7/31/2011

reflection



This photo is to represent my reflective mood.  And I like bubbles.  The firetruck means nothing to me.

I have to admit sitting down to write the last NaBloPoMo post for July is a little tough.  While I am happy the personal challenge is over, I will miss the discipline it took to come here and share my thoughts e-v-e-r-y-d-a-y.  Maybe I should up the ante and commit to blogging everyday for 1 entire year . . . . eh, I'm not THAT disciplined.

I did go back in the dusty archives of Three Thirty Three to take a peek at what was happening this time last year.  I figured reflecting on a post from last July would be fun way to see just how different, or the same, our lives have been.

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7/29/10

feel the love

So, eating better is supposed to make your immune system stronger, right? 

 
Five antibiotics for five people with strep throat.  We must all love each other LOTS and LOTS to share germs like we do.

Yep; a clean sweep in our household.  Dave didn't actually test positive at the doctors office with the rest of us, but was prescribed antibiotics anyway and was informed to take it if he felt any symptoms.  "Hhhhmmmm, maybe this is why I have been so wiped out the last couple of days and have had a headache and scratchy throat!"  says the hubby when I tell him about the appointment.  Um, yeah.  Open the hatch and down the gullet with the antibiotic bullet!

Now empowered with our prescriptions, I must stock up on some probiotic rich yogurt and kefir for some major gut healing at the end of the next 10 days.  This should all fit in so nicely with the real food challenge our family will embark upon on August 5th for 10 days. 

Huh.  10 days of antibiotics and 10 days for the challenge.  I wonder what the significance of a 10 day cycle is?  I suppose I could 'Google' it, but I would much rather have someone respond in the comments with the answer.

thankyouverymuch.

Off to heal.
 
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Well.
 
We took the 10 day course of antibiotics and killed the strep bacteria.  As I recall, this was the 2nd round of meds to treat strep throat; the 1st being a month earlier.
 
As far as the 10 day real food challenge?  Not so much.  I blew off the challenge and decided to focus on the challenge(s) of a new school year schedule instead of trying to implement a rigid eating plan.  What we did instead was to s-l-o-w-l-y phase out hydrogenated oils and trans fats and food that my grandmother would not have recognized as foods, over the course of a couple of months.  This process, however, was thrown off kilter when Ellie was diagnosed in late September with Type 1 Diabetes.  Suddenly I did not care WHAT kinds of foods she ate, but instead focused on CAN I FIGURE THE CARB COUNTS of what she ate.  Now that we are 10 months into T1D we are back on track with healthy foods and I now know how to find a 'carb' in a 'haystack'.
 
Reflection
 
What is the biggest thing about last year's post that just jumps off the computer screen at me?
 
I think this was the beginning of the end for Ellie's insulin producing islet cells in her pancreas.
 
You see, the common theory as to why the islet cells are suddenly attacked by it's own body (T1D is an autoimmune disease) is that an environmental or genetic trigger 'woke' up the autoimmune cells to go attack the insulin producing cells.  
 
Triggers such as an illness.  Or rapid succession of illnesses . . . . wearing down the immune system.
 
Something maybe like strep throat back-to-back.  Possibly.  We may never know.
 
But looking back at this post and the line up of antibiotics I can not help but wonder if the end of July, 2010 was also the end of Ellie's disease-free life.
 
 
*I do want to say, for the record, we are living and thriving and loving life in July of 2011.  Ellie's T1D has not held this family back nor has it given us a 'downer' view forward.  This just happened to be the post from last year and my reflections on that post.  Thank you ALL for sticking with me and supporting me through this loooooooong month of everyday posts!

9 comments:

Jenni at talking hairdryer said...

Yay! for you gettin' the bloggin' done this month!

Those "that was before" moments are bittersweet. Sometimes they hit me bitter, sometimes they hit me sweet.

We had a similar experience. Brooke had the flu about 3 weeks before she was diagnosed. Then after diagnosis, we found out that she had Mono 3-4 weeks before the flu.

Just think, next year, you'll read your post about getting your new kitties.

Lora said...

You could totally do this for a whole year!!!

I never think of Ellie being dx'd less then a year ago... you are so "with it" that it seems like you have been doing this for years.
Since we have to take this journey ... I am so glad that I have been blessed enough to share it with you.

Great job on the month of posting!!

Our Diabetic Warrior said...

I'd love to hear from you everyday!

I wonder the same thing about Andrew with the sickness before his diagnosis. He had what I honestly think was hand/food/mouth disease a couple of weeks before he was diagnosed with type 1. It really does make you wonder.

I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to meet you through our blogs!

Now I'll be ready to hear about your homeschooling journey as well!

Holly said...

Yay! You made it, congrats! So..does this mean we won't hear from you now? ; )

And I totally thought you'd been at this for more than a year too!!
Hugs!

Unknown said...

Back to back strep...makes you wonder, eh?

Congrats on the month of blogging ;) I can't wait to read what's next and you embark on the changes about to enter your world!

Unknown said...

I am with Lora. Beta Buddies woulda been a bumbling, depressive, mess of a blog if I had written it the first year of Joe's diagnosis. You, my friend, amaze me day-in and out...and I do think you could do it for a year too.

Great job this month. Thank you for so much sharing of you and your family.

Joanne said...

I loved hearing from you every day! You have one of the best "can-do" attitudes in the DOC! I still have trouble believing you are in your first year!

Tracy1918 said...

You are rockin' it girlfriend. In more ways than one! Please keep up the frequent posts. You make us all smile!

Sarah said...

I'd read ya everyday for a whole year! I love the reflection picture and your view of a year ago's post. Hope things are continuing on the upward swing of things as summer winds down :) Or, wait that seems a ways off still...especially when homeschooling :)