Monkey and Harriet

by Andrew T Stanley (http://www.monkeysmagic.co.uk)

Monkey sat down in front of Doctor Boctor's desk.

"Hello Monkey," said Doctor Boctor.

Monkey liked Doctor Boctor: he told him all he needed to know about all sorts of things.

"How can I help you today?" asked the Doctor.

Monkey had come in to ask about his friend Harriet. She had diabetes and Monkey wanted to know what this was.

"Well, Monkey, Harriet is just like every other child."

Unless that child is a boy, Monkey pointed out.

"Yes, Harriet is a girl - but diabetes is the same for boys and girls. Harriet is just like you."

But Monkey was a monkey, Monkey began to say. But Doctor Boctor knew what was coming.

"Harriet isn't a monkey. But she's special."

This made Monkey smile. He knew he was special, but why was Harriet?

"When you or I eat, the food is broken down in the tummy and made into sugars."

Monkey understood so far.

"Those sugars need to be mixed with something called insulin, so that they can be eaten up by the body. This keeps everything working, like petrol in a car."

Monkey nodded his head, and started making notes. He didn't want to forget any of this.

"Usually, your body makes its own insulin in the pancreas. Do you know where that is?"

Monkey shrugged. London?

"No, your pancreas is right in the middle of your body, behind your tummy inside you. Diabetes means that the pancreas is poorly and doesn't make its own insulin."

Monkey raised his eyebrows. If people with diabetes couldn't make their own insulin, then it can't be mixed with the sugars and their bodies won't be fed. It would be like a car running out of petrol!

Poor Harriet must have been so shocked when she found she had diabetes.

"Poor Harriet was shocked when she found out she had diabetes," said Doctor Boctor, proving just how clever Monkey was.

"But this is completely normal. I bet you're wondering what happens when people with diabetes have no insulin in their bodies, aren't you Monkey?" he said with a gentle smile.

Monkey wasn't. He was drawing a picture of a cow on his pad instead, but nodded his head. What did happen when Harriet had no insulin?

"Well, the sugars have nowhere to go and build up inside."

Monkey nodded. He was listening now.

"When this happens, Harriet might feel thirsty much of the time, or tired. She might want to wee more than normal or feel unwell."

Monkey stood on his chair, demanding to know what would happen after that.

"Well, it might be days or weeks, but if Harriet doesn't get any insulin to mix with the sugars, she might drop into a coma. That's because the body is getting no food at all and shuts down."

Monkey was alarmed. It was important that she gets insulin then. But how?

"Harriet will have the insulin injected into her two to four times a day."

Why the injection?

"Because otherwise the insulin would go right through her without having any effect."

Nobody wanted that.

"There are lots of different types of insulin, each one special for the person who takes it."

Ah, now Monkey understood why Harriet was special. Not as special as Monkey, but special nonetheless.

"I bet you're wondering what else Harriet and other people with diabetes have to do to stay healthy."

Monkey wasn't, but Doctor Boctor seemed to be enjoying his moment in the sun.

"Well, they have to do blood tests at home sometimes to make doubly sure they are well."

That sounded fair enough. But Doctor Boctor wasn't finished yet.

"Oh, and eat properly."

Yes, thought Monkey, but everybody has to do that.