Bye Bye Needles - Hello Pump

Bye Bye Needles - Hello Pump
By Six Year Old Brendan Bannister

I was 5 years old when I got Diabetes. I drank too much in the night and had to pee a lot. Sometimes I had lines in my eyes when I watched TV. When I went to the hospital on our Valentines Day, the Doctor told me my pancreas didn't work anymore. That means I have Diabetes. Then I had my first needle. It really hurt, Yowzers!! I thought the first finger prick hurt too and I cried a lot but after a while I got used to it. I'll never get used to those needles. No sir, not me. I hate those needles and I got too many like at breakfast and supper and even after supper. When I had needles I had to have so much meals, snacks and even desserts and if I didn't eat all of it I would get way way low and feel sick. Then I would have to have some undiet candy and that would help. I wish I was undiabetic.

When we got my new pump we went to the Saint John hospital to put it in. I was scared of the little tiny inserter needle because I thought it would hurt. It really only hurt a little when my Mom put the first one in my belly. I got to go to the really cool play room. When I was playing, I started feeling a little low and I bolused. I didn't know and I got confused. Then I got even lower and Nurse Tara gave me lots of undiet treats like popsicles and told me not to bolus when I'm low. I would never do that now. Mom just said I don't get low very much anymore so I guess that means I don't get so many undiet candies but I do get lots of ice-cream.

It was really neat when we went to the restaurant, Key Stone Kellys, because I could eat all the spaghetti in the restaurant and I almost did but my Mom wouldn't let me. I said, “but Mom, you said I could eat all I want, when I want” and she said, "Within reason!" Now she says it all the time because Me and Dad eat tons of ice-cream. Wanna know my favourite foods? Spaghetti, ice-cream, sandwiches, fish, bacon and eggs. One time, when I got my pump, I had supper and then some bacon and eggs and then some ice-cream. Dad just cooked and cooked. When Mom came home, boy was she surprised!! She told me to get to bed but I started to cry because Dad promised I could have some toast and jam. That was one time when I just bolused and bolused and bolused!! I wouldn't want that many needles.

I bolus when I eat. I'm suppose to bolus like 1.8 for potatoes and gravy. I never know what numbers I'm suppose to bolus but I do know how to bolus. I push select then activate and then I push the buttons to see what numbers I get. If I go too far, I push the bottom arrow button to go down until I get the right number then I push activate. There's one rule: Not to activate until I'm told. Only an adult, like my teacher Mrs. Brown, Rose Anna, my Mom or Dad.

The site change is scary sometimes because it sort of stings but not a lot because we use Emla cream. When you put the stuff on it makes your belly freeze. I want to put the inserter in my belly all by myself but Mom doesn't want me to yet. I'm going to learn on the summer vacation. Sometimes I pretend and use a tooth pick like an inserter and put it in her belly. She always cries like a baby because she thinks its going to hurt so bad. Its fun when we suspend my pump because the alarm goes off and I yell, "stop drop and roll!" I know that I'm supposed to tell an adult to call my parents but I just can't help it, it's so funny! Oh ya, another funny time was when my Mom got some of my Emla on her hand and she sucked her finger and her tongue got frozen and numb.

I like the pump better than needles because I don't have to get it in my bum like all those needles. When we came home from the hospital we had a needle breaking celebration. My Dad took the sharp ends off a whole bag of needles then we took them outdoors, broke them in half and buried them in the back yard. It was so cool and we yelled, "Bye bye needles - hello pump!"

bcjbann@fundy.net