Discussing this particular topic with Pumplette was always going to offer me a fascinating insight into her feelings towards T1 at this moment in time. I was a little trepidatious. What if I didn’t understand the answers she gave? Or if I discovered some deep seated angst of which she had spoken nought to me? Is she getting the right support & opportunities to express how she feels & not keep things bottled up?

Ultimately, those worries are mine. Not to be transferred to her. I must let her have the opportunity to be & feel how she wants to without the burden of my own emotional angst & inability to protect her from all she must learn to do.

And so we come to the star of the show. When asked what brings her down about T1, these were her musings.

“I find it really annoying when everyone keeps saying:
‘You can’t have diabetes, you’re thin’.
‘You mustn’t share those with her, you’ll catch diabetes.’
Another thing that’s almost as annoying as that stupid piano practise Mummy makes me do is other people telling me what I can and can’t eat. I’m big enough now to know that you mustn’t eat dog poo or worms. And I’m actually quite fond of all sorts of food. I don’t judge your plate, unless of course you’re enormous & have a plate piled high with doughnuts. Then I might raise an eyebrow.
But on the whole, I know I can eat what I like. Although I’m looking at you now Mummy. You make me eat way too many healthy things!
I really hate having to continually explain what diabetes is to other people who don’t know or understand. I don’t mind the first time, usually, but it’s when I tell them & then they forget straight away.
That’s when I’d like to kick them on the shin. But again, Mummy says no…..!”

So there you have the beautiful musings of a 10yo. All the things that get her down are external. We can deal with that. One by one.
But not by shin kicking. We have standards to maintain!