADN, or Associate's right now), and wanting to adopt a rescue dog of some kind in the fall once I'm a bit more settled into work and life here... well, and a perpetual goal is to get my CDE, but the darn NCBDE (national certification board for diabetes educators) apparently doesn't realize just how insanely hard it is to be your own pancreas, and they don't allow your time with your own diabetes to be included in the required hours for certification...
The unit I work on as an RN right now doesn't really see PWDs, so I have to figure out how exactly to work towards that goal in my new job...
I'm hoping this reincarnation of my blog will focus on all the craziness of diabetes PLUS working as a nurse AND working 12 hour shifts (days right now for orientation, but then nights once I'm on my own). It takes a lot to be your own pancreas, a lot to be a nurse, a lot to work 12 hour shifts, and a lot to work nights when most people are sleeping soundly in their beds at home... That's a LOT of stuff to orchestrate and make work.
Any questions about my life with diabetes, my life as a nurse, suggestions for posts, etc. please feel free to send me a message on here or e-mail me at triciamoore2@aol.com
I hope to do at least a post a week, so if I haven't posted in a while, feel free to also send me an e-mail nudge to get the ball rolling on a new post.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Been a While.....
I haven't posted in almost a year... oops!
Nursing school has been my life for the past year. What can I say?
With my school coming to a close in December, I have been doing a lot of thinking about where my life is going now. I will be taking my final exam for my nursing degree December 14th, walking in the pinning ceremony December 17th, and sitting for the NCLEX boards sometime in February most likely. For whatever reason, the test is not available to be taken in January. This means I have a lot of decisions to make soon, and I have to start applying for nursing jobs sometime in the next little while as well.
Decisions:
-- Where do I want to live? I am considering moving as I am sick of Illinois, and think that this would be the perfect time in my life to move as I do not have a family to uproot with me, etc. There would also be a greater potential for future educational advencements somewhere else. I am considering Houston, TX as I have family there, warmer weather is AWESOME, cost of living is lower, the HUGE Texas Medical Center is there, and there are many schools affiliated with the various hospitals there that could be connections for education and career advancement.
-- What kind of nursing do I want to do for a career? I love ER nursing, pediatrics, surgical, and mother / baby. In general, nursing students are told they MUST start out in general medical / surgical nursing to gain general knowledge and get used to being a nurse. My thing is: I don't want to do medical / surgical nursing as a career, so why would I want to start my nursing career in a field I don't particularly enjoy in the vast world of medicine?
The big one I have been focusing on is whether I want to move or not. I have lived in Illinois since I was 3 and a half years old. I went away to school in Wisconsin for about 18 mos. but that doens't really count. I would love to experience something completely new and different in my life and force myself out of my comfort zone to grow as a person and truly experience life. Thing is though - I'm terrified at the thought of it. One of my big fears related to it is about medical care. The Texas Medical Center has some of the greatest doctors anywhere, but I love my doctors here so much. I am so afraid of not being able to find doctors there that I like and have a true connection with. It's funny: I am not scared of not knowing anyone, not knowing the city, not liking it there, any of that. I am scared of something that really I shouldn't be afraid of. Why would I be worried about finding good medical care in one of the best cities for healthcare in the world?
Nursing school has been my life for the past year. What can I say?
With my school coming to a close in December, I have been doing a lot of thinking about where my life is going now. I will be taking my final exam for my nursing degree December 14th, walking in the pinning ceremony December 17th, and sitting for the NCLEX boards sometime in February most likely. For whatever reason, the test is not available to be taken in January. This means I have a lot of decisions to make soon, and I have to start applying for nursing jobs sometime in the next little while as well.
Decisions:
-- Where do I want to live? I am considering moving as I am sick of Illinois, and think that this would be the perfect time in my life to move as I do not have a family to uproot with me, etc. There would also be a greater potential for future educational advencements somewhere else. I am considering Houston, TX as I have family there, warmer weather is AWESOME, cost of living is lower, the HUGE Texas Medical Center is there, and there are many schools affiliated with the various hospitals there that could be connections for education and career advancement.
-- What kind of nursing do I want to do for a career? I love ER nursing, pediatrics, surgical, and mother / baby. In general, nursing students are told they MUST start out in general medical / surgical nursing to gain general knowledge and get used to being a nurse. My thing is: I don't want to do medical / surgical nursing as a career, so why would I want to start my nursing career in a field I don't particularly enjoy in the vast world of medicine?
The big one I have been focusing on is whether I want to move or not. I have lived in Illinois since I was 3 and a half years old. I went away to school in Wisconsin for about 18 mos. but that doens't really count. I would love to experience something completely new and different in my life and force myself out of my comfort zone to grow as a person and truly experience life. Thing is though - I'm terrified at the thought of it. One of my big fears related to it is about medical care. The Texas Medical Center has some of the greatest doctors anywhere, but I love my doctors here so much. I am so afraid of not being able to find doctors there that I like and have a true connection with. It's funny: I am not scared of not knowing anyone, not knowing the city, not liking it there, any of that. I am scared of something that really I shouldn't be afraid of. Why would I be worried about finding good medical care in one of the best cities for healthcare in the world?
Monday, November 9, 2009
D-Blog Day!!!!
This is my first ever D-Blog Day!! YAY, what a wonderful day!
I am absolutely exhausted from a cardio test in nursing school today and having 2 papers due, one being about 35 pages long... *sigh*
Anyway, diabetes...
I have many diabetes heroes in my life... whether they know it or not. Some of them are: Kerri Sparling of http://www.sixuntilme.com/; Sara of DLife; Nicole Johnson (Miss America 1999); Ellen Ullman (http://www.cwd.com/); Jeff Hitchcock (http://www.cwd.com/); every single diabetes blogger that is out there; my aunt Christine Moore; and lastly, my aunt Judy O'Brien who lost her fight with diabetes in 2004. She was my first diabetes heroine and will forever be my heroine. I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was eight years old. Labor Day weekend, 1994. My aunt Judy in that instant, became like a second mom to me. We bonded so much over diabetes stuff that we could look at each other, look at the dessert table, and just start laughing about not knowing how to count the carbs in that delicious looking Thanksgiving pie, or the hundreds of Christmas cookies beautifully arranged on trays.
I have discovered through my limited blogging about diabetes that you can truly bond with people over your random rantings about life with diabetes. I write a post, not expecting anyone to ever read it, but writing it to vent, chatter and ramble on for no reason at all, and someone comments. I automatically feel a connection with this person. No one other than a fellow person with diabetes really "gets it". I truly do appreciate people without diabetes trying to "get it", I really do, but it's definitely not the same as living with diabetes in your life every single day of every year.
I am hoping to make more and more connections in the diabetes world, so please everyone who reads this (probably all of like 2 people.... ) pass this site along so I can meet more people like me (well, not necessarily like me since I'm kinda a really weird random dork (my Aunt Judy always said it's better to be weird because normal people are boring)) but other people connected to diabetes. I just realized I think I made a new record for myself with how many parentheses I can use in one paragraph! WOO! It's the little things in life I tell you!!
One final thing... CONGRATS to Kerri and Chris for having a happy healthy, hiccup-y BSparl in the works!!!
I am absolutely exhausted from a cardio test in nursing school today and having 2 papers due, one being about 35 pages long... *sigh*
Anyway, diabetes...
I have many diabetes heroes in my life... whether they know it or not. Some of them are: Kerri Sparling of http://www.sixuntilme.com/; Sara of DLife; Nicole Johnson (Miss America 1999); Ellen Ullman (http://www.cwd.com/); Jeff Hitchcock (http://www.cwd.com/); every single diabetes blogger that is out there; my aunt Christine Moore; and lastly, my aunt Judy O'Brien who lost her fight with diabetes in 2004. She was my first diabetes heroine and will forever be my heroine. I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was eight years old. Labor Day weekend, 1994. My aunt Judy in that instant, became like a second mom to me. We bonded so much over diabetes stuff that we could look at each other, look at the dessert table, and just start laughing about not knowing how to count the carbs in that delicious looking Thanksgiving pie, or the hundreds of Christmas cookies beautifully arranged on trays.
I have discovered through my limited blogging about diabetes that you can truly bond with people over your random rantings about life with diabetes. I write a post, not expecting anyone to ever read it, but writing it to vent, chatter and ramble on for no reason at all, and someone comments. I automatically feel a connection with this person. No one other than a fellow person with diabetes really "gets it". I truly do appreciate people without diabetes trying to "get it", I really do, but it's definitely not the same as living with diabetes in your life every single day of every year.
I am hoping to make more and more connections in the diabetes world, so please everyone who reads this (probably all of like 2 people.... ) pass this site along so I can meet more people like me (well, not necessarily like me since I'm kinda a really weird random dork (my Aunt Judy always said it's better to be weird because normal people are boring)) but other people connected to diabetes. I just realized I think I made a new record for myself with how many parentheses I can use in one paragraph! WOO! It's the little things in life I tell you!!
One final thing... CONGRATS to Kerri and Chris for having a happy healthy, hiccup-y BSparl in the works!!!
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