I was at school all day today. From 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM. And my blood sugar was high for most of the day. So I just wanted to curl up under my electric blanket and nap the day away and occasionally surface into reality to down some water. But, that was not what happened.
Instead I had to sit through class after class after class after class while drinking water and subsequently trotting off to the restroom much more than usual. And I fought constant fatigue that had my head bobbing throughout most of pharmacology. I really have no idea what we talked about today. I also spent most of the day extremely crabby and just wanting to not talk to anyone.
So, I sat down in the lobby of our main building to just breathe for a second. I got out my binder for my next class, opened up to the next power point and propped my feet up. Then I fell asleep. I don’t know how long I was out but the next thing I knew my classmate “M” was sitting next to me repeatedly hitting me to wake me up. Seriously. What is wrong with you, M? Why would you do that? I was obviously enjoying my nap. Why ruin it for me?
“Hey, Kay. Why aren’t you sitting with our pharm group? We’re studying for the test next week.”
Oh my gosh. Why are you waking me up. I hate you right now. I’m high and I just want to sleep and be alone. Quit touching me. Leave me alone!
“Oh, hey, M. I’m just kind of tired. I don’t want to study yet. I’ll start studying this weekend. I just kind of want alone time right now. Nothing wrong, just want to be alone.”
“Come on, don’t be a loner. Come study with us!”
Leave me the eff alone. I don’t want to study with you. In fact I don’t even want to see your face right now. Just go away.
“It’s really OK, M. My blood sugar is actually high right now so I don’t really feel like talking with anyone. I just kind of want to be left alone. I’m crabby and tired. And I’m thirsty so I’m going to go get a Diet Coke. It’s nothing against you guys but I just want to be left alone.”
“Oh, what’s your blood sugar right now?”
“276.”
“Do you need your medicine?”
Um, my insulin? Don’t you remember anything that we were just tested on? We went over this stuff as a class for a week and just had a test over it yesterday. How do you not understand this basic stuff yet? What is wrong with you? I’m going to guess that you failed that test.
“I gave myself a correction bolus to bring it down but it’s been high all day so I don’t really know what’s going on. But I just want to be left alone.”
“Do you need to go home? That’s a really high number. I can take notes for you and B can take notes in your last class of the day.”
“Thanks, that’s really nice of you but I can’t just take the day off every time I have a high. That’s not realistic. I just have to deal with feeling like crap for a while.”
“Oh, OK. But at least highs aren’t as bad as lows.”
OK, I’m sure of it. You failed that test.
“Um, no. They’re both bad. Sustained highs can lead to deadly complications. All those complications we studied for the test? Yeah, those are all real and very scary to me. Those are my reality. Lows can be immediately dangerous but it’s the highs that add up in the long run. Reading about going blind or losing a limb is just reading to you. It’s complete and total reality for me. It could happen. I’m going to go get some Diet Coke now. I’ll talk to you in class later.”
“Hmmm, OK. I’ll see you in class I guess.”
Wow, did that conversation really just happen? We just took a test over this. Aren’t you supposed to know some of this by now? Oh. My. God. Definitely time for a Diet Coke. I sure am thirsty. Really? Did that just happen? Really?
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