Of Kidlets; Insulin Pumps, Diabetes, Broken Bellies, & A Pigeon Who Wants To Drive A Bus~

Recently I taught “A Creative Play & Learning” class at a local Art Center.
I teach the class every few months and I enjoy working with and learning from the children. The 4 and 5 year olds in my last class were not only funny and smart - But unbeknownst to me, some of them “got” living with diabetes & were more than willing to share!

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I tested my blood sugar by the Art Room sink and on the sly & was less than pleased with the number on the screen. I rinsed off my hands, gave myself a correction bolus and grabbed the ever popular “Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus,” book and went back to the table where a gaggle of 4 and 5 year olds were finishing up decorating the masks they’d just cut out of construction paper. 

Me: All right guys lets get ready for a story. 

Collectively the kids said OK and then “Smiles” ( not really his name, but it should be because he’s always smiling,) pointed to my pump tubing and said: Hey, what’s that?

I lifted up the corner of my shirt so that my insulin pump peaked out from my hip and said: Oh, that’s my insulin pump. I have something called diabetes, which basically means my belly’s broken and I can’t turn my food into energy - So this thingy gives me medicine that turns food into energy for me. 

Smiles: My dad wears one too! 

Me: That’s awesome! What color? 

Smiles: His is black & his stomach is broken from diabetes too!

Me: NO WAY!

Smiles: YES WAY! 

Giggle Girl: My grandma’s belly is broken too! And you know what? She tests her blood with a little poker and a machine and one time her blood got way too low and she passed out and hit her head on the concrete. But she’s OK now. Butyouknowwhat? I’m not brave enough to poke my finger with a poker and get blood and If I ever had to I’d be really scared. Do you poke your finger for blood? 

Me: I do and I just did.

Giggle Girl: How’d I miss that? 

Me: I’m quick like that.

Giggle Girl: How was it? 

Me: It was OK. 

Giggle Girl: That’s good - I’m done coloring with the purple crayon. 

Me: Glad to hear it. Now, who’s ready to read about about a crazy pigeon who wants to drive a bus??? 

Everyone shot their hands up in the air and yelled: ME!!!!!! 

SO that's exactly what we did - And a wonderful time was had by all~
SPOILER: The pigeon was very persistent, but he never did get to drive that bus !