So there I am, laying prostrate on an emergency room
table getting ready to be worked on for an abscess.
"Are you diabetic?" asks the kindly nurse. "Not
that I know of." I respond jokingly. "Mind if I check?" She has
the meter in hand; she is going to do it anyway. "Nah, go ahead."
Well here she comes with a nice syringe of knock out
drugs and insulin. "Well it came back 373 - we are sending it up to the
lab." A few moments later she comes back with a tad bit more insulin."
Yup you're diabetic; it corrected to 417."
That was only one part of what I remember. I don’t
remember trying to kick the doctor; I have very little recollection other than
the nurse, hubby and doc having a wonderful time messing with me before I
slipped under.
So the next morning I was visited by a wonderful,
crackerjack, most awesomest Diabetes Educator.
She explained about carb counting and the methods they use and what I am
supposed to do and we visited over coffee and tea for about an hour. She loaded
me up with a blood glucose meter, books, and more booklets, samples and a
diary.
I embraced it, rejoicing in finding out that I was
diabetic. Sing its praises.
And get my butt moving! I was making my bed and moving
around, to the medical staff’s shock. With the abscess I had I almost lost my
leg it was so massive.
Now you may ask why be overjoyed at being diabetic? You
must think I am insane.
Nope. Happy to know that all of my life that this was
what was wrong with me. My family (hubby and daughter) went with me to the
diabetes meetings and education seminars. And the Diabetes Educators and
doctors were happy that I was fortunate enough to bring them. They learned
along with me how to test, how to give shots, both types and how to adjust
diet.
My DE had a wonderful way of putting diabetes. "It's
a part of you. Like your eye color or hair color." How profound and true.
"You take care of your eyes, you wash your hair, you control your diabetes
and not let it control you". That was 7 years ago and its as true today as
it was that first day.
Julia S, 46
New Market, TN
132557