A 16 year old with a life line.

I'm 16 and have this thing on my hip called a pump that is my life line. Many kids and grown-ups have the same thing. I was 3 1/2 when my parents were told I had type 1 diabetes. Which meant I dont have insulin in my body. I was given 3 shots everyday for 6 years. I than got the pump which is now my life line.

Harmony (pump name) has been in my life for the past 6 years now. Harmony is with me were ever I go. When she brakes I feel lost with out her on my hip all the time. Harmony has meet one other pump in her time with me.

I am and always will be a diabetic. There are times when I go to my parents room cause I cant find my checker. I did that just last night...and it's most of the time stay in my room.

It's going on 4 years since I started taking care of my self. It's hard to get good BG's but some how I do it.

There are time that I am up at 2am to check and think about all my other DOC family. My DOC family means alot to me. They help with anything that you need help with...unless they cant help.

Last night I lost my pump in my bed. The good thing about having the pump with a line is that I can just find the line and run my finger along it intell I find my pump. Most of the time it is under my pliow.

I love my life line Harmony. She better than having to have shot 3 times a day.

Family

So it seem like since I have been able to do everything with diabetes my self...it feels like my family dont have the support that I used to have been I had help with stuff....my parents still dont let me do much of anything if im going to be with out one or both of them.

When I 1st found out about JDRF and walking for a cure and other things. I was 10...Its 6 years later and im trying to get my parents to do a walk next year for JDRF and I also want to go to diabetes camp. But my parents dont like I would like diabetes camp since I dont like making friends that much.

I can make friends it just that in the past I have had some friends that r not that great of friends. So it makes it hard for me to make friends with people.

The only time my mother seens to support is when im high or we go to my endo appt.

My teenage life.

Sometimes I wish that I would have been born to a happy family. But I was, I love my family even if I do fight with my brothers once in a while. That just means I love them as much as ever. But when I was 3 1\2, my family was trow apart. I am the youngest of three kids. And a type one diabetic. I was 3 1\2 when I was de'xd with diabetes. I know I was one bad little girl. I hated shots. But I got used to them. Up intell I was 10 than I had to get use to have a neddled poked in me every 3 days. It got to the point were I would put more insulin in my pump so I would not have to change it. But that would intell I could not take my site bring were it was. Than I hit my teenage years. It was bad. I was bad with careing for my diabetes. I would not check most of the time and I would eat when ever i wanted too. And than when I was 13 I end up in the hospital. Its not every day I tell this story.

It was June,26,2009
I was 13, just before my 14th birthday. I was staying with my aunt in Ohio while my parents were in the big truck making money for our famiy. My aunt cuz and I want to town. I wear a under shrit and shorts. Thats all. We were in town at walmart when I was cold. And I felt sick. When we got home I want to sleep in my room were I was staying. I wake up and after about 2 hours my aunt take me too the hospital. They ran test and everything. I endup up have something like the flu. At 2 in the moning we want back to my aunt house with a paper so I could get pills in the moning. I stayed there past my birthday than want home.
But that vsit to the hospital was a wake up call for me I think. I started checking my self more than I was. And I was not running in the 400s all the time. When I want to my endo the next time my A1C was 6.7. I think.

And now I check sometimes at least 10 or more times. I wish I was not a diabetic but its my life and If I have to live with it than I going to take care of my self.

When someone meets me that dont know I am a diabetic they think I am nomal. Which I look nomal. I just have a pump and have to check my self. Not many of my friends can say that. I many be a teen that looks nomal but I will really never be nomal intell we find a cure. I think I speke for all diabetic and their family when I say

Back to school!

It is hard to belive that on Tuesday I will be starting school. Before there was alot of planing and what not to do. But now that I am homeschool all what I have to warrie about is having my checker and snacks if I need them. And going high the stress from school I can go high.

Busy week

This past week I want to youth camp. I had fun. And guess what! I got to meet a diabetic there too. It was great to meet a diabetic. And he was a guy. The last day was the day I really talked to him and his sister. Than later we showed each other our pumps. I love having some one elae that is close to me and that lives in Michigan.

Also talked to his dad. He told me that he did not know that. Than we talked more about diabetes. I told his dad that I been a diabetic since I was 3 1/2. He said "Wow, so you dont know life without diabetes?" And no I dont. His son was de'xd at 10. And he is now 13. So it's been 2 1/2 years since than. I thought the cool part was he and I were on the same term.

Than on Saturday my brother got married. I now have 2 brother's and a sister-in-law and my best friend is my step-sister-in-law.

I dont know how I did it but I keep my Bg's with in 100 sometimes 200's most all weekend. But saturday only once was I high. After the wedding I was 491. But I was 140 or something. I am still doing good.

Open letter..

Dear Diabetes,

We have know each other since I was 3 1/2. But I dont like you. I never have and never will. You put my mom and dad though hell for 10 years. Weather it was checking me in the middle of the night or me being sick. They take care of me. Did they like it? Most likey not. I would not want to pock my 3 1/2 year old child 4 or 5 times a day. And give her shots 4 times a day.

I know they did not like getting up in the middle of the night to check me. And cleaning up after me when I thow up. But they did it, cause they love me and wanted me to live.

But I still do not like you and my mom and dad dont like you too.

Since I have the pump my life is better but before it was hell. I hate everything you made me have to do. One of there day's or year's there will be a cure for you and I will not have to deal with you anymore. You may be apart of my life for ever but plz dont make it a living hell.

I know you ever take a night off but plz be nice with me. I have not done anything to get you in my life.

With kindness

Jaimie Rose Chaffin,

Rosaile Izzy Chaffin,

and Epsilon

(Pump and checker)

Diabetes and traveling

When traveling with a diabetic it is no fun. I should know, I am the diabetic. My dad is a trucker and is gone most of the summer. Sometime's I will go with him. The past 2 times I have gone with him. The 1st time I want with him it was hell. I am not jokeing. My life was hell for 2 and half weeks.

I would get up in the moning and be about low 100's sometime's high 100's. I got count carbs than put into my pump. Than I would eat and do whatever I felt like doing. I would write or be on the laptop or sleep or sleep. Would stop to eat lunch. I would make something while carb counting. Than I will eat. It repeat's all day long.

The last time was hell. I was time's in the 100's but sometimes I would be in the high 300's or low 200's to high 300's and sometimes I would go to 400's.

I want home and come back out after a week.

It was the same thing as the last time. But than I found someone to help me. That would be my best friend and diabetic friend Amber Beth. I love her she is like a sister but with diabetes. I told her what was going on. She helped me set up a trave plan. I love her for that. And I love my trave plan.

But today was not what I was thinking it would be. I woke up being 198. I counted the carbs than pumped for it than eat. Sat on the laptop, writing, reading, whatever really.

Lunch came 221. Not bad, I count carbs pumped than eat. I did the same thing.

Supper came around 309! What happend there I dont know. I pumped in the food I was going to eat than want inside and eat supper at wendy's.

Two hours after supper.......293. 1.5 untis with some still left from supper. I think I am going to have a long night.