Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Eleven Years And Counting


Some months back I found the ultrasound above in a pile of photos somewhere. I wanted to post it in November to mark the 10th anniversary of my diagnosis with type 1 diabetes. Then I noticed that the date on this was May of '97. This scan was taken several months after the diagnosis because I was having trouble keeping food down. I know that I was originally diagnosed in November, because there was some concern over whether I would be out of the hospital in time for Thanksgiving or not. Turns out that I was out in plenty of time, but it took years before I was able to enjoy a holiday centered around food again. But I guess the real point of the story is that I missed my tenth anniversary, and this is the eleventh year I've survived. Anyhow, I saved the scan above because I always thought it odd that they found a little, distorted Playboy bunny deep in my liver. Imagine that...
I hope everybody out there has a great Thanksgiving, and realize that we all have something to be thankful for.

4 comments:

  1. Hey, Ernie, I'm glad you are still doing well after all these years. And not everyone can say they have a Playboy bunny inside 'em.

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  2. I appreciate your honesty--you could easily have backdated this post to May.

    Medical anniversaries are easy to forget--they cry out to be overlooked, I think. What I want to know is why you're suggesting something as subversive as being thankful at Thanksgiving! Where's your sense of ironic angst, or whatever we hip folk are supposed to be expressing this time of year?

    Seriously, an inspiring post. Thanks. And are you sure that's not an anteater?

    Lee

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  3. Ernie, you have to be very careful with diabetes and adhere stringently to special diets and medication. If you do this it can be controlled and nothing untoward should happen.

    I wish you the best of health, take good care of yourself and have a happy Thanksgiving.

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  4. Well, I was just diagnosed two weeks ago, so this is my first holiday season with it. I know what you mean about enjoying the food. I have a love/hate relationship going on with it.

    In a way, it made me really happy, because I thought I had gallstones, or something worse. I felt really crappy for a long time. But since I've been on restrictions, I've felt pretty good.

    My ultrasound showed a THIRD KIDNEY. That weirded me out a bit!

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