A little more info
I was typing this to add to our facebook page for Operation DAD but didn't really have a place to add it. Facebook kept saying it was too long... guess I typed too much info. So here is what I typed up:
A bit more about Type 1 diabetes: Type 1 is not the typical diabetes you hear about. It cannot be controlled with pills, diet or exercise. Cole is now going to be dependent on insulin injections for the rest of his life (unless they come up with a cure). Cole has to check his glucose levels at least 5 times a day and that is the very minimum. He will also get a minimum of 4 injections a day. With Type 1 Diabetes it is best to maintain your glucose level. If you become too high or too low this can cause complication with your organs later in life. Also, there is a risk if you drop to low that you can have seizures, go into a coma or possibly die.
We are in the process of obtaining a DAD (diabetic alert dog) for Cole. This is a very expensive process. The cost for the dog alone is $15,000 which does not include overnighting of Cole’s scent samples through the 8 month training process. We also plan to visit Drey’s Alert Dogs in Jasper, TX, so that Cole and Lexi can get better acquainted. Not to mention the specialized equipment that we will need for Lexi.
Here are some facts from the JDRF site that show the importance of maintaining Cole’s glucose levels:
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults in the U.S.
• Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
• Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. The risk of death for people with diabetes is about double that of people of similar age without diabetes.
While I was goggling about Type 1 Diabetes I came across an ad campaign that JDRF did regarding diabetes. It stated that 1 in 20 people with Type 1 will die in their sleep…. This is the site that scared the crap out of me and made me realize the importance of the alert dog. While I do not know how factual the statistic is, I do know there are enough people that have died due to extremely low blood sugar while they are sleeping that it’s widely referred to as “Dead in Bed Syndrome.” How messed up is that.
While it is common for parents to worry excessively over their baby/toddler while they sleep in their crib, diabetes gives us a whole extra reason for us as parents to worry excessively about Cole while he is sleeping. I often pick up the monitor several times during the night and hold it to my ear and listen for Cole to breath or I stare at it until I see him move.
Our hope is that our friends and family will be able to help us in raising the funds to bring Lexi home to Cole. Every dollar counts!
A bit more about Type 1 diabetes: Type 1 is not the typical diabetes you hear about. It cannot be controlled with pills, diet or exercise. Cole is now going to be dependent on insulin injections for the rest of his life (unless they come up with a cure). Cole has to check his glucose levels at least 5 times a day and that is the very minimum. He will also get a minimum of 4 injections a day. With Type 1 Diabetes it is best to maintain your glucose level. If you become too high or too low this can cause complication with your organs later in life. Also, there is a risk if you drop to low that you can have seizures, go into a coma or possibly die.
We are in the process of obtaining a DAD (diabetic alert dog) for Cole. This is a very expensive process. The cost for the dog alone is $15,000 which does not include overnighting of Cole’s scent samples through the 8 month training process. We also plan to visit Drey’s Alert Dogs in Jasper, TX, so that Cole and Lexi can get better acquainted. Not to mention the specialized equipment that we will need for Lexi.
Here are some facts from the JDRF site that show the importance of maintaining Cole’s glucose levels:
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults in the U.S.
• Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
• Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. The risk of death for people with diabetes is about double that of people of similar age without diabetes.
While I was goggling about Type 1 Diabetes I came across an ad campaign that JDRF did regarding diabetes. It stated that 1 in 20 people with Type 1 will die in their sleep…. This is the site that scared the crap out of me and made me realize the importance of the alert dog. While I do not know how factual the statistic is, I do know there are enough people that have died due to extremely low blood sugar while they are sleeping that it’s widely referred to as “Dead in Bed Syndrome.” How messed up is that.
While it is common for parents to worry excessively over their baby/toddler while they sleep in their crib, diabetes gives us a whole extra reason for us as parents to worry excessively about Cole while he is sleeping. I often pick up the monitor several times during the night and hold it to my ear and listen for Cole to breath or I stare at it until I see him move.
Our hope is that our friends and family will be able to help us in raising the funds to bring Lexi home to Cole. Every dollar counts!
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