Thursday 11th August 2016.
Up at 6 o’clock! What, I thought she got up early on her days off but this is the middle of the night! She sets off for work at 8 and needs her breakfast to err “leave” her before then. Ah.. gotcha! After breakfast, two eggs on one slice of Burgen, she only has 1 unit of NovoRapid as one slice of Burgen is only 11 grms of carbs and we have a 3 mile walk to work. What! I’ve got blisters on my blisters! She does this come rain or shine and has done for getting on 20 years. She hates waiting for buses and her and Mr Eggy are a one car family and his car parking is free, whereas she would have to pay £5 a day! It’s her thinking time she said and it helps keep her BGs down. It’s a 50 minute walk normally but as she is doing 1 million steps for Diabetes UK, she is setting off 30 minutes earlier and going the long way round! Oh no, someone please rescue me!
We arrive at her place of work at 8.50am after a Tour De Carlisle, although it was pouring with rain Eggy still insisted on going the long way, it was interesting though, she took me to Carlisle Castle. Mary Queen of Scots was held in the dungeons there.
Then we went under the subway where the Millenium Stone is, some locals think it has cursed the City, as Carlisle has been flooded, really badly, in the last 10 years. It is still recovering 9 months on. She made me sit on it , I hope it hasn’t cursed me, Eggy said it hasn’t, only she is allowed to do that!
She’s always first in, she switches on all the computers, uncovers the optical equipment and the most important task, puts on the kettle, gotta have a cuppa before you start, she says. The practice is an independent one, with one optometrist, two dispensing opticians, who job share, and two receptionists, who also job share. Today the locum is in, as the owner/optom is on holiday. It is a very busy practice and they are always busy, so I am not to get in the way!
Busy morning with patients, none of whom are diabetic. They do get a lot of diabetic patients, Type 2 in the main, and usually over 50. They are entitled to a free eye test once a year, regardless of age or type and unlike the free prescription rule, they don’t need to be on medication to qualify, they have to give their GP details though as the NHS can check. This is because diabetes can affect your eyes if BGs run constantly high, a good optom can pick up on these sort of things and refer the patient to the relevant medical departments. So it is VERY important to keep up with your check ups at the opticians aswell as the annual retinal screening offered by the NHS.
Eggy and I go for dinner at 12 o’clock, I thought she might take me to the local hostelry next door, but oh no, those damned walking shoes are on again and off we go! 45 minutes pounding the city streets, when we got back she checked her FitBit and she had done 13,500 steps so far today. It’s blooming good, I must admit. A tuna sandwich and packet of cheese and onion for dinner, she bolused 4 units, that should do it, she said. When the optometrist is on his break, Eggy lets me have a look in the room where it all goes on.
I sit in the seat, I keep expecting Magnus Magnusson to pop in and ask me a question!
We have a quieter afternoon as they aren’t testing, so I just mess about really, reading some literature about how diabetes can affect the eyes and generally trying on the specs. Got my eye on a natty pair of RayBans. About 3ish Eggy feels her eyes going blurry and feels thirsty and tired, checks BGs over 10! She started on 5.5! What’s going on she demands, I really couldn’t tell her, she’s fed up, but it’s all a learning curve. No crisps tomorrow!
5.30pm, time to go home, it’s our last evening together! Ahhh!! I’m filling up! After tea we sit on the sofa and Eggy asks me what I have learnt whilst staying with her. Well, I tell her she is an absolute walking machine and Mr Eggy talks to his grapes every morning. Apparently she meant regarding diabetes. Here goes, not all diabetic people are the same, have I mentioned Eggy is a weird one! The pancreas does a lot more than produce insulin (or not in some cases), that you can lead a perfectly normal and full life with only a little bit of pancreas, Eggy is testament to that. It is very important to look after your feet and your eyes when you’re a person with diabetes. Don’t drink too much Devil’s Juice. Exercise is important to help keep you healthy and your BGs stable (ish). Education is the key, never stop learning about your diabetes, ask questions, try different ways and means, and most importantly never give up.
Now where am I off to? I hope it’s somewhere warmer and dryer than Cumbria! Eggy said that’s why it’s so green up here and we have lakes. Fair enough! Bye and thanks Eggy, even though I have blisters on my blisters on my blisters! DF xx
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