In which I finally order a bracelet...

I really thought I wasn't going to order one of these medical alert bracelets. They have really nice ones now - in a huge variety of styles and price points - so my fashion sense wasn't really the issue. I think it was more wanting to avoid such a clear-cut identifier - "HELLO, I HAVE DIABETES!"

And then something happened the other day that changed my mind.

I've already written about the heat we're now facing here in North Texas. So, the other day, we had plans with friends in the evening, so I knew I wouldn't be able to get in my evening walk. I opted for a late morning walk, thinking I'd get it in before the real heat of the day set in. Concerned about hydration, I drank extra water beforehand, and took water along with me. And, off I went, going on a new route to see a new park they're building nearby, knowing it would offer at least some shade.

The new park's entrance is almost exactly a mile away. I made it over there in a good pace, paused to snap a photo, and then turned right around to head home. I made it home in a good pace, too, and I really felt fine the entire time I was walking. Given that it was already so blessed hot and humid, I actually was surprised how good I was feeling.

I came home, stretched, drank more water, took my shower, and then...it happened. What I've been fearing, happened. I could feel my blood sugar level dropping, slipping away, like sand running through my fingers. It was dramatic. Pretty quickly, I was shaking like crazy - to the point where checking my glucose was difficult (huh...THAT'S a problem!). Sure enough, it had fallen into the "danger zone" - so out I went to the fridge to find some juice to chug. 

I sat on the couch, drinking my juice, feeling pretty crappy. I could feel a slight disorientation setting in - I knew where I was, and I knew my name, etc., but it was sort of like everything else I know was out of reach, somehow. 

Hubby came out to the living room, and here's the thing - to him, I was sitting on the couch, drinking juice. He had NO IDEA that I was struggling until I told him. We pretty quickly determined that it was lunch time, and he pretty quickly went to get us some sandwiches from the corner deli. And I sat and drank my juice.

I began to feel better, and even a bit more after I had a meal in me, but it still took a good couple of hours to feel as though my thoughts were back within reach. And even then, I still felt weak - like the wind had been knocked completely out of my sails. I stayed quiet that afternoon and did some reading I needed to do, and by the evening I felt much better.

But I have to say, this frightened me pretty well. Until then, my diabetes hasn't seemed particularly threatening. It's been a hassle and sometimes, a downright pain in the ass. It's completely affected how I view food and beverages, and what I choose to eat and drink. It's expensive, too - the supplies and meds really add up. But I haven't ever felt threatened, until the other day.

I began thinking, "Suppose this had happened on my walk and I wasn't able to use my phone?" I harkened back to the diabetes education nurse telling me I should order a medical alert bracelet. And so I found one I liked (similar to the one above), and ordered it that very day. (Side note: I started that process while I was still struggling to right myself, and could hardly even make the internet GO, let alone pick out a damn bracelet, if that is any indication to my state of mind!) 

I guess it comes down to claiming this new part of myself in yet another way - a way that can maybe save me in the future. I really hope it doesn't come to that, ever. But here is another way that I can take control of things and do something good for myself so that in an emergency, someone can easily tell that "HELLO, I HAVE DIABETES!"