{This post will stay at the top of the page all week long. Yep. I'm pulling a guilt trip on you. And it won't be over with until next Monday.}

James, despite the red hair and all that it implies in regards to temper, is a normal six-year-old, and some of my readers who were around last summer might remember him. He lives down in Omaha with his mom(my sister), his dad and his two siblings, Colin and Maggie. As he has mastered the joy and wonder that is kindergarten, he will be starting first grade in the fall. James is a wonderful kid. He has a vibrant imagination, a memorable personality, and is a great kid, he still, however, gets into trouble like any other six-year-old. The red hair does play a part in this, I'm sure. He likes toys; running around the neighborhood and wreaking havoc with his friends; he has a particular fasciantion with construction equipment when they pass an earth mover or a crane when they're in the car; and he's got plenty of opinions about the way the world works and just what his place is in all the hubbub. He might smack his little sister when she gets in his way (never fear: Maggie will strike back if the situation calls for it) but he's also very protective of her as well. His older brother might drive him insane at times, producing some very windy, very adult-like sighs of discontent out of James, but he loves him, too. To us, his family, he's a very normal kid. All except for one thing that makes him not quite so normal.

James is a Type I Diabetic. And has been since a week past his third birthday.

I know everyone hears a lot on the news about "diabetics" and how this disease is rapidly becoming a health crisis for this nation. Well, that's somewhat accurate, but they're talking about Type II diabetics, not Type I, or what is more commonly known as juvenile diabetes. The destination is the same---the shutting down of the pancreas, which produces insulin---but the path for Type I diabetics is different than that of Type II sufferers. If you need a refresher biology lesson, you need insulin to break down the food you eat into energy. When your pancreas shuts down and doesn't produce insulin any longer, you can eat and eat and eat, but still not have the energy you need to live. Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the body's immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. While the causes of this process are not yet entirely understood, scientists believe that both genetic factors and environmental triggers are involved. Type I diabetes strikes its victims---who can be either children, or adults up to the age of forty---suddenly, making them dependent upon injected or pumped insulin for life. While it's great that insulin is available, and that with proper care Type I diabetics can live long, productive lives, injecting insulin to pick up where your pancreas left off isn't necessarily a great thing, either. There is the constant threat of devastating complications such as kidney failure, blindness, amputations and nerve damage.

This is what James has to deal with for the rest of his life. Since he's very young, I don't think he remembers a time when he didn't have to have his finger pricked to check his blood sugar, or recieve a shot of insulin before he eats. My sister does the math every year: as of this year he's had at least 4000 shots and over 7056 finger pricks. (Think about that the next time you go to the doctor's office and whine about how much those finger pricks sting.) I'm not sure he remembers the time when he could eat anything he wanted, whenever he wanted. His life, while normal in so many ways, is not normal when it comes to this disease. Meals are on a schedule and it's one they must be strict about. Not only must he eat his meals at a certain time, he must also eat snacks on a regular routine as well. This, of course, says nothing of the constant management required of my sister and brother-in-law to make sure James' blood sugar remains constant. They're the ones who must prick his finger several times a day. Based on the information they receive from these finger pricks, they must plan meals and snacks based on what he needs in terms of carb intake to keep said blood sugar at the proscribed levels. This means ignoring the ice cream man when he rings his bell. This means handing over his Halloween candy and receiving a shiny, new toy in return. While his parents have done a fabulous job of taking up where his pancreas left off, it's still not the ideal situation, which would be a life where James would not have to deal with any of this. A life where his pancreas worked and he could snarf candy at any moment in time, like any other kid.

While there are many downsides to juvenile diabetes, a major upside is that wiping this disease out of existence is extremely attainable. It's possible that, because of the fine work done by many scientists, there might be a day in the future that James will not have to prick his finger or inject himself with insulin. There might be a day in the future when James' body will be able to break down his food into the energy he needs to run it without any outside intervention. There might be a day in the future when he would be able to snarf a Snickers any time he wants to.

And that is why I'm pontificating at length today. Because I want him to never have to deal with finger pricks and shots and tightly scheduled mealtimes ever again. I want his body to work the way it should. But most of all, I want him to be able to eat a Snickers any time he wants to.

To work toward this end, James, his family and friends will group together, line up under the banner of "James' Jaywalkers," and will participate in Omaha's Walk To Cure Diabetes on August 6, 2005. From today until next Monday, July 18th, the Cake Eater Chronicles is sponsoring the official RAISE MOOLAH FOR JAMES' WALK WEEK. James' Jaywalkers is looking to raise $4000 this year. Thanks to some very generous donations from my devoted Cake Eater Readers I would like to help the team not only meet that goal, but to exceed it. We raised a few hundred dollars last year with the help of my devoted Cake Eater Readers, and I think we can do even better this year.

I know there are a lot of worthy causes out there. God only knows a lot of people need a lot of help in this world, but if you're inspired to help James beat this thing, you can go here and donate what you can. No amount is too small and every cent is appreciated more than you know. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, who sponsors the walk, is a wonderful foundation and if you're worried about the money raised going to support fat-cat administrators, instead of toward a cure, you should know that you have no need to fear: 80% of every donation made to JDRF goes toward research to find a cure.

We're grateful for any donation you should choose to make, and if you can't make a donation because times are tough, well, that's fine too. We appreciate any support you can offer.

In the immortal words of the Bartles and James' guys: I thank you for your support.

UPDATE: See where we're at as of Thursday, July 14th.

Posted by: Kathy at 11:20 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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For well over a week now it's hit 90+ degrees each and every bloody day.

I realize the folks down south might be laughing a wee bit at the revelation that this is awful weather for us Minnesotans, but, really, we're just not prepared for this sort of hot weather. Nor for it to last so long. Most people don't have air conditioners and if they do, well, in this neighborhood, they're the window variety. The heatwave started last Saturday---July, 9th. They said on the news on Friday night that we hadn't had this long of a heatwave since 1947. Today when I was chatting with Mr. H. he said they'd updated it: they had to go back to the dustbowl year of 1936 to find the last time we've suffered so.

Fortunately, it seems to be over with.

It's currently raining right now and I'm watching the temperature on the atomic clock/thermometer that hangs on the office wall go down, down, down. It was 99 in the shade earlier this afternoon, so this is a welcome relief. I can barely wait to open up the house. It will be so nice to finally have some fresh air blowing through.

Thank God!

As far as the title of this post is concerned, well, it may be raining, but it's also sunny outside. When I was a kid we used to say that whenever it rained and was sunny at the same time. Why, I don't know. I believe the theory went something to the effect that God was happy that the Devil was otherwise occupied, but I'm not sure if I'm goofing that.

Posted by: Kathy at 07:29 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The mother in law is in town and will be over for lunch in a couple of hours.

Which means I must forsake blogging for the wondrous activity of cleaning the bathroom which she will, undoubtedly, not use while she's here.

I'm tempted to not clean it. But I know the minute I don't, she'll use it and I'll have points removed from the "good daughter-in-law" column.

Sigh.

UPDATE: Helpful Household Tip For the Day:

The new dishwasher is stainless steel. I didn't have anything in the house to keep it looking nice---everything leaves streaks galore. I was about to go to the store to find some specialty stainless steel cleaner, but I happened to read in a Southern Living that club soda works just as well as some fancy-schmancy cleaner. I was skeptical to say the least, but considering we always have the stuff in the house, I was more than willing to give it a shot.

You know what? It works perfectly. WooT! You'll need to use something, ahem, a wee bit stronger if you get a splatter, but use the club soda to remove all the streaks, etc. Yippeee. I have no more room under the counter for one more specialty cleaning product. I just don't. So it's doubly nice that this is something that's a. already on hand and b. costs $0.79 for a liter.

Posted by: Kathy at 09:54 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Holy Cow! You guys are wonderful!

Through the RAISE MOOLAH FOR JAMES' WALK WEEK we've managed to raise {insert drumroll here} $345.00 so far!

Thank you so very much, you wonderfully generous people! James will appreciate it! As my sister said on the donation page, James is always amazed at how many people show up for the walk. It blows his mind that so many people want his disease to be cured. So, it's going to doubly blow his mind that people he's never met before---people who live all over America and the world----and who would not have known about him without the internet or the blogosphere would help him free himself from this disease. We, truly, live in an age of wonder and it's so nice to be able to make good things happen because of it!

But...

Just like a pledge drive on Public TV, we're not done yet. If you haven't had the opportunity to donate and would like to support James, you can go here and make a donation. No amount is too small and, believe me, every dime is appreciated!

I should probably add that we've had a wee bit of an issue with overseas donations. If you are, perhaps, in the UK, Canada, Australia---or any other country for that matter---and would like to donate, but are having issues with JDRF's American-centric donation page, please email me. There is a solution to the problem. Email me and I'll let you in on it.

Finally, I would like to thank these fine bloggers for helping me spread the word, and for adding wonderful words of their own to help the cause.

Go and tell them what really cool people they are. They deserve it.

Posted by: Kathy at 04:13 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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