Thursday, October 7, 2010

the short story about my neighbor

In honor of No D Day,Created by George Simmons (aka Ninjabetic) over at The B.A.D. Blog, I bring you this post about my neighbor...

Just over 5 years ago, we had a new neighbor move in...a really sweet lady in her 60s. She spent most of her time working in her yard making it one of the nicest landscapes in the neighborhood. She became friends with my mom and a trusted person to take care of our house when we were on vacation. We had the best neighbor ever!!

This picture is of my boys playing in our leaves last fall...in the background is our neighbor's house with it's gorgeous japanese maple in autumn colors.

Since that pictures was taken, my neighbor started showing signs of paranoid schizophrenia. She began accusing our other neighbors of spying on her and trying to break into her house. She began ranting about a telecom conspiracy. She cancelled her phone, internet, and cable service. She eventually cancelled her garbage service too...and then her water was turned off. One day in the spring, she cut down that gorgeous japanese maple and left it on the grass in the middle of our quaint little cul de sac. She began pulling out all the roses and other shrubs. She claimed they were "plastic" and "receptors for the intercom" Inside her home, she began taking out her lights and covering them with cloth or paper...they were filled with "iBots" She claimed she was being abducted and electronically raped, that she spawned many children (including my neighbors two kids!) and she was tired of it!

Eventually, she began to take things out of her house...artwork, plants and pots, mattresses, an antique chest and piled them in the far corner of her yard. She then started covering her windows with fabric...these later were taken down and replaced with masking tape...yes, MASKING TAPE!! She used masking tape to cover anything and everything that was glass, plastic, metal (because it was hazardous and toxic)

The HOA tried to get her to stop, we have some pretty strict CC&Rs. I am sure she has accumulated many many fines! The sheriff had come out a few times. The crisis team and mental health made several visits. She refused help. She didn't need help, she was fine...everyone else was crazy.

Here she is cutting down one of the supporting posts to her front porch. She claimed it was filled with electronic spying devices. The remaining post (not seen in the picture) eventually became cracked from having to take on all the added weight...she has taped that up too. If you notice, her front door and windows are covered completely with masking tape. The design is very intricate...wonder if there was a meaning behind it.

One day, she pushed (on her own) the refrigerator out of her house and left it out front...(also covered in masking tape and fabric.

After having filled her car with various things from the house (toasters, mirrors, microwave, etc) she began taping it up.




At some point, she took the doors off of her house. I believe this is the front door. All she had in the back of the house was a sheet covering the entrance and the front only had the taped up storm door.

Warning to not touch the "toxic" glass

Here is the outside of her house just a couple days ago...the windows now covered with sheets/blankets
Here is her storm door in the front and the window to the garage...all taped.

Side windows to the garage....nothing left untaped

even the side door....covered in tape. Makes me wish I invested in masking tape!!!! Can you even imagine how many rolls of masking tape she had to have used. And apparently the inside of the house is ten times worse! Such a tragedy.

Anyhow, on Friday, the sheriff came over as she was taping up the hubcaps of her car. The crisis team joined him. Of course I have no idea what was going on but eventually they took her away in the police car. I have contact with her ex-husband, who is an amazing man that could have washed his hands of her but has been there to help her the best he can. He said she is up at the hospital but refusing treatment. We are hoping that it will go to a hearing so that the judge can order her to be medicated. It is so hard to imagine that less than a year ago, she was a "normal" lady. I hope that neighbor comes back...not the looney one.



Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Bryce's Meme

So this Meme was started by Heidi over at D-Tales and has been making it's rounds.
I was wondering how Bryce would answer so here you go...

Well first off, when I told him I had a few questions and could he answer them, he said "no! I always say no, why are you asking me?" Um, this was the first time I brought it up....OH, that's right, he is HIGH right now...will wait for that insulin to kick in and try again!

ok, here we go....he is now 161 and ready to play

What is your name?
Bryce

How old are you?
5

When were you diagnosed with diabetes?
4? (he was 3 and a half)

Do you remember what happened when you were diagnosed or how you felt?
I went to the hospital and had lots of jello and graham crackers.

Do finger pokes or shots [or site insertions/infusion set changes] hurt?
well my sets hurt, my finger pokes used to hurt but now they don't at all...they just feel like normal, but sometimes they just feel like your nail pressed hard against it sometimes

What is a high number?
um like maybe 500, yeah like 500....anything over 200 is a HIGH
number (singsongy voice)!

What is a low number?
is 30 too low? yeah, 30!

What does low blood sugar feel like?
it makes me hungry sometimes I feel grumpy

What’s your favorite way to treat a low?
honey and caramel

How do you feel when your blood sugar level is high?
grumpy, angry, mad

What’s the best thing about having diabetes?
I can have things that are sweet when I am low more times than just when I have special treats

What’s the worst thing about having diabetes?
that I have to wait when I am super hungry to eat and when I am low I have to wait 10 mins

Do you worry much about diabetes?

No. I sometimes worry about too low to read, glucagon numbers, but not too much.

If one of your friends were diagnosed with diabetes, what would you say to that friend?
I am diagnosed too.

What’s your favorite food?
watermelon (I didn't know that...that is his brother's fave, had no idea it was his!)

What’s your favorite snack?
peanut butter crackers

What’s your favorite low-carb food?
honey, oh, low carb.... turkey wrapped on cheese stick

Do you know what a blog is?
no

Do you know that I blog about diabetes?
I don't know what that means! tell me more.

Do you care?
no. yes, I actually do. Blog doesn't sound like a good name

Why do you think I blog about diabetes?
cuz you like to say that word

What’s your biggest wish?
for no diabetes

Who’s your best friend?
I don't have one...I have tons of friends and I don't like any one of them more

What do you like about him/her/them?
I like to play with them

What’s your favorite thing to do?
ride my bike

Do you have a hero?
what does that mean?

What do you want to be when you grow up?
football player

Who’s your favorite person in the whole wide world?
I don't have somebody...actually it's YOU! (awwwwww!!!!!)

Are you afraid of anything?
going too low to read.

Fill in the blank. is___________. There is no right or wrong answer.
Bryce is diagnosed.
Can I go ride my bike now? ok, bye bye!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

2010 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes

'Bryce's Team: Wipeout Diabetes' had 70 walkers join us on Sunday, Oct. 3rd to support us as we walked to cure diabetes. Final numbers not in but think we raised about $6500. The day started with a pancake breakfast provided by IHOP (talk about filling you up with some fast carbs!) There were lots of fun activity booths and entertainment (not that I saw any of it as I was checking in all our walkers at our tent) After the walk, there was a bbq lunch (hot dogs, chips, and cookies...bring on more empty carbs!!!) then everyone got bracelets to ride all the rides at Oaks Park. We didn't get to stay long because our oldest son had to get to flag football so not many rides for us. Despite the drizzly weather, the event was a huge success with a big turn out (think it was twice as many walkers as last year!) Our team had such a great time. Seeing all the support for all of us dealing with Type 1 is such a heart filling experience.

While this was Bryce's Team, we had 3 other kiddos with type 1 on our team, Gabriella, Kate, & Jules. We also honored a few of our friends and other kiddos with type 1 because we want to find a cure for ALL living with type 1.

Bryce got the craziest balloon hat....he loved it!!

Bryce and his friend Gabriella (also T1)

Bryce and his kindergarten teacher

Getting ready to walk

Big Bro, Jaden, having fun

testing blood sugars before the walk

running with his friends and classmates

Bryce walking hand in hand with his two friends and classmates

Making silly faces in the fun house mirrors

We walk (or run) to find a cure

Bryce and Grace walking

Walking with Noni

All that running, playing, and walking makes a Type 1 LOW!

32!!

Evidence of a LOW

Low blood sugar means Daddy carried him the rest of the walk (good thing we were near the end!)
Jaden talked to Chris Dudley (former Trailblazer basketball player, currently running for governor)

Talking Duck football with Chris Dudley

retest...blood sugars all good!

Bryce and Kate, another T1 from our team

Riding the train with his Mimi, lil bro, and cousin



Monday, October 4, 2010

not sticking around today

9:30am-set and sensor change

11am-Dex alarms
hmmm, too early for the 2 start up bgs! Oh, that is cuz it is a sensor failure!!! whoohoo!
check site...sensor just falls right off. Um, what happened to the adhesive? WTF?

11:30am-insert new sensor...now have to go to school in 2 hours to enter start up bgs.

Thanks Dex!

**just got the double beep...Dex says 394, meter says 124. Right on!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

I am fried!!

Need to decompress after my crazy fun filled weekend...

Fri: watched my schizophrenic neighbor get taken away by the sheriff (She has masking taped up her house and her car...yes, you read it right, MASKING TAPE!! I will blog about her story soon...it's a doozy! Hoping she gets the help she needs.)
Drove to Eugene.

Sat: took all the boys to the Duck game, cheered like crazy, drove home arriving at midnight, made sign for JDRF Walk, went to bed after 2am to be woken at 2:55am to a low blood sugar alarm (60), wake son and give juice, retest (81) wake again and give milk, blood sugars in range by 4am, my alarm goes off at 6:30am

Sun: JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes...supposed to arrive by 8am for team captain training, get there at 8:20a. 70 walkers on our team, over 6000 at the event. Near end of Walk route, Bryce says he feels low...(32)!! Downs some juice and a glucose tab. Needs to be carried rest of the way. BG goes up just before the high carb lunch. Only time for one ride then have to rush off to Jaden's flag football practice/game. 4:30p home to make dinner...another low (42)! Inhale grapes, caramel, milk, and dinner. See Dex skyrocket over 350....about an hour later, see it plummet to 71! WTF??

Can I just say, I AM TIRED!!!

Will post about the Walk tomorrow. Good night! (I hope)

Friday, October 1, 2010

We Walk for YOU too!

Love this idea from Alexis at Justice's Misbehaving Pancreas

Our Walk is on Sunday 10/3...just a few days away.
We walk, not just to find a cure for Bryce, but to find a cure for all those living with Type 1. I would love to add the names of these other kiddos that I read about to our sign for our team.

Please leave me a comment if you would like your T1 connection added.

Trick or Treats Sugar Bolus

Win some cool things to carry those important D (or other) supplies around...

Head over to Life is Like a Box of Chocolates and enter to win the latest Sugar Bolus.