Ruby's Meter

You’ll note that in the picture to the right, there is a teddy bear with a glucometer and a lancing device.  This is Ruby.  She arrived at our house shortly after my daughter’s diagnosis with diabetes.  She is a bear with diabetes; part of JDRF’s bag of hope program which gives newly diagnosed families tote bags full of information, and a stuffed friend who also has diabetes.  Until recently, Ruby was pictured here with my daughter’s equipment, but my family has reminded me that Ruby has her very own testing supplies.

A few years ago, when my daughter was about 5, she received a kit to make a castle out of lightweight clay.  When she was finished with the project, there was a lot of clay left.  What did she want to make with it?  She couldn’t decide.  The kit had given her a great pattern, a mold, directions.  She was unsure what she could create on her own.

Eventually she had it.  “Ruby should have her own meter, Mommy.” 

My daughter carefully crafted the items below out of her leftover clay.  The meter fits a real test strip.  The lancet has a hole at the top where the sharp would poke through.  I came to the table to admire the finished project and was impressed with the meter and lancet.  I just couldn’t figure out what the last item was.  Was it supposed to be an insulin pump, maybe?  Or a juice box? 

“That’s the bloody tissue, mommy…for her to wipe her finger with.  She’s already used it a lot.”