Begging

I have two diabetic requests for you today. The first is rather general, may not apply to you if you are past the season in which you might have young children, and does not directly benefit me. The second is highly personal and could benefit my life in untold ways. So here goes:

1. Let your kids play in the dirt. Let go of any ideas you have of bacteria being evil green goober-looking things like in the Clorox commercials and try to rein in the urge to over-sanitize. Why? Well, because of this new finding that supports the Hygiene Hypothesis. You see, the incidence of Type I diabetes has been rising in the past few decades, and one possible explanation is that our kids are not exposed to as many "friendly" bacteria in early childhood, and therefore, their immune systems don't learn how to work right to distinguish between the good and the bad, and end up attacking their own pancreases (is that the right plural there?), resulting in the diabetes. This can also cause allergies and asthma. (Note: this is my highly simplified version of the explanation, obviously.) My own personal (read: non-scientifically-endorsed) reasoning suggests that the rise of this problem is probably related to the positive fact of also being exposed to fewer "mean" bacteria. Thus, while it isn't your fault if your child gets diabetes, you can help re-introduce the idea of friendly bacteria, and ignore the crazy commercials where every surface is teeming with little monsters waiting to gnaw your child's hand off. (Aside: those commercials really bother me. Can you tell?) So, let the kids play on the floor, let them get dirty, and relish the fact that you just might be helping them avoid future illness. On the other hand, washing hands before eating a meal is still advisable. ;)

2. Help me get a pump?

!!!!!

I really wanted to go on the pump about three years ago...but then I found out I was pregnant with J-man, and that idea went out the window. You don't want to mess with your system while pregnant if it's already working--you want have the most stable blood sugars possible, and the learning curve for a pump was a little scary for me, since I already had what is considered "good control." But I worked my BUM off trying to stay in good control with James, and it was really, really, REALLY HARD. And exhausting. And then I had James, quit my job, moved across the country and got on student health insurance, and have been slightly preoccupied with, you know, the monumental task of getting out of bed in the morning ever since.

But now I'm ready. And I've been talking with a Medtronic rep, and my insurance, and my doctor, and I really really want to do this. But my insurance only covers 90% (which is actually pretty good), leaving me with a bill of $702.72. So...

If you know of any good side jobs I could do, or if you have any Spanish documents that need translating, or if you need a babysitter, or if you would like to donate to the cause, please let me know. I WILL find a way. My quality of life will go through the roof if I get this pump, and I'm pretty desperate right now, having been through a hellish diabetes-troubles-related weekend. So let me know, if you've got any ideas or suggestions or connections. And yes, if you've got money, although I didn't figure that would be the main benefit of writing this post, I'm not crossing it off as a possibility. =)

I feel horribly bad to even write that down, that I would just take your money. But the truth is, for my health and the incredible benefit to my family, I totally would. That being said....please note that I didn't mean to ask for money. I just want support in this endeavor, lots of prayers that this can happen and SOON, and any helpful hints you might have.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Questions

If you accidentally freeze Play-Doh, does it have any long-term effects besides making your tv dinner smell suspiciously like childhood?

If your two-year-old loves to count to ten but hates and is boycotting Four and Five, is there anything you can do to make them feel less left out? Like, should you start to randomly shout them out during conversations so they feel they're getting enough use? No? This might confuse people? Are you sure?

If you go out for your anniversary and leave your child as his little friend's house for a couple of hours, and when you go back to get him, he doesn't want to come home, does that mean it's finally time for a spa weekend? Does anyone want to pay for a spa weekend for me?

If you go to an event called The Dog Olympics and you're standing in front of the Large Dog Limbo and watching it and someone asks you whether or not you brought a dog and YOU OBVIOUSLY DON'T HAVE A DOG WITH YOU, is it inappropriate to bark and just pretend that you don't speak Human?

If you can hear Grandma on your computer but you can only see yourself on your webcam, WHERE GO GRANDMA?

If you never have access to a computer except for a few stolen moments on nights and weekends, then how can you come up with posts with any real content?

I think the answer to all of these questions is I HAVE NO IDEA.

You're My Best Friend

Married three years. Together for seven.

I love the way time can twist and turn, fold in on itself, bend and stretch and do flip-flops until it seems like the day we met was about six months ago, but we've been together for all of our lives.

I can't imagine my life without him.

And I wouldn't want to.

I am so blessed with this life and especially this husband. I love you, honey. Happy Anniversary!

P.S. To our faithful readers--sorry for the long absence. Lots of things going on here, good and bad. Please pray/wish/cross fingers/chant/send good vibes/whatever you're inclined to do for us to have good options and a clear path. Can't be more specific right now, but more later.