Major Help Needed

I need your help big time. 

If you pray, I am asking you to please join me and praying for Meri, Ryan, and the whole Schuhmacher family.

If you don't pray then your thoughts, vibes, energy, and whatever else you can send I need it!

Meri, who writes the blog Our Diabetic Life, is the mother of 4 boys, 3 of which are type 1’s. Her husband Ryan was just diagnosed with cancer. Brain, Lung, and abdomen tumors were found and Meri is asking for people to pray.

They need a miracle.

Please go to the Schuhmacher Family Miracle page on Facebook and “like” it. Feel free also to leave a comment so the family can see all the support and love we can give.

On Sunday the family is taking the day to pray and fast. Your extra prayers on Sunday the 4^th of March will also be appreciated.

Spread the word.

Pray for health. Pray for strength. Pray for hope. Pray for a miracle.

Just pray!

Thanks. 

Only 40 Days

Yesterday I teased my Facebook friends with this...

Well I am happy to report that I went through with it. I figure it is only 40 days and frankly the whole point of giving up something is for it to be a sacrifice. Well I can honestly say this is going to be tough but I think it will be good for me in many ways.

So what did I give up?

This...

My favorite chair!

I literally took it apart and put it in the garage. It is gone until Easter. 

So what now? Where are you going to sit to enjoy your favorite shows like Downton Abbey, Stephen Colbert, and Modern Family?

Here is the new seat.

It is really hard to sit in this thing and not pedal. That is the idea. Now if I am watching TV or whatever I can just have my feet on the pedals and get some exercise in.

Since the 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays my son agreed to let me sit on the chase (his usual spot) and he would take the bike on Sunday's. 

I think I can handle that. Well I have no choice. I am doing it! I mean, it's done!

This should make for a challenging Lenten season but honestly that is what I wanted. A serious challenge.

It's good for my soul, spirit, and health.

At Least One

David had a cold.

It seemed to linger on and on for about a month. He would start feeling like he was getting over it but than it would get worse. You know those colds that have that cough that lasts forever?

He had a cold.

A few Sundays back he decided enough is enough and heading into urgent care to get this checked out.

Long story short, he never came home. It turns out that David had internal bleeding and both his kidneys and liver were failing. He died that Friday.

David was a very close friend of our family and someone my son especially looked up to. In a way, he was like a brother in law to me. He was one of those guys who had done it all! A scuba instructor, barber, therapist, voice actor, drummer in a rock band, an actor, and those are just the ones I know about.

Losing him was such a shock.

On the night before he died Jasmine and I were coming home from the hospital after a visit and a weird thought popped into my head.

“Thank God I have diabetes.”

“Why do you say that honey?”

“Because I am in the doctors all the time. They are constantly checking my out. David was a fit guy. Why would he have to go to the doctor all the time to get checked out? He wouldn’t. How many colds have we ignored? How many times have I just ignored pains and stuff? But with diabetes I have to go. He shouldn’t have died. I just cannot make sense of this at all.”

She put her hand on my knee and we drove in silence while a flood of questions were shouted out in my head.

How could this happen?

Why!?

What could have been done?

So many questions with no answers.

It makes me wonder, does chronic illness make us more aware of our bodies? Are we better off not being better off? It's a weird way to look at it I know but my brain was scrambled.

The thing is, I am not one to say “well he should have” or “he could have” since what is done is done. I know he is home and is still with us all at the same time. For that I am thankful.

It’s just that sometimes it takes death to make us really think about life.

The blessings that having diabetes or any chronic condition may be hard to see but there are some.

Or at the very least, one.

Rest in peace David.

Celebrate Good Times - Go Home!

Over the weekend we had a very special visitor staying with us.

My aunt Addie!

(the title of this post comes from a time we sang Karaoke and Addie performed Kool and the Gang's celebration. She sang, "Celebrate good times, GO HOME!" It was freaking hilarious.")

She just celebrated her 64^th birthday so my mom picked her up on Friday night and she stayed with us through the weekend.

For those of you who remember Addie from when she broke her arm last year, you should be happy to hear that her arm is as good as new! She told me she still goes bowling so life seems to be back to normal for her which is great.

For all the people who sent letters, pictures, and gifts for her I just want to thank you again. It meant so much to her and to me as well. I really appreciate your friendship and love.

Saturday night we had a fundraising dinner at our church with proceeds going to the youth who are taking a trip to New Orleans this summer for a big convention. My mom brought Addie to the event since me and my family were all serving. After dinner I asked everyone there to sing Happy Birthday to her as Jasmine brought a cake my mom got.

Addie started dancing when people were singing to her. It was so cute. So many people wished her happy birthday that I could tell it really made her feel welcomed and loved.

Check out this sweet picture of her blowing out her candles.

64.

So awesome!

Whenever I mention her age people freak out. I always get, “you know, normally people with Downs don’t live as long as that.”

Yeah I know. I get it. Ugh.

This is the equivalent to the Diabetes Police in my book. Why say that? Is that supposed to be optimistic? Glass half full? It just makes me scared.

I like to think about living not dying. The thought of losing anyone is difficult but when I think about that fateful day it kills me. She has taught me so much and means so much to me and my family that I can guarantee a full on melt down when her time does come.

But let’s not go there. She is here. She is healthy. She is awesome!

Happy Birthday Addie! 

Kinected

Exercise. When I see that word I do not think positively. I think of failure, guilt, commitment, and anger. My attitude towards exercise was never good.

And it still isn’t.

Thinking about planning to exercise is an exercise in itself. Planning the time, the activity, and making sure I have all I need to make it through without a life threatening low is a task that stops me from moving closer to that exercise program I know I need to be on. The one I always start but never stick to.

And I am still not there.

After our Christmas in Flagstaff my wife was on a major kick to buy and Xbox 360 with Kinect. If you are not familiar with the Kinect, think Wii type games but without the controller. The Kinect sensor tracks your entire body so you move around and you are the controller.

My sister brought her Xbox to the cabin and my wife loved it. And she loved it for one game.

Dance Central 2.

I am not going to lie, I really loved it myself. Dancing is one thing that I am very comfortable doing and enjoy. Plus I have been known to clear dance floors with my sweet moves. HA! That is another story for another time.

Long story short(er), we picked up an Xbox on the way home from Cabin Christmas and have been playing it all the time.

And I love it!

It is awesome!

If the Xbox is on than I am ready to go. Dance after dance, game after game, I am up and moving and sweating like a pig. (I used to have a pig as a pet and they do not sweat. That is why they roll in the mud and dirt to cool off. Who came up with that?)

Moving matters in whatever way you do it. Exercise does not need to be strapped to a machine or being a member to a gym. You can find other ways and I think I have mine for now. At least it is a start. Maybe when I get to a point where I am not so self conscience I may venture into other stuff but for now I am just gonna keep on dancing.

Anyone else have thoughts on unconventional exercise and things I can do to  get moving and still have fun? Or do any of you have any good Xbox Kinect games that you would recommend?