March 25 - anticipation

Well it's Friday, anticipation day, shot day. Not sure about anyone else, but Fridays used to be fun, happy days in my world - yay weekend. Do find now that the day is often focused on the injection coming up that night. Despite this being shot #8, despite the easy-to-use redipen, just really dislike doing these injections. Now, it is not abnormal to have an aversion to performing an act that you are aware is going to make you feel bad, so I rationalize that this is a normal aversion reaction. It's also proven to be helpful to read the great U.K. bloggers, many of whom have done their injection about 5 hrs prior to mine (gmt), and recognize that they've just gotten through it so, of course, I can too (thanks guys!). As well, I generally try to give myself a shake and say "Jeez Sue, you work in health care, pull out that work attitude and get the job done". Various coping strategies; ultimately there is no way I'm not going to do it and it just gets done. My husband's diabetic, type I, since he was a teenager, and is quite helpful re: good places to inject (i.e. "don't inject right on the midline, you get worse bruising", and "avoid a 6 cm radius around your naval, there are too many blood vessels"). He has to perform subcutaneous injections twice a day, every day, for the rest of his life and has been for almost 30 years already. My required once a week for six months slightly pales in comparison. However, there is a difference between insulin and interferon.

Shot aside, today is feeling good - better than yesterday. Yesterday started out with a bank appt that was scheduled for 1/2 hour and instead extended to almost 3 hrs. Was completely wiped by the end of it and, for all I know, may have signed to invest my precious rrsps in high risk swamp land ventures off the coast of South America. Actually didn't do anything so foolish (I don't think?), but did not take required water with me to the bank and was quite dehydrated by the end of it all. Also was then significantly late for work, instead of just a little late (afternoon by then), so called in to check how busy it was (not), and ended up taking rest of day off and using coveted vacation day. Even though we were not busy at work, always feel guilty about not going in when I am originally supposed to and this rarely happens in my world. Routine disrupted, feeling off kilter, and continued to not drink nearly enough water for the remainder of the day.... by evening was achy, miserable and shaky. Yikes, that was new and most unpleasant. Recognized lack of hydration and started to rehydrate, but could not achieve really good balance.

One great thing yesterday, J&A, our fabulous eldest son and equally fabulous daughter-in-law, dropped by in the evening, bearing gifts of "lush" skin cream for me: "Sympathy for the skin", which I swear is holding my skin together during treatment. A has been accepted into a graduate program at the University of Toronto (her second masters degree)! Just 2 weeks ago, J was accepted into a science program leading to a career in respiratory therapy! Congratulations to them both!!! They both work as well, so are going to be busy, busy beavers for years to come, but educated, motivated, fulfilled busy beavers! We are so excited for them!