THE STORY OF ONE FAMILY'S JOURNEY WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES AND CELIAC DISEASE.
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Saturday, July 9, 2011

West Coast D Mamas: Dinner in Portland

A little over 2 years ago, I found Chasiti's blog for the first time.  Her daughter had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about a week prior and, like many D Mamas I know, she turned to the computer keyboard as a way to sort through the emotions, find community, and learn from other's experiences.

Chasiti quickly became a special cyber pal...I remember when Alivia started pumping, when Chasiti was accepting name submissions for her 3rd child ("Baby A"), and when they bought their first home.

As soon as I hinted on Facebook that I might be passing through her area, she jumped at the opportunity to organize a gluten free dinner meet up.  I was very thankful for a pal who was willing to research gluten free restaurants and go to the trouble of double checking with them to make sure cross contamination risks would be minimized.  She also helped to put the word out about the time and place....all we had to do was show up!

Once again, we had been driving all day in our PJ's so we needed to get changed before showing up.  A quick stop at a gas station provided everything we needed to freshen up, and then we were on our way to find a parking spot.

As soon as I walked into Mississippi Pizza, I recognized her immediately.  It was crowded, but I could hardly wait to put my arms around her!  She had been saving some tables for us -- the kids quickly started getting to know each other at one table while we looked over the menu at a second.

{Sidenote:  I MUST tell you guys how amazing the gluten free crust was.  It was SO GOOD!  If you're on a GF diet and are planning to visit Portland, I would HIGHLY recommend making a pit stop to try it!!!!}

A few minutes later, I recognized my Facebook pal, Joanna walking through the door.  Joanna has celiac as well.  I was thrilled to swap GF stories with her while the kids were giggling and laughing over at their table.  Everyone got along fabulously!  Mississippi Pizza even offered a gluten free dessert, and Joanna and I were PLEASED to give it a try :)  {YUMMY!!!!!}


It was so exciting to share a meal with these awesome families!


Recently, Sugar has been sensitive about wearing her pump site or CGM sensor on her arms. She used to wear them there without much issue, but recently has preferred to avoid her arms. After seeing Alivia's arm site, she agreed to use her arm at the next site change....and we actually ended up using her arms for the ENTIRE vacation!  Thanks, Alivia!

Meeting D Mamas along the way really made this trip a memorable experience.  As if meeting Meri and then having dinner with Chasiti and Joanna wasn't enough....stay tuned....because there are MORE meet ups to come!

PS -- Here's a recap of the Summer 2011 West Coast D Mama Meet Ups...




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8 comments:

  1. I'm lovin' your West Coast D Mama's theme!! All of your meet ups just warm my heart. Love seeing picture of my favorite mamas together.

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  2. I love it! : ) It sounds like a wonderful time, she is so sweet to have researched a great restaurant for you guys! : )

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  3. Thats food looks good!!! Your gettin around Mizz Wendy ;)

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  4. Wow...love the arm site. Joe just uses his for Dexter. I have asked about the pump, but he has said "no". :(

    And...me too...on loving the West Coast D Mama theme. What a wonderful chance to meet so many of our Computer Buddies.

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  5. It was so amazing getting to meet you and your family!!!!
    And I'm so glad you liked the pizza! :)
    Can't wait to visit with you guys again!

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  6. I am about a 15 min drive from Mississippi Pizza Pub! I LOVE their pizza. That group picture is too cute. :)

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  7. You are totally going to need to post your route so I can plan a trip!! :)

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  8. Awwww! Those pics are so darn cute! And how awesome if the GF stuff on the menu?!? There is nothing like that here!

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While I'm happy to share our experiences with what works, and what doesn't work, for the management of Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease in our house, please do not mistake anything you read here for medical advice. Decisions regarding your/your child's health care should be made only with the assistance of your medical care team. Use any information from this blog at your own risk.