It takes a village.

Technological advances in caring for people with type one diabetes has really taken off over the last 5 years. Tom started his pump 8 years ago and we have seen many new things come onto the market that make the management of type one diabetes easier.

That said, it comes with a cost. CGM (continuous glucose monitoring) technology is taking off in leaps and bounds but it doesn't come cheaply. Not only does CGM read blood sugar levels every 5 minutes, it also can be set up to send readings to a carer's phone/pebble watch  anywhere in the world. It can also stop insulin if bsl is dropping too fast or alarm when bsl are rising too fast. Full price for a box of 5 CGM sensors, is $500.00. A sensor is guaranteed to work for at least 6 days but sometimes we have extended the life of the sensor and had them work for 10 days. To pay $100.00 for 6 days would mean that we would need a box of 5 each month. That would equal $6000.00 for one child and $18000 for 3.

 Medtronic though realise that this is pretty un-affordable for most people so they have an offer. Sign up for 12 months of CGM, they will give us the sensors for half price. We did this for Chris last January and it has been the best thing. His bsl's have improved profoundly with the insight CGM gives us. I loved it but I was also aware to sign up all three of our children for CGM, would be pretty hard financially.

I decided to reach out to our local Lions club. I sent them a letter and they invited me to come and talk at their meeting about living with three children with diabetes. After that, they meet and discussed what they could do for us and a couple of weeks ago, they came and presented us with a cheque to help get CGM for all three.

The money has been a God send and I am so grateful for the support the Lions has been able to give us. In September, Tom started on the 640g pump and Medtronic gave us 10 free sensors. When the 10 sensors have been used, we will be using the money from the Lions to start Tom on the 12 month subscription. Amelia will not be on the 640g pump till August next year so I am going to look into getting her onto The Libre once it is approved for under 18 year old in Australia.

I am truly humbled by the care many people have shown for us and for our children's health. Apart from the Lions donation and the 10 free sensors from Medtronic, I also had a friend offer me a free computer because she knew we were having problems uploading the children's pumps with our computers that run on windows 10. Without having weekly uploads, it is harder to manage and see where changes need to be made. We will get the new computer tomorrow and I am looking forward to uploading all the pumps and seeing what changes we can make to get better control for all three.

I am closing this post with a clip Today Tonight ran a year ago about the Danii Foundation. Danii Foundation has been on the top of my lists of help since the middle of last year. Thank you to the Danii Foundation, Medtronic. Lions Port Augusta and Toni and Bob for all your support. We really appreciate the help you have given us in looking after our children and their health needs.

Throw Back Thursday.

 Back in January, Steve and I celebrated 25 years of marriage. Our anniversary was on the day after we returned from our cruise so we didn't do anything for it then. 

We came to Adelaide on the long weekend in March and had a party with family and friends. 

The photo above is us at the party. It was a great day, celebrating with family and friends. 

Here we are, 25 years ago on the day. We look so young. Our wedding day is one of my fondest memories. I look back and remember how happy I was that Steve had chosen me. 

We have had a great marriage. Our 8 children are all a blessing to us. Even with the ups and downs, I am really happy that we have travelled the road we have. With 8 children there has been plenty of ups and downs but I have always had Steve by my side to help. He really has been the greatest blessing in my life. I really look forward to many more years of wedded bliss. 

Diabetes Family Cruise.

Hello friends.

During the Summer holidays, we went on the best family holiday ever. We went on a cruise to Moreton Island.  The cruise was run by the Danii Foundation and it was an Type 1 diabetes educational cruise. Here is the promotional video from it:



It was the best 5 days of my life as a diabetes mum. I meet other families that know exactly what it is like to have children suffering from this disease. I made a lot of friends and came away refreshed and invigorated to help my children even more. They also seemed to enjoy it and get a lot out of it. It was great to have something positive to do because of their diabetes. I think before the cruise, I was really feeling burnt out from the constant care and never having a break.

Since the cruise, I am trying to be a bit more ordered in looking after our children. I have focused on making everything routine. I am getting there and I have seen an improvement in my teenagers in looking after themselves.

If you are a family in Australia with type one children or are a type one adult, I highly recommend going on this cruise. They happen yearly. Next year, the cruise is not till September/October 2017. This is just before Tom has his year 12 exams so we are  not sure if we will go yet but if we can. we will.

 Tom, Chris and Joe exploring the boat before we left Circular Quay. 

 Amelia and I. 

 Amelia and Steve 

 Joseph had his face painted on the first day while Steve and I were in conferences. 

 Chris did too. 

Tom, Amelia, Chris Joe and I. 

Hello

Hello everyone.

I just told Steve that I haven't posted here since February. He said, how slack. I have several drafts that I have started but just  never get around to finishing.

Today is the 30th of November. It is the last day of diabetes awareness month so  I need to post about it.

Having 3 children with diabetes is tough. I keep on thinking it will get easier but it never does. It is just as demanding today as it was nearly 3 years ago when Amelia was first diagnosed. In some ways it is more demanding because teenagers just want to fit in and not be different from all the others so I need to be more diligent in making sure they have check bsl and had insulin at meal times.

 I thought during diabetes awareness week that I could tweet and post updates on Facebook when I was doing different things for my children and what it is like to have 3 children with diabetes. I just didn't get around to doing anything really. I guess that is the reality of having three children with this.

We still pray for a cure but I see so many articles about something promising that just don't seem to go anywhere that I am starting to think it will be a long way down the road. I keep an eye on Dr. Faustman's research mainly because I believe she is the one that will really help all type one diabetics and other auto immune diseases. I guess now it is just a thing I watch and wait for but not with baited breath.

Because a cure seems like a long way away and because I find it so demanding looking after 3 children with it, I went online earlier this year looking for some support.I asked about families that live with multiple diagnosis and got directed to a couple of Facebook groups that lead to the finding of the Danii Foundation.

I became a friend of the charity as soon as I found it. It was great to find a charity that is working to make lives of type one people easier. The main aim of the foundation is to get continuous glucose monitoring on the NDSS. This is one thing I would love our children to have but with three of them needing it, it is just way to expensive for us. Cost for 1 child is around $5000.00 a year so there is no way we can do it full time. We will  have 10 weeks of CGM starting on the 14th of December. It is better than nothing and hopefully it will make my life a bit easier.

 Next year in January, we will go on the Jelly Bean Cruise with the Danii foundation. I am excited about going on a cruise and meeting more families that deal with this disease.

Bogging without any effort.

A friend posted this picture on Facebook.

I thought when I read it, that is what I want with my blog. I want a blog that will update itself. I guess that isn't going to happen. It is like wanting to win the lottery without buying a ticket. or these top 4 wishes.

7 Quick Takes.

It is such a long time since I did a quick takes post. I went back and looked when the last one was. It was back in July 2013 so a quick 7 is well and truly overdue. 

-1-

Last Saturday, Joseph turned 5. I cannot believe he is no longer a preschooler. Here is a photo of him in his knight outfit that we got him. 

-2-

This week  has been a week of mishaps. We started the week, needing to prove our ID for the purchase of our new unit. Steve's went through without any hitch but when it came time for me to do mine, they needed a marriage certificate because my birth certificate had my maiden name. The certificate that we were given the day of our marriage was not enough though because it didn't have a document number. We went to births deaths and marriages and ordered a marriage certificate with high priority. It arrived in the post the next day fortunately and I went to the Post Office to do it again. I am pretty sure this has all been completed now and hopefully it hasn't held up settlement which is next Friday. 

-3-

Steve had 3 moles cut out of his back this week. We went to see the doctor today and he changed the dressing and said come back next week to make sure they are still healing okay. The lab results were back today and they were not benign so we are happy about that. Still, prayers for his recovery would be appreciated. 

-4-

Christopher is due for a new pump. Insulin pumps are only under warranty for 4 years and his expired last Friday. 

The hospital contacted our health insurance asking them if they would cover it. The health insurer we had hadn't got in touch with the hospital so today, I rang them and asked what was going on. I was informed that out of warranty is not enough reason for us to get a new pump and that they want more information. 

I decided it was time to look around and see if there is any other health fund that are going to allow an upgrade when the pump goes out of warranty. I found one that will cover us for this so from today, we are with a new health fund. 

A friend posted this picture on Facebook about health insurers and I took it on my timeline too. It was just what I felt like.

-5-

Back to Joseph. Today he received the award for his class at their school assembly. Here he is with his certificate. It says on the bottom Awarded for helping others in the class, always trying hard at all tasks and having neat and tidy work.

-6-

During the week, a friend posted this link to a Nutella Cheesecake. Here is the video from the One pot Chef. 

My hubby has told me not to make it because it sounds too fattening. 

-7-

I will be back with my quick 7's hopefully. It is now hosted by This ain't the Lyceum. This is my first time linking to the new hostess. Here are other people's quick takes.

 

Wedding photos.

The 4 groomsmen. 

Angelique's father joins Daniel and Angelique's hands. 

Daniel and Angelique. 

Vows. 

Signing Marriage papers. 

Bridal party

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen\

Me before the wedding. 

New Unit.

Steve and I are under contract for a new unit. 

You can see it here. 

Our plan is to rent it out for the next 10 years and then move back to Adelaide and live in it. 

Around that time, we will be in semi retirement and Joseph will be the only dependent child too. 

I keep looking around our house and seeing how much stuff we all have. Obviously, a lot of it is because we have a big family but there is also a lot of stuff that is just clutter. I keep on thinking, when we move back to Adelaide, we won't have space for clutter so I need to simplify now and get rid of all the excess and also make our house look appealing for when it is time to sell it. 

Simplifying will make our lives easier too and less stressful and everyone likes to live in an appealing place so now is the time to get it all done. . 

I have a plan to work room by room and declutter and organise each one. This month, I am starting of with the little boys room. 

They need new curtains, the walls painted and probably the floor done too. I can do the curtains and Steve can do the floor and paint it. They also need to have all toys moved out of their room and clothes all reorganised. 

When their room is finished I will show you all before and after photos and then we will start on a new room. 

The End of an era.

Joseph all ready for school. 

In his classroom in the morning. 

so after 23 years of preschool children in the house, this year I am on my own for 6 hours every day. 

I am excited that we are moving into a new phase in our life. I have loved raising so many children and I am sure at times I will miss them but there are many things I am going to enjoy about this new phase. 

Lots of people have asked me what I am going to do with my time. 

There are many things I want to do but I am sure that it won't be long and the new normal routine will be in place and I will wonder how I had time to have preschool children. 

Holidays.

Next week is the last week of school holidays here. Steve will go into work on Thursday and Friday and the children will go back to school on the following Tuesday. 

I feel a little bit sad that the holidays are so close to finishing but it will be good to have a routine again. 

diabetes care becomes harder when the children are on holidays. They sit around a lot eating irregularly and much more than they usually would. BSL checks also tend to be on the lower side so getting back into our school routine will help manage them better. 

These holidays Steve and I have spent a lot of time looking for a unit to buy. We have made a couple of offers on two that we have liked but so far no success in buying one. Hopefully soon we will buy one. Our plan is to rent it out till Steve retires and then go and live in Adelaide. 

I have also been getting ready for Daniel and Ange's wedding. I have made Christopher a vest to wear and a dress and bolero for me. 

This is the pattern I used for the dress and bolero. 

These are the vests the boys will wear:

I made Joseph's for Musical Theatre Concert. 

Here he is in his costume: 

For the wedding, they will wear long pants, a shirt and tie with it. 

;Thanks for visiting. 

Therese. 

Happy Birthday Tom.

Today Tom turns 15.

 New Born with my dad and brother John. 

14 Months old. This photo was taken in Adelaide, just after Tom had been diagnosed. 

 Age 2 and 3. Tom and Amelia were firm friends at this age. The older children always called them the babies and I kept telling them they were not babies. 

Christopher was born when Tom was 5. He loved his brother to pieces. 

Age 6. This is probably his first bike. 

Age 7. I couldn't find one of Tom on his own. I wonder if he had started to become a bit camera shy. 

 Age 8. Tom and Amelia played soccer for the Eagles. 

 Age 9, First Communion. 

 Age 10, Another brother is born. 

 Age 11. 

 Age 12 with a new pump. 

 Age 13. Joining scouts. 

Age 14. Daniel took the 4 boys camping. 

Now at 15, Tom has started working part time at Hungry Jacks. He is our 5th child to start work with them. He will be in year 10 this year at PASS. 

Happy Birthday Tom. Dad and I are proud to be your parents and hope God blesses you abundantly over the years ahead. 

Happy New Year from Aussie Coffee Shop.

Looking back over the year that has been, I think it has been one of my favourite years. 

Lots of good things happened. 

Joseph went of to kindergarten and really enjoyed going. He also started therapy with Novita Children's services and enjoyed that too. 

Brigette got her P plate licence and started driving herself and Tom to school. 

Steve and I had 4 nights away on our own in Melbourne. We also went to Adelaide a lot for many friends 50th birthdays. It was great to catch up with a lot of friends we haven't seen for a long time. 

In July we paid of our house in Port Augusta. This was a pretty wonderful moment for both Steve and I. 

Daniel got Engaged and to a beautiful girl and we also went to Adelaide for their engagement party. 

Two of our children celebrated sacraments this year. Christopher had his first reconciliation and Amelia was confirmed. 

Madeline had 9 weeks in Thailand doing volunteer work with IVHQ.

The last thing that I remember that was great about our year was Sam's girlfriend, Jess joined the church. She and I did RCIA together and I was her sponsor on the 23rd of November. 

Along with the good, we also had a few things that went wrong. Tom had ketoacidosis twice and had to be flown to Adelaide with The Flying Doctors. Looking after three children with diabetes continues to be challenging but I am grateful for blood glucose meters, insulin pumps and a team of professionals that are only a email or phone call away. 

So now we are in 2015, we are looking forward to Daniel and Angelique's wedding, Joseph starting school and Amelia going to high school. 

Steve and I are looking for an investment unit to buy in Adelaide. We want to buy one now since our house is paid of. We will rent it out and then move into it when Steve retires.  

With Joseph being at school, I will have more time to do volunteer work at the school and within our parish. I will also be able to get more sewing done hopefully. 

St. Catherine is going to be my blog patroness again this year. I haven't chosen a word for the year but I am praying about what it should be and how to use it in my everyday life. 

Here are a few photos from the year.