When the Unexpected Happens

I had planned to write on Christmas day but that was the day I ran out of long term insulin and became very sick.  I spent New Year's Day in the ER for seven hours hooked up to an IV.

To make a very long story short, I have been getting both of my insulins through a special program at my clinic.  Previous to both COVID and a change in staff at the clinic, I received my insulin like clock work.

First COVID arrived and the long term insulin I did use became unavailable because it came from another country.  So, they changed me to another insulin that was made in America and everything was fine for awhile.  Since late Summer, problems began to arise and that resulted in running out of long term insulin.

On New Year's Day, I awoke with my blood sugar over 500 and that meant I needed immediate attention.  The medical staff in the ER were wonderful and they were able to send me home with a vial of Lantus (a long term insulin I have never used) only because I had saved the syringes left over from when I switched to insulin pens. Sometimes holding on to items in case of an emergency pays off.

I had a scheduled appointment with my doctor, who is semi-retired, on Tuesday and told him everything that has been going on.  He is working on finding out why this is happening, whether it is their employees at fault or the drug company (or a combination of both).  He is also working on getting me more long term insulin.

I was so sick that I couldn't even sit at the desk to write.  So, I am sorry that I haven't checked in at all.  I'm half way through the vial of Lantus from the hospital and praying my doctor can find where that last shipment of my long term insulin was lost.

There is nothing like going through a crisis to improve your prayer life.  I am feeling sick but the Lantus has stabilized my blood sugar so it is no longer spiking. Whenever something like this happens, it reminds me that God created our bodies to work beautifully.  When one organ stops working (as in Type 1 diabetes, which affects the pancreas and then the thyroid), life becomes complicated.

Before this happened, we had the extreme cold and winds come through.  Our meteorologist reported that the system was very similar to what caused the Blizzard of 1978, only with much less snow (thank God!).

My son and his family were able to come for our Christmas Eve celebration.  I kept telling him to be safe and he reminded me his car is a 4 x 4.  We had a wonderful time together and I am so thankful we had this time together before I became so ill.

This particular trial is still waiting for an end to it.  My hope is that I get a call today or tomorrow that they have insulin for me.  I may decide to purchase prescription insurance and pay the ridiculous co-pays for insulin.  Unless one is a diabetic, they have no idea how expensive long term insulin can be.  The program at the clinic saved me a great deal.

I won't be able to write a long post about my reading last year but I can share my favorite book of 2022 and my most recent book that I enjoyed.  My favorite book was The Last Bookshop in London.  It was one of the best novels I have read in a long time.  It is such a good reminder of what people living in London went through during WWII and how books help us through hard times.

I had purchased Lilibet the Brave: The Unusual Childhood of an Unlikely Queen for Piper's Christmas but even though I had preordered it, the book would not be shipped until after Christmas.  So, I ordered her another book and I kept this for later.

I follow Katy Rose, the author and illustrator, on Instagram but she is also a friend of people I care about.  They had given the book great reviews.  It written for children so the biography of the queen as a child through when she becomes queen is very simple but informative.  The illustrations are rather old fashioned, much like the era when the queen was a child.

It is a beautiful, simple story about how a child was raised with morals and ethics in such a way that while she was not suppose to ever be the queen, she was prepared for her role and stepped into it with grace.  I'm saving the book for Piper's birthday but I will read it again prior to Summer.

I had planned to catch up on Christmas cards and thank you letters during this time but that became impossible.  I do still hope to get back in touch with friends but in the meantime, thank you to everyone who made Christmas special (and friends who have been so giving for many years).

I will be popping in now and then with new blog posts, although probably not on weekends.  Sometimes a Sunday style of post, other times a Pantry post.  I'm still writing, just not on a regular schedule now.  Think of me as your neighbor who pops in once in awhile for morning coffee or afternoon tea.  ;)

Mentioned in this Blog Post

The Last Bookshop in London is available... here.

Lilibet the Brave: The Unusual Childhood of an Unlikely Queen is available... here.

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