Artificial Pancreas Project

If you have been following us, then you know that this is BIG news, if not--you may be wondering what an artificial pancreas has to do with a farm and creamery. A quick introduction:
We have a 3 year old daughter, Ayla, with type 1 diabetes--diagnosed at 19 months old. I frequently document our journey on this rocky road. To say it is difficult and plain old heartbreaking, doesn't even do it justice.
The buzz in the insulin dependent diabetes world this week is this talk of a partnership between JDRF ( Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund ), Animas Corp ( makers of Ayla's insulin pump )and Dexcom ( continuos glucose monitor ) to develop a first generation " artificial pancreas ".
The short of it is, this technology would allow us to affix one medical device to her little body, that would be automated to check her blood sugars in real time, and then administer insulin or shut down, depending on what the reading indicates her actual blood sugars to be. It would act more like a pancreas.
You can read more about it, here:

http://takeaction.jdrf.org/site/News2?news_iv_ctrl=-1&page=NewsArticle&id=5335&autologin=true

We had an EXCELLENT visit to Ayla's Endocrinologist yesterday. This is her first clinical visit, complete with an A1c ( measures her average blood sugars for the past 3 months ), since going on an insulin pump in October. They reccommend an A1C for a child her age to be between 7.5 and 8.5. Prior to the pump hers was 8.9, and her diabetes was not well controlled at all. Plotted on a graph there were many sharp peaks and valleys. Lots of highs and dangerous lows. This can almost be worse for her body than just having elevated BG's. Ideally you want a flat line, like a person without diabetes would have.

Can I get a drumroll please.................................Ayla's A1C yesterday was 8.0! And her plotted graph was almost a flat line! Her doctor actually said and I quote, " This is a success story! " I said, " We're a success? That is something I rarely hear and even scarcer actually feel. Thank you!" I feel such heavy responsibility to do well for her because she has this disease, with all too real possibilities of bad complications. I need to know we are doing all we can for her future.

Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!