- Where do you live?
- Bayville, N.J.
- What Makes You Laugh:
- We make each other laugh, all the silly things that we say or do. We also LOVE the ocean spray commercials! And t.v. shows!! Like Reba, I carly, king of queens
- Favorite Sports Team:
- N.J. Devils....Hockey
- What Helps You Get Through:
- I like to think we all try to help one another. We have our moments, but then we look at our son and he reminds us what we are going through is nothing compared to what he has to face each and every day. So, I would have to say the STRENGTH of our son!
- Favorite Meal:
- FREE SNACK: Sugar free Jello, & Half sour pickles!!!
- Helpful Resources:
- J.D.R.F.....Parentingdiabetickids.com.....Diabetes self management.....Diabetes news hound....Diabetes research institute.....American diabetes association...And all of these can be found on face book... Treat your child the same as before he got diagnosed...Your child comes first....He is no different then any other child... website links
- Date Diagnosed:
- December 24, 2009
- Question for Everyone:
- Mornings are the hardest before school..(5th grade) has to get up at 5:30am..Very tired and has some aggression..I would like to know how some of you handle the mornings when your child is tired?
- Diabetes Camp:
- No..He just got diagnosed. But there isn't any camps that I have found in N.J..The ones that I did find are really expensive, and the parents have to attend. Are there some camps with financing?
Vacation: We havent' gone yet since he has been diagnosed. we were planning on going to disney this July. I would like some tips from others on what we should know before we go? - Question For Team:
- Yes...We have been reading about Insulin and Diabetes, different web sites. The one thing that keeps coming up are the side affects of diabetes and the amount of insulin used. We were wondering, with protein, fruits, veggies, minimal fat, and LOW AMOUNT OF CARBS, (to cut down on the insulin given for the day) what is the recommended amounts of carbs for an adolescent to have during the day, the amount of insulin given for the day? Are we doing the right thing? Also, is there a list of free foods they can eat? If so, where can we find it? Looking for a support group here in Southern N.J. can't find one, where can we look? See the answer from our experts...
- Question For Us:
- Same question about the carbs..Eat more wisely, eat things that are better for you..Cuts down on the carbs &it cuts down on the insulin given..
- What Do You Think:
- I think this is a very unfair diseases. I take hats off for all these children that are going through this. I think us as parents, as adults can learn a lot from these brave little souls...Our prayers are with each and every one of you.
Family of the Week
The Rusnak-Dillane
9 Comments on “The Rusnak-Dillane”
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Maureen Feb 10, 2010 (28 days ago)My 6 year old son was diagnosed in November 2009, we will never figure it out, but we are learning to manage it. My son had his first nighttime low while sleeping tonight, that's why I'm up at 4 am, too stressed to sleep. If I can be of any help, feel free to add me. We are getting into the hang of counting carbs and I can ... See Morepretty much look at an apple and guess the number of carbs in it, so in two months, I think we've come a long way. I can get the blood glucose level with the teeniest amount of blood now, in the early days it would take multiple pokes, tears, etc. Diabetes management is not easy, but it is doable. Hang in there and don't try to learn it all in one day because you can't! We are here for you and your family.
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Sherry Feb 7, 2010 (1 month ago)I have read all of you comments..Sorry to say it is 11:30 p.m., I will answer all of them this week..I want to thank all of you for posting some comments, for taking the time to read mine story..If any of you are on face book and want to contact me..you can go to Sherry Rusnak-Dillane...I would love to make new friends and share some stories with, and maybe get some adivse..Hey, you never know...maybe we can all help one another...Again, thank you soo much..I will answer you all...
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Amanda Feb 5, 2010 (1 month ago)Hey there and welcome to the family! My son is 8 and was diagnosed 10/2/09. He gets up at 5:30 so I can take him to daycare because I work at 7. Mornings are rough to say the least. One thing that makes it smoother is having everything ready at night so he can wake up, get dressed, test, eat (sometimes on the way) and it seems to go smoother. I sometimes talk to him the night before about having a good morning and how i get cranky when he doesnt listen! I say "Thank you for packing your meter" "I really appreciated you listening without whining :)" It seems to help. But some mornings there's nothing you can do unfortunately. I'm not a morning person either. One thing we did do was get him on a pump ASAP. He started on a pump 2 months after diagnosis. It has made a world of difference. No more shots and the docs can read his trends. Though not in NJ we are all here if you need someone to listen to your woes (we've all been there - and we are still there). Good luck!
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Mindy Feb 5, 2010 (1 month ago)My 9 yr old daughter was diagnosed November 2, 2009. I'm with you on the overload of information. The endless questions of 'are we doing the right things.' My daughter has had emotional roller coasters as well as the rest of the family. I've found these sites to be most beneficial, realizing that my feelings are normal. There are others that are going through the same emotions and people to pull from in understanding Type 1. Best wishes for you and your son.
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Anne Golenya Feb 5, 2010 (1 month ago)Check out Camp Nejeda if you live in NJ. My two children have gone here and really liked it. It is in Stillwater, NJ. It is not inexpensive but I believe they have Financial help. I highly reccommend it!
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Anne golenya Feb 5, 2010 (1 month ago)My two children go to Camp Nejeda in Stillwater, NJ. Great camp for children with Diabetes! It's not inexpensive, but I believe they have Financial help. I highly reccommend this camp. They are starting to take applications for Summer 2010 now. It does fill up rather quick.
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Amy Sica Feb 5, 2010 (1 month ago)My daughter Sophia is only 2 1/2 and was diagnosed 4/6/09. She was only 21 months old. Its been a challenge to say the least but almost a year later we are finally feeling a bit more confident.
Mornings: We are lucky, in that Sophia sleeps until 8:30 or 9:00 am. I never let her go past 9 so I go in and check her sugar. If she is low (<100) I just tell her her sugar says its time for breakfast and she usually will get up. If she is high (>200) and cranky (they usually go hand in hand) I tell her ok, I'll give you a few more minutes to wake up but then we have to get our morning started. This usually works but when all fails I try comedy. Anything to make her laugh. It makes us both happy and starts off the day right.
As far as Disney goes, I live in Orlando and we go every few months. For some reason Sophia always runs high when she goes. I think because of the excitement, but we bring a cooler to the park with her insulin, sugar snacks (for lows) and carb free snacks (cheese sticks, sugar free jello), along with lots of Fruit flavored water (0 carb). We test her often and bring our patience with us. The Magic Kingdom can be a zoo in the summer and with a diabetic it can take alot of time so plan ahead to determine what is most important to see. What we have been told and discovered is anything 5 carbs or less can be considered "free". Berries are great in the summer. They offer that sweet fix without all of the carbs. Also, high fat foods w/ carbs (ie pizza) will greatly impact blood sugar. We make homemade pizza to cut down on the fat and are better able to control it. Also, exercise is amazing. There have been times that we could let Sophia just run around outside 30 minutes or more and it can really bring down her number. Caution though its a mystery sometimes it will work immediately and other times it will take hours so we follow our treatment plan and check often after exercise. Finally, we try to keep Sophia's meals to 30 -45 carbs. Obviously she is much younger so that may be different for an older child. Our Dietician suggested 45-50 but we have found that is just way too much. We also follow a formula based treatment plan for coverages and corrections so it helps to keep her as close to 30 as we can until she is on a pump. All my best to you and know that you are never alone. -
Carrie Feb 5, 2010 (1 month ago)My daughter, Payton was diagnosed at age 5, on December 29th, 2006. She is 8 now. That day will always remain very fresh in my mind, although as the time goes on, the heartbreak of the reality of it comes and goes. Payton wears a pump and a CGM, and has since about 8 months after diagnosis. That was a lifesaver! It gives them a little more freedom to eat and alot better control of their BS #'s.
If you can find a camp in your area, I would highly recommend it. Payton went last summer for the first time, and after 5 days of camp she came home with a lot more knowledge of her condition and she seemed to want to take a little more control of it herself!
As far as traveling, thats another monster! But don't be intimidated. We went to Disney a year and a half ago, only 2 months after our very best friends daughter was diagnosed (they went along). The key is to bring at least double the amount of supplies you may think you will need for the # of days, carry water, juice, glucose tablets. We bought a tiny Camelback Backpack with a water pouch that Payton carried on her back at all times. At Disney, you get a refridgerator in your room if you tell them you need it for medical reasons, and I believe you can also benefit from the Fast Pass system on all rides (you just need to go to the guest info desk at the park when you get there). Take your time, take lots of breaks and it is imperative that you test, test, test! Hope you still take your trip, your family deserves it more then ever after going through something like this!
I am thinking of you, I know first hand what a life changing event this is, but you will find a way to learn from it and become an ever stronger family for it! -
Angie Marshall Feb 5, 2010 (1 month ago)Our daughter Lauren, 13, was diagnosed at age 9. We've gone through every emotion, and we understand what you and your son are going through.. it helps to know that you are not alone! For Lauren, the struggle is overnight and early a.m. blood sugars are usually high. She's been on the pump for a couple of years, and now she's also on a continuous glucose monitor system.. her diabetes has been more easily controlled this way. Lauren loves pasta, bread, and potatoes.. the worst foods she could possibly eat! So if she eats more than she should of these foods, she pays for it later with high blood sugars that are harder to bring under control. She stays fairly active, playing soccer and running. As for diabetes camp.. Lauren has attended the last 3 summers and SHE and WE love it! Our camp is sponsored by DYS (Diabetes Youth Services out of Maumee, OH) and is held each summer at Camp Libbey in Defiance, OH. I know that is a very far drive from NJ... but I highly recommend diabetes camp for your son if you can find one nearer to your area. Best wishes and good luck! God bless our children!
