Last week wasn’t so great. I was feeling a bit lonely, unaccomplished and bored at work despite being quite busy, and the watercolor class I am taking has proven to be very frustrating. There are a few reasons for this. My classmates and I sit at shared tables. Thursday night, I shared my table with a guy who must have bumped the table, shaking my work, at least eight times. It was rather annoying. I am not a patient person, and taking a class that starts at 7:45PM and requires patience seemed like a good idea when I signed up.
I have learned otherwise.
Friday night, mom and I got together for dinner before going to see a show my friend Dori directed for Flat Earth Theater. Mom and I were sitting at a small corner table enjoying our meal when a young couple sat down at the table next to us. I noticed immediately that she took out a glucometer, put it in her lap, pulled out a lancet and tried to draw blood from her finger to check her sugar levels.
She was one of my people – a fellow diabetic. I cringed as I watched her flinch and try to squeeze blood from her finger. I didn’t want to embarrass her by calling attention, but after stalling for a short moment, debating whether or not I should say something, I did. It felt too important.
“Excuse me” I said quietly, “I’m sorry to interrupt, but” I lifted my hand and pointed at the heel of my palm “Use you palm” I advised.
“What!?” she said, not because she didn’t understand me, but because this idea seemed to be a very small version of a light at the end of a tunnel.
“I haven’t pricked my finger for blood in years. The palm of your hand draws the same blood and it doesn’t hurt at all”
She marveled at this while I showed her my lancet, and how it’s designed to make this type of blood draw possible. We commiserated about the pain of using our fingertips, and she asked if I had a pump. Yes, I told her, but I was hoping to upgrade to the minimed closed loop system. “My cousin got that one” she told me “and he said it’s a total game changer” She herself uses an Omnipod, which is quite different from my pump.
“You’ve completely blown my mind” she smiled at me over the tip I’d just shared.
Week redeemed.
BEAN'S BABBLETORIUM 