Gestational Diabetes Class

Today I spent 2 hours in a class to learn how to manage gestational diabetes and how to use the glucose meter. It was informative, but it will take a lot of thinking about it for awhile to get the hang of it.

I am to test my blood sugar 4 times a day. First thing in the morning and then one hour after every meal. I took it for the first time after dinner, and my blood sugar was within the acceptable range. It will be interesting to see how it looks the next couple of days. The kids are intrigued with the finger prick pen, except for Hannah who won't even watch me do it. She is our squeamish one.

I think the diet is fairly manageable, except that vegetables are what I can eat unlimited amounts of and I can hardly stomach them when I am pregnant.

It is important that I keep my blood sugar under control for several reasons. One of the most important is that when Melody is born she needs surgery right away. If her blood sugars are out of control, that will delay her surgery. So... I am committed to eating healthy and helping both of us in the meantime. We'll see how it goes the next couple of days.

Medical Bills

We often get asked how we are handling our medical bills. So far the answer has been fairly long and complicated. However, as of this week I have qualified for Medi-CAL. This is retroactive back to February, and covers all pregnancy related expenses. This is a huge blessing and relief as we ran up a pretty healthy tab in just the month of May. Hopefully, the hospital will now stop calling me almost daily regarding one bill or another. This is important as we discovered Melody would not be covered at birth unless I am on Medi-CAL. Our other children are on CA Healthy Families state program, so I had assumed it would cover Melody at birth. I was wrong. With the surgeries she faces within days of life, Medi-CAL will now cover Melody's needs.

Since Kevin is self-employed, we do not have medical insurance. We have been self-pay to this point. However, we do belong to a Christian Medical Sharing program called Samaritans Ministry. Each month we send our share to someone who has a need along with a card. We have been blessed to receive shares and cards from others in the ministry to cover what we thought would be basic maternity doctor costs. Samaritans will continue to cover any bills not covered by Medi-CAL. We will continue with Samaritans for our other medical needs. We have been very impressed while being members of Samaritans. Health care in our nation needs reform, doubt about it, but no one is considering this type of option which we have found much less expensive, personal and no insurance company reduces your payment on months when they have less medical expenditures. Samaritans does! We strongly suspect the Healthy Families program will be dropped in the State budget cuts underway. If that happens, we will put our children on our Samaritans coverage as well.

Over the last couple of months we have been blessed by financial gifts from Keller Williams Cares, some dear friends doing a garage sale, and money from Samaritans for Melody's birth. We have used those funds to pay the mimimum payments required each time we have seen the doctor over the last few months. I say minimum payments, but some are quite large. We have been so thankful for these funds as they have kept us afloat financially. We are told that Loma Linda will refund any money we have paid two weeks after Melody's birth if Medi-CAL has also paid for those services. Medi-CAL should pay for everything, so we look forward to the reimbursement in September. We hope to then put that money away in an account for Melody for needs she will likely have in the future. We will also probably need to reimburse some money to Samaritans for any funds we received from them which were not used for medical expenses. It will be a lot of fun hours for me to figure it all out, but we are so thankful the money has been there when we needed it.

We are so thankful for how God has provided for our financial needs so far. The stress of those is just one more aspect of the stress of having a child with special needs. We are thankful that God uses people to bless and encourage us and provide for us financially. What would we do without one another?

Castle Park Fun

Castle Park Train

We had a fun afternoon at Castle Park with our MOMS Club friends. I did better than I thought I might, though it was very hot. We came home tired and happy. Here are a few pictures of the fun.

Joel and Hannah ride "The Whip"

Joel rides the Carousel

Elizabeth rides the Carousel

I hate to admit it, but...

I really hate to admit it, but I think I am feeling better without sugar. I've almost completely cut out the junk food/refined sugar stuff for the last few days and I seem to be feeling better. Still tired, of course, but better. Of course, getting over my cold from last week has probably helped, too.

I'll be attending the gestational diabetes class next Tuesday and getting my glucose testing items as well as diet information. We'll see what new things I find out then. I can hardly stand vegetables when I am pregnant, so that makes eating less sugar and carbs a bit tricky. There's always protein, right?

So..I'm off to get some rest. Tomorrow is another day without sugar.

Gestational Diabetes

The long and short of it is, today started with a 3 hour glucose tolerance test and about 5pm the nurse called to say, yes, you do have gestational diabetes. She was actually very surprised as my initial number was fairly low and she was sure I would test negative today. However, I seem to be hitting all the long-shot odds. I think I should go buy lottery tickets.

I arrived at 8am for my first needle stick and drinking the way too sugary drink. I was poked twice at 9am for the second blood draw and actually passed out on that one. She had to dig around for my vein, and that always makes me feel light-headed. I laid down to rest in one of the rooms and had my third blood draw and two needle sticks at 10am. We saw the doctor about 10:30 (for a 9am appointment), and then I had my final blood draw at 11am. Only one stick that time!

I was eating the snack I brought before we even hit the elevators. I do not do well without breakfast and I do not like sweet things in the morning, so it was double whammy.

Our next doctor appointments are on July 21st! One month with no doctors appointments. Yeah. At least, that was until I found out I need to attend a 2-hour gestational diabetes class next Tuesday. They will give me my glucose monitoring items then, as well as diet, etc. One week until 4 needle stick/day. I can't wait.

Returned home where our electricity was off for a scheduled maintence project. It was about 90 degrees here today, so I took my nap in an 80% house, which is not the most pleasant for me right now.

But, today is over and tomorrow is another day. Pray that I will not grow discouraged. This is just one more development that threatens to overwhelm me. Melody is due to arrive in 13 weeks! I can make it until then, right?

Counting My Blessings

I will be headed out early tomorrow to take the 3 hour glucose tolerance test. My number on the one hour was 148 and they want you under 140. I have never had gestational diabetes before, but who knows. I also have a doctor appointment at 9, so I will hopefully be done with everything soon after 11.

It is easy to get discouraged and label this the "if anything can go wrong it will" pregnancy, but I think it is time to count my blessings again. It makes me much more positive about life. :)

Today I am blessed because:
* Joel can get on the potty by himself!
* We have new blue bedding on our bed. I have been looking for a long time and found a complete set I like for just under $60 and I had a gift certificate! It was not a need, but it gives me joy.
* 3 of our 4 children are doing well in swim lessons and Joel seemed to scream a little less today.
* Melody is VERY active. It is fun to feel her move and each kick encourages me.
* Despite a difficult real estate market right now, the bills are still paid.
* On one of my most tired days last week, I had a meal prepared by a friend I was able to just thaw out and cook. It was a wonderful blessing that day.
* Elizabeth is actually enjoying doing her multiplication times tests this summer. She likes a little competition and she is improving.
* We have a brand new septic pit! Flush away.
* The sprinklers are now mostly functioning again after the septic pit installation.
* Summer time! I can rest when I need to and not have to worry about the kids schoolwork.
* I have four wonderful children who do pretty well when Mommy is resting again.
* My wonderful husband, Kevin, who encourages me to let go of my perfectionistic tendancies.
* Friends and family who encourage me when I am down.

Fathers

Our father has a stronger influence in our lives than we probably ever realize. I am so thankful for my Father. The influence he has had and continues to have in my life is something I treasure. My Dad is a quiet, unassuming man, but a man of character and integrity who is always there for us. My Dad is consistent in his faith and actions. I love you, Dad! Happy Fathers Day.

I am also incredibly grateful for my husband, who is also a wonderful Father. Raising 5 kids is not for the faint of heart and it is such a blessing to have a wonderful husband and father at my side. Kevin works hard to provide for our family. He is a wonderful example to our children. He places his wife and his children right below God in his priorities, and it shows. I love being married to a man who loves me and our children. Who will send me out for the evening without complaint and takes care of our children. Who never complains about the cleanliness of our house or the caliber of our meals, but praises me for raising our children. He tells everyone that being a full-time Mom is a harder job than his. I appreciate how he honors me. I love you Kevin, Happy Father's Day!

As we begin our adventure with spina bifida, I am so thankful Melody has Kevin for a father. I know his influence and love for her will make an incredible difference. A father who loves her already and will protect and defend her throughout her life.

Most of all I'm grateful for our heavenly Father who is the best Father of all. He is there for us when no one else is. Loves, protects, and defends us as no earthly father can. The perfect Father and example to all fathers. What a blessing to be called a child of God. I love you Lord, Happy Father's Day!