Our Little Mans New Life....With An Insulin Pump.....

We have had a pretty exciting weekend....On Thursday Rylan got to go meet with Stacey, a trainer with Medtronic and we got his insulin pump hooked up....I was so happy to see his eyes light up and his beautiful smile that we have been missing for 2 months now....So far So good...we still have our highs and lows but it has been a huge relief that we don't have to give him a shot of insulin every time he eats and a shot before he goes to bed to make sure he makes it through the night. I still get up with him at midnight and 3am just to double check and make sure his numbers are good. Technology never ceases to amaze me...this little tiny pump that is keeping my little man alive is amazing, how it links with his meter and corrects if he is high and alarms me if he is low...WOW....now in a couple weeks we will attach the continuous glucose monitor, which we are really excited about....

On Saturday we ventured out in the cold with our wonderful friends and family and walked for JDRF to cure type 1 diabetes...it was so, fun and there were so many friendly people there. Our team, Team Rylan, raised $715.00....I was so excited, that was more money then I expected to raise, it just shows how amazing my friends and family are..Jeff, (Rylan's dad) ran the 5k race that morning, we are all so proud of him, he got 7th place for his division and 26 out of all and there were 236 runners....

Now we pray for another good week, And just remember....FAITH MAKES THINGS POSSIBLE NOT EASY

Rylan faces a life long struggle as his pancreas no longer produces the insulin needed to keep him alive. We are able to manage this incurable disease but we cannot control it. Every minute of everyday is a constant balancing act between activities, food, emotions, and insulin...always praying that our hard work will minimize the devastating complications of this disease, but there is no guarantee. Rylan's days of being a carefree child are over. He can't just hop on his bike and go for a ride, or grab a snack ~ He needs to test his blood sugar first. Normal blood sugars run between 70-140 mg/dl...Some days we SUPERSTARS, and some days are bad, and some days are just ugly. High blood sugars make Rylan feel irritable, thirsty, nauseous, and gives him headaches, if left untreated he would develop diabetic ketoacidosis which could eventually lead to death. Insulin is used to treat his highs...Low blood sugars make Rylan feel shaky, confused, lethargic and have blurred vision, if left untreated he could have a seizure leading to a coma and quickly to death. Carbs are usually used to treat his lows, but in am emergency we would use a gluagon shot, we carry it everywhere. Both highs and lows are hard...the daily battles of highs and lows are dangerous and threaten his life everyday...We have to have supplies with us 24/7, meals are planned, even snacks have to be planned. We do this all to prevent or prolong complications later in his life. We are trying to save those beautiful blue eyes, his limbs, his kidneys, his heart, his smile, his spirit, his life...it has been so hard to deal with the everyday stress, just wishing everyday that I could take all his pain away...Not a single day goes by without a prayer for a cure...Insulin is NOT a cure...only a treatment.

Rylan has shown us unimaginable courage and strength, his courage inspires us. So many days are hard, but he goes on. We try to make the best of a very difficult situation...We do not understand God's plan but we have to remember it is ALWAYS good... Jeremiah 29:11 ~ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you hope and a future....

We can NEVER lose HOPE...that a cure will be found...