The Diabetes Dinner by ELLE
Thu, Jun 3, 2010 by Stefany
What a treat to talk with the inventor of the first insulin pump, Dean Kamen!
It is with pride and unconditional affection that I share a post my daughter, Elle, drafted. She recently attended a fundraising dinner for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I hope that you will enjoy reading about her adventure almost as much as I did!
As I put my hands on the door handle to a restaurant where the event was held, I imagined what it would look like inside. Would everyone inside have a test kit? An insulin pen or pump? As I took the door handle with all my strength and pulled the door open, my eyes just could not take everything in. It all looked so beautiful and exciting. I looked over at a table with computers and a sign that read Check In / Check Out and thought in my mind this event is so fancy they even have a registration. Well, if I want to find a cure, I better go and register.
One hour later, I see three CIRCUS people. One man was standing on stilts and juggling while walking. He asked me if he could walk over to me while juggling and all I could think was what if one of the pins lands on my head? He looks like he is 30 feet in the air. The man read my mind when he asked, “are you nervous?” I answered the man with a “yes.” He walked over me without dropping anything. I was fine and it was over. He left the room and came back walking on a ball while juggling. This time he asked if I wanted to come and stand on the ball with him and he would hold on to me. At first I said “no”, but then I got rid of my nervousness and stood on the ball. He held on to my wrists as and I did it. After a minute, I jumped off the ball feeling relieved, but still glad that I did it.
One hour later, it was time to eat! The waitress comes over to explain that the dinner special was chicken with terriaki sauce and a side of peas. I looked over at my dad waiting for him to give me an answer about how much insulin to take. He doesn’t answer me until I take a roll from the bread basket . Then my dad took my hand and said “why don’t you I start wtih 25g?” I sneak my hand through my dress and take my pump out and press ACTIVATE to put 25 in and then carefully put it back under my dress. The food arrived and I looked at it wondering how much insulin to take. Dad told me I should take another 45g, but only if I was planning to have dessert after dinner. Again, I sneak my pump out from the dress to take the insulin I need. I cut the chicken, took a bite and it practically melted in my mouth. Dessert was served some time later. It was a small cup of berry sherbet ice cream. I eat it slowly trying to remember the flavor in my mouth. I finished the ice cream fast.
The last part of the night was a live auction, When it started a man with a microphone was babbling numbers over and over again. This got on my nerves a little bit, but then I remember that if I want these people to donate some dough to find a cure then I better just listen patiently and quietly. And so I did.
Elle,
We are coming up on two years after diagnosis and Kailyn wants to do the JDRF walk in South Portland, ME in September. We would have done it this last Sept, but I was 9 months pregnant with her baby sister. We are going to do it as a small team at first, but then she wants to organize her school to do the walk when she is in fifth grade (in two years). Keep up the good work on keeping yourself healthy! – Kristen
It sounds like you had a wonderful time. You are such an excellent descriptive writer. I could picture you at the benefit.I hope that someday my daughter Kailyn will be able to attend a JDRF benefit the same as you did.(She is now
The smile face should be 8 years old
As a retired English teacher, I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading your description of your night at the fund raising dinner; but I must also say that I was not surprised as your mother writes extremely well as if she were a professional writer. That talent must be in the genes.
In particular, I liked your descriptions of the things you saw and did there as well as your personal reactions to them. Sharing your feelings about the events is what made your writing so very good; and I think the Juvenile Diabetes Association should use your writing about this night and any further writing about other aspects of your life in their publicity campaigns. You are an excellent spokesman/woman for the group.
And I was very pleased that you have learned to set your own insulin pump and believe you will be learning to calculate your own dosages before anyone expects to do so. That will be quite an accomplishment to have before you finish middle school. Living with diabetes is sometimes very complicated and the more you can learn about it, the easier it becomes. You are well on your way. Best wishes in that endeavor.
Dear Linda,
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. Yes, I am grateful for the capacity to learn every day and for my daughter’s resilience and patience.
I also sincerely appreciate your sincerity and genuine offer to help and support my family through this journey of life with diabetes that we have been on for nearly three years.
Your comments give me faith and comfort. Thank you.
Hi Elle!
It was so great to meet you that night! I loved reading your memories of the Gala; especially the part where you ‘eat your dessert slowly so that you can remember the flavor’… it’s funny how those of us with diabetes pay just a little bit more attention to things like that then people without diabetes! I hope you are enjoying your summer!
Regina