Some Creative Therapy

Check out the new logo on the sidebar! I've joined a new diabetes community named Tu Diabetes. Someone described it as 'Like MySpace on insulin'... and there's a Flickr group for it with a challenge of "... write in your hand, a one-word feeling about being touched by diabetes and take a picture of yourself". I took 2 pics, which are shown below. When I did the second one, I thought what a neat idea for a logo for the Random Experiments blog, and so I created it. Took only a few minutes but I like it. The group on Flickr is "TuDiabetes.com" and really worth a look - there are some neat images and feelings there. It's a bit like PostSecret for diabetics. I found it very therapeutic and inspiring.

Here are my two entries:


Click on the images to view them on Flickr and read my descriptive text.

I saw the Gastro specialist last Friday, and am pleased to report that the polyp removed during the colonoscopy was benign. Yay! She had a few suggestions for adding fibre to my diet (since I take pain pills and these cause constipation), and then was curious why I haven't had a follow up blood test for my anemia. So she ordered one and tacked on the HBA1C test as well just to, in her words, get a bit of a snapshot. Good idea, I thought, mainly because it would be a good idea to find out if the anemia is any better or not. I suspect the 'or not' based on how I've been feeling, the constant infections and slow healing. I'll get the results of these tests hopefully tomorrow. I rang for them today but my GP had left for the day.

Last week I had a few days where the ribs just above where my wound is were hurting intensely. I thought maybe I'd cracked them again (these are in the same area as I kept breaking a few years ago - a result of having had radio thereapy). I kept heat on them for a couple of days, and after the weather cleared up, so did the pain. I think the ribs are sensitive to the weather, as if they were cracked again, I know it normally takes six weeks (for anyone not me) for them to heal.

One of the days I was using a heat pack (the type you boil for 10 minutes to liquefy it), I occidentally boiled the pan dry and wrecked the gel pack. Fortunately I didn't start a fire, and caught it in enough time that the pan was able to be saved. I've ordered two new gel packs and they should arrive tomorrow.

I've had a couple of good days in the last few weeks where I've probably over extended myself trying to catch up on things I haven't been able to do in awhile. So for the last two days I've started taking a nap around 3:30 for an hour or so. Hopefully this will help give my body some extra 'down time' so it can do the repairs for my side. It'd be nice. By the way, I've now had the hole in my side for 5 months now.

Next month I can get my prescription for my eye glasses updated -- last year the right eye was so vastly different they only gave me a half strength prescription, so this year I can get the proper prescription, and my eyes certainly have changed a bit. As this won't be covered at all by Medicare - they only pay for prescription glasses once every 2yrs - I have to pay for it myself. So today I was browsing online looking to get some pricing ideas and stumbled into Vision Direct Australia. Here's a link to the glasses I'll most likely be ordering. The frames are pink and quite similar to the pair I have now. Almost all of the things I planned on getting for the lenses (scratch and smudge proof coating, anti-reflective coating, and 100% UV Protection) are included in the price with the exception of transitions, which will only cost an additional $45 (instead of over $100). Total cost, including transitional and postage: AU$ 155.90 - considering the same would cost me well over $300-400, this is an excellent deal. They also accept PayPal, which is very very cool. And for those of you reading in the USA, they sell world wide and the shipping price is excellent.

Anyway, that's me. Rod is back at TAFE and we're back to keeping early morning hours again.