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Hugs For Hunter
Come in and meet our Hunter
a terrific all around boy
Football, baseball, basketball
and car racing brings him joy
He loves his church and family
the Lord, He gives him strength
To rise above his tribulations
and the trials he has in length
Our Hunter is a warrior brave
who battles this evil foe
Diabetes is a lifelong fight
but he is strong, this we know
Please stay and read his journal
and get to know this hero brave
Leave your hugs and your well wishes
and in his heart they will be saved
Copyright ©2005 Island Princess
This website has been created to
help keep family friends and visitors
updated and informed about Hunter
Hunter's Story
Hunter was born in 1995 pretty much happy and healthy. He had to be hospitalized with Bronchitis when he was 2 weeks old, then had RSV when he was about 6 months old. After that he was pretty much ok with the exception of the occaisional cold.
When he was 9 months old he had to be taken to the ER because he had an asthma attack. Once again, after several months of breathing treatments and medication he was fine.
When he was 8 years old we had a couple of occaisions extreme pain in his stomach. We could not figure out what the cause, but tried to treat him for what we thought was just an upset stomach. The first time we gave him Pepto and the second time Tylenol. He seemed better after each treatment, but the last episode (they were about 2 weeks apart) really concerned us so we made an appointment with his pediatrician. He hadn't been to the pediatrician in about 6 months because he hadn't been sick at all.
It was about a week before he went to the doctor and in that time period from the time he came home from school until the time he went to bed he was getting water and using the restroom. My husband & I mentioned to each other that it was a sign of Diabetes, but we both thought "No way. He's fine."
Well, the day of his doctor visit I picked him up from school and we went through the drive-thru at BK. I shared my food & drink with him while we were waiting to go back. He had to use the restroom, so I went to ask for a urine speciman cup. The receptionist told me that they usually didn't do that for just a well visit, but I insisted that I would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. We got that and waited our turn.
When we got in the exam room, the doctor and I spent the first few minutes talking about one of my other son's hearing test results. Then she asked me my concerns with Hunter and I told her all his symptoms. She asked if they got a speciman and I told her that I had insisted. They checked that and the nurse came in and showed her the results. She then asked the nurse to check it again. The nurse came back and showed her the same results and checked Hunter's blood sugar. He was 575 and had "very large" ketones (basically that means a lot).
She then told me she would call Children's Hospital (about an hour away with traffic) and see if the Pediatric Endocrinologist could see him. She said we would probably get to come back home that night, but that they would run some tests on him and that she suspected he had Diabetes. She then came back in the room and said that we would be travelling to Children's by ambulance and that they would be there to pick us up in a few minutes.
I was shocked! He was terrified, but I tried to keep him calm all the while dying inside. I kept calm and called his dad to get his brother from school and meet us at the Dr's office. We got down there and they gave him an IV (that was an ordeal because he WAS terrified of needles), took his blood sugar again and had him eat so they could give him an insulin injection.
The doctor talked with us as did the nurses to explain what was going on and that he would be taking insulin for the rest of his life. We were just floored, but after getting to his room and everyone calming down it was better. We spent 3 days in the hospital learning all that was needed to take care of him and what we had to do in case he was low, high, sick or in case of an extreme emergency.
Hunter came home and was able to learn to do the injections and finger sticks himself within about 2-3 weeks. He was such a trooper! Now he has an insulin pump that helps him regulate his blood sugar.
He has done great with it.
Keep reading his journals as
I will try to update them as time permits.
For More Information
About
Diabetes
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
Please help support Hunter in the Walk for Diabetes! Click on the link below to support him! THANK YOU!
(Walk for Diabetes)
 
 
ANGEL JEAN
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
LOOKIN' OUT MY BACKDOOR
Journal
Thursday, June 14, 2007 6:06 PM CDT My goodness! How long it's been since I've updated. Things have gotten a little crazy at the Marcum house. Hunter's oldest brother, Chris, moved in with us last August so we now have 3 FULL time boys! Let me catch you up on some things.....
Brian (Hunter's dad) is still in school and will graduate in December with his BA degree in Secondary Education and hopefully start teaching soon after that. I am still working full-time and will hopefully be beginning some online courses in the fall.
Chris (16) now has his drivers' license and is playing some summer baseball. He's looking for a job and getting ready to start his Junior year in school.
Charley (13) is having fun being out of school, but missing his friends. He's enjoying his new Nintendo DS that he bought with money he earned from a headache study.
Hunter (11) has had a very busy last little bit. I have nominated him for several awards and scholarships and he has been the proud winner of a couple. The first one was the Hibbett's Superstar award (www.hibbetts.com). He was chosen as one of 12 or 14 kids around the US and Canada out of around 1700 nominated. He received $1000 donated to the charity of his choice (which was JDRF or Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) and honored with a presentation at our local store. He also received his story printed on the front page of our local paper.
Just recently we were notified that Hunter was chosen as a Kohl's Kids Who Care. So far he is a store winner and receives a $50 Kohl's gift card. This also puts him in the running for the scholarships which are $1000 & $5000 respectively for each of the next 2 levels. I will try to keep you posted.
Just keep posting on his guestbook and within the next few days I will try to get some more recent pictures up for him.
Hunter has done very well with sports and made his tackle football team's all stars last year and just made baseball all stars this year. We will start practicing and playing soon. All of these are great accomplishments for Hunter, but ultimately he wants every kid to know that they just have to not give up and not let their disease slow them down. Enjoy life and live it to the fullest EVERY day!
Love,
The Marcums
Brian, Rebecca, Chris, Charley & Hunter
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