The Sernova Cell Pouch, next best thing to the pancreas actually doing its job! IMHO

A few months ago I attended a local JDRF research information night. I was very interested to hear what ELSE the JDRF has cooking up besides the Artificial Pancreas.

I was floored by the actual number of on-going projects, research and innovations that are taking place RIGHT NOW!  I left that event with a skip in my step, I felt refreshed, excited and a renewed faith in ALL the work that the JDRF is doing.  But most of all, it gave me hope again. Hope that there are people out there still searching for a cure, they have not given up, they have not put all their apples into the proverbial Artificial Pancreas basket.

This night re-enforced how I felt almost 5 years ago...YES, I want my money and fundraising efforts going to support all of this phenomenal work.

It is very hard to support an organization when their "next big thing" is not something you are 110% sure about. The Artificial Pancreas and I stand on rocky footing...outstanding, life saving technology - just not to sure how it will all fit into our (Cara's) life.


First up, Dr Robert Goldstein and the Artificial Pancreas, yes I'm impressed...really I am, and I'm trying to get on board a little more but until it is here and we try it out, I will always be sitting on the fence with this one.

I was ready to hear more... AND boy did I ever!

Next up, Dr. Philip M. Toleikis and the Sernova Cell Pouch System...H.E.L.L.O. have you guys heard about this thing...talk about an ACTUAL artificial pancreas...yes, I said that! THIS IS IT!! As soon as the presentation started I remembered reading an article on fb about it, I even posted about it a little while back.  I remembered thinking, WOW that is PRETTY cool and the fact that they are based out of London Ontario...same place insulin was thought up...CRAZY cool. Can you imagine if London was the birth place of insulin, a medical miracle for t1d AND the Sernova Cell Pouch, a possible cure for type 1.

So, now you may be asking what is this thing you call a possible cure? 

Well, here it is...

The Sernova's cell pouch system is a versatile, scalable, matchbook-size, multi chambered polymer device made of FDA approved materials, designed by biomedical engineers and biologist. Placed under the skin in a simple inexpensive procedure, it develops organ-like characteristics for delivery and natural housing of therapeutic cells.  So in other words (Nicole Notes) a "cell pouch" made of man-made material is implanted under the skin in a type 1's stomach. This material is then integrated and accepted into the persons actual bio-material (if that's a word).  Islets cells from donor pancreases are then placed in the pouch chambers allowing the pouch to produce insulin naturally, in response to the persons blood-sugar levels...AMAZING and if you can't actually make the pancreas do it's job again THIS is the next best thing...in my opinion.  I can get 110% behind this :) There is nothing better then the hope that Cara's body could actually one day, again start to producing insulin. WOW...HUGE!!

Picture showing the cell pouch and chambers where islets cells can be injected.

Sernova, is developing two novel closely integrated proprietary platform technologies. The first the above mentioned Cell Pouch System™ and the second is Sertolin™, a cell-based technology providing an immune-privileged environment for donor cells, reducing or eliminating the need for anti-rejection drugs. (taken from their website)

Here is a GREAT VIDEO that explains and shows exactly how this all works. (the Sernova Cell Pouch is explained about halfway in)

I don't know about you but I'm keeping my eye on this FOR SURE!!

Instagram Diabetes Style: Pictures From Our Canadian D Life This Month

 

We live in Canada and here, Tim Hortons is a REALLY big deal :) There is nothing better in the early mornings, after a night of 2am blood sugar checks, the highs and lows of diabetes, getting all 6 kids ready for school and out the door than to be able to sit down, relax and enjoy a hot cup of Timmies...wait, I'm wrong...it does gets better! Every now and then, they introduce RRRRoll up the Rim to Win...yep, Canadians LOVE IT!! I can't even wait to finish my coffee before rrrrolling up that rim to see if I'm a winner...and when you win BAM-your morning is instantly transformed and you're smiling for the rest of the day.  Why? because there IS only one thing better than Tim Hortons....FREE Tim Hortons!  Oh and by the way I have my hopes set on that car.  This mom of 6 NEEDS a vehicle REALLY BAD. Wish me luck ;) mommy needs some wheels...   

 

 

I believe Cara wrote this story on family day (another Canadian thing).  She just walked into the kitchen, threw it down on the table and said "I'm finished my Valentines Day Story" and walked off...LIKE A BOSS.  Me, not 100% sure what the hell just happened, why she all of a sudden decided to take pen to paper, I stood there staring. Finally, after looking it over and realizing, yes indeed it was readable, I read this cute and adorable story of her day and it allowed me a few insights that I will share with you.

1.  Her day, in her eyes is never ending, as in there are NO PERIODS.  She takes NO brakes,  from one thing, to the next thing, to the next with only exclamations marks to break up her movements and thoughts.  I love that!!<---see I REALLY LOVE THAT :)

2.  She LOVES the word OK.  She is OK with everything she does in her day...so cute.

3.  (now this one was a shocker) There was NO mention of diabetes, AT ALL, in her day.  She ate, no carb counting, no button pushing, no insulin.  She plays, no need to check blood sugar, no going low. Her whole day begins and ends without one bg check at all. Amazingly normal! I really thought at least when she spoke about eating there would be a little mention, I actually thought I saw 24g, when I first looked at her story sitting on the table.  However it was her counting to 10, playing tag with a friend and she had written the 6 backwards, with a sloppy 7 and 8...amazing! She was playing, eating, laughing, learning...no diabetes. There is even talks of a play date and a sleep over in this story...which btw at the end of the story her father says YES to...this sleepover business has not yet come up and not to sure how it will be handled as of yet. (I guess I better start figuring that out soon) After reading her story I smiled with a sense of sadness. I felt happy that D did not make an appearance in her writing however I wished that THIS story was the way her life was. I'm impressed that she sees her life more than broken up pieces of a life with the burdens of diabetes thrown in every 2 hours because unfortunately, I think that is how I see MY life right now.  I might want to take notes from this little sweetie :)

4.  We really need to work on SPELLING ;) STAT!!    

 

 

This is a picture of our local newspaper and there is Cara (can you see her?) slapping a low5 with one of the players. On the right hand side is my other daughter Kylie's red hair.  This was an event that their school was involved in.  Both the girls sing in the school choir and they sang the National Anthem at the beginning of the game. My husband and a few of our kids went and had a great time. I'm glad my husband went, because it is times like this when she isn't within my reach that I become obsessive and frantically stress over her blood sugar. My husband, not so much...and that's a good thing!   

 

Now this is a funny one!  There was a knock on the door, my husband answered it and signed for the package.  We had only ordered our Medtronic supplies the day earlier (with some (a lot) of issues) so we defiantly were NOT expecting a delivery the next day.  We have been ordering these supplies for over a year and a half now, and it ALWAYS, ALWAYS  takes 2 to 3 days to come in (Canadian Postal Services for ya) .  On opening the box we noticed a little something on the order form...ordered by Christ :) How funny is that? "Holy cow" I said "Christ sure does get speedy delivery" I wish he would order our supplies more often!!   

Diabetes Art Day, Pumpers & Rockets and Our Life Lines

Diabetes Art Day is upon on us again, this, I believe is the 4th annual Diabetes Art day.

"Diabetes Art Day is a web-based initiative for the Diabetes Online Community to “tell a story” about life with diabetes though creative visual expression."   

The creator of this fabulous day is Lee Ann Thrill

 We have two separate entries this year :)

The first is from Kylie, my artist of a daughter...she LOVES this day.  She loves anything art based and creative.  Cara and the other kids...well, not so much.  They as usual, opted out of this one. Which is fine too.  Art is not for everyone.

Kylie had a project for school that we needed to work on this weekend as well.  She needed to create a fair and working game that her and her peers could play.  So we mashed the two projects together and came up with Pumpers and Rockets, a game board of ups and downs of living with diabetes.  First one to the top square wins, players must roll the dice and move the game pieces accordingly throughout the board but pay attention!!! there are obstacles in your way.  Some good some not so good.  It looks like a lot of fun...who wants to play? ;)

PUMPERS & ROCKETS 

Land on a Rocket (our candies to treat a low) and go up because they bring up your blood sugar.  Land on a Pump and slide all the way down the tubing because they bring your blood sugar down.

Watch out for the obstacles of diabetes life,  forgot your diabetes bag must go back home, check blood sugar miss a turn, World Diabetes Day move ahead 2 squares, Doctor visit miss a turn.

The little game pieces are left over pieces of old sure-T sites we use to use with glitter number stickers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this one is mine :) After we were done helping Kylie out I went back in the room because we were going to do a site change for Cara.  I looked down at the table, I had my computer siting there closed and on top of that was Cara's meter, strips, poker, a site and her insulin. I kinda laughed to myself and thought, those are our life lines right there.  Without my computer I would not have the D.O.C and without insulin and all the supplies we would not have Cara. so I took a picture and dressed it up a bit...Art :)

Thank Goodness for all these things, without them our lives would be completely different!!

Bitter, Sweet February

February is here...

And although it is freezing cold outside here in Canada, it's the most heart warming month of the year. The feeling of love is in the air, with the growing anticipation of flowers, chocolates and maybe if your lucky, some wine too.  Red and pink hearts and little cupids are abundant everywhere.  In case you have forgotten Valentines is soon here.

For me, February is a bitter sweet time.

A time, for me, of despair and heart ache in mourning the way life was. I don't visit here often, but when I do, it's usually in the month of February. I allow it just one month a year, to feel it, to account for it and to deal with it.  Memories of my sweet baby girl in pain, crying, not understanding that everyone around her, prodding and poking were there saving her life. The memories of pure and utter helplessness as all I can do is look in her eyes, stroking her hair, repeating over and over "it will be okay" "you're okay" while in the back of my mind pleading those statements hold true.

February is the month that Cara was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It was 4 years ago. She doesn't remember much, she had only turned 3 a few months prior but I remember so much...

• I remember seeing the fear in the ER nurse's eyes while trying to find a vein.  Over and over poking not able to find it, calling to another nurse for help and still nothing and then, it hit them...lying on this bed was a skeleton of a little girl, motionless, as she continually endured  getting jabbed again and again, not moving, not crying, not fighting.  Simultaneously, they stopped, with a look of  panic across their faces, looked at me then back at Cara, one more poke...finally found the vein.  You could feel the relief in the room. 
• I remember how little, tiny and frail she was. So much weight had been lost she was just skin and bones.
• I remember her NEED  for water, constantly asking for more as we waited in the ER.
• I remember the biggest brown eyes filled with so much worry every time someone would walk into her hospital room. I will never forget that face. 
• I remember she was covered with stickers from her head to her toes, a short of bribery used by the nurses.
• I remember she loved being strolled through the hospital hallways during the nights when no one was awake.
• I remember the exhaustion. 
• I remember nurses and doctor's talking to me as I nodded my head frantically as to say yes I understand. Only to find once they left the room their words were a jumbled mess in my head.  I would turn to my husband and ask "What the heck did they just say?" I could not hold one thought, I could not comprehended what they were saying. 
• I remember for Valentines day I had my husband bring Cara's red and pink heart pj's up to the hospital. She looked so cute and everyone who saw her made sure to comment.  It brought her so much joy!  
• I remember my husband would lie down beside Cara every night before he left for home as I read all the books I could get my hands on. I wanted to know everything.  For me, information gave me power over this disease.  
• I remember Cara, although so young and sweet, so very mad and confused at what was happening, she took a good chunk of that out on me.  One night while my husband and her were lying in her hospital bed, she turned her head to where I was reading and out of the blue said " I HATE YOU" She never said it again, did not explain herself...we did not push.  There was no explanation need.  I was the one who brought her to the hospital, I was the one that let everyone poke and prod her. I think, at that time, she thought I was the one who caused this pain. I will never forget the anguish in her eyes. That was the very first and only times I cry in the hospital.
• I remember the relief that finally someone listened to me, we finally got the medical attention that my daughter needed.  We were safe, surrounded by people educated in taking care of a child with type 1 diabetes.
• I remember telling my mom. I called her on the phone as we were waiting in the ER room. I said, they think it's type 1 diabetes but we are just waiting for the results of the blood tests to confirm (Cara's bg was 53.2mmols 957.6mg on dx) As she tried to talk to me I heard the quiver in her voice and I snapped at her " I don't need this right now, pull yourself together or I'm going to hang up" She pulled herself together, we talked for just a bit longer before the nurses came back with the results. 
• I remember having to go over and over the months of sickness and doctors vistits with our nurses.  They were shocked at how long and how many doctors turned us away saying it was only a virus.
• I remember the pep talks to myself.  We are dealing, don't let your emotions get the best of you, focus on what's next, how do we beat this.  She is safe, we are okay, you are going to kick some ass. I will take this on, I will bare the weight, we are doing this, there is nothing that we can do to change this...WE GOT THIS!! Don't cry, don't cry, please don't cry...she needs you!!
• I remember the fright and nervousness when we were given the opportunity to go home after the 4th day in the hospital.  They were confidant we could do it, we on the other hand, were not so sure.  But we left on that day, never to look back because this was our life now, this was our new way and we were going to ROCK IT OUT like no other.

 
Every February we celebrate, not what we lost but what we have.  We celebrate Cara is still with us. We celebrate all the hard work that we all have done in the year past.  We celebrate the fight and how awesome we ALL are.  We are in this together and we got this!

and I remember, quietly pushing back the sorrow to celebrate with and for my wonderful family.

It's a bitter, sweet February