The child narrator was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after experiencing symptoms like excessive thirst and fatigue. She had to be hospitalized for 3 days to learn how to manage her condition, including giving herself insulin shots. Now at home and school, she monitors her blood sugar with a glucometer and treats low and high levels with snacks or insulin from her pump. She shares her story to educate others that diabetes is not contagious and does not limit her abilities.

1. and this is
my diabetes story…

2. When I was in Kindergarten,
something happened that
changed my life. I didn’t feel like
myself. I was always thirsty and
I felt very tired. I was even a little
cranky. My
Mommy
thought it
was just
because I was
working so
hard in Softball, but she wanted
to be sure.
She took me to see the doctor.
The doctor told us that I had
something called Type 1 Diabetes.
She also said that right now my
body wasn’t breaking down the
glucose from my food. I didn’t
know what that meant, but the JM Joyful Monkey
doctor told us that I needed to go
to the hospital right away!

3. When we got to the hospital, my Daddy was being silly. He told me he
wished he had a cool bracelet like the one the lady had given me.
My sisters stayed with my Papa and Oma while I was in the hospital
with my parents. I had to stay in the hospital for 3 days. Sometimes I
wished I was the one staying with my Papa and Oma.

4. While we were in the hospital, my parents and I had a LOT to learn about Type 1
Diabetes. A lot of it was boring and I couldn’t understand it all. I was surprised to learn
that the hospital had their own school for patients who were missing school.
I went to
the school
at the
hospital
for 2
hours each Joyful Monkey
day.
Here are
some of
the
pictures I
painted at
the
hospital
school…

5. We learned that my pancreas
wasn’t making insulin like it
should. Insulin helps the body to
break down glucose (a fancy word
for sugar). Glucose is very
important to our bodies because it
gives us energy. That is why I
sometimes feel sleepy; like I have
no energy.
We also learned how to take care of
my diabetes at home. The doctors
and nurses showed us how to check
my blood glucose. They also
taught us how to give insulin
shots. That’s why I had to be
admitted to the hospital…the
doctors and nurses had to take care
of me while they were teaching my
parents how to.

6. Finally, it was time to go home!
I kind of enjoyed the hospital, except for all the shots! My family and
friends were very thoughtful and brought me all kinds of gifts; books,
balloons, flowers, and more. I definitely felt loved!

7. Now, we take care of my diabetes at
home. We use many different tools.
I use my glucometer to see how much
glucose is in my blood. A pen with a
small needle pokes my finger. I squeeze
a little bit of blood out and put it on a
test strip. The test strip is connected to
my meter and the meter tells me how
much glucose is in my blood; it should
be between 80 and 180.
If I am lower than 80, it is very
important for me to eat sugar. If I don’t,
I could pass out and end up in the
hospital.
If I am higher than 180, I need a shot of
insulin to bring my blood glucose
down. I also need a shot every time I eat
something with carbohydrates (sugars).

8. I have to take care of my diabetes at school, too!
My teacher and the health
assistant help me do this. I still
need to check my blood glucose
before I eat; that is why I go to the
health room before lunch. I also go
to the health room to check my
blood glucose if I am feeling “low”.
Most of the time I can tell when
my blood glucose is low because I
feel very tired, dizzy, or just a
MONKEY little “funny”. When I feel “low”, I
always need a friend to go with me
JOYFUL
JM
to the health room!
You may notice that I need to have a snack in order to get my number up. I’m not
trying to be rude, but sometimes snacks are very important to keep me healthy.

9. Goodbye Shots…Hello Insulin Pump!
For over a year, I had to get shots every time I ate and every time my blood
glucose was too high. This meant I got between 3 and 6 shots every day…
1,800 shots that year! It wasn’t very fun, but I got used to it. This last
summer, I got a new tool that only pokes me once every 2-3 days…it is so
much better! It is called an insulin pump.

10. You’ve probably noticed my pump;
it looks like a cell phone attached to
my waist. A long tube comes out of
the pump and attaches to my leg.
The pump delivers insulin into my
body.
Sometimes it beeps or plays a
short tune; that just means that it’s
trying to send me a message. My
pump is not a toy. It’s a very
important tool to keep me healthy.
My glucometer is the remote control
for my pump. You might remember
that my glucometer is what I use to
test my blood glucose. After I test
my blood, it tells my pump how
much insulin to give me.

11. You may also notice that I carry around a purple bag. This bag is also
very important because it holds all of my diabetes supplies; like my
glucometer, test strips, and insulin. To keep all of us safe, please do not
touch my pump or my bag.
I do have something you can touch, though. I have a stuffed monkey
named Pumpernickel. He has a pump and a diabetes bracelet just like me!

12. There are two types of
Diabetes. I have Type 1. They
don’t know how I got Diabetes,
but they have told me that it
wasn’t my fault; there was
nothing I did wrong. It
wasn’t because I didn’t eat
right or because I wasn’t
exercising enough; it just
happened!
The doctors also said that it
isn’t contagious. You can’t get
diabetes just by touching me
or by being my friend, so you
don’t have to worry about that!
Even though I have diabetes, I
can still do all the things I
like to do. And, whatever I do,
it’s always better with a
friend!

13. I have Type 1 Diabetes, but that is not who I am.
I am Joyful Monkey, a smiley, giggling, joyful, 7 year old girl!
I can still be anything I want to be when I grow up. Right now I want to be a
farmer or a diabetes doctor (called an endocrinologist). Who knows? Maybe
somebody will find a cure for diabetes by then. We’re hoping they do!