Vermont - Day 2

I honestly don't know where to begin, because the long weekend in VT for the Ride to Cure 2009, was so outstanding, it's really hard to even begin writing about it.

Day 1 we all just got situated. The 8 of us.

Day 2, I headed out and met up with Paul and Steve and some others for breakfast. Steve is the one who got this whole thing rolling. His son is a diabetic and he has done rides in the past in his name. In a round about way, he knew our little group in CT was interested in riding and put the word out to a mutual friend who got us all together and that's when we decided to put our legs to good use, no pun intended. And he's a riot, to boot. Downright punchy and full of it. Tired or not. The man has got it going on.

(Paul, Steve & I at breakfast.)

Paul is.... you know what, I honestly think Paul is a gift from God. There is something about him. He is warm, genuine, honest, fun, loving, caring, and down right loveable! From the first few email exchanges I had with him I just felt like there was something about him. So to spend the weekend here and there with him, and share such an emotional part of the year with him, as well as everyone else, was a very good thing. I admire him greatly.

After breakfast I met up with Speedo and the crew and we headed up to Killington Peak via gondolaaaaaa. (Read: nightmare if you're afraid of heights!) This took up the majority of our day.

When we went to buy the tickets, the girls asked, "One way?" Speedo was thinking, One way? How else are we getting down? Does she think we're going to pack the littles on our backs and mountain bike down the mountain? Maybe hike down the very huge steep cliff or just roll down?? One way?

"No, we need 8 round trips, thanks!"

I didn't realize I was so afraid of heights until we're in this thing and it starts going up a super steep hill and the drop if the thin cable these apparatuses are hanging/rolling on breaks is like 35-40 ft, easily. Egads.

(the view out the back looking down as we went up....)

So the ride starts moving, we start going up, and I was taking pictures, smiling, and saying how much fuuuun it was.... then I realized I was talking really fast and starting to sweat. The gondola was jiggling a bit with every move and every time it crossed a cross bar pole, it made this noise and rattling....

oh --- my ---- gosh!

I think I was pretty pale. I know I was yelling at the kids.

"STOP wiggling!"

"Don't MOOOVE." "Just sit still, ok honey?"

"Let's not talk...... JUST sit still...AWAY from the door!!!"

"Did you hear that??? WHAT was that??!"

This went on for about 8 minutes. Worst ride of my life. I think I may have soiled myself if I had to stay on any longer. Seriously. That phrase, "I almost s*** myself" would have been more than a phrase and quite the embarrassing story for my poor, brave, non height afraid children who mocked me the rest of the weekend and rolled their eyes when re-telling the gondolaaaa story.

I have skied before many times and I fly (not well) ... but something about this gondolaaaaaa.... Wow. Almost sent me over the edge. And that wasn't the end of it.

We finally get to the top and it is absolutely breathtaking. They had a deck off a restaurant up there where you could take in a panoramic view. The problem was the height of the railing wasn't high enough to my standards. It was at below chest level for me, and juuuust low enough for the littles to be able to reach up and hoist themselves up to take a peak at the view, and if they hoisted too high, well, we'd be down a few kids.... I was "on" and fidgety constantly doing counts of the 6 of them, and keeping the 2 littles from running too fast, too far. They were exhausted to begin with, so wobbly on their tired feet at high altitudes and not high enough railings made me a little noivus!

(Greta reallllly close to that railing...)

I had my D80 with me and shot away. I am not huge into landscape photography, but these views were stunning.

(A rock with some cool nouns.)

We took a path up to the very peak of Mt. Killington - 4241 ft above sea level.

(At the very tippy top...The hills are alive.....)

The gondola ride down was much more relaxing for some reason.

We found a yummy market for lunch and I had probably the best Caesar chicken garlic wrap ever! Maybe it was because I was starving at that point and it was well past lunch time, but either way, it hit the spot.

After we ate, we met up with Tim and went to his pool in his condo unit, an indoor heated pool, and went for a swim before dinner. The children would swim all day if I let them.

We weaseled the kids into dinner, the big "carb load" dinner before the ride. No one said anything, and I think a lot of families did the same thing. The dinner was lengthy and my crew was quite tired but they held it together very well. There were plenty f speakers but the one that touched me most was a woman who works for JDRF. Her name is Moira McCarthy.

(Betsey listening and watching with Sheridan, Paul and Tim.)

(GoGo on like her 5th cannoli!)
(Greta fell asleep.)

She had a powerpoint presentation and was very informative as to where the JDRF money raised goes.... something I was always interested in because of the amount of money raised by them. It is such a huge fundraising organization. Huge. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about some of the ways the money has gone to research and for acknowledgement of some funding having been responsible for implementing certain existing things to help better manage type 1 - all things that will aid in and eventually lead to a cure.

Moira said something that stuck with me. She mentioned at her first meeting with board members, everyone went around the table and introduced themselves. There were some graduates of prestigious colleges, some with PhD's some very distinguished backgrounds, and then it was her turn, and she said, "I'm just an M-O-M."

She is just an M-O-M, but she knows. She understands. She is living it, has lived it, and she can give and bring so much to that table as an M-O-M. That touched me pretty deep. She went on to talk about her close friend, THE friend, the one who always listened to her, the one that was always there to help her, lend a hand, THE friend. Then one day her friend called her... from the hospital.... her own daughter was just diagnosed with type 1.

That feeling she conveyed, that was so personal to me, was so overwhelming. The rush of emotions that flooded me about Betsey's diagnosis day, and the sadness that creeps over me when I hear of another case; the understanding of what the mom of the newly diagnosed is going through. It just about kills me.

I am so happy and honored to have been a part of such an outstanding and well run event this weekend. I am delighted to see the look of contentment on Betsey's face as she looked around the dining room and noticed other moms, dad, and children with pumps, bolusing and testing.

I asked her how she felt.

"How does it make you feel to be here, Bets, to be amoung all these people, so many of them diabetic? To see all the pumps and testing? How does it really make you feel?"

She answered initially with a head gesture, like "I don't know."

She knew I wanted more than that. So I waited and watched her beautiful face as she thought about it. Betsey thinks a lot.

And then she said as she exhaled, "I feel like I'm not alone."

Vermont - Day 1

This is an excerpt from an email I sent to 3 of my girlfriends about our day yesterday:

I miss the warm sunshine! Holy cold air batman - Vermont is for those who enjoy sweaters in the summer! We got here, and granted that front moved through last night so CT was cooler and dry, but VT is downright fall-ish. You could wear cozies during the hottest part of the day with UGGS. And I brought neither cozies nor UGGS. The children each have 1 long pair of pants and sweatshirts and sweaters ... I also brought raincoats for them b/c the predicted forecast for Saturday is RAIN! Oh no.

Starting temps supposed to be about 49!!!! And the first 10 miles is downhill, so that outta be a chilly start!! I got in touch with Kurt--he's going to being me some cold weather gear - we're probably the same size!

The drive through the beginning of VT until we got here was gorgeous. I have my big camera with me and I went nuts shooting building after building, oodles of different houses randomly placed and the fun out house structures adjacent to them. Seriously, it's like someone decided to build a house and just popped it down right in the middle of nowhere. We didn't see a store for miles and miles, and then, came upon this town that was so small, I could have run through it on foot in 7 minutes! There have been some narrow passages with signs warning of falling rock. I know I am not well traveled and this is probably common knowledge for those that are, but Speedo and I were gitty with the new roads and new sights! We were cracking up the whole ride through VT. Tourist dorks with camera hanging out the window!!

At one point there was this row of stone houses , maybe like 8 of them. One right after the other. Similar styles, some larger than others, none bigger than my little cottage back home, but odd and out of place none the less. Speedo joked and said, "Looks like someone hit a quarry and made out with stone!" Sure enough, about 1.5 miles down the road, there's a quarry!!! We almost peed our pants laughing!

I'll have to grab a snapshot of them on our way home!

So we got settled, I checked in, registered, grabbed my t-shirt (gray --ehhhh in the 'wow' department. You know me and the t-shirts!) and checked out our condo! The children are beside themselves. Whenever we go away we always get 1 room. Always. It's now a running joke. So we get here, it's essentially "free" and the children see a set of stairs, they about died!!! They went running up, screaming! "There's 2 bedrooms!" "There's a bathroom with 2 doors!" "We have stairs!" "We don't have to all sleep on the floor" And then Betsey b-lined it for the biggest bed and started jumping on it! (Thanks Gini!) They act like we live in a dive and they've never seen more than 1 bed before!

It's the little things I tell ya. And they appreciate them, I love that.

I have to wear this bracelet (like REV 3, Amy) and a thing around my neck with my name on it so when we got to the events this weekend, they know I am a rider. I didn't know how it worked with the kids and Speedo and food and stuff, but you know me, anything I can get for free.

The kids really wanted to swim! The outdoor pool was heated so we got suits on and headed out to the pool. The pool in our complex area is NOT the pool pictured on the brochure. Oh no. This pool was in the shade, about the size of a puddle and not at all like what we envisioned. So Speedo called the main number and asked about the pool at the main lobby. Immediately they asked where he was staying, and when he told them our building, they said, "Oh you have a pool right there on site in the parking lot."

Yea, we knew that! We're not using that pool. I want to swim in the pool with the grandious mountains in the background, elegant blue tiles....

So we hiked it up to the main lobby and walked straight through to get to "the" pool. There was a sign pointing us in the direction, and we had to go through the Health Club. Well they had one of those doors with the slide key - it was for guests of that hotel only. Darn it. Fortunately some little kid walked in the Health Club area where the towels were visiable to the glass door that seprated us and I knocked and motioned for him to open the door. He did. Nice little guy. Suckaaaa. This sent Speedo into hysterics. He was finding it so amusing.

So we swam for a few, the pool was heated, and it felt good for about 2 minutes. The air was SO cold, that I didn't put my head under b/c my hair would have grown icicles. Freezing! It didn't bother the kids so Speedo and I sucked it up for AN HOUR!??

On the walk back through the Health Club there was a Steam Room. I brought Hayls in with me and it was heaven.... until we heard lots of knocking on the glass door from the kids saying, "What are you doing in there?" "Why are you in there?" "Is it too hot, Mommy? Mommy?!" And Speedo yelling over them, "Stop, don't open the door! Margot, get back here! Tucker, hand out of your pants! We'll go in a second! Let Mommy sit in there for a minute!" And the noise the machine made to pour hot water onto the floor to make the steam was obnoxiously loud. Hayley and I got the giggles every time it went off b/c it was SO not spa-like.

There was a welcome dinner in the ballroom which we reluctantly attended with the 6 children in tow because they were tired and hungry, and it was 7pm by this point. But there was a long row of tables with food, and it smelled good, so we were all over it. We have a system for these types of events; we grab all the plates, and I have H, B & L come up with me to stack up the plates with different foods, and then we distribute at the table. Plus, we weren't sure as to whether or not Speedo and the littles and middles and Hayley were allowed to be eating.

Well we found out soon enough.

A speaker got up and did some 'thank yous,' talked about the ride, and then he mentions the breakfast in the morning and that all riders and their guests and family that PAID for the BLUE BRACELETS on and NECK NAME TAGS will be allowed to eat. SO please wear your blue braclets.

When we go to the parking lot Speedo cracked up and said, "Guess our freeloading for meals is over!"

He is terrible.

It wasn't clear as to whether or not spouses and/or children were allowed to partake in the feastings.... So be it. There are various yummy restaurants around. We had lunch from a small market today that made the BEST chicken ceasar wrap I have ever had!

There is the smell of insulin everywhere! I actually have caught each of the chidlren, GoGo included, noticing someone with a pump!!! There's tubing hanging around pants, people fidgiting with their pumps, testing... it's a diabetes haven. I think Betsey feels like just another diabetic in the fishbowl of diabetics. I'll have to ask her how she actually feels about it, b/c I am just guessing.

So far it's been fun. The 2 littles and 2 middles are sleeping already and tomorrow is a big breakfast (for me) and I hope to hook up with some other riders that are here from our chapter.

Day 1 down.

3 days and counting....

Packing for little people is a daunting task. The pairs of underwear in and of themselves is ridiculous. One pair a day--two for the littles for the "just in cases" that are inevitable at the most inopportune time-- times 8 people, we're looking at 35+ pairs of JUST underwear. That's a travel bag!!

We're only gone a short time-- enough time for the littles and middles to feel like it's a "vacation," and enough time for the eldest to re-absorb some good quality closeness with the fam!!

And... enough time for me to accumulate oodles of laundry that will be forever sitting in the laundry room.... This weekend has been long in the making and I am looking forward to every part of it. Seriously. If I can ride 105 miles, I can handle a laundry room filled with laundry!

The fundraising for the ride was easy. By that, I mean that I am truly shocked at the outpouring of support via emails, letters, donations and just locals while chatting. It's incredible. I am not one for soliciting donations, actually, I really am not fond of the door to door or the people outside the grocery store. Sending out the initial email to friends and family was difficult, but it was easier than I expected only because the day I sent the letter was the date Betsey was diagnosed years before. And the 2nd letter went out as a 'Thank You' a month prior to the ride, with significance made to the time.

And even more money came in after that email!!

Charlotte, our JDRF Ride Coordinator, sent an email today wishing us luck. In it she mentioned the amount of money our team of riders raised. I think we are 16 total.

"As a group, you have raised $53,622.32 for JDRF. To give you some perspective, that amount is more than 5 times the amount we raised in total at our Golf Tournament that had over 80 golfers and sponsors!"

And that does not include a big check for $300 I received from my friend/spin instructor/chiropractor today!!! It brings my personal total to over $4000!!!!

I can not say "Thank You" enough, nor does a simple "thank you" truly convey the feelings I have about the support and the encouragement I have received. I have been blessed to be surrounded with amazing people in my life, ones that respect this decision to ride for Betsey, and that are willing to "accompany" me along the way, in spirit, in their hearts. For Betsey. For one of my children.

Is there a word to show my appreciation? I have to think long and hard about it.... Nothing seems appropriate or "good" enough.... somehow, in the coming days, I will put it into words.

The training for the ride was the best. Easier than the fundraising, and the fundraising was easy! Getting up on a regular basis at the crack of dawn to meet whomever.... different men and women daily, sometimes the same people for days at a time. Different activities. Different locations. Different distances for each event, be it biking, swimming or running -- there is no better way to start the day, in my opinion!! And what an incredible bunch of athletes I am fortunate to be in the company of. From each of them I take something; whether it is the drive, their charisma, energy, positive reinforcement, courage... the list goes on and on. I learn from them, grow with them and admire them all.

I am taking tomorrow and Friday morning off. We are VT bound tomorrow and will be prepping for the big event in the coming days.

I've been eating. A lot. The whole carb load thing, I take it to a different level. It's wrong, really. At the grocery store on Saturday, I bought a double layer chocolate cake with those cheesey chocolate puffy sugary flowers set off on the side - cheesy. But YUMMY. I ate 2/3 of it that day, over the course of 5 hours... nibble here, slice there, slide my finger across the frosting as I walked past it because the lid never stayed on tightly, damn thing. And then the next day, I ate half of what was left leaving Speedo a "piece" because if I didn't, and I had eaten the whole thing, I never would have heard the end of it..... when I started to complain my skirts didn't fit anymore!!

I am carb loaded up. I am going to float in the pool at the hotel. F-L-O-A-T!

The ride begins at 7am EST on Saturday. It's going to be challenging for sure and the last 10 miles are up hill. Of course they are. I expect to ride for the better part of 6-8 hours. It depends on the pace our group sets and I'd like to stay with them. I'd love if we all finished together.

I see the forcast calls for rain on Saturday. The irony of that is, rainy days are Betsey's favorite. I'd prefer it not rain the whole time... but a drizzle here and there and a few splashes once in a while are alright. Just not buckets. Until after 4pm.

And we're off......

71 miles!

Record distance for me today!!!

The ride today was awesome; one of my faves! Amy was back in the saddle (no pun intended!) and I was thrilled to be out doing what we do so well together again! It's been a long time since she was able to focus on what she's doing rather than her medical issues that have been haunting her for some time now. But with a clean bill of health, she is fired up and ready to go again! Loaf that!!

It was a small group of us, smaller than I expected, but it was a blast! We did a very light and easy pace for about 50 of the miles, and towards the end a few of us got the itch to get down low and go! I felt great the whole time, not physically tired except at the very end... the last mile when I know we're done and it's like my body says, alright already!

The ride was mapped out by Timiqua (Timmy's new nickname; I am big into the nicknames of these people) and when you're riding at a conversational pace, you have more time to talk and discuss, and the nickname thing came up.

Our ride was to head in a round about way to the ferry in East Haddam and have a small break on the boat while it carried us across the river to the other side where we'd pick up and continue...... but the ferry was closed when we arrived and not opening until a few hours later. So our course changed, unexpectedly, and we managed to carry on as though it wasn't an issue. And it wasn't.

I think everyone got a little punchy about half way through, that endorphin thing we all love and crave so much takes over; it makes you love everyone around you.... you just wanna share the love, joy and peace you have inside you for the day, and we all got a little silly taking our clothes off and stuff.... well, not really, but if someone suggested it, we may have! I love that, when that happens. You can always tell because people start saying things out of context and out of character.

Amy says things like "You go girl... you are the bomb.... pass me some of dem cheese doodles..." while I'm climbing a hill.....

Or Timiqua might let his orifices vent and it's the funniest thing even though it's not...

Johndom stharths to sthwear which is tho out of character for him...

I may tell someone I love their bike shorts.... what?

I am ready for next week. I know I can do 105 miles, and I know it will be rewarding every pedal of the way, not only because there will be oodles of little type 1 diabetics lining the streets in VT as we go, but because of Betsey.

We put her pump back on yesterday with her CGMS. It's GREAT for me, it's easier and more reliable. More control. For her, it's the reminder of the needle that pokes, the site change every 3 days... the tubing. The accessories.

She was good with it. Better than I thought she'd be. She so welcomed shots this summer. But she seemed ready for the pump again! She understands we have to work out the kinks before school, get everything situated... But there is always that hesitation. I don't know exactly what it is. I think it's the fact that it's there---the pump is visible and right there. People can see it. People notice it. They ask, they stare, and once in a while we see a whisper. For me, I get protective. For her, she gets embarrassed. Annoyed. It's such a constant.

This ride is a good thing. One day, my girl.... one day....

60+5= tee-eye-are-eee-dee

It is so hot in Connecticut. The temperatures have been hovering around 85 but the humidity is insane. It makes for outdoor exercise rather uncomfortable and I like to work out in the heat... hot summer mornings. But the sticky-can't breathe-barelytherewind-blazing sun-soupy conditions make it pret-ty difficult to not be tired when you're done and for the rest of the day. Hydrating along the way is key, and absolutely necessary, and sometimes I find I can't get enough fluids in me during the day after a workout in this weather. I have a couple Gatorades and refill my water bottle often, but it never seems like enough.

Yesterday morning I enlisted the help in planning a long route from my friend/spin instructor/chiropractor Chris and we went out for 60 miles-longest ride yet-that was supposed to be 75. I think 60 miles at my conversational pace for a long ride is a "cool down" for him, but he was gracious to come along, lead the way and keep me company.

I felt good the whole ride, albeit hot. When we stopped a couple times for bathroom breaks or quick blood sugar checks on Betsey, the sweat was dripping off us. When I rode behind him (which was almost the whole ride!) his sweat was splashing me! It was H-O-T!

Today I did a quick 5 mile run around the loop and even by the water - no wind. Betsey and her younger sister Libby came along with me on their bikes; something they love to do in the summer... they pretend their bikes are cars. They have free roam of the roads and sidewalks because virtually no one is out at that hour.

When I finished, I was drenched with sweat and my long braid had shriveled up to a ball of matted, snarly mess from the wetness out there.

And I'm pooped. The weather like this takes its toll. It makes you tired. Wears you down.

I look forward to a day off tomorrow, if not a quick swim, and then on Sunday, our JDRF riding team has planned a leisurely paced 75-80 mile ride. I will have camera in tow. It is our first meet up as a group; people I have yet to meet and ride with. And BONUS -Amy will be along for the ride! She is back from her treatment for her thyroid and feeling well! Her body is clean and clear of everything, and she is good to go! Thank God!

One week from tomorrow.... one hundred five miles.... ready or not....

Ralph Update

Just a quick note to let you know our fellow rider Ralph is doing really well! He had the tube taken out of his lung, it is reinflated, and the bleeding on the brain subsided. The big thing now is pain management, because with 11 broken ribs on one side, breathing may be painful and hard. His spirits are good and some of our friends have been up to see him in the last few days. We hope he'll be coming home in the next few days... Good work Ralph!

Surprise in the Mail

Another note happened upon my mailbox this week, from an unexpected source, a pleasant revisit to old times past. Inside was a sweet note started off with the admittance of being "addicted" to the blog, an occurrence I think more common than not.

And that makes me smile.

My friend had taken it upon herself to do a collection at her place of work and raise funds for my ride. Nestled among the sweet words of encouragement and fond thoughts was money for me to put towards my ride for Betsey.

Totally unexpected. Totally appreciated. Totally thoughtful, and it totally made my day.

A sweet reminder that while life takes you in different directions, good friends remain near to the heart, no matter the physical distance.

Thank you C-lu! xoxo

JDRF Ride Team Down Another Rider

Sad news on this humid Monday morning....

8 of us were out for an early morning 75 miler Sunday morning in preparation for our ride which is in two weeks (WOW!) and we cruised along for about 30 miles or so..... and then we had an accident.

We climbed a tall, long hill that we've ridden before. On the other side is a steep decent with sharp corners - and I mean sharp at the speed in which you can go down them. There were 3 riders ahead of me and the rest behind, most of us breaking hard because of the speed you can build up. Consciously, that morning, I braked more than I usually do.

Amy was not with us on the ride, as she normally would have been. Amy is going through the treatment for her thyroid which requires her to be away from humans (sounds so odd) for a week. For lack of a better term, she is contagious because of the medicine she had to take to battle her thyroid issues.

I almost always ride with Amy.

The days leading up to the ride, when plans were finalized with times and riders, etc., I almost called her to confirm our regular "meet up" to ride together to the group meeting place. And then remembered, Oh yea, she's not there for me to call. :( Needless to say, she also is not doing the JDRF ride because of her medical situation.

But I felt her with me in spirit yesterday anyway, and on that hill, for whatever reason, I was braking more than usual. I personally like the fast downhills-- they are always such a treat and reward for such a big climb. But my hands were so wet with sweat, it was so humid, and I took it easy.

Behind me on one of the last sharp corners, I heard a noise. Not a noise you hear when going downhill. Usually it's just the buzz of the wind in your ears and your bike tires whizzing. I think it was a foot dragging on the pavement, a clip shoe making a loud noise. I glanced back and saw a body flying into the woods on the corner.

I immediately stopped, yelled Rider Down! and got off my bike. 2 of the girls stopped immediately we got right off our bikes, went to the woods to see who it was. Everyone else behind us as they came around the corner stopped....

It was our friend Ralph, an avid rider, an experienced rider, the eldest in our group at a very fit 63 years old.

He missed the corner and somersaulted over his handlebars into the woods.

I have never heard anything like it.

He was lying on his back, making a noise that wasn't normal. 2 of the guys there were medically knowledgeable and went right to him, talked to him, did whatever it is you do in this situation, and we called 911. I thank God Kurt and Eddie were there-- they were so great in this situation.

The ambulance came and assessed him. They took him to the local hospital and later transferred him to another hospital trauma unit.

Ralph has a collapsed lung, 11 out of the 12 ribs on one side are broken, a broken clavicle and a little bleeding on his brain. He was conscious and talking when I called in and spoke with his daughter yesterday afternoon. But he has a long road of recovery ahead of him.

His helmet saved his life. I really believe that.

The rest of us made a pit stop after the ambulance left at a lake around the corner for Kurt to dip in - he was in the woods tending to Ralph in a poison ivy patch. We all rode home, the ride was over. The ride home was quiet and somber.

I was frazzled the rest of the day. I was not alone.

I took today off.

Bike safety is something Speedo worries about all the time. He did not handle the news well, always telling me I need to be more careful myself.

This was a reminder than no matter where you are, how careful you are, you can never be too careful. You are so vulnerable on the bike on the road.

Keep Ralph in your thoughts and prayers. I know he's going to be fine. But he's going to need the extra prayers.

Diabetes & Triathlons

I've posted before about diabetes and noticing that familiar tubing and realizing that it's connected to a pump, and the person wearing it is a diabetic, and then there's that connection that you just kind of have, not spoken, of course. Unless you're like me and decide to strike up a conversation about it.

Must be like moms of twins - they see another mom who is either pregnant expecting two, or has two little ones in tow....and they have a connection. Because let's face it, no matter how many children you've had and birthed, nothing can compare to have multiples in your tummy at one time. That's a whole 'nother league as far as I'm concerned. Our biggest baby was 10 pounds, 9 ounces and that was alooootta baby let me tell you!! I can't imagine have two babies, at birth, weighing in nicely, early none the less, at 6 pounds and change each!

This is life... you take what you are given, you work with it, complain here and there if you have to.... you smile, be thankful for what you have and are given and go on.

Pregnancies. Children. Diabetes.

At the Niantic Triathlon this past Sunday, Louse, the perceptive fella he is, pointed out a young man near us getting ready to head down for the start of the race, testing his sugar! In Providence Louse noticed a girl doing the same thing - before a half ironman! I always have that hesitation -- do I step in and acknowledge it, do I back off, do I just admire their courage, do I pretend not to notice....?

I was so nervous that morning, and I kind of felt a little mother voice inside me saying, Just go...make sure he is OK and his number is good before he starts his swim. It's not my business, I know, and I'm not his mother. I think he was younger than me, and he looked very physically fit, lean....completely relaxed, doing his finger prick. I couldn't stand it. I wanted to know his plan.

I went over, bent down and told him I noticed him testing. I said, My daughter is type 1. He perked right up, stood up, and we briefly touched on all the basics ... he wears a minimed too, I saw him disconnect and carefully roll the tubing around the pump before he packed it away, just like I do with Betsey's.

He's lived 17 years with diabetes....

His number was 115 before the race; he was going to have juice and a snack, a little lower than he'd like to start but he was ok with it...

He doesn't wear the sensor, his insurance doesn't cover it, and he gave me that familiar "frustrated insurance shrug" but he was fine about it...

Adrenaline makes him spike high typically...

He had done triathlons before...

And by the way, he was Peter.

Deep breath. I was nervous for him. Part of me wanted to stay with him for the event. Make sure he was OK for the swim, to make sure he was OK after the swim, find him on the bike, make sure he was going to have a nibble.... I know I'm not his mother. But part of me felt like mothering him. Strange and hard to explain. Because he was completely and totally 110% confident and capable. He was in control. I couldn't wait to tell Betsey!

After the race, I passed by him in the crowd -- I stopped him to congratulate him and asked him how he felt. Couldn't help it. I stopped short of saying, Let's get your meter, sit down, let's get the insulin and sugars just in case...

I pointed Betsey out to him across the beach and he was eager to go and introduce himself. He was happy to chat about it with me prior, not offended at my intrusion into his "diabetes space" and he was very gracious and sweet.

Something like this on a "diabetes level" makes me so relieved to know that as Betsey grows, and as we've encountered people with diabetes doing such events, that one day, she can do all this too. Just because from time to time there are restrictions on things she does, and how she does them, when she can do them, overall, she can do whatever she wants with proper control and healthy living. What a remarkable young man Peter is, and a great positive role model for all children and adults, type 1 or not.

As I packed up my bike in the transition area, Betsey pointed out one of nurses from Clinic! She, too, had done the race! Betsey has a competitive streak in her and I think this got her wheels turning... One day, I betcha she does a kids tri! I have a feeling.....

The Sweetest Thing

Every time we get a donation for the JDRF Ride for Betsey, I get an email notifying me that I have received one, and that we are "that much closer to raising 4.5 million to find a cure." It's great. I love seeing the "To" field say ride at jdrf dot org because I know it's a donation. I log on every now and then and see comments left by the generous friends of Betsey. It's very sweet and thoughtful, and very much appreciated. Touches me every time.

I have surpassed my $3000 goal - thank you very much! I am beyond excited and Betsey can't believe it! Every extra that comes in now is icing on the cake; extra funds going towards research to find a cure! Always a good thing. If you know me, you know I like to have my cake and eat it to, so this is just parfait!

Today, I received notification of another donation. This one tops them all. This one makes me tingle inside and out, and makes me love the way children just can be so unconditionally supportive, and their generosity without ulterior motives is so caring.

Betsey's friend from school writes with her own personal donation:

"Hey, I finally did that lemonade stand and *friend* helped too. We raised $70.50 for your donation! So many people just donated and didn't even want any lemonade! Good Luck Mrs. Gometz and Betsey!!!! :) - Felicia"

Felicia - you are a big hearted, lovely young lady and a generous, supportive and beautiful friend! You are the sweetest thing! Thank you so very much honey! On mile 70, I will ride with you on my back! xoxo

NBT Photos

(Our group of training buddies...not a great picture but you get the idea...)

What a great event and a great time had by all this morning!! I am not looking forward to this training season coming to an end because I so look forward to all the time I spend with all these amazing athletes! They are an incredible bunch of physically fit, wonderfully positive and thoroughly supportive people! Congratulations to all the first timers - EXCELLENT job!!

(Speedo & I with the 6 little people we love so much!)
They came out so early this morning with their Nana to watch us and cheer us on, especially their Daddy who did AWESOME on his first real Triathlon! Go Speedo, sportin' the tighty pants!
Woot! Woot!

Niantic Bay Tri

Tomorrow! 1 more sleep!

We have a giant crew going tomorrow to do the race:
1/2 mile swim, 12 mile bike, 3.5 mile run!

So exciting. So jittery. So pumped up! Pasta dinner tonight with everyone, probably 70 people, kids included, carb up and off we go by 5:30am tomorrow!!

This is Speedo's first "real" triathlon and it's a great first race! The atmosphere is so friendly and well run, plus, our training buddies are so supportive. We are so lucky to have such an awesome group of people to wake up with every day! There is nothing better than friendly, sleepy, happy people at 5 am ready to get an a$$ kicking in before the sun comes up! Loaf it!

Results posted tomorrow! good Luck to all our favorite athletes competing tomorrow!!

Closed Loop Permission Form

One word. Ugh.

I have been emailed the paperwork for the Closed Loop Study Betsey will hopefully participate in. It's completely do-able. I love the idea of it. I really, really want her to do it. I had a brief discussion with her tonight about it, going over the one part of it that I thought may be hard for her - the two 3-night hospital stays.

Her face kind of dropped. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Will you or Daddy be there, too?"

Oh gosh. I had given her the heads up on this, but maybe because it was the reality that she'd be doing it.

I don't know if we'll be there, to be honest. I have to find out. I kind of led her to believe we would be. I wish I could take that back. Tomorrow, I will re-read the information and call when I have a second to talk with the research coordinator.

I explained to Betsey that before the pump was readily available, there were a group of children who did a similar study, and probably stayed overnight in the hospital to have their sugars and other vitals monitored to make the insulin pump what it is today. For her. And this study, in time, will eventually be beneficial to other children and is a step in the direction towards a cure.

I think she heard this: "Waaaa waa, waaa waaaaa wawaaaa...."

The floor she stays on is the research floor, the one she stayed in when she was diagnosed. They have a toy room, a TV room, all the amenities - well, for a hospital.

I want her to do this to be a part of an advancement. To look back on when she is older and be able to feel what she did was a good thing, that she helped another child. But she has to want to do it. It doesn't matter how much I want her to do it. I can't make her do it.

To be continued.........