Friday 29 September 2017


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2xKUh9i

Wales challenge leaderboard. If you want to sign up for next year, please let me know. http://ift.tt/2gInRkB


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2x2uiqe

1000 mile challenge leaderboard. If you want to sign up for next year, please let me know. http://ift.tt/2gInRkB


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2xLtQRb

1000km challenge leaderboard. Congratulations to our newest finisher, Malaika!! If you want to sign up for next year, please let me know. http://ift.tt/2gInRkB


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2x29W0F

via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2x295ga

Thursday 21 September 2017

2 years ago today Malaika's life changed forever and with it, our family changed forever. 2 weeks prior to this she had been taken to hospital with febrile convulsions from a virus, they tested her urine and it was full of sugar, a finger prick showed her blood glucose and it was 12mmol (normal is 4-6) nobody was concerned, her tiny body had just been through so much that it was common for things that shouldn't be raised to be raised. A test a couple of hours later showed that her levels had returned to normal and we were discharged with no concern Back to 2 years ago today. The day before, Malaika had taken part in a 6 mile sponsored walk, 6 miles is a long way for a 2 year old, but she managed it with a smile on her face (most of the way!) The following day she asked me for a drink, I gave her one and she swallowed it down without tasting it and before she had even finished she asked for another. I gave her another drink and remembered back the last few weeks how she had been wetting through her nappy a couple of times a night, how she had been more thirsty, how she was losing weight that I had put down to a growth spurt. She finished her drink and asked me again for another. She had drank close to 750ml in one sitting. It's then I realised I had to check her. Her blood glucose was HI, which means it was over 33mmol I went into a state of shock and thought back to the day before when I was encouraging her to walk 6 miles. Any diabetic will tell you how hard any sort of movement, let alone exercise is when your sugar is high. You have loads of energy (sugar) in your blood, but your body can't use it because the key to the cell door is missing (insulin) So you have all this energy floating around and cells that can't get any energy. Your body sucks the fluid from the cells to try and get rid of the sugar which is why you find diabetics get thirsty and urinate a lot more, this makes dehydration a massive factor When my sugar is high I am horrible to be around, I am grumpy, exhausted and feel sick. I certainly would not want to walk 6 miles. I started feeling guilty that I hadn't caught it sooner when the symptoms were so obviously there in hindsight and then I even considered not taking her to hospital, to let her have one final day of being 'normal', but that quickly passed as I remembered that at this moment she was slowly dying. A finger prick at the hospital confirmed the diagnosis of Type One Diabetes. We were made aware of JDRF immediately when we were given a bag with a little teddy called Rufus, he is diabetic too and was a massive help to Malaika in coming to terms with her finger 'pops' (blood glucose tests) and injections. Jump back to today. She has nearly died a number of times From a stomach bug, from swimming for too long, from feeding Amelie the food that she was meant to eat, from a failed cannula in the night, from the machines that keep her alive failing. But we keep fighting. We have had our tough times and Malaika often cries that she doesn't want to be diabetic. I tell her every time that I wish she wasn't diabetic, I wish there was a cure. Malaika once asked why I couldn't find a cure, I had taught her from a very young age that Mummy (and she, and anyone) can do anything they want if they put their minds to it. So I told her I would, I told her I would help find a cure. I promised her I would never stop until there is a cure. And that's where we are today. Malaika has been diabetic for 2 years and that is 2 years too long. Please consider a donation to JDRF, for me, for Malaika, for everyone who has to live with this horrible illness ♡ http://ift.tt/2gInRkB http://ift.tt/2yqr0PK


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2xpeGR4

Friday 15 September 2017

Malaika is poorly, a non decript virus that she has picked up somewhere. For non diabetic children the treatment would be Calpol, fluids and cuddles, for a diabetic child it sends the caregivers into overdrive. When Malaika is ill, her insulin injections become much less affective, she needs almost double the dose that she normally needs to stop her sugars going high. Malaika also goes into ketosis when she is poorly, the combination of high sugar and high ketones can lead to the fatal illness ketoacidosis in a number of hours. So I make sure that her insulin is administered at a much higher dose than usual, simple enough right? Right, Until the insulin suddenly decides to start working and her blood glucose starts spiralling downwards leading to life threatening low blood sugar. When Malaika is ill, She loses her appetite, trying to get a sick 4 year old to eat or drink glucose is close to impossible. I'm not being dramatic when I keep my children away from your sick kids, what can be a day or 2 of misery for your child could end my child's life. This is hard to write and I know I sound very matter of fact, but that is how I deal with diabetes. I can't have emotional responses to her illness or mine, because it's too important for me to be able to make critical medication dosing decisions any minute of any day I will not stop trying to fundraise for a cure until there is a cure. Please consider donating to JDRF UK via their website or via my just giving page http://ift.tt/2iyeDJM Please consider signing up for a challenge to raise funds for a cure and also spread awareness. http://ift.tt/2gInRkB Please help to find a cure so that Malaika's life isn't in danger from a common cold ♡


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2vY9f8D

Monday 4 September 2017

Sadly haven't been able to maintain the mileage I was doing, but I blame sunny days! Nights are drawing in now, which is a perfect excuse for me to be on the treadmill catching up on my stories :D


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2w01yhw

Congratulations to all of the finishers we have had recently, just a heads up, if you are waiting for a medal to be delivered, fear not, they were safely delivered to my house this morning as I stupidly put my address as the delivery address! I will try again tomorrow! ♡♡

from Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2gGjJFM
via IFTTT

via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2xJMdDG

Week 35 leaderboard for Wales challenge http://ift.tt/2gInRkB


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2x5i6cZ

Week 35 leaderboard for KIlimanjaro challenge, congratulations Maj! http://ift.tt/2gInRkB


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2xJQyqN

Week 35 leaderboard for 1000 km challenge http://ift.tt/2gInRkB


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2x5BVky

Week 35 leaderboard for 1000 mile challenge http://ift.tt/2gInRkB


via Mission: Find a Cure http://ift.tt/2xJF86f