Here in the south many people refer to diabetes as "sugar." In fact, that is the first thing that a friend said to me after I finished all 4 of my cokes and then moved on to her sweet tea. I had a great-aunt on one side of the family with diabetes, a great-uncle on the other side, and one second cousin that was also struggling with it at the time. I went home that evening and went to bed around midnight. I awoke every hour from midnight until 6:00 a.m. to get more to drink and use the restroom. The next day I was seeing a doctor and within one week was administering 2 shots a day. I was 18 years old and a freshman in college. The diagnosis of diabetes completely changed my life and most of them are not good.
I don't walk around spouting that I am diabetic because that is just embarrassing. I tell people if I am asked and those that are frequently around me know (I sometimes need assistance). I have quite a collection of crazy antics, funny, and horrific stories to tell about my experiences with diabetes, but most of them involve me being stupid. In the interest of not making a complete idiot of myself, I will share only a few.
My nephew was around 7 (he just turned 15) years old. I spent the day with him and my sister-in-law at Gold Rush. I came back to their house and fell asleep on the couch. At some point, my brother recognized that something was wrong and phoned my parents. They advised him to feed me honey (it goes quickly into the blood stream) and follow that up with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. During this fiasco, I managed to "hit" my brother with my nephew as the main witness. The only thing I remember from that experience is waking up while my nephew is sitting beside me with the sandwich in hand feeding it to me. To this day, my nephew will still ask when my blood sugar is low if I am going to hit anyone. He thinks its funny now, but at the time I must have scared them all to death.
I have also woken up several times in the hospital not knowing how I got there. I have woken up with my parents sitting in my living room watching t.v. and me having no memory of anything being wrong. I tell you these stories because being diabetic really stinks most of the time. The only times that I have even heard it to be a good thing is when visiting Disney World. Apparently, they let you go to the front of the lines.
Having diabetes comes with having the craziest questions asked of me. Here are some of the dumber ones.
1. Does it hurt to give yourself a shot? Of course, it hurts. A needle going into your body NEVER feels good.
2. Does it hurt to check your blood sugar or do you get used to it? Of course, it hurts. A needle going into you finger NEVER feels good.
3. Do you ever get to eat sugar? It isn't so much sugar, but carbohydrates that I have to worry with. I eat both, but in moderation. (I sometimes eat them in excess because it is difficult not to.)
4. What makes you do crazy things when your blood sugar is low? My brain is attending to the most important functions. The craziness comes because my inhibitions are gone. It is very similar to someone who is drunk. I sometimes laugh and other times weep terribly. I will sometimes get really quiet and sometimes talk a person's ear off. I sometimes get really sleepy and other times be unable to fall asleep.
5. Have you ever watched the movie Steal Magnolia? Yes, yes I have. Thanks for bringing up a woman who dies after having a too short life/marriage and a baby that she adores.
I realize that living with diabetes is not as bad has having many other diseases. I live my life to the fullest and try not to let it stand in my way, but there is never anything that goes into my body that I don't consider what it will do to my blood sugar. I don't put in a piece of gum, candy, any drink, dessert, vegetables, or meat without the thought going through my mind that my blood sugar will be effected. So let me tell you, diabetes is not for the faint of heart.
I know that unless the Lord comes back first, I could very well pass away from complications due to diabetes. (Don't say I could die in a car crash because then you are just preaching to the choir. I realize that I could die of many things, but if I live a "normal" life diabetes will always play a key role.) I worry that my kidneys will not always work. When I get sick, my first thought is to check my blood sugar. I never take any medicine without reading the description and warnings that come with it. I have fears about having children AND seeing them grow up. I am also concerned that my life is not what it could have been before my diagnosis or maybe I am better because of it. Either way, the Lord has blessed me through diabetes. He continually protects me from danger and "warns" me when something is wrong. I once feared that I could never live alone and yet I have done so for 9 years. I don't understand His love for me, but if He is making a recording to show of funny stunts that we as humans do, I am certain that I will have a few. Too bad, I can't blame them all on diabetes!
:o)
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