Remember to Smell the Flowers

 Sugar Bear is homeschooled and because of that we do an assessment for the end of our year.  This year that happened in the middle of July.  After assessment we always go out for ice cream and this year was no different.  Well, it was a little different.  First, he wanted to wear his Team Sugar Bear shirt for his assessment.  Second, he was nervous because this year was very different for our schooling.  We've focused so much on diabetes, carb counting, etc...that he was worried he wouldn't be allowed to move forward.  And finally, that was one big ice cream cone!  The carbs were a meal all by itself.  And we SWAGged it (Scientific Wild A## Guess).  And we got it right!!!  And he had to make sure we would do this every year.  You bet, buddy.  As long as you are homeschooled, this will be the tradition. 

 It's been almost a month since I wrote anything on here.  It's been a pretty hard month emotionally.  We ended up only going to our out of state friend's funeral.  We couldn't do both since they both basically happened at the same time.  It's the longest trip we've taken since diagnosis.  Sugar Bear did great.  His BS stayed pretty much in range even with the late night and long days. On the way up we stopped at a rest stop where we got to smell some wonderful flowers.  The hotel was basic.  It's idea of continental breakfast was some bread you could toast, 4 cinamon bages (no cream cheese) and weak coffee.  We did the best we could with what we had.   At the wake after the service and gravesite ceremony we had some lunch.  It was the first moment he's seemed uncomfortable with his diabetes.  He didn't want to do his insulin at the table so we went out to the van.  When we came back, hubby was explaining to our tablemates that Sugar Bear has type 1.  Wonderfully beautiful people that didn't blink an eye or ask any uncomfortable questions.

The following weekend was my family reunion.  Another long drive.  This time his BS seemed to run high.

This made things a bit more difficult as he was more irritable and more anti-social.  By the end of the reunion on the way to hang out a little longer with family at my Grandmother's he wasn't feeling so great so we decided to head back to Mom's.  My Mom had her own vehicle and was taking one of her brother's home and then would meet us back at her house where her boyfriend was.  Unfortunately things didn't go so well with him when we got there and we ended up leaving to drive four hours back to our home.  That was not a fun drive.  High BS and stress and exhaustion are not good mixes.   

Sunday we rested.  Tuesday I was supposed to be back at work from my vacation.  On that Monday, while vacuuming I herniated four discs in my lower back.  I went to the ER where I had a CAT scan and was given some shots and sent home to rest with an appointment with my family doc for tuesday.  Tuesday I was still in awful pain and was given more shots at my family doc's office as well as a precript for pain pills, muscle releaxers, steroid anti inflammatories,  PT and pain management.  And no work.  I'm hoping to be able to return to work on the 20th.  Back seems to be feeling a bit better.  PT and drugs are definitely helping.  The week I messed my back up one of my husband's friend's lost his son to suicide.  More funerals.  More grieving.  

Grief has been a huge part of this year for us.  It seems just when we are getting our legs back under us something else happens.  So many tears have been shed over too many losses.  The Teenager goes back to school on Wednesday and I hope that will help to maybe make things feel more normal.  That maybe we can get back on track.  But I know that grief is a companion with us right now.  At this point, I'm very familiar with the stages.  In the meantime, we take it one day at a time, one moment at a time.