If you are a diabetic, the most important thing to remember is that you obtain and keep up a regular supply of diabetic testing equipment, which must be used on a very regular basis to be effective.  You can order these supplies from a local vendor or get them through your physician.  Using glucose monitoring testing strips only one time is the rule as to avoid cross contamination of the testing results. Being hygienic under any circumstances can become costly. But being hygienic can also be a medical necessity. This extra step of using a new strip each time is what may save your life, and add quality to it. Your diabetic medications are essential, and costly. But, that is not the only thing that is essential. The glucose testing monitor, and the testing strips that go along with it are your lifeblood to leading a better and healthier lifestyle.   These small, monitors are great at keeping you and your physician aware of what is going on with your glucose blood levels.  It is important to be able to always know what the levels of sugar are that are circulating freely in your bloodstream. It is those freely moving sugars which don't get drawn up by the cells for use that are the cause of Diabetes.

I was able to help my parents out with a few errands today. They've been so busy lately, so I offered to pick up the free diabetic products that they wanted to get from the physician's office. I haven't been to her office in such a long while so I'm glad I was able to find it again. I did something kind of fun afterward. I decided to drive around in some of the neighborhoods and check out some of the houses. There's this really nice area where all they have are homes that are worth at least a half a million dollars. It was incredible. As I was driving around and taking it all in, I was thinking about what it takes to be able to acquire something like that. I found myself being really curious about the homeowners' lives and what they do for a living. I secretly wish I could knock on all of their doors or ring all of their doorbells and have a very nice, long and detailed conversation about it. I really want to know what it takes. I think the whole thing kind of inspired me to want to read some books about portfolios and wealth management. I know with me, there's definitely room for improvement in that area.

I spent the better part of the day helping my dad sort through some of my grandma's medical records. There were several stacks of papers that needed to be organized and I couldn't help but notice the checklist of conditions that she needed to monitor. I never knew she was a diabetic. I never would've guessed because she has never complained about it once. I don't really think about things like that. I guess it's easy to take your good health for granted sometimes. I started asking him questions about when she knew and if he thought anyone else in the family would get it. It was a pretty interesting conversation. Then we started talking about other people in the family who are dealing with different health challenges right now. My sister's husband just got finished with back surgery, my aunt had knee surgery and I learned that my uncle always had pretty severe stomach problems. I guess everyone has their own challenges. Fortunately most of us are in good health. All the talk about various family members and friends being sick or needing surgery or having different conditions made me realize how much I appreciate my own good health and how I want to do my part to keep it that way!

I spent most of my day sorting through some mail. It's not really how I planned on spending my Saturday, but I got somewhat distracted by the growing pile of clutter. I've been so busy lately and I didn't realize how much had accumulated. I just sort of threw everything into a bin that I have on the dining room table for now. The first package I opened put me in a good mood because it was an offer for some free diabetic products. It's nice to get free offers for stuff I actually use! I figure all the money I saved from that offer can go toward all the bills I didn't want to open until today. My phone bill wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was worried because I started talking to a guy who lives downtown. We've had some really long conversations. I haven't really told too many people about it. My best friend knows I'm talking to him and that's about it. We exchanged numbers just before he dropped out of night school. I guess things got too hectic for him with trying to manage work and school. I did have my eye on him since the very first day of class so I'm glad he asked for my phone number. I would've been disappointed if he left without asking since we seemed to hit it off right away. So far we've never met outside of a classroom setting, but we've been talking about how we should. I think we're both nervous about the idea since it's been a long time since we had the class together, but we'll see!

I know the importance of diabetic treatment.  I know I should be taking insulin shots every day and I do.  I never forget.  I don’t think I’d be allowed to forget.  I’d get sick and weak.  I also know I shouldn’t drink so much, but I’d rather go out and be around people than sit home alone in my apartment.  More importantly, I know I shouldn’t drink and go with my friends up to one of their cabins by the lake when I should be going to work the next week.  I shouldn’t keep drinking and staying in a drunken fog that I only half-remember.  I shouldn’t drink a bottle of whiskey and then go water-skiing.  I shouldn’t promise everyone we’ll go skydiving in the spring and that I’ll pay for the whole thing.  Certainly, I should remember where my pants are and not just walk around in my underwear like everything’s all right.  And I really, really shouldn’t drunk dial my ex-girlfriend with my cell phone and admit that I still love her and that she hurt me so badly I locked her little dog in a garbage can and ran away.  The police showed up at my front door for that one. 

The quest for diabetic supplies is a small quest really.  We at the support group bought our supplies either online or at the local drugstores.  We found that the prices were pretty much the same regardless of where we bought them.  I bought mine both online and at the drugstore.  Usually I bought mine at the locally owned store, and spent a few moments talking with the Woldt's.  I like the Woldt's.  Their family had owned the store since 1895.  I always managed to find a few more things to buy in the store besides the supplies.  There was always something I needed so I never walked out of there empty-handed.  Jim came down to the store every so often too.  He was more for buying the supplies online.  Jim was going to the ball game one afternoon and asked me if I wanted to go along, and I said that I'd be glad to go.  I had some free time to kill, and it sounded like a good way to do it.  But first I wanted to stop home and deliver all the supplies and put them away.  I just didn't want them cluttering up my car.

Were I ever diagnosed with diabetes, I wouldn’t have to worry about any diabetes glucose options.  Why, you ask?  Well, it’s quite simple.  I’ve been eating loads and loads of sugar for years and I’ve got more than enough to fill in for any glucose.  I’ll admit to not really knowing what diabetes is or what causes it and that I only glanced over a few wikipedia entries about it, but I’d say I’ve got the gist of the whole thing.  I eat a chocolate bar with every meal and I won’t eat breakfast without a sugarcoated cereal.  I love Fruit Loops the best personally.  When I want an in-between meals snack I eat a few spoonfuls of powdered sugar.  When I’m thirsty, I opt for nothing less than a can of Pepsi Cola.  Normally, I drain 6 of those things in a single day.  But despite all that sugar intake, I still feel tired a lot.  I hate climbing up stairs.  Why does it have to be so hard?  And my heart’s starting to hurt.  Sometimes, it feels like someone’s pressing a drill up against it.  I probably shouldn’t be having so much trouble breathing either, but I think that’s just because of the change in weather. 

Anyway, Sally was very excited about her new source of diabetes supplies.  Once we got past the discussion of Mr. Callahan living in Frank Lloyd Wright house, Sally chimed right in about how she was getting supplies for a quarter of the price.  What was the catch, asked Mr. Callahan. No catch, said Sally.  All you had to do was pay a one time fee of $125 and you would be able to do it too.  In fact, Sally was now a distributor for the company.  We all looked at each other.  This was a multi level marketing scheme.  I couldn't believe it.  Well, I guess I could.  Multi level marketing was invading every aspect of consumer life.  Most of the time you just alienated your friends and family.  Sally announced this to our support group while the group leader was out talking to a staff member in the hall.  None of us wanted to participate, and Sally seemed hurt, but in order to keep the whole thing going you had to keep signing up new people.  I didn't like this, plus the idea that someone in the group would be making a profit off of the others wasn't so great either.  Nobody opted in.  Sally was upset and kind of sulked for the rest of the meeting.