The Kids and Curiosity

The kids must investigate anything that is new, especially something Daddy has hooked up to him.  I am very open with them about my diabetes.  They ask questions, more my six year old than my 2 year old, and I give them straight answers.  They often want to know why I am giving my self shots or poking my arm and making myself bleed.  I try to in the simplest terms explain diabetes and what I am doing.  It is a basic explanation that my body needs insulin and does not produce it so I have to give myself shots in to give my body insulin.  I realize this is beyond them and would answer more of their questions but that is where that usually ends.  Then they ask why I poke my ark to get blood and I tell them I have to check to make sure I am OK.  That is usually followed up with questions about how I know I am OK.  I simply tell them whether my blood glucose reading is good or bad and what the good range is and they are satisfied with that.  They are curious but giving them the straight answer on diabetes seemed to make it easier for everyone involved.

All that changed slightly the day I came home from training with the pump. Curiosity was running wild.  My two year old loves buttons and all she has wanted to do is push the buttons, at least there is a keypad lock.  She also decides that if we are laying down she must kick it a few times.  Other than that she leaves it alone.  My son on the other hand has questions, "What is that?"  "Why are you wearing that?" "What is that tube for?" I take them one at a time and explain that this is an insulin pump and that I am wearing it so I don't have to do shots anymore.  I explain the tube is what delivers the insulin and the I do that by telling the pump how much to send me.  He too wants to press the buttons but I tell him how important not pressing the buttons is and to never touch the pump.  He understands but I also know I have hung that forbidden fruit out there. It is a constant adventure because it is new to them too and I know they are at least double as curious as me.

The kids are smart and they know more than meets the eye and with everyday life I find with this it is best to be straight-forward with them.  It is a double edge sword as I know that it worries them slightly about their Dad but they also understand that I am doing all I can to be healthy for them.

There are still questions now and then, mostly the following repeated many times: Does it hurt? The answer is always "No."  How long do you have to wear that, a week?  I tell them forever and my son usually responds, "So you will live for hundreds of years?"  I sure hope so buddy.