long form of "My Diabetics Story"

Here is the second version of "My Diabetics Story", which had to be shrunk to under 300 words to fit on a web site. My original was nearly 600 words...

I was diagnosed T2 on Friday, 7 May 2004. The clinic had bled me for blood work about 8:35 am. The results were not back when my annual physical came about 1 pm. My MD did not expect anything untoward and went ahead with the physical. About 4:30 pm, I was at work when my MD called and basically blurted out "You're a diabetic!" Neither of us were expecting that and he scheduled me to come in the following Monday. He had me pay $84 for a blood meter and told his nurse to teach me how to use the lanclet to take a blood sample. 

Neither the nurse or I knew how to do this and we didn't know how to adjust the penetration depth. I had poked my forearm maybe 17 times before my MD came in and told us how to use the lancet. Apparently, this clinic did not get 
very many folks who needed instruction in using lancets.

My Father, a T1, had died from congestive heart failure ten years before. My youngest brother, a juvenile onset T1, was defiant and tired of being diabetic(and died of congestive heart failure on 10 December 2009). I freaked out when I saw my MD and said "I don't want to lose my feet!" He told me to settle down; I did. My feet are fine; my heart, not so great. 

I had a heart cath mid-January 2010 and this was fine. 

In January 2015, the VA Clinic Doc was concerned that I had not had a heart check since 2010. So, I was sent to the VA Hospital heart section in early February 2015. There, I walked on a treadmill while wearing EKG electrodes. 
Something felt strange and the nurse reading the EKG stripe looked concerned. (My heartbeat trace looked abnormal even to an amateur: me.) She disconnected me and had me sit down while she took this strip to my Heart Surgeon. When the nurse returned to me, she hustled me directly to the Heart Cath operating room. My heart surgeon and a second heart surgeon plus two operating room nurses, scrubbed in, were waiting for me. The heart cath reveals a 90%+ blockage of one heart artery and I was immediately given two stents. My subsequent checkup in 2016 was fine and I have a checkup on 24 May. 

So, I am familiar with heart problems. 

In self defense, I have walked on the treadmill at the local Y, tried to watch what I eat and keep track of my carbs, kept a food log, cut down on the drinking - almost on the wagon - and almost cut out the diet sodas and 
sweets. 

I live in a small town and this has been a solitary trip for me.

I have been in five support groups and they always fail. The fourth one I was in acted like a private club at the one meeting I attended; the next month, the RN sponsor told me the group had dissolved. I was in my late 50s and they in their 20s so I think they did not want a "father figure" in their meeting. The fifth group simply lost its members. The sixth group never made it past the "is anyone interested?" stage on facebook.

I have to admit I have been in denial a number of times and one summer I found myself eating ice creamme several  times a week. Then, my A1C got too high and I was threatened with "the needle". I got my shit together a bit  better after that. 

abbreviated version "My Diabetics Story"

Here is the second version of "My Diabetics Story", which had to be shrunk to under 300 words to fit on a web site. My original was nearly 600 words...


I was diagnosed T2 on Friday, 7 May 2004. The clinic had bled me for blood work about 8:35 am. The results were  not back when my annual physical came about 1 pm. My MD did not expect anything untoward and went ahead with the physical. About 4:30 pm, I was at work when my MD called and basically blurted out "You're a diabetic!" Neither of us were expecting that and he scheduled me to come in the following Monday. He had me pay $84 for a blood meter and told his nurse to teach me how to use the lancelet to take a blood sample.

My Father and youngest brother were both T1 and have since died of congestive heart failure. I have had heart surgery so this is a sensitive subject for me.

There have to be hundreds of diabetics in town but there are no support groups that I know of. ( have been in 5 that folded.)  I know of several diabetics but we simply don't discuss it. I suspect folks think talking about being diabetic are seen as boasting or are asking for help.  My parents taught me that talking about personal problems was the cheapest way of seeking attention. Talking simply isn't done!

I do what I can and hope for good results.


c'est la guerre

April 2017

        April 2017

Date       AM    PM
Sat    1  ---   ---     
Sun    2  ---   ---     
Mon    3  ---   ---     
Tue    4  ---   ---     
Wed    5  ---   ---     
Thu    6  ---   ---     
Fri    7  ---   ---     
Sat    8  ---   ---     
Sun    9  ---   ---     
Mon   10  ---   ---     
Tue   11   92   234     
Wed   12  ---   ---     
Thu   13  122   168     
Fri   14  ---   ---     
Sat   15  ---   ---     
Sun   16  ---   ---     
Mon   17  ---   ---     
Tue   18   80   143     
Wed   19  ---   ---     
Thu   20   75   128     
Fri   21  ---   ---     
Sat   22  ---   ---     
Sun   23  ---   ---     
Mon   24  ---   ---     
Tue   25  ---   ---  `71 at 10:47 am   
Wed   26  ---   ---     
Thu   27  ---   ---     
Fri   28  ---   ---     
Sat   29  ---   ---     
Sun   30  ---   ---     
Mon   31  ---   --- 

"AM" is a blood sugar testing taken right after I get out of bed.

"PM" is a blood sugar testing taken 2 hours after finishing my evening meal.

I mowed the yard this morning and came inside intending to change my t-shirt and put on a long sleeved shirt. I was feeling tired and weak when I changed my clothing. I ate a handful of dark chocolate chips and then checked my blood sugar: it was 171, so I wasn't hypoglycemic. Regardless and ignoring the fact I had eaten the chocolate chips before checking my blood sugar, it was a very unpleasant experience.

on disposing of used SHARPS (lanclets)

I wrote this perhaps 8 years ago:

I have been saving my used lancets either in a large “safe” container at work or a small ex-pill container at home.  I filled it completely and ended up with four used lancets next to it before I finally got around to disposing of them.  To be on the safe side, I emptied the container into a grocery store plastic bag.  From past experience, I knew that I could take them to “Paul”, the medical clinic pharmacist and he would put them in the bio-waste burn bag.

I walked in and told the clerk “I’m here to leave some used lancets for disposal in your biological hazardous waste container.  Paul said I could drop them off.”

In the past (one time actually), I took in the container and “Paul” disposed of them with no problem.  This time was different.

“Paul” walked around a stack of stuff and said “do you have a container?”

“No.”

“We can order one for you.”

“Well, I really don’t want to spend $12 for a bottle that might get thrown away.”

“Ok, I’ll try to put them in my bag.”  Pause while he took my plastic bag and obviously tried then: “My container is too full.  Why don’t you take it out front and ask someone?” 

I walked “out front” and went to the family clinic and then asked a nurse there is I could dispose of my used lancets?  She said “follow me” and was leading me to an empty examining room where I was obviously expected to empty the bag into their container one at a time.

I got lucky, our family nurse (actually, the nurse working for our family MD) took the plastic bag from me and went off to properly dispose of them.

I was fairly pissed off after this happened but it is four days later and I’m just a little miffed.

The State of Kansas forbids anyone from dumping lancets or used syringes into the garbage.  You’re not allowed to put used stuff into plastic or glass bottles or containers for fear they may break and a trash collector could accidentally poke himself. 

If you can’t shit can these items, then I’d expect

1. The state of Kansas to provide collection places

   it doesn’t...

2. Pharmacies to provide disposal points...

   With the exception of the clinic pharmacy, no one in Dodge City does...

3. The Dodge City Clinic pharmacy

   They have but I’m beginning to wonder if their policy is changing...

4. The clinic

   They still do if you ask the right people (the nurses!)...

5. The local hospital

   I haven’t asked but past experience with the Dodge City Hospital has convinced me that it would be a waste of time to ask...

I probably should not feel this way but I’m tempted to try the clinic pharmacy again the next time my container is filled and if they don’t take it, I’ll get a plastic container (i.e. a coffee container) and fill it.  Then, maybe I’ll take it to the hazardous waste site at the city dump and simply leave it at the clinic.  I’m too law abiding to shit can the container in our garbage or a local dumpster...

Perhaps it is more accurate to say I am afraid of getting in legal trouble if I were caught shit canning needles.  I don’t know why I am given there are hundreds of diabetes in the surrounding area who are probably casually disposing of their used needles...

Since then, I have  been filling a plastic coffee can. I recently filled it and have a second one from Kathie's office coffee mess.