death – DiabetesDad

Wake Us Up Damnit!!!!! Nitetime Lows???? Warn Us!!!!

Posted on April 20, 2013 | by tomkarlya | 12 Comments

I was asked to rerun this column and respectfully I post it again.

Okay—here is the idea. While we wait for so many things from a cure to better tools for management like a bionic/artificial pancreas; here is my idea.

Knowing one of the BIGGEST fears for parents is losing our child(ren) (or loved one like a spouse or a person with diabetes) while they sleep from a diabetes reaction—I offer the following challenge for better minds than me to work through, and could be done fairly quickly I imagine.

Knowing that tools like the CGM are already in place where a radio frequency is sent from the sensor to the device that reads blood sugar (and I get that it is not perfected yet)—cannot the same radio frequency be utilized to send a low or low trending blood sugar alarm to a device that could be triggered to wake up the entire household with the warning that the person with diabetes may be in trouble. Perhaps at 60—or 55—or perhaps you can set it to the number you like that works best for you. THIS cannot be a far stretch for the device to do from the alarm it is already activating—just make it a real loud activation. REAL LOUD.

Why does it have to be the whole ball of wax for an AP with reading glucose numbers and dispensing insulin and all that yada yada with FDA, algorithms, etc etc etc . (when it comes, great; but we have a long haul before it gets here—this is for the NOW—this is technology available NOW).

JUST WAKE US UP DAMN-IT

Ring bells—turn on lights—send in the cows—-make the frequency trigger something; THIS cannot be all that hard with available technology.

The CGM is already equipped to set of an alarm, based on info it receives from a sensor…right? All I’m saying is to have an ad hoc attachment that can sit on the night stand and get the same frequency that the CGM receives and activate whatever is needed to wake up the entire household when that number from a diabetes reaction is reached.

The answer? Nope. But a step until what we wait for is ready? Yep.

I would sleep a little better…….wouldn’t you?

Send this and share this with everyone and anyone to whoever is out there and willing to listen.

Thoughts?

I am a Diabetes Dad

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The Final Text Message Before Death at the Wheel……Share with Your Kids.

Posted on April 11, 2013 | by tomkarlya | 2 Comments

Many different news sources are running the story about Alexander Heit, a University of Northern Colorado Student who was driving and texting and in the middle of the text message, I have posted here, he swerved into oncoming traffic, jerked his wheel back and rolled his car; he died a short time later.

My own daughter, Kaitlyn, was in a head-on collision because of such a distraction from an oncoming driver. Even after almost a year of physical therapy, she still has both the pains and the nightmares.

Alexander’s parents have courageously shared this, his final text message (you will see he was in the middle of the message when the crash ended his life), in the hope it might save just one person’s life. I highly applaud them for their incredible efforts and offer condolences on such a senseless way to die.

Share this with your kids.

The message could have been about anything, there is nothing significant in this message–why could have it not waited until it was safe to converse? Why? WHY?

DO NOT TEXT AND DRIVE; TURN THE PHONE OFF. And while we are at it, if you have diabetes NEVER START THE CAR until your blood sugar is checked. EVER!

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

Our Fragile Homes…….PLEASE Take the Time to Enjoy. A Moment Can Change Everything!!!

Posted on April 9, 2013 | by tomkarlya | 3 Comments

Being on the road as much as I am; I always enjoy the first morning I am back home. As I poured my coffee this morning I thought to myself, “Ahhhh, this is nice.” I love the amount of energy I put in which truly is nonstop. To make a difference in the lives of people with diabetes and to constantly be on the look-out for when this will end forever is all part of making a day, week, month, and so on go ver, very quickly. I do love it.

But there is always that ‘something’ when you are standing in your own kitchen pouring a cup of coffee.

Home.

I wonder if our kids feel like that feeling as they venture out into the world whether it be for just a day or for weeks/months at a time. DO they come home and feel that same relaxation? Do they feel safe? DO they feel that ‘it’s great to be back home’ feeling?

And those who move out; do they feel strange returning to the place they have nestled; and walking up the steps knowing they no longer live in the world that made them so comfortable; what do they feel?

There is something to be said in the amount of work given into a building. The laughter, the love, the gatherings, the traditions, and yes even all of the ‘not-so-good’ occurrences we all experienced all make up that sense of home. But it is also as if that solid home sits on a tree branch that could break at any given time. We need to take the time to appreciate it; NOW.

It is not a size or a style or anything more than who is inside.

Many people we know have taken major ‘hits’ to this family structure; to this home. Take the time to enjoy it. Take the time to realize how fortunate you are because in an instant; it can be changed for life. Look around you—–oh yes we are dealing through life, that DOES happen, and it CAN BE tough. But know that those who have left us would want all of us to keep living with what WE DO have.

This became so real for me when I recently picked up the phone to call someone to share a story that SO REMINDED me of them. Just as I reached I also realized they are no longer with us. Anyone else ever do that? At first I felt sad, but as I thought about it (staring at the phone thinking ‘how dumb was that move?’) I began to smile because it was almost as if ‘that action’ was the very same person reminding me that I should look around and be grateful for WHO is here and WHAT is here.

Take a look around….be grateful…do not wait until something impacts your household….fully believe and enjoy the fact that there is no place……..like home.

I am a diabetes dad.

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

Mother Sentenced to 16 Years for Death of her T1 Daughter; Neglect……What Are Your Thoughts?

Posted on March 21, 2013 | by tomkarlya | 24 Comments

She was nine years old when she died. Did we, perhaps, light blue candles back when we heard? As months and years went on, the story unraveled. The incredible horror of life was told, and the results were as baffling as they were horrendous. How? Why?

Who stood by and only watched. In this day; in this age? How so sad.

I would be very interested what you think after you read this story. Kindly hit reply and feel free to comment and give your input to this horrendous story.

Reported by the New York Daily News via Dallas Morning News :
A Texas mom was jailed for the death of her diabetic daughter after failing to control her condition by letting her eat sugar-filled sweet treats.

Georgia Jones, 31, will spend the next 16 years locked up after confessing to feeding Chasity Butler, who was just nine, foods that were high in glucose. (Diabetes Dad NOTE: Other stories on this news showed that there was ‘other neglect’ over the years and this reads a bit differently than some of the other stories I found. That neglect was stated in other stories beginning before her daughter’s diagnosis of T1—FYI)

She also left Chasity — who died on her mom’s bed in May 2008 next to a bag of candy and a half-eaten cupcake — to take her own blood-glucose-level readings and insulin injections. (DD Note: remember she was 9 at the time of her death)

Jones, from Dallas, was arrested a year after her daughter’s death — which a coroner ruled was natural from complications of her Type I diabetes.

But Jones was, according to cops and state Child Protective Services, responsible for not preventing the death as she did not monitor or treat the condition. (DD NOTE: Other reports I found were that Ms. Jones was responsible to send her daughter’s glucose numbers to CPS much more frequently than she did.)

Investigators in the case revealed Jones did not turn up to a Diabetes 101 class a week after her daughter fell into a coma and was diagnosed with the disease in 2005.

The night of her death, they also found that Chasity — who had dangerously high glucose levels, stomach pains and diarrhea — was fed candy and noodles to celebrate her sister’s birthday.

Jones’ husband Marqus Butler, whose mother now has custody of Chasity’s four sisters, previously said his wife let their daughter take a nap.

When they went to check on her, he added, they found she had died.

“Chasity’s diabetes was not monitored properly causing her to be constantly sick and in bed rather than leading a normal life-like other children her age,” Dallas police documents said.

Jones pleaded guilty and was sentenced by Judge Gary Stephens on Monday, the Dallas Morning News reports.

I am a diabetes dad.

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It Happened Again……..DAMN-IT……This MUST STOP….Do something!

Posted on February 24, 2013 | by tomkarlya | 49 Comments

Again. It happened yet again.

I am beside myself with complete rage and I apologize if my title annoyed or offended you. I AM JUST SO ANGRY.

Mom takes her child to the Doctor with flu-like symptoms. The doctor advises that the flu has been going around and her child must deal with it. Five days of hell and it will subside, she is told.

By day three her child would become extremely lethargic. The Docs office would be no help this time. The child became unresponsive. The mom calls 9-1-1.

Two days of intensive intervention and despite the heroic efforts, it it all to to no avail and the child dies. DKA. And why?

I am so furious that once again a simple test might, AND I SAY MIGHT, have had an extremely different end to this story.

Throughout the month of March, many organizations will making their annual drive to Capitol Hill. I know it is to ask for funding, but is there anyone else out there that thinks these organizations may want to find one of these parents who lost their child and ask them to join in the efforts. To tell their horrible and compelling story.

I get it. Great photo ops and kids and people with diabetes talking to congressional leaders. More money for funding. More money for treatment. Makes sense, but more needs to be added.

I beg these organizations who are experts on approaching Capitol Hill and our elected leaders in Washington to also remember that there are children and people with diabetes who cannot speak for themselves. Because when they were diagnosed, they were already dead. SOMEONE NEEDS TO SPEAK FOR THEM. If not a diabetes organization……….let me know who?

If you agree with this please pass it on, share, comment, yell, scream, and kick your feet because if we can get one legislative on national health initiatives to hear us and help us to inform Doctors to run one simple blood test for diabetes than perhaps we will safe a life. Pretty tangible result, don’t you think?

Anybody hear me out there enough to help do something? Contact any organization you know going to Washington next month and show them this article………what do they think? A diabetes organization that will be on The Hill anyway; will they add to their agenda an idea that practitioners and pediatricians will add a simple glucose blood test to save one life so no one is ever again diagnosed at death?

Contact someone because if we don’t speak for those who cannot; someone else will be added to the list.

I am a diabetes dad

Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.

A Blue Flame that Should Never Be Lit……Your Input is Requested to Extinguish it.

Posted on January 5, 2013 | by tomkarlya | 46 Comments

I had just read about a 7-year-old child that was diagnosed with diabetes upon their death. I was livid.

This just seems so unacceptable to me. My experiences from hearing prior stories go something like this:
flu-like symptoms take place, it gets worse, trip after trip happens to medical offices/hospitals, no one can figure exact cause, and by time anyone can figure everything out……the individual passes away. Now I DO NOT know if that is what happened in this case but I am informed the diagnosis was at death.

Unacceptable.

I am so angry that I decided reading about it and not doing anything about it is just not in my DNA. Just ‘Don’t do Nothing’ has been written or stated by me a million times. I reached out to The American Academy of Pediatrics to discuss the matter.

I am in the process of figuring out what we all might do. Poster campaign, public service campaign, and I am not sure what….but SOMETHING.

I’m not stating that someone or a group is doing anything wrong. All I am saying is that we should do all WE can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. There are many laws on the books named after people who, upon their death, the families felt a change needed to be made.

In our diabetes community, that law (or action needed) would have an entire list of names.

You know it was really incidents on playing fields that made the defibulators placed everywhere. It was death in kids that made a rallying point to become a reality to make defibulators placed everywhere.

I might be wrong, but if a blood test would have revealed something, it needs to be done. I may be way out of my league, here but something needs to be done, what do you think?

I learned, AGAIN, yesterday that his community can make a difference. Not merely hundreds, thousands of people, responded trying to help yesterday in an incident now resolved. When we as a community set our minds to do something we can change the tide.

Once I figure out a course of action, I will let you know.

Are you in? Do you think that we as a community SHOULD try to do something? Reply to this blog as I want/need to hear if I am just angry or DO YOU think something can/should be done? What are your thoughts?

I am a diabetesdad.

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