Diabetes Through the Eyes of a Child By: Jayde Hunter "Ow!" I wince as the needle pierces my skin. The blood rushes out of the small hole I have just made at the end of my finger. I place the blood on the end of a short strip. Beep. The machine counts down. 28.7 - too high. Imagine being 7 years old and going through this four or five times a day. Well, I can and did. It's November 1996. Blech. That's how I'd describe my last three days. Blech. I've been sick and now I'm sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office. They call my name and I follow my stepmother into the small, white-walled room where the doctor is waiting. She gives me a bottle and I go into the bathroom. When I come back, the doctor dips a long strip of plastic into the bottle. The end of it turns dark red. She tests my blood sugar and it's around 29. She tells my stepmom that we're going to the hospital. I have diabetes. I don't understand. I have no idea what is going on. My stepmother cries as we arrive home to pack my stuff. My dad cries as we tell him but I, as a seven year old, don't understand what is going on. We head to the hospital where I experience the worst five days of my life! While in the hospital, I learn how to test my blood sugar, give myself a needle and eat according to a meal plan. It all seems so difficult at first but after awhile, I get used to it. Over the past seven years, I've faced many obstacles - being diagnosed with diabetes, adrenal insufficiency, hyperthyroidism and getting an insulin pump. My family has helped me face these obstacles and it's because of them that I still have the health and willpower to go on. ---Jayde Hunter - Canada - 15 years old Back to Ashley's Diabetes Information Center © DarkNight Design Kimberly Advent Site Owner