Dealing with diabetes
By Earl Horlyk, Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, October 03, 2008
Despite being diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, 7-year-old Abby Minten enjoys an active life that includes softball, soccer, dance and gymnastics. (Staff photo by Earl Horlyk)
SERGEANT BLUFF - What does Abby Minten like to talk about?
Well, Webkinz, for starters. (The Sergeant Bluff-Luton second grader has 57 of them). Or Milk Duds. (The proper way to eat them, she insists, is to suck the chocolate off before munching on the Dud). Or Hannah Montana. (Despite what her friends say, the opinionated 7-year-old insists the Disney pop icon DOES NOT lip-sync).
But what does Abby Minten not like talking about?
The pouch, decorated with little colored stars that contains insulin, that she keeps around her waist at all times.
"It gets boring talking to my friends about diabetes," Abby said, shrugging her shoulders. "No matter how many times I tell them that my pancreas can't produce insulin, they just don't get it."
"Instead, they just ask stupid questions," she explained. "They'll ask: What's insulin? Or what's a pancreas?"
"That gets REAL old," Abby insists, "REAL fast!"
Abby's mom Lanae can appreciate her daughter's impatience.
"It's tough enough explaining juvenile diabetes to grown-ups," Lanae said. "It's even tougher to explain it to a second grader."
After complaints of stomach pains and feeling tired, Abby was diagnosed with type I diabetes while in kindergarten.
"There's no history of diabetes on my side of the family or on my husband's side of the family," Lanae said. "The diagnosis just came out of the blue."
Upon learning her daughter would require insulin, Lanae bought Abby a stuffed bear which Abby quickly named Rufus.
"If Abby needed insulin on a regular basis," Lanae said, "I wanted to make sure everybody knew how to administer the shots."
It was on the toy bear that Abby's family learned their way around a needle.
"My grandma was shaky when she had to give Rufus a shot," Abby said with a laugh. "I'd say: 'Rufus doesn't feel pain, grandma. He isn't real. I feel pain.'"
But Lanae understood her mother's apprehension.
"Nobody wants to give a small child a shot," Lanae said, "but Abby needed the insulin to stay alive."
Luckily, Abby soon received her little insulin pouch. If her blood sugar is low, insulin is administered to Abby's arm with just the push of a button.
"It's really simple," Abby said, showing off the cell phone-sized contraption she carries inside her pouch.
Despite the innovation, Abby still needs to check her blood sugar every 2 to 3 hours.
"It's rough when school starts," Abby said. "Every time I start having fun in class, I have to race off and test myself."
But, according to Lanae, Abby is an expert at picking up the early warning signs.
"Abby's had to grow up a lot faster than other kids her age," Lanae said. "She needs to know her body because her mom can't. If Abby's feeling shaky or hungry, she knows it's time to get tested."
Abby's diabetes also has impacted how her parents discipline the rambunctious pre-teen.
"Abby gets grouchy when her blood sugar is low," Lanae explained. "So, we always have to ask ourself: If Abby's being naughty, is it due to the diabetes or is it Abby? We never really know."
But Abby insisted her life is no different than anybody else's in her second grade class.
"Abby can eat the same things as anyone else in her class," said Lanae. "She just has to watch her carb count."
The Mintens keep a small scale on their kitchen counter that measures the carbohydrate content of all of Abby's food.
"This comes in handy when we're eating at home," Lanae mentioned. "When we eat out, it's a different story."
Lanae said most restaurants are bad at listing carb counts on their menus.
"The only places that list nutritional values are places like McDonald's or Subway," she offered with a groan. "It's pretty ironic that fast food joints do a better job with that than other types of restaurants."
The energetic Abby said she loves to keep busy.
"I love soccer and softball and dance class and gymnastics," she said, counting off things from her fingers.
Plus she loves meeting kids who share her condition.
In July, Abby attended Camp Hertko Hollow, a summer camp for kids in Boone, Iowa, that is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association.
"The Sioux City Cosmopolitan Club helped us finance Abby's trip," Lanae said. "She loved it."
Asked what she liked best at Camp Hertko Hollow, Abby quickly listed her shopping lists of likes.
"I liked swimming and riding horses and rock climbing and learning how to shoot the bow and arrow."
But is that what she liked best about the camp?
"No," she said, shaking her head. "What I liked best was meeting with other kids."
"It's not much fun when you're a kid with diabetes," Lanae explained. "You feel like you're going through it all by yourself."
"At camp, I made friends with kids who've had diabetes a lot longer than I have had it," Abby said. "They were nice and they were helpful."
"After meeting with them," she said, letting out a broad smile, "I didn't feel quite so alone."
The Sioux City Cosmopolitan Club will be bringing a mobile testing unit offering free diabetes screenings to members of the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 4 at the new Siouxland Senior Center (the old Hy-Vee store) at Fourth Street and Hamilton Boulevard.
The screening open to anyone 18 or older, involves a blood pressure check and a prick of the finger so blood sugar level may be read.
Persons attending the screening at the Cosmopolitan Diabetes Connection mobile testing unit will then be referred to their family physician.
Well, Webkinz, for starters. (The Sergeant Bluff-Luton second grader has 57 of them). Or Milk Duds. (The proper way to eat them, she insists, is to suck the chocolate off before munching on the Dud). Or Hannah Montana. (Despite what her friends say, the opinionated 7-year-old insists the Disney pop icon DOES NOT lip-sync).
But what does Abby Minten not like talking about?
The pouch, decorated with little colored stars that contains insulin, that she keeps around her waist at all times.
"It gets boring talking to my friends about diabetes," Abby said, shrugging her shoulders. "No matter how many times I tell them that my pancreas can't produce insulin, they just don't get it."
"Instead, they just ask stupid questions," she explained. "They'll ask: What's insulin? Or what's a pancreas?"
"That gets REAL old," Abby insists, "REAL fast!"
Abby's mom Lanae can appreciate her daughter's impatience.
"It's tough enough explaining juvenile diabetes to grown-ups," Lanae said. "It's even tougher to explain it to a second grader."
After complaints of stomach pains and feeling tired, Abby was diagnosed with type I diabetes while in kindergarten.
"There's no history of diabetes on my side of the family or on my husband's side of the family," Lanae said. "The diagnosis just came out of the blue."
Upon learning her daughter would require insulin, Lanae bought Abby a stuffed bear which Abby quickly named Rufus.
"If Abby needed insulin on a regular basis," Lanae said, "I wanted to make sure everybody knew how to administer the shots."
It was on the toy bear that Abby's family learned their way around a needle.
"My grandma was shaky when she had to give Rufus a shot," Abby said with a laugh. "I'd say: 'Rufus doesn't feel pain, grandma. He isn't real. I feel pain.'"
But Lanae understood her mother's apprehension.
"Nobody wants to give a small child a shot," Lanae said, "but Abby needed the insulin to stay alive."
Luckily, Abby soon received her little insulin pouch. If her blood sugar is low, insulin is administered to Abby's arm with just the push of a button.
"It's really simple," Abby said, showing off the cell phone-sized contraption she carries inside her pouch.
Despite the innovation, Abby still needs to check her blood sugar every 2 to 3 hours.
"It's rough when school starts," Abby said. "Every time I start having fun in class, I have to race off and test myself."
But, according to Lanae, Abby is an expert at picking up the early warning signs.
"Abby's had to grow up a lot faster than other kids her age," Lanae said. "She needs to know her body because her mom can't. If Abby's feeling shaky or hungry, she knows it's time to get tested."
Abby's diabetes also has impacted how her parents discipline the rambunctious pre-teen.
"Abby gets grouchy when her blood sugar is low," Lanae explained. "So, we always have to ask ourself: If Abby's being naughty, is it due to the diabetes or is it Abby? We never really know."
But Abby insisted her life is no different than anybody else's in her second grade class.
"Abby can eat the same things as anyone else in her class," said Lanae. "She just has to watch her carb count."
The Mintens keep a small scale on their kitchen counter that measures the carbohydrate content of all of Abby's food.
"This comes in handy when we're eating at home," Lanae mentioned. "When we eat out, it's a different story."
Lanae said most restaurants are bad at listing carb counts on their menus.
"The only places that list nutritional values are places like McDonald's or Subway," she offered with a groan. "It's pretty ironic that fast food joints do a better job with that than other types of restaurants."
The energetic Abby said she loves to keep busy.
"I love soccer and softball and dance class and gymnastics," she said, counting off things from her fingers.
Plus she loves meeting kids who share her condition.
In July, Abby attended Camp Hertko Hollow, a summer camp for kids in Boone, Iowa, that is sponsored by the American Diabetes Association.
"The Sioux City Cosmopolitan Club helped us finance Abby's trip," Lanae said. "She loved it."
Asked what she liked best at Camp Hertko Hollow, Abby quickly listed her shopping lists of likes.
"I liked swimming and riding horses and rock climbing and learning how to shoot the bow and arrow."
But is that what she liked best about the camp?
"No," she said, shaking her head. "What I liked best was meeting with other kids."
"It's not much fun when you're a kid with diabetes," Lanae explained. "You feel like you're going through it all by yourself."
"At camp, I made friends with kids who've had diabetes a lot longer than I have had it," Abby said. "They were nice and they were helpful."
"After meeting with them," she said, letting out a broad smile, "I didn't feel quite so alone."
The Sioux City Cosmopolitan Club will be bringing a mobile testing unit offering free diabetes screenings to members of the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 4 at the new Siouxland Senior Center (the old Hy-Vee store) at Fourth Street and Hamilton Boulevard.
The screening open to anyone 18 or older, involves a blood pressure check and a prick of the finger so blood sugar level may be read.
Persons attending the screening at the Cosmopolitan Diabetes Connection mobile testing unit will then be referred to their family physician.
Story Comments
Read More and Post Comments 0 comment(s)
Please note: The following are comments from readers. In no way do they represent the views of The Sioux City Journal or Lee Enterprises. We will not edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to not post or to remove comments that violate our code of conduct. No comment may contain potentially libelous statements; obscene, explicit or racist language; personal attacks, insults or threats. Terms of Service
