Friday, November 1, 2019

TGIF

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month.  I've had Type 1 for 27 years now and I can't even tell you how many times I've pricked my finger to do a blood test; how many times I've injected insulin into my belly, my thighs, my upper arms.  Sometimes the purple round bruises on my belly are like quarter-sized polka dots all over the skin.

Since moving to Colorado, one of my main tasks is to get my University medical insurance switched to a plan that will cover me outside of California.  Once that happens, I need to connect with a doctor pronto to ensure I continue to receive my insulin and other diabetic medical supplies.  I cannot have a lapse in care, as it is life or death.  My biggest nightmare is that I'll run out of insulin and not have a valid prescription.  It's worrisome.  I also experience the same kind of worry when I contemplate natural disasters: if I ever need to evacuate, or if pharmacies are shut down and I'm low on insulin, I am perilously close to serious illness or death.  One of the solutions to the problem is to stockpile the drug, but that's impossible to do if you use your monthly supply completely (which I do).

What all of this amounts to is that I am tethered to this drug to keep me alive.  I keep abreast of the latest technologies and medical procedures that will 'cure' diabetes.  So far, most everything is experimental and not covered by insurance.  What I/we really need is a cure.  Meanwhile, I do the best I can and I wait.

I say proudly that I had just one mini Snickers bar last night!  I spent Halloween with my daughter and grand daughter, handing out candy to the goblins, princesses, mice, Ninja warriors and even a giant Panda.  Dylan and their dog Gracie kept watch for more trick or treaters:


We watched The Nightmare Before Christmas, intermittently, and stopped when good friends arrived with their toddler son to spend some time.  I didn't even get to see my grand son, as his dad took him to a friend's neighborhood.  When I left at 8 p.m. they still weren't back.  I trust a good time was had by all.  I was so happy to spend the evening with the people I love the most.  It's always fun to experience these winter holidays through the eyes of a child.

I'll leave you with two quotes by author Robert Brault....

“There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch.” 

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things.” 


7 comments:

  1. I hope you get that insulin thing worked out ASAP. Working with UC while out of state is not easy, but hopefully all will work out soon. Yikes!
    Sounds like you had a lovely Halloween. I confess that Roger and I turned off the lights and hid in our room. Not a single knock on the door. We have lots of kind good neighbors who hand out lots of candy to the kids. We are quietly grateful for that.

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    1. We don't get the lil' boogers in my neighborhood, either, being that it is a 55+ development. But then again, I wonder if many people here would welcome kids in cute costumes?

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  2. Sending love as you what you must do to maintain quality of life, finding happiness in the company of your family.

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  3. What a shame you cannot keep a stock. The cost of insulin is so outrageous now that many diabetics are not managing their conditions as well as they want and need to be doing. I'm glad you have good insurance.

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    1. I am so thankful for my insurance! It was a big reason for working at the university -- that, and a good pension plan. I didn't have diabetes when I started working there-- little did I know how valuable that insurance would be.

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