Being Real

Let’s just be real for a few minutes. Cancer really sucks. Like really. Today was my pre-op appointment at the doctor office and then the pre admitting along with pre surgery testing at the hospital. My day has been long and my cup is oh, so empty.

            Logistically preparing for the surgery is rough, logistically preparing for this surgery with type 1 diabetes is a nightmare. I thought I would have to fast after midnight, like I have done previously for other surgeries, but learned today that this process will actually start the day before at noon. I will be a grumpy girl for sure! What does this mean for my diabetes? I will have to manage blood sugars with fruit juices and Gatorade… like a sick day… but I won’t be sick. I’ll. Be. Hungry.

I’ll also have to go through a bowel cleanse. I’m sure that you all wanted to know this, but I state this fact, because I HAD PLANS FOR SUNDAY NIGHT! I had church plans, guys. My last Sunday evening before surgery, with my small group, the 8^th grade girls I currently lead in Transit… we had plans! Plans, did I mention that? I have no time to be near a potty, I have things to do, girls to hang out with…I had plans… wahhh! Well, I guess my plans will change.

            The last thing I must mention about the day, is that no one knows the answer when you ask them, “How will you manage my diabetes while I am out cold on your operating table?”. They defer, and they defer, and well you see the pattern. I was finally able to carry on a 15 minute conversation with an anesthesiologist at the hospital via phone. See, when you enter the hospital on an insulin pump, you sign a form giving the right to someone else to manage your pump if you cannot, in other words, push all the right buttons. This, in my case, is my sweet hubs who is a pump-button-pushing-genius. Also, on this form, you are signing that you are fully aware no hospital staff will be in charge of your pump nor will they be pushing any buttons. So what does that mean? If you are unable (or your sweet hubs is unable) to be properly pushing buttons in the correct order, you will be at the mercy of the hospital staff. Woah! What? That means they will disconnect your pump and you go on shots with the insulin of their choice being Regular insulin ( an old school insulin used in the 90’s – a whole other blog).  So after previously mentioned convo with anesthesiologist, I was given the choice: Regular insulin during surgery or no surgery. This probably makes no sense to many of you, but in layman’s terms, I understood this as: regular insulin or cancer? Whatever… just give me the regular insulin if you must.

            It’s been a rough day for sure, but I still rejoice. I serve a BIG God that knows me, and His promises hold true in every day.