I was at the grocery store today and was going down the frozen food section. This store was having a sale on Smart Ones entrees which I use to keep my diet in line with the recommendations of my medical providers. I had a bunch of them on top of the pile in my cart, and then a somewhat haggard looking fellow asked me, "Are you diabetic?" I kind of wondered how he would even suspect that I was but as never considered it a big secret I said that I was. Seeing the Smart Ones entrees was the clue. He then told me that he was diabetic and he related some of his medical issues that led to his severe diabetes. His grown daughter was with him and from talking with both of them I learned that while he had made some considerable progress in lowering his A1C readings they were still very high. He was using some whiz bang kind of device that reported to their cell phones in tracking his blood sugar but eventually I got the impression that he was feeling alone and overwhelmed in trying to take care of himself going forward.
I told him that I had been diagnosed with full bore diabetes 8 or 9 years ago. I took one day to commiserate and then decided that I had to take care of myself so as not to suffer the consequences that my one aunt had. I'm rather old school in my regimen. I told him how I kept glucometers in each car and in my carryon bag so that wherever I was I could check my blood sugar. And I told them about how I had grid sheets that after checking my sugar throughout the day I could fill the reading in the block for the appropriate day and time of day and have a record that could reviewed for a week or two at a glance. I ended up pulling forward a lot of my experience in having diabetes.
His daughter asked if there was some way I could send them a blank copy of my grid sheets. At first my Ludditeness made me think I couldn't do it, but then I realized that I could take a picture of one with my phone and send the picture. Hopefully they would be able to find some way to print them.
They were impressed that at my age I had been dealing with my diabetes for a number of years. It turned out this gentlemen was several years younger than me and he was looking rather beat. He has a medical appointment coming up and maybe after that he won't feel so overwhelmed.
I think this gentleman was really looking for someone he could talk to and not feel so alone in dealing with his diabetes. We exchanged cell phone numbers so I'll send the picture of my grid sheet and check in on him every so often.
I told him that I had been diagnosed with full bore diabetes 8 or 9 years ago. I took one day to commiserate and then decided that I had to take care of myself so as not to suffer the consequences that my one aunt had. I'm rather old school in my regimen. I told him how I kept glucometers in each car and in my carryon bag so that wherever I was I could check my blood sugar. And I told them about how I had grid sheets that after checking my sugar throughout the day I could fill the reading in the block for the appropriate day and time of day and have a record that could reviewed for a week or two at a glance. I ended up pulling forward a lot of my experience in having diabetes.
His daughter asked if there was some way I could send them a blank copy of my grid sheets. At first my Ludditeness made me think I couldn't do it, but then I realized that I could take a picture of one with my phone and send the picture. Hopefully they would be able to find some way to print them.
They were impressed that at my age I had been dealing with my diabetes for a number of years. It turned out this gentlemen was several years younger than me and he was looking rather beat. He has a medical appointment coming up and maybe after that he won't feel so overwhelmed.
I think this gentleman was really looking for someone he could talk to and not feel so alone in dealing with his diabetes. We exchanged cell phone numbers so I'll send the picture of my grid sheet and check in on him every so often.
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...Ben
