Phoenix

Hi Everyone,

It's Carbi here! Sorry I haven't posted for ages - Aramis has taken over - but HE doesn't go to work with Dad and Me.

I have to have a tooth out tomorrow... but I don't want to talk about that today!


On Sunday morning, when Dad and I came home I found out that Aunty Lorraine and Phoenix were back!! We had lots of fun playing and talking... as you can see from these photos....

They went home on Wednesday... I was so sad when they went.

Got to sleep before my operation tomorrow.
Night
Carbi xx.

Tick Tock

For the last few days there was something above my eye. It was annoying me. I tried to stop it by rubbing my head against the carpet. That didn’t help. It did make Mum realise something was annoying me but she just cleaned stuff from the corners of my eye. Once or twice she tried to move the thing that was annoying me but it hurt and it didn’t come off easily and she just thought it was ‘sleep’ (that’s what she calls that annoying stuff that grows in your eyes).

Today we were in the car waiting for Dad to get back from the chemist and Mum decided to get the thing off my eye no matter what! She pulled it off and then went to put it on the floor. Then, all at the same time, she looked at it, noticed it had legs, it bit her and she dropped it! “Arrgh, it’s a tick!” she yelled. Then began the hunt. Mum had to drive the car out of the underground car park and search the floor for the tick. She actually found it!! Then she had to find something to put it in. She found an old plastic packet and put it in there. She then reversed back into the carpark to meet Dad. THEN while we were still waiting for Dad she picked up the container to look at the tick. The container then moved and flung the tick back into the car somewhere!!! Mum yelled at me to get in the back because she thought that it had gone towards the front and she didn’t want it to attach onto us!! Then she drove back into the light again and commenced searching. She searched the seat, then the floor, and then finally the dash mat, and GUESS WHAT??!!! SHE FOUND IT AGAIN!!! This time she found an empty film container and got it into that and put the lid on tight!

The tick was about this big…

She reversed back just in time to pick up dad.

Then we drove to the vets and asked them what kind of tick it was. They said it was an immature tick and I would be ok! We also booked Carbi in for his operation to get a tooth out tomorrow – it was two teeth but one of them fell out on it’s own!!

I know have a bald patch above my eye... see...

What do you get if....

you cross a Shetland Sheepdog with a Chinese Crested?

A Shetland Crested?? A Creltie?? A Chinese Sheepdog?? A Shelted?

How many legs does one dog have???

4.... or is it 6?

Demarco

Hi guys,
I have a new friend. His name is Demarco. I haven't met him yet but my mum and his mum have talked on the phone and I sent Demarco an email yesterday! He is 6 years old and he has type 1 diabetes. He is very smart and he wrote a letter to his pancreas - I asked him if I could let you all read it and he said yes - so he is nice and kind too!!

Here it is....

Dear Pancreas,

You and I were good friends before my second birthday. You helped me grow from a little tiny baby into a big boy who could walk. My mum had planned a Bob the Builder Cake for the 23 November, my 2nd birthday. For some reason though, every time I thought of that cake I didn’t want it as much as I used to.

On the 1st November, you stopped being my friend. Mum stopped talking about the Bob the Builder cake. I didn’t know I had a pancreas. I didn’t know what you did, or where you lived. I thought you were going to help me grow into a big man.

Now that I am 6, I know what islet cells are, and I know my body destroyed them by accident. It was a pretty big accident though, Pancreas, I looked at a picture on my Mum’s computer. You look like a bean! A trouble-making bean…

I have learnt lots about you now and why you stopped working. Just like when a car runs out of petrol. I have 4 needles a day now to replace the insulin you can’t make anymore. My mum’s eyes looked so sad (even though she is always happy) whenever she had to give me my medicine, so now I have decided to do it myself. What I just wanted to ask was, I know the doctors’ are helping, I know JDRF are working super hard and I know everyone wants a cure. If one day, please, you could just wake up again, and let a couple of islet cells escape, maybe then you will remember what to do and how to work again.

If you can’t do it though, I understand. I know how it feels to be different from the other kids. You must be feeling the same way, living so close to the liver and the stomach. I hope they don’t tease you. One good thing is that, even though you stopped working, I got to go in a plane and see Parliament House and see John Howard! Not many kids without Type 1 Diabetes could say that. I’m not angry I have Type 1 Diabetes, and I’m not angry at you. I am really patient and have learnt how to wait for scientists to help you work again. I want to be a zoo keeper when I grow up. I have heard that Diabetics can go blind after a long time with no cure…if I went blind, I couldn’t feed the lions or they would eat me!

I believe in you, Pancreas.

Your owner,
Demarco

Demarco also agreed to write or draw special stuff for me to show you regularly!!

Licks,
Aramis

Introducing Oscar and Devo....

I meant to do this a while ago but Mum's been 'hogging' the computer. Just after our big meeting Aunty Lorraine flew to Perth to help Oscar and Devo start their new lives as diabetic alert assistance dogs - so they are now part of the Paws for Diabetics Inc family (I'm getting a lot of new brothers and sisters - it's very hard to remember all of them!!).

OK... So I'll start with Devo. Devo is short for Devoted. He now lives with Kim. Kim is 11 and is taking Devo to school and to scouts with him. Devo has already alerted Kim to lots of hypos.

Next is Ocsar

Oscar is living with Corey. Corey is also 11. Some people in Australia might have heard about all the trouble with Corey taking his dog to school with him. The principal said that he couldn't go, they are talking about it all now and will tell us what is happening when they have worked it out. Corey is staying at home with Oscar at the moment but hopefully will be going to school with him soon!!

One last thing before I go to bed.... I went to a meeting with Mum (we were on the phone) and someone there said that they didn't like my Aunty Lorraine's face - but I think she is beautiful (she was my mum after all!!!).

A Current Affair

For those dogs who are not in Australia but are interested in the A Current Affair segment about Paws for Diabetics Inc. you can click here and then click on the Diabetic Dog Ban link.

Licks,
Aramis xx

Busy Busy Busy

Hi everyone,
Sorry we haven't posted for sooooo long!! We have been busy!

The dogs that invaded our house were here for a very important meeting. Something called an AGM for Paws for Diabetics Inc. Phoenix came with my other Mum who I have now decided to call Aunty Lorraine because it seems that I'm staying here forever now and I want to call MTLH Mum. It's too hard to say Mum that lives here all the time and now I don't think I really have another Mum - just an Aunty - if that makes sense. Anyways, Phoenix is the one with the mohawk. She is a chinese crested (like Carbi) but she is hairless (and Carbi is a powderpuff).

The two big dogs are Lulu and Gracie and they are Boxers. The other hairless puppy was Shania.

Anyway, we had a meeting and then they made us all sit on the lounge together and take this photo.

The puppies in the photos (the ones behind the wire) were here for two days and then we took them to the airport and left them there to fly to Perth. They have been placed with two boys... I'll post about them both soon.

Mum and I have been busy doing stuff since then as she is now the secretary and I help her with everything she does.

We started Uni again on Monday - I'm studying for a Masters in Occupational Therapy so if there are any dogs out there that need my help I'll be qualified by the end of the year (I think i'll have to share Mum's certificate saying that but that's ok)

The boys in Perth have gotten lots of publicity and they have been in newspapers (one of the stories is here) and last night they were the first paws for diabetics people to be on TV!!! They were on channel 7 in Perth. Since then they have gotten calls from channel 9 and 10. Channel 9 wants to put them on A Current Affair tonight in the Eastern states as well so if you are from Australia - watch it!! Carbi and I had to have a bath this morning because the new people might want to see a fully trained dog (ME!) and so we have to look good if that happens!!

I have to go now, Mum has to use the computer and I'm 'hogging' it apparently. Isn't that a silly term - especially since I'm not a pig!!

Licks,
Aramis