Christian's T1Dog

We found out this week that my potting bench doubles great as a grooming table 😆 Maxy Waxy's new haircut 😍✂️ Getting a little better each time! 😎🙌🏼

Hi friends! Sorry for the lengthy hiatus from updates 🫣 (again 😆)

Summer has kept us busy and Max and our family have been acclimating to each other more and more each day - it's definitely been a learning and growing process ☺️

While it's definitely been a big adjustment for us all, this sweet pup has alerted us soooooo many times well before Dexcom and we've been able to correct highs and lows more quickly than usual because of this AND, of course, with more time in range comes a better A1C. 📉 Last month, Christian's A1C was the best it's been since diagnosis, coming in at a beautiful 5.8. 😎🙌🏼

Max has been there to protect his boy at home, church, amusement parks, grocery stores, his Back to School Bash, restaurants, you name it! And they went back to school last week with Christian's OG Nurse Norma and all is going great so far! 🥰🚌🎒🍎👩🏼‍⚕️💉🐕‍🦺

Praying you and your families all have a wonderful, smooth transition as you head back to school over the next week or so! Thank you for your continued support and prayers! 🙏🏼💙

We have some BIG news!!! 🤩

In just a few short days, God answered our prayers in a completely unexpected way! Christian's nurse from 2018-2020 (when he was first diagnosed) is going to be his nurse again! 🥰 What an answer to prayer in so many ways - God was truly in the details on this one!!! 🙏🏼

We are all ecstatic and we believe that Norma is going to be such a great fit with Max, too, as she has lots of experience with and a deep love for dogs! 🐕‍🦺🐾🐶👩🏼‍⚕️

Thank you all for sharing our post and for your prayers!!! We are certain that both helped!!! 🥰🙏🏼💙 Here's a throwback photo of the two together "back in the day"! 😍

This adorable duo is looking for a nurse for the upcoming school year! 👦🏼💙🐕‍🦺 (Training will start ASAP for this position)

𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐦𝐮𝐦 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
✅ LPN or RN licensed for at least 4 months and have been working as such (if through Bayada)
✅ Must love dogs 🐾 Max is Christian's diabetic alert dog and is part of his medical care plan. As such, Christian's nurse will be a tandem handler for Max until Christian is old enough and able to be Max's primary handler. Responsibilities with Max are fairly straight forward and simple - mainly helping handle Max and helping Christian follow through with the correct alert sequence, commands, and rewards for Max.

𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞/𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬:
👍🏼Knowledge of or experience with Type 1 Diabetes (although training is available)
👍🏼Energetic - this kid loves to play and interact!
👍🏼Positive/upbeat attitude and demeanor, as Max responds best to this since he has been trained using positive reinforcement

If you have any questions or have any friends/family you'd like to recommend, please feel free to reach out to Megan VanNoy directly. We appreciate any and all shares and all of your prayers that we would find a wonderful nurse for these two! 🥰🙏🏼

THIS right here is exactly why we wanted and NEEDED Max 🥺💔 So scary! 😰

This could've been a deadly situation and instead Christian is sitting here going to town on some jelly beans and giggling and being his normal silly self - thanks to Max. He's getting some extra snuggles from his boy right now 🥹🙏🏼

This is how quickly a normal evening can turn life-threatening for a T1D...

I was helping Caleb when Christian snuck out on the patio for a few minutes to fly his drone. I was away from my phone and hadn't checked his blood sugar in a good 10-15 minutes. He didn't feel low yet. He came inside and, within 1 minute, Max came running to me in the bathroom where I was cleaning and started very persistently alerting me. I checked Christian's monitor (which had been out of range) instead of thinking to check his phone and it said 108↘️ so I assumed Max was just a little ahead of Dex.

WHOA was I glad we checked!!! 😱 Finger poke said 58 and the next reading came in at 61⬇️⬇️😳

GREAT ALERT MAX!!! 😍🐕‍🦺🐾

Stephanie Bowen and Mitch Bowen - you two are truly amazing at what you do! 🥰🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Max's first camping trip a few weeks ago was awesome! 🤩🏕️ (Better late than never, right? 😆)

He caught lows and highs before Dex all weekend like a champ 😎🙌🏼 He also got a lot of practice with "leave it" between all the other dogs, kids and squirrels and chipmunks! 🤣🐿️🐕

We are so thankful for this sweet pup! 🙏🏼 It's been an adjustment and we are working through some normal transitional things with him, but it has been such a blessing having him watching out for Christian. How much he cares about him and gets all worked up when he's out of range is truly heart-warming 🥹💙🐕‍🦺

I need to post more of Max's awesome alerts 🙃 but for now, here's one from today...

Max was being pretty persistent at church this morning during worship time and Christian did not want to check - he was in a mood 😆 He pointed at his Dex and said "Look Mom - I'm fine!". But the nose knows. And so we checked.

"Max was right again" Christian told me 🤣🐕‍🦺💙 This pup is his little protector 🥹🙏🏼

Max got all kinds of public access practice this past weekend - breakfast at Canton Chatterbox Restaurant , then to the laundromat to wash my way huge comforter 😆, then again at North Street Community Church - he was such a good boy for us all around 🥰🐶🐾🐕‍🦺💙

Max went to school a half day today, will do a half day Thursday, and then the BIG trip this weekend - camping for Christian's birthday! 🥳🎉🎂🏕️🔥🏊🏼‍♀️🛝

Stay tuned for camping pics!!! 🤩🙌🏼

For over a year now, we've been trying to get Christian to be more hands-on with doing finger pokes. To even just do a step or two of it. He didn't want to AT ALL, and we rarely did them with his Dexcom, so we didn't push it too hard yet - the kid has to deal with enough.

Part of having a diabetic alert dog means regular finger pricks to verify the dog's alerts and reward them - we were DREADING this part if I'm being honest 🫣

However, we've been amazed at 1️⃣ how far the Dexcom is off sometimes - and we've been trusting it all this time 😳 2️⃣ how much sooner Max alerts us before the Dexcom for highs and lows 😍🐕‍🦺🐾

2 days into having Max, Christian decided to take over the finger prick responsibilities and do them completely on his own! 🥹💙

So so SO proud of this kiddo and this pup - they are the sweetest little team! 🥰

These two have had a few VERY big days this week 🐕‍🦺🐾💙

Wednesday - Max got to visit Christian at school and was doing so well that he got to ride the bus home with him 🚌 They both did WONDERFUL!!!

Thursday - Christian, Max, Mom & Dad all went to Williamsport together and did a bunch of public access practice - Red Lobster, TJ Maxx, Walmart, the hospital, and Wegman's - we were ALL tuckered out by the end of the day 😆

Friday - Max went to work with Dad and got a lot of practice with "Leave it" when a chipmunk was trapped in the Sheetz vestibule when they went for lunch!! 🐿️🤣🤦🏼‍♀️

Max is doing such a wonderful job and loves his boy and protecting him - he's made so many good alerts and we are just so thankful for the blessing of having him in our family! 🥹🙏🏼💙

Because I forgot to share this here yesterday 🫣

Day #1 of introductions and training in the books! 🐕‍🦺🐾 Day #2 today and we will be visiting Christian at school 😃 Here we go!!!

He's almost here!!!! 🤩🤩🤩🐕‍🦺🐾💙

Ask me if any of us are excited!!! 😆 The boys talked in their room for over an hour tonight after I put them to bed 🤣

Can't wait to meet you tomorrow Max! 🥰

Today is the day! Max is on his way home to us!!! 🤩🤩🤩🐕‍🦺🐾🐶 We meet him tomorrow morning! 💙 EEEEEEEEEKKKK!!!!

Max and I are off to Pennsylvania! We can’t wait to officially meet his awesome family tomorrow!! 🐶😍

The boys used to call our cat by yelling "Tikka-weeka-weeka!!!" thru the house and he would come running 😆🤷🏼‍♀️ This morning...

Christian: Mom, I know how I'm going to call to get Max to come to me!
Me: Oh yeah, how's that buddy?
Christian: Maxy Waxy Waa # # !
Me: You're silly!
Christian: I can't wait any longer for him to come home, Mommy!

We are READY!!!!! Can't wait to welcome this awesome pup home next week!!! 🤩🐕‍🦺🐾🐶💙🥹

Mary at Mary's Stitchery & Crafts Service Dog Vests did such an amazing job on Max's vest! He's been out and about training in it the last few weeks and looks out of this world handsome! 😎🤵🏻‍♂️🌌🌙🌎🌟🌠☀️

We are soooooo close!!! 🤩🐕‍🦺🐾🐶💙 We can't wait to have Max home with us! 🥰

And the boys will be moving into their new room over the next few days 😁💚 They decided on a rainforest themed room (hence the green 🙃) and we can't wait to turn this into a tropical oasis over the next few months 😎

Every year gets just a little bit easier.

The memories aren't quite as fresh or as painful.

We almost didn't get to celebrate a single birthday with him. Now we are coming up on 7 birthdays celebrated next month. To think that 6 years ago today we almost lost our precious little baby Christian. Such a miracle - God is good! 💙🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

So thankful this sweetie pie is still here with all his goofy, silly, inquisitive little moments. He's one of the strongest, bravest most resilient kiddos we know and we love him to pieces! 🥰🙏🏼

Getting so close! 🤩🎉🐶🐾🐕‍🦺💙

Now to get this room repainted and ready over the weekend so we can get the boys moved into it before Max comes 🥴 Wish me luck! 😆🙌🏼😬💚

Oh good! Maybe Max can help us get our retirement counts all situated when he arrives! 🤣🙌🏼

1️⃣7️⃣ more days 🐶🐾🐕‍🦺

Eeeekkkk!!! 🤩🤩🤩 Only 3 weeks to go til we get to meet our Maxy boy! 😍🐶🐾 Prep mode is in full swing! 😬

I have been TERRIBLE at updates lately 🫣

Check out this handsome pup who comes home to us in just a few more short weeks!! 🤩🐶🐾💙

I walked into this weirdness yesterday. Gave Christian some deli ham, cucumbers and chocolate milk (with unsweetened almond milk + Walden Farms chocolate syrup). This kid was dipping his ham in the chocolate milk 🙃🤦🏼‍♀️🫣🤷🏼‍♀️

If any of our local friends or family want to help out an amazing guy, go visit Channing Magee tonight at The Pitches in Milton. This guy helped us run our super duper successful tournament last spring to help us raise funds to get Max! 🐶🐾🐕‍🦺 And he is constantly running benefit tournaments to help others. 🙏🏼

I stopped to drop off a basket for the tourney tonight and he had these dog toys for Max! 🥹

His co****le tournament tonight is to benefit Hidden Creek Co****le so they can keep doing the awesome work they are doing to help those in need. There will be a bunch of awesome baskets and another set of boards with bags being raffled off and even cash prizes! 🤩🎁💲

Go check them out (or contact me if you want to know other ways to support Hidden Creek Co****le) We will forever be huge supporters of Channing and Stacie Manning and what they are doing! 😎💙💜