Stacey Simms Blog

Still Full From Syracuse

My trip to Syracuse earlier this month was a reunion for WJPZ - the student run radio station and "The greatest media classroom in the world!" It really is amazing.  However I only worked there for about five minutes, and I still kick myself for not doing more.  However, I was smart enough to have a wonderful roommate who did! We're still great friends and Beth and her husband, Dave, are the real reason we decided to head to the frozen tundra. (why do they hold reunions in Syracuse before spring even pretends to start?)

Easy plane ride there - we saw Nancy Pelosi at Reagan National (I'm a goober - I love seeing famous people) - and made it to town in time for lunch at Cosmos. Little did I know it would be the beginning of an entire weekend of ridiculous food on the SU campus.

 
  
 
This is a THB - a toasted honey bun. They split a sugary honey bun (it's just a big ol' donut), grill it, and put two huge scoops of ice cream on top.  Yes, that's a little bit of butter on the side! I can't begin to tell you how good this is - and I hope to never see one again.   

 

Dinner was pizza, wings and piles of fries at Varsity. I had a wrap - I didn't even know Varsity served wraps - but I can't eat like this anymore!  No wonder I gained 20 pounds in college.  We missed going to the Dinosaur (I know!) so we'll have to make a trip back.

I took part in a panel discussion about the future of radio. Matt Friedman wrote about that quite nicely here.  As for career advice - seems to me the students who stuck around on a sunny Friday afternoon to listen to our panel are already motivated enough. They'll make it work (I got to meet and talk to several of them one on one.  Seriously smart kids, most of whom already have part time jobs in radio or media).

Also, I hope they fix that construction on I-81.  We just had to get one more last meal in Sunday morning and we almost missed the plane.  I was so frazzled, I tried to walk onto the wrong flight - really. The detour did take us past the Little Gem Diner, though! Luckily, we were full - or I'm pretty sure we would have stopped!

Syracuse (Evil) Orange?

So much to share about our quick trip to Syracuse last week. We went back for the first time in a very long time for SU's student-run radio station reunion. (More soon on WJPZ - the greatest media classroom in the world!)

SU was #1 for about 5 minutes, so we had some fun watching the Louisville game at the Sheraton Syracuse, where we stayed.  That was great - turns out an old friend of ours, Rich Duda, is the manager there! They've redone much of the hotel and while I remember it being very nice, it really was terrific. They even won the 2009 Good Earthkeeping Award (see, Rich, told you I'd pass it along!!).

So here's my only complaint.  SU has such a great mascot - the adorable Otto the Orange. Lately, they've been trying to make Otto look tough. This is a mistake.  An orange is not a tough guy - he's a cutie.

Compare:

 


 
(I can't get them the same size. It looks like Mean Otto ate Good Otto!)

I saw the worst one ever this weekend, though.  So excited to find golf club covers in Manny's on Marshall Street until I looked a little closer.  That's his nose, but doesn't it look a little too much like a mustache?

I yelled out, "Hitler Otto!" in the middle of the store. Classy.  It's enough to make you want to bring back the Saltine Warrior.

Back In Town & Catching Up

Big thanks to Mom and Dad.  We went away for the weekend (more on that soon) and they came up from Florida to watch the kiddos.  Mom has been unbelievable since Benny was diagnosed. She just jumped in and learned everything. In fact, we had a trip planned less than two months after we found out Benny had diabetes and she insisted we go. 

At this point, I don't really worry about much except his inset coming out. As you know, changing Benny's button recently hasn't been much fun.  He's actually gotten a lot better the last couple of times, but I didn't want my parents to have to deal with that.  Luckily, it stayed in just as it should and they had a great weekend.

I'm a little behind on this, but have to say a big thank you to Morton's. Can't thank the staff enough for a wonderful time last Friday.  As part of the "Steak in our Community" program they donated proceeds from Friday, February 26th, to JDRF Charlotte and invited some of the families to meet & great guests.

Here's Lea with one of the great waiters and Shannon, a manager. They showed Lea the ropes and let her play maitre 'd.  She even helped serve a lobster (which she thought was totally gross)!

Benny with JDRF Charlotte's Executive Director Laura Maciag.  He gives the sliders at Morton's a big thumbs up (and we thank bartender Bill for making us all feel welcome).

 

Fellow JDRF parents Pat & Shauna McFeeley and friends Sue & Robert Goodling

Janice Sachs, a family friend and Evan Sachs (on the right).  Evan is 13, has type 1 and basically adopted my kids for the evening. He's incredibly articulate about living with diabetes - he was diagnosed at age five.

Here's Lea with Shannon & Keisha learning how to run the restaurant computer.

The only bad news? We didn't get a chance to eat! Just an excuse to go back soon.

Charm City Stacey?

So excited to let you know some fun book news. 

JDRF National has linked I Can't Cook But I Know Someone Who Can to their website!  On the front page of JDRF.org you click on "other ways to get involved," or just check it out here.  As you know, I donate 100% of profits from I Can't Cook to JDRF, but I'm thrilled to get this national attention for what's basically a local project.

This weekend, I took the kids to Barnes & Noble.  They've seen my book on the shelves, and don't usually get excited about it anymore.  This week, though, the new display got our attention.  You'll recall my daughter is a huge fan of Ace of Cakes, so I had to take this picture:

Yep. Me and Duff - side by side. I said, "Wow isn't that cool?"  Lea said "Yeah, but Duff and Ace of Cakes are world famous.  You're sort of radio famous."  I think she realized that might have hurt my feelings (I don't really have to tell you that, of course, it didn't) so she added, "Don't worry. Maybe your next book will be world famous."  

Hey, it could happen. (Duff, call me. We'll talk).

Thanks, Morton's (I need all the help I can get!)

Want to let you know I'll be at Morton's Steakhouse Friday night.  Great week-long event "A Steak in Our Community" benefits a different charity each night.  Friday it's JDRF. More info here (you may have to click on "special events").  I'm bringing the whole family and Benny & Lea are excited to help out.  We'll be your maitre d's for the evening (that should be interesting!)

So good news and bad news (as usual) with diabetes.  First, Benny's A1c was great at his quarterly checkup.  7.7 and it's been trending down all year, which is what we want.  He has also grown 5 inches in the last 15 months and gained 16 pounds!  No wonder we feel like it's hard to keep up those basal rates.

Bad news, now.  After a long time of relatively easy inset changes, Benny is terrified again.  It hasn't been this bad since we started using the Lidocaine nearly a year and a half ago.  It is so bad that when his inset (we call it "the button") came out the other day, I had to hold him down to put a new one on. Without it, he doesn't get insulin, so we have no choice.  I'm still sore (the dude is 62 pounds!).

We were both pretty upset during that wrestling match.  But less than a minute later, Benny was happy, sweet and loving.  He gave me big hugs and quickly got dressed to go out and play.  It was one of the first sunny days we've had in a while - the kids were outside with friends all afternoon.  But while the sun was shining and the kids were playing, I was inside stewing.

This is probably where I should say something funny or inspiring, to get you to come see me Friday night.  You know what?  I don't have anything.  Diabetes made me hold down and hurt my kid.  Nothing entertaining about that.  Time to take a deep breath and keep it in perspective.  Thanks for reading this; it helps.

(I've contacted our diabetes educator to get some help about this issue.  Benny's got a great attitude about his diabetes, and we can't have these knock-out drag-out inset changes.  I'll let you know what she says, and am open to suggestions here.)

Winning friends (or at least influencing people)

These flowers arrived at work yesterday. At first, I thought it was a valentine bouquet. A day or two late, but why not? Turns out, it was a very nice way for the Mecklenburg Times to announce I am one of their 50 Most Influential Women this year.

(Yes, when we're not in the studio we work in Dilbert-like cubicles.  That looks awful).

I'm very excited to be included in this year's list.  They have a nice event in a few weeks to name the Woman of the Year.  I've included the full list of honorees below.  You can click on it to make it bigger or learn more at the Mecklenburg Times website.
 

Congrats to all the great local ladies on the list! 
 

Stache Bash

So much fun Friday night!  We braved the snow to drive to Charlotte and I'm glad we did.  I can't say I was expecting the parade of mustaches (or guys dressed like everything from Ned Flanders to Ron Burgandy to Mario and Luigi) but it was a blast. 

Best part? $55,000 and counting raised for Donors Choose.  Some funny pics - the rest are on Facebook.

These guys won for biggest fundraiser, worst mustache and best costume.

The classic barbershop quartet (couldn't sing a note!)

Joe Romanelli and Susan Tran - the friends who roped us into all this:
 

Me & Slade:

 
  

Mustaches for Kids

Bias comes in many forms. And the end of the 1970s marked a significant turn - and began a dark period - of discrimination against mustached Americans.

While until then it was fashionable to wear a mustache, virtually overnight, it became a fad reserved for the likes of law enforcement, steel workers, motor cross drivers, and members of the Village People.

- from the American Mustache Institute.

I've got mustaches on the mind because this Friday I'll be judging the winner of Mustaches for Kids Charlotte. It's a really fun group - Grow A 'Stache, Raise Some Cash - and the money helps public schools through DonorsChoose.

This is a pet project of some friends of ours.  Joe Romanelli and my husband have been friends for probably close to 20 years and his wife, Susan Tran, is the former WSOC anchor here in Charlotte. The guys start off with a clean shave and raise money for four weeks while the whiskers grow in. 

Here's a picture of some of last year's contestants. I think that's the winner in there. the crown may not mean what I think it means, though.  Like I said, it's a fun crowd.

As a judge, I may have an unfair advantage.  My husband has always had a mustache. A little out of the ordinary, I suppose, but it suits him.  He grew more of a combination goatee thing the last couple of years. As far as I know, though, he doesn't have a hat like any of these guys. (It's the little things we're grateful for!)

Judging's Friday night. I'll post the best and the worst next week!

Our Cupcake Challenge

My eight-year-old daughter loves watching all the cake shows on the Food Network.  Any of the Challenge shows and especially Ace of Cakes. Much excitement in my house in December when Duff talked about celebrating Chanukah. (Mom, Ace of Cakes is Jewish!!) and absolute madness when he made a guest appearance this past week on the Disney Channel's Imagination Movers.  That's my five year old's favorite show, so everyone got into the act.

It got to the point where my daughter was making cakes out of play-do, enlisting her little brother as her assistant and making us time and judge their work.  When she asked me if I knew how to make real fondant, I knew we were in trouble.

You know my husband is the cook in our family - and he loves to encourage the kids in the kitchen.  They made their first cakes together a couple of weeks back, but neither one of us is a baker.  So we got a very cute book called, Hello Cupcake. Step by step directions (with pictures) of how to make some very cool stuff.

Our first project was my pick - the popcorn cupcakes.  We had a dinner party Saturday night, so we spent Friday whipping it up.  I never in my life thought I would spend a Friday night cutting up 200 white and yellow mini-marshmallows. The kids stuck with it longer than I thought (the hardest part was keeping them from eating everything, of course!). Here's the finished product (it's about 50 mini-cupcakes):

 

I know, I know - cupcakes probably aren't the best hobby when you've got a kid with diabetes. Too bad.  Benny gives up enough already. 

We're not going to do this every day of course, and you'd be surprised how much easier it is to control blood sugar for treats like this, as opposed to more complex foods like pizza (cheese, sauce, bread - it's a mess). 

I guess, with all due respect to the Food Network, we've got our own Challenge going on. I say, bring it (and pass the cupcakes)!

Aren't Vacations with Diabetes Fun?

We're starting 2010 with some reminders that, several years into my son's diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, there will always be something changing.

We drove to my parents' house in Florida for the winter break. It's about a ten hour drive from our house near Charlotte so we broke it up into two days.  My kids go bananas at the thought of staying in a hotel. (mom, this room has it's own couch!! there's a bathroom in here!!), so it's a fun way to get a vacation started.

Driving for several hours at a clip, though, means lots of snacks and meals in the car.  We have to give Benny insulin every time he eats.  His pump makes that pretty easy, but until recently, it's also meant reaching into the back seat to dose him every time. Over the summer, I was driving alone with the kids and Lea stepped up and used Benny's pump for me.  Total team effort.  He had to agree to let his big sister reach over and take his pump out, she had to enter the numbers and then show me the screen so I could take a quick look and make sure he wasn't going to OD. We were all really excited about how it worked out.

Since Benny just turned 5, this trip we thought he could do some of that himself.  By the time we drove home, he was bolusing himself every time.  I'm not comfortable with him doing that when it's not a necessity, and he doesn't show any interest in really taking over.  I am excited about his learning more about this essential piece of medical equipment he wears 24-7.  (Bonus: carbs are entered by 1's and insulin is entered by 5's, so my pre-K kid is getting some math learnin' too.)

Here's the bad from that trip.  Benny's grown so much (more than 3 inches in 2009!) that we've been playing catch up with his insulin dosing.  There's a basal rate that the pump uses to give him insulin all day long (that's what your pancreas does).   Good explanation of basal rate here. As Benny grows, he needs more insulin, so his basal rate goes up.

My mom has a pool, though, and exercise can bring blood sugar levels down. Benny would swim for hours if we let him and we often have to make him come out of the water for blood sugar checks. The lower effects can last for hours - and can be dangerous overnight. We've really ramped up the basal rate overnight, too.

Just before bedtime one evening, Benny's blood sugar was 54. That's dangerously low (should be around 100).  I gave him a juice box and a cookie - about 40 carbs - much more than he'd normally need to come back up from a low, but with all the swimming, we figured it was the right call. 

An hour later, Benny was 53. I couldn't get him to eat or drink anything else.  He seemed exhausted, wouldn't even open his eyes or sit up. That's when we started to get worried. It was clear something was very wrong.

A half hour later we checked again, still low. Then a few minutes later, Benny got sick. Luckily, after that, he felt a lot better and was able to drink a little juice and eat some crackers.  Blood sugar slowly came back up and he was much better by morning. 

We carry a glucagon shot with us everywhere and would have had to give it to Benny if his BG hadn't started coming back up.  I also should have suspended or turned off his insulin pump during that time. We've never done that and I didn't think of it. Always learning.

Of course, now that we're back home and back in our routine, we're having trouble with overnight high blood sugar.  Is the kid growing again? Fighting a cold that hasn't shown up yet? We'll figure it out. And then it'll change. Actually, that sounds a lot like raising kids in general!  Happy 2010 and good luck to us all!