Grand-parenting Type 1 Diabetic
Learning to navigate the often scary world of diabetes as the grandparent of a type 1. We share our experiences, things we found that work and things that didn't work so well.
I will never forget that day in June 2019 when our then 4-year-old grandson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. The endless finger pokes just broke my heart. When his doctor recommended he start wearing a CGM that began our quest to discover what is the best continuous glucose monitors. So here we are almost … Read more
What does vegetable gardening in Canada have to do with grandparenting a type 1 diabetic? Plenty. Let me explain. I have mentioned in several previous posts that a healthy, well-balanced, vegetable-rich diet is an important part of diabetes management. So why not grow your own veggies, they taste so much fresher than supermarket veggies and … Read more
So, how does mental health affect your physical health? I mean most of us think of physical health and mental health as very separate entities but the fact is they each affect the other much more than we realize. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social … Read more
February was Heart awareness month in the United States and having a diabetic grandson made it necessary to understand the connection between type 1 diabetes and heart disease. Diabetes Canada says that having diabetes increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. In fact, diabetics may develop heart disease 15 years earlier than nondiabetics. Data from … Read more
I found it is important to discuss what causes diabetes insipidus even though this site mainly focuses on diabetes melitus. When our grandson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes melitus, I started researching everything I could find that was diabetes-related and amazingly that led me to the formation of this website. Like many people, I … Read more
Ever since I retired I took particular on the importance of hobbies for women over 50. Seriously though, we need to fill up our days with something now that we are no longer commuting to work. This gives us plenty of both time and energy to pursue the things that interest us. What a glorious … Read more
What is hypoglycemic unawareness is a topic very dear to my heart. This is because our 6-year-old type 1 diabetic grandchild is hypoglycemic unaware. What this means is that he does not recognize the symptoms within his body of hypoglycemia. To compensate for this, his parents (and us when he is with us) must check … Read more
Despite COVID, we were able to have a very happy Thanksgiving in Canada. In a previous article I had mentioned that out of our 5 children, we were able to have one of them with their family come for a traditional Newfoundland Jiggs dinner. It was great to be able to get together with them … Read more
In this article, we will discuss the fears we are facing as we send our kids and grandkids back to school in Canada. I must admit I was terrified of sending our grandkids back to school, especially since one of those grandkids has type 1 diabetes. So yes, I am afraid of sending him back … Read more
Canadians are faced with a serious dilemma when it comes to growing vegetables. A short growing season has always been the culprit until the technology of hydroponics and aquaponics came to the rescue. Let’s examine what’s the difference between the hydroponics and aquaponics systems used today. As a vegetable gardener who is only too familiar … Read more