Trying to Explain...

I took a client of mine to the doctor. 

While at the doctor we discussed some serious

problems and feelings my client was having. 

This client happens to be diabetic. 

While in there, seeing it ( i'm using "it" because 

I obviously can't say anything else

but he/she is too tempting

so "it" it is. ) feel pain and the thought of going through medical

issues alone, as well as other complicating issues

with it's health, I felt 

so helpless. 

I supported it, I rubbed it's hand, 

I provided encouraging words. 

Then we got into the car. All of a sudden 

we were talking and there it burst. 

I told it how mad I was that when I was diagnosed 

I felt like I had no one 

to compare my life to. 

The life I had known, was different, 

those years in high school, middle school and 

elementary school

was all a blur. 

I remember having flashbacks of memories
I had as a kid and the thought that

i might have not had those has this

annoying member of my body 

(diabetes)

never entered it. 

I was able to provide my client

with being that person that remembers people asking

"You're diabetic, can you eat that?"

or

"but does it have sugar in it"

I remember feeling like I had no rights, 

I was given up to this disease

that there is no cure for, 

and I 

among all of these

other "normal" people and college students

was no longer normal. 

I told my client how I felt, 

how yes, the thought that I now am at a higher risk of complications 

like loosing my legs/feet

going blind

heart disease

organ damage

kidney failure

stroke

heart attack..

just to name a few of my later in life 

relatives, 

we were able to relate. 

and then it said the one thing I wasn't expecting to here

"you know Cass, if i wouldn't have met you when I did, 

i might have died drinking my 

regular Mountain Dew"

and THAT made my day. 

Sometimes you don't have to explain how you feel, 

someone, despite any other factors

GETS YOU. 

AMEN to that!!!

DATE NIGHT!!

Thanks to my BEAUTIFUL sister

and her family

we were able to treat ourselves to dinner!!

We cleaned the house,

put up drapes, lots of drapes

hung stuff on the wall 

(FINALLY)

and the Christmas tree is now put away for next year. 

So sad it took this long for us to

find time to put it away. 

Here's us before date night!!!

(I need to figure out a way to make these unblurry once

i get them on here. so sorry :( )

YUMMY It was!

Look for new updated pics of our 

1st home!!

Well the rooms that are finished! and clean ;)

Baking Day!!

This all this fuss this week with my diabetes

and the struggles it bring to my

day, every day

I really wanted to bake. 

I know it should sound completely not normal for a diabetic

to enjoy baking since

99.9%

of things you bake are full of sugar, but I 

LOVE

It. 

Normally, as you see I bake cakes. Just so happens

I don't actually enjoy eating cake all that often

unless it is carrot cake. then YUM!!

But I read the blog sixuntilme.com

everyday now. 

I LOVE HER! She really helps us diabetes feel like we aren't alone. 

And we're human. 

If you have diabetes, love someone who has diabetes, or

are just curious

check her out!

Anyways, she baked a banana bread and posted it. After

looking at it and longing to make some more bread

I decided i'd give it a try today. 

After trying to squeeze baking it in before breakfast

I had to stop and eat and then 

run to the store

ZERO brown sugar in the house. 

So this is how it turned out!

 

I had to enlarge it, so sorry for the fuzziness. 

This is what I did:

Ingredients:

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1tsp Baking Soda

2 Eggs 

1tsp of Vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

about 4.5 Bananas (they were all

bruising and hubs won't eat them)

One spoon of homemade applesauce

1/4 cup Brown Sugar 

1tbsp Butter

2/3 Cup Oatmeal (I just poured it in until it looked good. )

1/4 tbsp Nutella (just used a spoon)

I preheated my oven to 350 degrees. I melted the butter with the brown sugar in the microwave.

Then I put the bananas, vanilla and eggs in a big bowl together. (When I put the bananas in I broke them into pieces before putting in bowl to help mash them) I mashed until only small pieces of banana left. Measured dry ingredients in mixing cup. Poured the flour mixture in the wet mix. Added applesauce and oatmeal in . Mix until combined. Sprayed the bread loaf pan and dumped it in.

I then put nutella on the top and popped it into the oven. My nutella was still firm from being in the cupboard so i waited until it had been cooking for 10 minutes and swirled it around once it was warm

I cooked this together for 45 minutes. First 10, then swirl the nutella, then 35 remaining. 

Ate it= AWSOME. 

If you want MORE fiber, then you could add wheat germ to it too. :) 

Have you found a recipe and modified it to meet your dietary needs?

Let me know!!!:)

Stay warm!

-CK-

Illness- Try 2

So, as I said and didn't finish writing yesterday, 

I was very mad and upset. 

Mad being, Mad at the Insurance Companies who feel it is 

okay to charge people, who like me

cannot live without insulin because our body doesn't make it anymore. 

Not only in 2011 have I learned,

late of course

that my work insurance is being increased almost by $$$$$ bucks a month

but, after being told my coverage hasn't changed at all

just the amount covered

(But don't worry Cassie, VF(work place) has taken most of the 

burden of the payment increase to make it more

affordable for you) HAHAHA 

Can anyone have the right to say "more affordable" to 

a Type-1 Diabetic?

Any Type-1's out there reading this, because I bet you too

are laughing. 

My whole life, is, has been, will be

Money. 

Money to go to the doctor

Money to track my blood sugars 3-4x a day

Money for the endless supplies it takes to DO that.

Money for my two types of insulin I must take

to function, to live, to help my pancreas break down the sugars in the food

I eat. 

Money to go to the doctor when I cannot figure out why my numbers

aren't reading what they should.

Money that gets given to the darn insurance companies for less

coverage on my insulin because unlike a normal medication

mine is not only tier 2 but also monitored and I can only have so much

with me at a time. 

I pray for a month I don't have to have the pharmacist check the actual medicine

in the bag she wanted me to pay for

because time and time again, I am given

the wrong medicine, 

the wrong kind

the wrong dose

or the wrong formula for what I have to take. 

Uggh.. sorry for the downer of posts but I feel better

getting this off of my mind and put into words. 

Do you not want to hear about diabetes? Do you have some medical frustration you have?

 Say it. Do any of you deal with the stressed of how "affordable" heath care is for us?

Let me know!!!

::Caution:: VENTING ON ILLNESS

For those of you who don't want to hear(well read)

the truth about how I feel, then stop here. 

If you aren't sure you want to hear what it is like

to will with an illness you cannot control

than stop reading.

I'm just cautioning you. 

So.. 

I'M SOO MAD. 

For those of you, which I adore, that read this, and are not family

you may not know that in 2007 I was diagnosed with

an illness I would never get a break from. 

For the rest of my life, I will have to take injections

to make my body work how it is supposed to. 

I started getting really sick. First what I remember is

I was getting leg cramps in the middle of the night.

waking up to them, was just horrible.

Then I noticed my skin was really tight and dry, 

especially when I had just finished eating. 

Then I remember bad headaches, that would last a really long time. 

I remember starting to drink one or two extra drinks a day,

then when i'd get home from classes (I was in college at this time)

and make a pitcher of koolade (however it is REALLY spelled.)

and drink the entire thing in minutes. 

Despite what my now husband then boyfriend would tell me, my now Sister In Law

since I lived with her, she would notice and tell me, I didn't care. 

I had classes to finish, finals to take and more nursing classes were far more important

than my health anyways. 

I promised Austin( now husband, then boyfriend, hehe) that

once his sister (my roommate) graduated, as she was that month

that I would find a doctor in Dubuque (We went to the University of Dubuque)

and go see what is going on. 

As a nursing student I thought by knowing what I did that this is serious

and probably the signs of diabetes, but DEFINITELY didn't want that title.

So as I was working, going to school, packing up to move after school was out, 

Val graduated from UD and the next Monday I went to the first of TOO MANY

doctor appointments.

They saw me for the first time, took blood, checked blood sugar, 

told me to pee in those stupid cups, 

after all that and lots of waiting, they told me I had to go to 

the endocrinologist's office (Internal Medicine) because their meter

wasn't reading anything for me but it appeared I might have diabetes. 

I drove across Algona to the doctor's appintment and I balled my eyes out in my car

calling Austin. 

I don't remember those words exactly but I bet it was something like, 

Me- Kid?

Austin- Yeah, how'd it go

Me- (balling my eyes out) Can you come here( GAVE DIRECTIONS)

He met me there, and we went in. 

Met Dr. Iverson and he tested some blood and such again before I actually met with him. 

He then after waiting, He gave me the dreaded news, 

As I sat there, crying, holding Austin's hand

He told my I have

Type -1 Diabetes. 

I KNEW what this meant. This meant LOTS of needles, shots, doctor appointments

and the feeling that I will be sick forever. 

Little did I know, being in college with my parents insurance wasn't even 

the HALF of it. 

(Currently, writing this I'm balling my eyes out. I will continue this sob of a story

later, when I can compose myself to write more.)

For anyone that stayed listening (well, reading)

this, THANK YOU.

-Cassie-

Drunken Berries or Drunken Cassie?

All day while at work all I wanted

was fruit. 

FRUIT FRUIT FRUIT. 

Then when thinking about making homemade pizza for dinner I 

thought of these!!! 

Recipe: Drunken Nutella Berry Tartlets!

1 package of sheet pizza dough

about 1 cup frozen berries or fruit(microwave

for 1 minute and pour over alcohol of choice

until its kinda soupy)

Nutella

Honey

What I did was: First I microwaved my frozen berries in a bowl for about 1 minute. I then poured SkinnyGirl Margarita over them so that they were swimming in it. Next, I cut the pizza dough into squares to fit my pan(24). I placed them in the circles. Next I spooned in Nutella with my (clean) fingers in each cup. (Hubs doesn't like berries so i put more nutella in his). On top of the ones

without berries, i dabbed a little honey in them for sweetness. I then put my berries in each cup along with a little of the juice. I also poured a little juice in the hubs' too. 

They looked like this:

Then after preheating the oven to 350 (My pizza was in the oven so I just kept it at that)

I then put my tarlets in on the top rack. I think they were in there for about 11-13 minutes. 

I took them out when the tops of the dough was brown. 

Use a mini spatula or if you don't have one a small fork to get under 

and lift them out. 

TRUST ME, THEY WERE DELICIOUS!!!

Cooked they looked like this:

I served them on our heart plate!:) 

Aww..

While we had date night on OUR couch,

eating homemade pizza

with the dog at our feet

while watching

Sparticious on Blueray!!!

Did anyone else watch that show?

I know it's pretty sexual but was much better in the middle and end of the 

season. 

hehe

Have any of you tried any Quick and Easy recipes lately? 

If so, Tell me what your Favorite

homemade snack is?

Thanks for stopping by!

-CK-

Bad Mom: Good Mom

For anyone who reads this, 

I've been a BAD MOM. 

I'm sorry i've neglected you. I make sure to read my favorite blogs of course,

but when it comes time to write mine, eh, i find some more blogs to read. 

Well I am BACK! Or at least trying to. 

Here at the Kimler Residence we have stayed pretty busy. Mostly busy with our

ADORABLE, BEAUTIFUL YOUNG VIBRANT DAUGHTER!!!

Lucky for me, she was labor-free but cute nonetheless. 

Imagine you and I meeting for coffee, hot tea or perhaps a nice glass of 

Pinot Grigio,

You ask me what I have been up to, hows the hubs, what's life like these days and then you

ask about the girl that wakes me up every am for her potty break or at night time when she wants to be cuddled. I show you these!

Enjoy my friend!

 *While we eat dinner, she sits pretty on her (safety) blanket and waits for us to finish eating. Such a good girl

 * This is me snuggling with the hubs and she wants to join, You'd think she'd be an over sized canine like feline. I promise, she's 100% Canine.

 * I do Laundry and ask her to sit and this is what she did. Sits right behind me while I fold our laundry. Then i throw a favorite toy of hers, and stupid mommy, she jumps right on top of the nicely stacked clothes. Oh Well, no need to cry over spilled clothes right?

 * Our beauty of a girl. She LOVES her balls, and any toys. We are teaching her colors and shapes of her toys. I know i know... colors and shapes? Yep. Next we are told to teach her her numbers by using flash cards. Line up here for our Kahuna to do your next years taxes. Much kid Much Kid. (I hope)

 *Around the holidays I was pretty sick, first with a nasty kidney infection, ER visits, multiple doctor's phone calls, and EXHAUSTED. This is the product of me sick and Kahuna comforting. Not to mention I then had the stomach flu for a few days.

While I was sick with my very painful, uncomfortable and not enjoyable kidney infection

we were looking in the market for a new car for me

as working with clients in and out of my car, that being a two door

almost made it impossible for my 

limbs to stay attached. 

Each time a client got in and out of my car, I would have to 

MANUALLY 

help them out. 

Say 6 clients throughout the day,

in and out

of 3 stores each

 one with a walker,

three with bad backs

one with a knee brace

and one who is just well...mobile.

Yep, that weight on my shoulders and back were getting old. 

Don't worry, my wonderful Chiropractor was able to reap the benefits of 

my job/car.

I found what I'd call, if I were to have one. 

DREAM CAR

and 

DREAM COLOR!!

So we drove to Cedar Rapids, 

me sleeping in the passenger seat, and my lovely hubs driving

to trade in my sweet Cavalier (flip flops and all :( )

For this BEAUTY. She's not BRAND new

( Come'n smart bloggers. Two twenty-somethings, new (old) house, two student loans,

Type-1 Diabetic, medical bills, LIFE

But she is new to us and we LOVE her. 

Meet My HHR!!

We had a great holiday with both of our families. We are so blessed to have so many that love and care for us. Who help us in so many ways, and who love us regardless. 

I know this is belated, but we hope you all had a GREAT new year and hopes

that 2011 Bring MANY MANY more great moments. 

-CK-