Perspective...

A couple of nights ago, my wife and I saw an ad on TV that I immediately
mocked. It was a group of people complaining about the stress of having
to fill out the paperwork to get their diabetics supplies and the pure
agony of having to wait in line for their supplies. Then, of course, the
ad mentioned the name of the company that would be their salvation by
doing the paperwork for these folks. They would not have to wait in
line.

I said that obtaining diabetics supplies and waiting in line wasn't much
of a problem for me. My wife said those folks were probably type 1
diabetics and having to test their blood sugar four times a day. That
made me pause and admit that I was probably wrong. (Come to think of
it, this company's offer does sound like a good idea.)

I guess I've gotten spoiled since our family doctor fills out "scripts"
when I phone him and the clinic pharmacy folks fill the forms in for me
and fill the order quickly. The clinic pharmacy also has the cheapest
prices in town; I've checked the "new" drug store, which advertises
having the lowest prices in town and the clinic pharmacy beats them all
by a goodly margin.

I really don't have it too bad.

Sure, I have to test the blood morning and night, Tuesday and Friday.
That is a lot better than four times a day, every day.

I have to take a couple of pills a day. That is a lot better than a
bloody needle, one or more times a day!

My feet are in fine shape. I'm not struggling to get from wheel chair to
wherever like my youngest brother Charlie has to.

While my wife doesn't especially like talking about diabetics, I don't
have the problems that my youngest brother has. He was in hospital with
nearly intractable bacteria infections a number of times and the
surgeons kept whittling off portions of both his legs. (His right leg
ends at mid thigh now and his left foot is basically a stump.) All this
was too much for his wife and they divorced. Oddly enough, after the
divorce, they regained their friendship and are good friends again. (We
might even see RoxAnne again some day but we live in Kansas and they
live in Oregon; visits are rare.)

I am still "young" to this disease and can take metformin without
problems. Our family doctor says it could be 10 or 15 years before I
have to go to stronger medications and he isn't looking for me to go
onto the needle for at least that long! (My 85 year old father-in-law is
on the same dosage of metformin that I am as is another gentleman I
know, who in his middle 70s. A number of my fellow Lions are diabetics
but there is such a conspiracy of silence that I'm barely aware of who
is a diabetic, let along the level of treatment they are receiving!)

I know folks who have survived cancer and some that may not. I think
they'd trade places with me, medicine wise, health wise, if they could.
They might think it would do me good to be in real medical trouble and
to see just how bad bad can be. No thanks! I'll take what God has given
me and be grateful it isn't worst! I can appreciate how bad a bad
situation can be!

I will continue to work out (walk upwards of an hour a day anyway), try
to avoid bad food, try to keep a hopeful mind set and keep seeing the
family doctor when I need to. I read an article by some over
overeducated clown with a PhD who said that folks who actually used
their medical insurance were taking advantage of the system and were
ignoring the costs they were passing along to other folks! Balderdash!
Not going to an MD or dentist when needed ultimately ends up costing
much more. If I'd gone to my MD in June 2004 when I fainted and then had
trouble breathing, I'd have paid a lot less than what the emergency room
charged.

A couple of weeks ago, I was having a bit of trouble breathing because
of a respiratory track infection. I thought about going to the MD and
when my boss said "you shouldn't have come in to work", I immediately
called the clinic and got an appointment. Then, I took the rest of the
day off to rest.

I probably would have had a great deal of trouble sleeping that night
had I not gone to medical and that would have led to many more problems
the next morning. Problems like maybe having a traffic accident. Then, I
would have gone to the MD.

Finally, I have to repeat myself and realize that while I have things
much worst than I did 20 years ago, I know of people who are worst off.
I guess that I can't really "bitch mightily". (No, I don't know the
source of that quote but seem to remember it was said by Saint Abe
Lincoln.