Five things only a person with diabetes knows

There is a great little graphic floating around from Healthline.com titled the 29 things only a diabetic knows. I laughed so hard as I read it I nearly cried. I hope you go check it out at.  So naturally that got me to thinking, what are the five things this diabetic knows that I bet only a diabetic would know (and maybe only this diabetic knows). So here is my list of five things:

5. The true meaning of 40.

Yes many people think 40 is 8 x 5 or 4 x 10. Hogwash if we were in school and someone yells 40 the rest of the class might do multiplication. We do crackers. Now I know the number thing works as well, but someone says 40 anywhere I am thinking Milkshake, Butterscotch, sweet Lemonade. Trust me we have a better understanding of the relation of food to numbers than anyone in this entire world. Take three engineers one says 24 and two think valves, the other one thinks ambulance. Say 250 and people think of CC, we think of coverage. Only a person with diabetes thinks of food for almost every number recited.

4. Rambling man.

We know that if you say that phrase and most people think of the Allman Brothers. Not a diabetic, we think of a low at the grocery store or Target. Rambling man describes me perfectly as I meander around the store looking for food or my wife or the checkout stand. I know one time this woman said are you ok I was dripping in sweat and walking around eating Frosted flakes out of the box. My response, oh yeah of course, you bet I am ok, me and Tony the Tiger are just going to walk around here all morning while I put half hand fulls in my mouth and drop half on the floor. Sure we are great no problem.  Oh Police? No wait man me and Tony are doing fine. You know Tony he is a big star on Saturday morning. We are GREAAAAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3. Banana Butt

Say Banana Butt to most folks they have no idea what you are talking about. Say it at my house it means the morning ritual when the dog and I stand gaping at my wife as she peels her banana both of us wanting the ends she breaks off. Me I can’t eat a whole Banana it drives my blood sugar crazy, the dog, she can’t have one because no one will give her one and she don’t have thumbs to peel her own banana. So to me the diabetic it means morning competition with the dog. Who will win? Give me that butt baby, see it means something entirely different to non-diabetics.

2. Metformin

To the average person that word might mean the new guy at the plant who wears a tie with the name Amet something, or maybe someone in NYC who bosses a bunch of opera singers around. Maybe it is the new manager of the New York Mets?

But we know the truth. Metformin means a monthly trip to the pharmacy, a $5.00, $10.00, $20.00 or maybe a $30.00 copay. It means that stupid pill we have to cut every morning, it means something else we can eat and maybe get filled up, it means food restrictions, something to keep away from the kids and dog.

Metformin means doctor visits, Blood sugars, testing and test strips. It means remembering that day long ago when we thought it meant the new boss of the New York Mets.

1. High

Yeah, well enough said, what they think is not even close. She is high, he went high, she looks high, he acts high. Yeah totally different meaning.

-30-

rick

 Originally published August 26, 2914 TUDiabetes