MY TYPE-ONE DIABETES HAS ACTED
UP
In early 2012, my diabetes
caught up with me. My doctor put me through different tests, and she told me
that my kidneys are working at approximately only 48% of capacity. I had many
more tests and two more doctors to deal with. I love my doctor for many
reasons, one of which is that she is a woman. She and I know each other very
well, so when she told me the news, I could tell that she was worried.
I have always taken pretty
good care of myself, but not good enough, I guess. I am finding it hard to
follow what I must do medically while trying to keep up with the farmgrass
mowing and caring for our animals. God forbid if it should rain, which it is
doing right now, as it messes up my schedule and my writing.
My son will be upset when he
finds out that I did not tell him about my health problems. He has a full plate
of responsibilities. There is nothing he can do about my health, so why give
him more to worry about?
MORE MEDICAL CONCERNS
A series of medical visits has
begun. A few days ago, I had an ultrasound examination of my kidneys and
bladder. I write this as I am in the waiting room of a kidney specialist. I am
not sure what the outcome will be. The next doctor I’m going to see after this
is one who specializes in diabetes. I am guessing that I am in trouble. I know
I have to cope with this, but I don’t feel strong enough right now to deal with
another problem in my life.
Still, I have overcome other
major problems before.
MY DOCTOR DEPARTS
Yesterday I had my last
appointment with my doctor of over 20 years. She truly has kept me going many
times during those years. She knew right from the start that I was not going to
be an easy patient to work with, as I do not like most doctors.
I had not been to a doctor for
many years, so when I decided to get a check-up, all hell broke loose. It
turned out that I had a tumor that had to be taken out. I went for the normal
pre-operation tests, after which the nurse sent me home to pack my bag, as I
had to be admitted that day to begin what would be my life-long battle with
diabetes. Within five days they had my diabetes under control, and I was
operated on.
How I found my current doctor
shortly after this I don’t recall exactly. She has been my doctor ever since
then. We’ve had our ups and downs, but eventually I started not only to like
her but to respect her knowledge. As with most cases of diabetes, other things
started going wrong. She took care of each problem, and there have been many.
My latest problem has to do
with my kidney. My doctor knew I would not be happy going to another doctor for
this problem, but I also trust her judgment. When I asked her over and over why
she could not treat me, she talked to me as the trusted friend she had become
and told me that I had to go to a kidney specialist, because she could not
treat this problem.
Years ago, when Alan had a
physical for the fire company at a local hospital, the nurse told him that he
needed to go to see his doctor immediately, as she heard a problem with his
heart function. He went to his doctor at the time, and that doctor told him
there was no problem and for him to come back in a year. I did not feel
comfortable with that diagnosis, so I took him to my own doctor. Within 10
minutes she told him he needed to go to the Heart Center and get examined. It
turned out that he had two faulty heart valves. He now has two stainless steel
heart valves working in his heart, and he is still breathing, which I feel is
due to my doctor, my friend.
When I had my finger accident
at the apple-packing machine, which took a major part of my finger off, she
somehow managed to show up in the emergency room, leaving her practice to come
to comfort me. I did not expect her to do that! When Alan was having a stroke
in the middle of the night, I called her at home. She walked me through it all
as I took Alan to the hospital.
When they found Alan’s brain
tumor during the scans for his stroke, that neurosurgeon had many long
conversations with my doctor and made the statement to Alan and me that he was
very impressed with her knowledge. Alan went on to have brain surgery, and by
then I trusted my doctor for anything and everything. That is something I can’t
say has been true very often in my life.
Now my doctor is going on to
another chapter of her life, which will be at a Veterans Administration
hospital, one having no outpatient service, so she will not be able to treat
me. I tried not to let her know how devastated I am, but I surely will miss her
more than I can say! We promised each other that we will keep in touch, and I
truly hope that we do. My only solace in all of this is that she gave me the
name of her own doctor, which comforts me a bit.
We are serializing the memoir KIDNAPPED TWICE: Then Betrayed and Abused, by Mary E. Seaman and myself, which tells of her harsh childhood and the partial recovery she has made in the following half-century. Published by Outskirts Press, it is available in ebook and paperback formats from Outskirts, as well as amazon.com, bn.com, and other on-line booksellers.
My writing-editing-coaching site is http://writeyourbookwithme.com.
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