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| 'You are special'... Not Really. |
To see this year's other entries to Diabetes Art Day for 2012 click here.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Questions from a six year-old... Continued...
Hello Everyone,
For those of you that posted responses to the questions from the little girl that just started on an insulin pump, I just wanted you to know that I corralled all the responses, put them in a PDF, and sent them off to said six year-old. Since other people were so generous as to post their answers, I thought it only fair to post mine. Here they are:
1. Has your pump ever fallen off/out while running/jumping /playing sports etc? What did you do?
It's not happened to me... Running it usually stays on okay, but during sports it tends to pull my pants down (eek!)... so I wear it in a Spibelt (http://www.spibelt.com/spibelt.php or http://www.diabetesexpress.ca/spibelt-m-3.html) around my waist.
2. Do people still ask about it/want to touch it/want to know what’s wrong with you, even when you’re a grown up?
Yes, always and forever. I tend to wear my sites on my arms, 'cause they are most comfortable for me there. So, I maybe get more attention than I would otherwise. Sometimes people are kind of weird about it, but mostly people are just curious. I don't mind of people are just curious.
3. Do you have lots of marks (I think she means scars…she’s starting to get a few), by the time that you’re old?
I find some sites leave scars and others don't seem to leave any marks. The angled infusion sets left scar marks on my skin. The 90 degree sites have not. I use the metal sites now, because I have an allergy to the soft plastic ones. The metal one's are more like a needle. They don't seem to be leaving any marks so far.
4. Do adults ever forget their diabetes bag (one with blood sugar testing/emergency snacks etc)?
Absolutely. Those things are so everyday for people dealing with diabetes... it's kind of like forgetting to brush your teeth when you're in a hurry... And, actually, I've forgotten to put my pump back on twice in the past five years that I've been wearing it. I realized pretty quickly. It was more a pain than anything, because I had to go back home to get it. My biggest worry is not having food/glucose on hand if I go low. So, I have little key chain fobs with glucose tabs on my bags and one on my glucometer, so it makes it harder to not have some low supplies around in case I need them. They look like this:
I also keep a bit of money in my glucometer case, just in case I forget my wallet and need more food than I have to treat a low.
5. Have you travelled lots and lots? Any problems? (She’s a big world traveller)
I don't travel a super amount. The bit that I have has all been good. I just make sure I have extra supplies, both in my luggage and any carry-on (if I am going on a plane.) I find going through security can be a bit intimidating with the pump. I've had some issues (because I’m silly and forget to take the clip off... so I end up setting off the metal detectors), but everyone else I know has had no problems.
6. How old were you when you could do it all yourself (testing, operating pump etc.)?
I've always done everything myself, because I was diagnosed at 15 years old. I've met some kids five years old who did everything themselves, but a lot of people take a bit longer to start doing it themselves. A lot of my friends with diabetes didn't start doing everything (or at least most things) themselves until they were around ten. It can be a lot to do on your own, but sometimes people start small... like they start testing their blood themselves and work with their parents to figure out how much insulin to give.
For those of you that posted responses to the questions from the little girl that just started on an insulin pump, I just wanted you to know that I corralled all the responses, put them in a PDF, and sent them off to said six year-old. Since other people were so generous as to post their answers, I thought it only fair to post mine. Here they are:
1. Has your pump ever fallen off/out while running/jumping /playing sports etc? What did you do?
It's not happened to me... Running it usually stays on okay, but during sports it tends to pull my pants down (eek!)... so I wear it in a Spibelt (http://www.spibelt.com/spibelt.php or http://www.diabetesexpress.ca/spibelt-m-3.html) around my waist.
2. Do people still ask about it/want to touch it/want to know what’s wrong with you, even when you’re a grown up?
Yes, always and forever. I tend to wear my sites on my arms, 'cause they are most comfortable for me there. So, I maybe get more attention than I would otherwise. Sometimes people are kind of weird about it, but mostly people are just curious. I don't mind of people are just curious.
3. Do you have lots of marks (I think she means scars…she’s starting to get a few), by the time that you’re old?
I find some sites leave scars and others don't seem to leave any marks. The angled infusion sets left scar marks on my skin. The 90 degree sites have not. I use the metal sites now, because I have an allergy to the soft plastic ones. The metal one's are more like a needle. They don't seem to be leaving any marks so far.
4. Do adults ever forget their diabetes bag (one with blood sugar testing/emergency snacks etc)?
Absolutely. Those things are so everyday for people dealing with diabetes... it's kind of like forgetting to brush your teeth when you're in a hurry... And, actually, I've forgotten to put my pump back on twice in the past five years that I've been wearing it. I realized pretty quickly. It was more a pain than anything, because I had to go back home to get it. My biggest worry is not having food/glucose on hand if I go low. So, I have little key chain fobs with glucose tabs on my bags and one on my glucometer, so it makes it harder to not have some low supplies around in case I need them. They look like this:
5. Have you travelled lots and lots? Any problems? (She’s a big world traveller)
I don't travel a super amount. The bit that I have has all been good. I just make sure I have extra supplies, both in my luggage and any carry-on (if I am going on a plane.) I find going through security can be a bit intimidating with the pump. I've had some issues (because I’m silly and forget to take the clip off... so I end up setting off the metal detectors), but everyone else I know has had no problems.
6. How old were you when you could do it all yourself (testing, operating pump etc.)?
I've always done everything myself, because I was diagnosed at 15 years old. I've met some kids five years old who did everything themselves, but a lot of people take a bit longer to start doing it themselves. A lot of my friends with diabetes didn't start doing everything (or at least most things) themselves until they were around ten. It can be a lot to do on your own, but sometimes people start small... like they start testing their blood themselves and work with their parents to figure out how much insulin to give.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Questions from a six year old...
I received an email from a friend that is a nanny. The little girl she looks after was diagnosed with type one in the past year and just went on an insulin pump. Seeing that I too wear a pump my friend the nanny asked if she could forward me some questions. Feel free to chime in:
- Has your pump ever fallen off/out while running/jumping /playing sports etc? What did you do?
- Do people still ask about it/want to touch it/want to know what’s wrong with you, even when you’re a grown up?
- Do you have lots of marks (I think she means scars…she’s starting to get a few), by the time that you’re old?
- Do adults ever forget their diabetes bag (one with blood sugar testing/emergency snacks etc)?
- Have you travelled lots and lots? Any problems? (she’s a big world traveller)
- How old were you when you could do it all yourself (testing, operating pump etc.)?
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