Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Interview with a 4-year-old diabetic.

Me: Do you know what diabetes is?

Him: It's an insulin pump.

Me: And what does your insulin pump do?

Him: It plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. (it does, for alerts) It's for when my blood sugar is high or low or just right.
And it keeps going up and it keeps going down.

Me: How does your pump help you with that?

Him: I just take some insulin.

Me: What's the insulin do?

Him: When it (blood sugar) goes high we just have to fix it.

Me: What do we do when your sugar gets low?

Him: Then you just have to give me some gummies or a marshmallow.

Me: Do you know anything else about diabetes, besides your insulin pump?

Him: I remember I had a hulk (infusion site) and it hurt my butt! It was over here (pointed to booty cheek) and I sat on it and it hurt my butt! So then you moved it over here (pointed to opposite booty cheek) and it doesn't hurt now when I sit down.... and sometimes.... I play with my toys and sometimes I do nothing....
I was at Daddy's job and my pump ringed!

Me: Oh yeah? What did it do that for?

Him: And I was running out of battery! It went BZZZ BZZZ and (laser sounds? lol) And I went and got in the truck and my pump ring again! And I went to a track and saw big cars! (Daytona Speedway) And I saw 2 cars! McQueen and The King! (now referring to toy track at store. lol) And my pump ringed AGAIN!

Me: Aww, man!

Him: Yeah! And then when we were in the car it ringed again! And when I got home my pump ringed again!

Me: Did Daddy ever push the button on it when it rang?

Him: Yeah. He did. That's all.

Me: That's all? That's all you know about diabetes, your insulin pump?

Him: Yeah.

Me: Can you tell me what diabetes FEELS like?

Him: Yeah. After, I feel better.

Me: You feel better?

Him: Yeah. After I got sick. My sugar was LOW...........

Me: Anything else?

Him: I don't know... I think that's all about my diabetes.

Me: (something I've been wondering lately) Do you ever not like your diabetes?

Him: Yeah, like when it gets low.

Me: When it gets low you don't like it? (He shakes head) What about when it gets high?

Him: When it's high, I just get some insulin and we fix it and we check on my sugar.

Me: How do you feel right now?

Him: I'm feeeeeliiiing.... just fine.

Me: So you don't think your sugar is high or low right now? (because he looked it)

Him: No. (it was 77)

Me: What about checking your sugar all the time?

Him: I checked my sugar 4 days! And 5 days and 6!

Me: You did?! Does that ever bother you?

Him: No. That's all about diabetes now.

Synopsis: It's all about the insulin pump for him! I never realized that! The only thing that bothers him is lows. How 'bout that? I can't say it surprises me. Can't say it makes me feel any better either. For the record, we all learned a lesson on that day out with Daddy. He will be taking the little emergency kit with them from now on. It has extra batteries. I asked Brandan if it made him mad that his pump kept beeping. He said, "No. It freaked me out!" I wanna laugh while I cry about that one!


  1. I loved "hearing" from Brandan. My favorite line: "I checked my sugar 4 days! And 5 days and 6!" :)

  2. This exchange is priceless. I think, for the most part these kids that are diagnosed with "D" at such a young age don't really know any different. They are resilient. I am not saying that it is "better" than someone diagnosed at an older age...just, sadly, perhaps, a bonus. Joe sounds very similar to your Brandon.

    Thanks for sharing!!! xoxo

  3. ~*~*~*~ An added thought ~*~*~*~

    I like the way he says "just" a lot. I guess it "just" is what it is.

  4. Aw, I love hearing what the little ones think and also how they process it all. Thanks for sharing!

  5. Omg I love how a little boy turns diabetes into a pump and alerts into laser sounds. Love love love that. I have to keep it in perspective.