An Interview With Jerry The Bear

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Jerry The Bear, a precocious bear with diabetes, who tests his own blood sugars, takes insulin shots from a pen, counts carbs & and helps children with diabetes become empowered and own their diabetes.
I'm all about D education, D buddies, not feeling alone and empowering others, including kiddles, when it comes to people with diabetes owning their diabetes!
Sidebar: How cool would it be to see a Gerry The Bear in every Peds Endo waiting room!
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Jerry is an interactive BWD (bear with diabetes) who helps children with diabetes navigate life with diabetes.
www.JerryTheBear.com

**Jerry is currently 4 years old

1. Jerry, how old were you when you diagnosed with diabetes?

I was diagnosed at 2 years old! My parents were worried because I was tired all the time and drinking a lot of water. It was scary when the doctor first told me that I had diabetes, but now it’s just a part of each day!

2. What's with those cool looking special sensors on your paws & What exactly do they do?

My paws are just like your hands! You check your blood glucose levels by your fingertips; I use my paw tips! If you press the sensors in any of my paws, you can see what my blood sugar level is - whether I’m normal, high, or low. I make sure I rotate my fingertips. Also, when you’re reading a story, you can squeeze my hand to turn the pages.

3. There's a lot to learn when it comes to living with type 1 diabetes, and rumor has it that you're a really good type 1 diabetes teacher/pal with lots of cool D teaching tools.  Care to elaborate?

Ever since I was diagnosed with diabetes, I’ve wanted to help out other friends who have t1d! I check my bg level, take shots of insulin, and count carbs just like any kid with t1d does, and I want to make sure that other kids don’t feel alone and can learn with me. Since I’m an All Star champion (it’s like the mini Olympics in my hometown), I tell my friends how I managed my diabetes during training!

4. Sometimes children (and grownups for that matter ) are afraid of needles - I know that when I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I was scared to death to give myself a shot.  Any advice on that subject?

Needles can be scary--I know I was scared at first! But then my nurse educator, Ms. Berry, told me how important it was for me to take my insulin. I knew that if I wanted to train for the Olympics, I would have to be very healthy. After a while, I was so used to taking insulin that I didn’t even notice them!

5. What's your favorite "bolus worthy" foods? For the record, I love cupcakes, fruit and nachos, but not together ;)

I love strawberry shortcake because strawberries are one of my favorite fruits!

6. Sometimes children feel like their diabetes is their fault, which totally isn't true. Do you ever have those feelings?

I can totally understand some children feeling that way. I didn’t feel that way since I was too young to understand Diabetes.

7. How is your sister Isabella doing re: your diabetes. I have no doubt she worries about you and tries to help out anyway she can. Siblings of CWDs & PWDs (Children With Diabetes & People with Diabetes) are awesome!

My little sister Isabella is my hero. She doesn’t have diabetes but she learned about T1D with me while I train with my mom and my educator. When I’m feeling low, my sister gets me a juicebox or lets my mom know.

8. What's next for you and your pals?

I love listening to inspiring stories. I want to meet other folks with T1D and get to know them better! I always want to help!

9. If someone wanted to buy a Jerry The Bear, how would they go about doing that?

Oh, I would love a new best friend! If anyone out there wants to take me home, they can visit www.jerrythebear.com. At the bottom, there is a button that says “Buy Jerry!” Just press that, and I’m yours!

10. Jerry, thanks so much for the interview - Anything else you'd like to share with my diabetesaliciousness readers?

As an All Star champion, I want to let all the kids out there know that having type 1 diabetes will never stop me from doing anything or from dreaming big--and it shouldn’t stop you either.

I'm Done Hating

So I'm in CVS yesterday, on a rare 66 degree March day here in Philadelphia. The sun was shining, I was sans top coat and feeling groovy.

A lady in a Peacock blue shirt noticed my pump and struck up a conversation with me. She told me that her 14 year old daughter was on the pump and had been diagnosed at the age of 11.

"She's doing great," said the lady in blue. "I tell her to fight it with all she's got, that diabetes is the enemy, and that it's OK to feel hate towards it, lord knows her dad and I do."

Then she looked at me point blank and asked, "You know what I mean?"

I looked her square in the eye and answered her honestly. "I refuse to hate diabetes, because I refuse to hate myself. I can open up any women's magazine and do that. Those mags always make me feel that I'm not thin enough, curvy enough, pretty or smart enough, etc. I refuse to buy into that anymore. I don't need any more issues than I already have.


MY diabetes, for better or for worse, is part of of who I am. IF I hated it, I would hate myself.
Do I dislike it intensely At times? absolutely. Do I dislike certain positions that diabetes puts me in? Yes. Is it a pain in my ass both literally and figuratively? You bet. Would I wish it on others? No way! But I gotta live with it until there's a cure, so I have to make it work with me, not against.


She stared at me for a good 20 seconds and said, "I never thought of it like that."

We said our goodbyes and she headed towards the pharmacy. I made my way to the register, paid for my sundries and like Elvis, I left the building.

I think she thought I was crazy. Hell, maybe you do to, but I'm done hating. Hate takes energy, energy I need. To hate the big D would mean that diabetes would get the upper hand in our complicated relationship, and I refuse to let that be the case.

I'd rather focus my energy on living.