Tuesday, July 28, 2009

I'm Sick of Pricks.

My fingertips hate me. They do. I check my blood sugar every time I eat, every time I snack, every time I drink something other than water, every time I feel ‘off’. On average, about 10 times per day. So, let’s see…..10 times a day for 23 years. That’s almost 2 million pricks. Wow. Sounds very much like my dating life. haha! I should change my name to Lance Alot.

I live in Las Vegas, the gaming industry of the world, and most jobs are in a casino. To work for a casino, you must have a Sheriffs Card. A Sheriffs Card is mandatory if you work where there is liquor &/or gaming. Well, I needed one and that meant I had to get finger printed. I strolled into the Police Department with $45 in hand, ready to go. The employee inked my tips and away he went controlling my hands. When he was finished, he looked at my finger prints and said ‘Diabetic?’ I said ‘Yea. Why?’ He showed me my prints and there were little black holes everywhere. He then said ‘You should never think about committing a crime because you’d be too easy to identify.’ I replied ‘Whew. Thanks. I guess I will call off the bank heist.’ Der. What that entire waste of my time taught me was that I have permanently altered my finger prints in the name of life and to stay clean. Excellent.

Along with having jacked up finger prints, I also have lost some feeling in my fingertips. Not completely and not due to nerve damage, just due to scar tissue. I can hold hot plates a little longer than you but will eventually feel the heat. Sometimes I use my fingertips to do stupid human tricks. ::cue in circus music:::

‘Hey, Amanda! Watch me hold this plate!’

Or when I squeeze my finger in an attempt to get blood and several random holes start bleeding. Sometimes I can make blood pictures.

‘Hey, Amanda! Look! A smiley face!’

The good times never end at my house. Ever since I started using Dex, the feeling in my tips has come back a little. The good thing is that 23 years of pricking can be healed. The bad thing is that it hurts like a mofo to check my bs!















(Eff you, Diabetes)

I go for my annual eye checkup this Friday. This is a very important part of diabetes care. Must check eyes. Annually. I have always had good vision. However, when I started on the insulin pump, my dr. saw shades of glaucoma. Yikes!! He said that it was sometimes a side effect and that it should go away after my body adjusted to Cosmo. It did. He looked last time I was there and said things were good. I will find out officially in a few days. So, here is my PSA.

Glaucoma is a disease that affects the optic nerve and you gradually lose your vision. In fact, Glaucoma is the 2nd leading cause of blindness. It silently steals your sight. Diabetic Retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness and both Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetics are at risk. The longer you have Diabetes, the more likely you are to get Retinopathy. It’s that simple. Yay! Another fabu thing to look forward to. I will no longer complain about wrinkles! I swear if I don’t continue to laugh in the face of Diabetes, I would constantly burst into tears. Laughter is much more fun.

Bottom line, if you haven’t had your vision checked this year, call and make an appointment. Don’t wait for symptoms. Have a dilated exam every year starting now. I’ll remind you again next year to make another appointment.

Oh, here is a fabu video that I found during a day of boredom. Anyone who is the parent of a Type 1 Diabetic should relate. Enjoy.




*Peace.

2 comments:

  1. I've met the Type 1 Mom song ladies and they are as fabulous in person as they are in this video.

    Good to know about the fingerprints. I'll be sure to avoid any crimes in the future - at least until I get a Dexcom :)

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  2. I see your photo of pricking your finger on the fleshy part. Do you also use the sides and back of your fingers, by the nails? Not quite so painful.

    BTW -- great blog you have here.

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