RE: my story??? might be a bit long, sorry.

[Guest guest]

,

It would help you to get in touch with one of the many companies that

provide diabetic supplies. All you have to do is give them your doctor's

name and information about your insurance and they will call the doctor and

get the prescription. Do let your doctor know they will call.

The company I use is Neighborhood Diabetes

_____

From: blind-diabetics

[mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Lora Leggett

Sent: Friday, June 24, 2011 9:50 AM

To: blind-diabetics

Subject: Re: my story??? might be a bit long, sorry.

The meter has not come yet. I do have the manual now so did not know

anything about control solutions and practice tests.

I do not think I would want to do more than one because they only give ten

test strips with it I think. I nheed to get ahold of more of them right

away.

my story??? might be abit long, sorry.

>

>> i've been reading thru the latest posts here. some are sad because of the

>> fear or denial or hopelessness. and sad that so many don't know how to

>> get

>

>> the supplies they need and i know some can't afford these things on their

>> own and need help with that . the system is a nightmare sometimes and you

>> have to keep hounding some of these agencies to get the help you need,

>> etc. thank the great spirit above for a list like this, with folks who've

>> been there, done that and are willing to help with advice and support.

>> some remind me of back when i finally got more serious about checking my

>> blood and trying to keep it in line. of course that didn't happen until i

>> woke up totally blind one day. that got my attention. but even with that,

>> i didn't believe it was serious and certainly not from the diabetes.

>>

>> when i was a child and color tv's first came out, us kids would sit as

>> close as possible, i can still hear grandmother telling us not to sit too

>> close or the rays would come out of the tv and burn our eyes, so we'd be

>> blind for however long it took to heal. hahaha i never forgot that. and

>> as

>

>> it turned out, the night before i woke up blind we had a house full of

>> company and were watching movies. the room was full so i was sitting very

>> close to the screen. the next morning i woke up blind. my first thought

>> of

>

>> course was that grandmother had been right. lol so other than irritation

>> at this nuisance, i wasn't shocked or afraid and in fact refused to go to

>> the doc; telling everyone there was nothing wrong and my eyes would heal

>> themselves in a week or so. the third day i was taken into see an

>> optomatrist who said i had diabetic retinopathy and he referred me to an

>> opthalmologist. i told him grandmothers story. he assured me that is an

>> old wives tale and also assured me that if i didn't keep the appointment,

>> that he or one of his staff would personally come get me and take me

>> there. so i went. there i began a year long battle to get and keep some

>> eyesight. i thank the great spirit for those doctors.

>>

>> fast forward to about a year later. i was put on insulin. the nurse came

>> to my house to show me how to do it. while we were talking she told me a

>> true story about a man who took the same kind of insulin as i had been

>> prescribed. a story i'll never forget. the man went out rabbit hunting

>> one

>

>> day. he'd taken his shot and eaten one meal, went hunting, but forgot to

>> take his sandwich with him, it was in the truck. he was too far away when

>> he had an insulin reaction and passed out. search and rescue was in the

>> area because it was winter. they saw him laying there, went over saw his

>> bracelet and knew he needed sugar. but his jaws were locked, so they

>> radioed the hospital for instructions. the doctor asked if by chance any

>> of them happened to have a honey bear. yes one did. as strange as this

>> might sound, don't ask questions, just do what i say. take his pants down

>> and inject the honey rectally. they did and he came around quickly. tg!

>> now, what i found so hilarius about this was imagining that poor man

>> coming out of unconciousness with his pants down and three strange men

>> bent over him with a honey bear up his booty. its a wonder he didn't have

>> a heart attack. i'm sorry but i laughed til i cried. i was still laughing

>> when my boyfriend came home from work. he asked what was so funny and i

>> told him the story. big eyed he started out the door. come on he said

>> urgently. where i asked. to the store to get honey bears, i'll keep one

>> in

>

>> each vehicle, one for the house and one for your purse. we have to be

>> prepared. hahaha o m g! the idiot told all our friends to make sure they

>> had honey bears on hand just in case. lolol fast forward to a week or so

>> later. we were in the period of figuring the right dosage for me and as

>> it

>

>> turned out it was too much. anyway, i had an appointment with good old

>> social security that morning and had spent all week filling out forms and

>> was intently double checking everything before my paratransit bus

>> arrived.

>

>> i had taken my shot and eaten my first meal then sat down to go over the

>> paperwork. by that time i had a few pinholes of blurry vision so trying

>> to

>

>> read anything with my little handheld was an intense undertaking. it was

>> also my very first time of using a bus service. anyway, i forgot to eat

>> the second meal. suddenly this weird feeling started coming up from my

>> feet. i got weak. then it dawned on me what was happening. a hunger came

>> over me like i'd never felt. i knew i needed sugar. fast. i chugged a

>> real

>

>> pepsi of harves and checked my blood. 47. i leaned against the counter to

>> hold myself up, etermined not to go down and spied a peach pie i'd made

>> for harve. i was almost jerking at that point and thinking the pepsi

>> hadn't worked. no time for manners i just dug my hand into the pie and

>> started shoveling it in. peaches and crust all over my face and blouse.

>> and a knock on the door! hahaha by god i couldn't miss that appointment.

>> i

>

>> made it over to the door and opened it. the poor man stumbled backwards

>> with a horified look. i was able to say " don't be scared. don't move! do

>> not leave! i'll be right out. " i washed peach pie off my face and changed

>> shirts. he helped me into the van probably thinking he'd be dropping me

>> off at the e r. but finally i started coming back and got some strength

>> and made my precious appointment. he's dead now but he never forgot our

>> first meeting. hahahaha but the moral of this particular story is: like

>> dave says if your sugar drops, you honestly don't have to eat a five

>> gallon bucket of whatever you can shovel into your mouth, all you're

>> doing

>

>> then is causing it to skyrocket. took me awhile to understand that.

>> everyone here has said every diabetic is different and thats so true.

>> you'll figure out what works for you.

>> also, it really doesn't have to be without humor. we're all human and

>> sometimes we slip. there is quality life with diabetes. anyway, hope i

>> haven't put anyone to sleep and thanks again for the list.

>>

>> cheryl

>>

>>