Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
By Madilyn Baker, Age 9
One Clear, Bright day in April, 2020 I was at my grandma’s house coloring a picture of Flowers, I was using the flower painting above the doorway to the living room.
I remember hearing someone pull into the driveway, so I ran to the front door and saw my mom stepping out of her car and walking near the concrete stairs to my grandma’s house. As she approached the house I remember opening the door and hugging my mom very tightly, almost as if I was about to knock her down the stairs.
The smell of kKFC filled my nose and I saw the bag in her hand and got very excited to eat it. We both stepped inside of the house. As soon as she put the bag of KFC on the table, I ripped the bag open, and I started to eat.
When I started to eat the mashed potatoes, I felt very sick. I couldn’t run to the trash can because I felt like I couldn’t move at all because I felt like I would vomit. I nearly cried, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t move.
But one thing I noticed was my neck stiffened, and my legs started to shake rapidly. I remember just staring up at that one painting above the doorway to the living room and wondering if I would ever finish that painting. Then, I remember glaring at my mom, and I tried to talk, but I couldn’t.
She was showing my grandma some special boots she got, but then she looked towards me, and she asked me, “Are you ok?”
When I didn’t reply, it took her a minute to notice that I wasn’t ok. She bolted towards me and asked me “what’s wrong?’’
After she asked me that a few more times, she noticed that my eyes were blank and my legs were shaking. She picked me up and set me on the couch.
I remember seeing one of those so-called ‘fake’ ghost stories playing on the TV in the background, but I couldn’t watch it, because my mom got up quickly and said “I’m gonna bring her to the E.R.”
When I heard that I was gonna go into the Emergency Room (E.R) I panicked. I couldn’t do anything about it anymore, because she had already gone to the car and sat me down in the seat. My legs were still shaking but this time, not only was my neck stiff, but my arms, legs, and back were as stiff as a rock.
I remember the car smelling musty, and the seats having a bunch of quarters and dirt, but that’s how it always is. I began to close my eyes and try to sleep, but I couldn’t. My legs were shaking so bad that it got to the point where I couldn’t even rest. It was like we teleported to the hospital because I barely was even paying attention to anything around me.
My mom had to carry me into the E.R so that I didn’t topple over and fall. but deep down, I feel like she knew what was going on for some reason.
When we got there I finally got to sleep without my legs shaking really badly. They were still shaking a little, but I didn’t mind. I just wanted to sleep.
It seemed like as soon as I closed my eyes, mom woke me up because the doctor was ready to take me in. They sat me down in a wheelchair and rolled me all the way to this long, bright hallway.
They laid me down on the stretcher and got a whole bunch of wires, and a syringe out. I cried when I saw the syringe, because one of my biggest fears was needles. I waited a couple minutes and then injected the needle right into my arm. It felt so painful, but I couldn’t stop it.
A couple seconds later, i felt dizzy and i just collapsed down on the stretcher and i slept. My legs had stopped shaking and I didn’t feel sick anymore.
The doctor told us we could go home, so we went back to my grandma’s house and I ate my KFC.
A few days later I was reading a book called Epilepsy because I wanted to learn more about other diseases that I didn’t know about, and I noticed I was suffering from that. And I learned that I had my first seizure.
Now I have a question for you, What could I have possibly done to prevent that From happening? Maybe eat less? Whatever it was, it probably was a gift to make me more brave and not afraid of the disease I have.
From that day forward, I was more careful about things that trigger my Epilepsy, like eating too much, loud noises, and staying up too late.
Wbg. 4th grader Adalyn: ‘The day I got diabetes’
By Adalyn Seeley, Age 9
This is a memory I will never forget, it’s about the day I got Diabetes.
Before my parents realized it was happening I noticed I was eating a lot of food, more than normal. Then I started drinking a lot of water because I was eating so much. Since I was drinking so much water I started using the bathroom a bunch.
After a little while my parents finally noticed and they made me a doctor’s appointment.
When we were in the car driving to the doctor’s office I asked “Why am I going to the doctor?”
“Because we’ve been noticing some weird stuff going on with you, honey.” said my dad.
“But I really don’t like the doctor,” I said sadly.
“We’re doing this to keep you safe,” my mom said calmly.
“Ok,” I said, rolling my eyes.
When we finally arrived at the doctor’s office I got out of the car with a sigh. I still didn’t get why I had to be there but I went in anyway.
When we got in, my mom went to check me in. Dad and I sat in a chair for a while but then I got up and went to sign my name on the chalkboard. When my mom was done signing me in we all chilled out in some chairs.
Then I started to complain and I said, “I’m only seven why do I have to do this?”
After a long time of waiting a doctor finally called me in. Before we went into the room they took my temperature and checked my height and weight.
When they took me into a room I sat on the table. The nurse checked my heart and reflexes. When the doctor came in she said kindly, “I think we are going to do a finger prick on you, Adalyn.”
After the doctor explained to me what was going to happen I was ready.
After they did the finger prick the doctor came back with the results.
She said, “Adalyn, I am so sorry but you have to go to Albany Med.”
At first I didn’t know what that was but then she said, “It’s a hospital.”
“No,” I cried.
After my mom calmed me down, she asked “Do we have time to pack our bags?”
“Not much time, so you better hurry,” said the doctor.
The doctor let us out. My mom signed me out quickly and we ran to the car.
When we got into the car, I was speechless. I felt like I was going to explode. When we got home mom helped me pack some clothes and other stuff. Dad stayed at home.
When we got to Albany Med we had to go to the emergency room. When we got in they put me in a small room. Then they gave me another finger prick.
After a while of waiting a girl came in and let me play on her tablet. When the girl left, a boy came in and said, “Hey Adalyn you have to get an I.V. I’m so sorry.”
After the I.V. they took me on a stretcher to a different room. That was the room I stayed in for four days.
The doctors kept doing finger pricks and shots of insulin when I wanted to eat. My mom and dad had to learn how to give me shots and do finger pricks. They also had to learn how to calculate insulin for carbohydrates and corrections to my blood sugar.
I was feeling weak and sometimes crazy because my blood sugars were high.
On the first night my mom and I stayed at the hospital I wanted to sleep with my mom in my bed. That night my mom told me that it wasn’t like the flu and that I would have this forever.
At that moment I started to cry. My mom cried too. I felt like I was going to burst open.
The next morning my doctor told me that there was a play room right down the hall. So I asked if I could go there. She said “you have to eat breakfast first.”
After I ate breakfast I walked to the playroom with my mom. We did this over and over for a few days.
After a few days, a special doctor came in to talk about how to treat my diabetes at home. She made us practice putting shots of insulin into an orange.
I got a blue backpack with two stuffed animals and an activity book in it. I played with my stuffed animals until my mom was finished talking to the nurse.
Near the evening of that day, my cousin Kerrigan brought me a craft kit and played with me. The next day we were able to go home and when I got home, a lot of my family was there to see me. My dad and brother set up signs around the house to welcome me back. I was finally home and happy.
That is my memory of the day that I found out that I had diabetes. Life now is way better because now I have an omnipod that will give me insulin with an app.
I also have a dexcom that will show my numbers on a phone. Those are important because I don’t have to do a bunch of shots and finger pricks any more.
Diabetes is still hard every day, every minute, every second but I am thankful for the technology in today’s world.
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