There is nothing else, really, that I can say for myself at this moment.
I am riveted to the image my mom emailed.
It’s the hospital bill from March, 1988.
It’s my diagnosis bill!!!
First: a four day stay cost $2,468.66. (Are you JOKING?!) What a steal of a deal.
Second: that includes TWO of those nasty potassium drinks, omg. Blech. I can’t believe that cost only $1.48. I’d pay a hundred times that to NOT drink it. Blech. Shudder.
Third: awww, my first blood checks!!! Each one cost $35.
Fourth: they charged for a diabetic start kit. What is that.
Fifth: awww, my first insulin shot!!! Regular. Aww.
Ooh: the diagnosis code they used? Diabetes, juvenile, uncontrolled. Yeah; I’ll say it was uncontrolled!!! I hadn’t been properly making insulin for months and months…
(This is the one and only time I will permit this “uncontrolled” diagnosis without a fight. For the record.)
Awww… and then my mom sent me a copy of a note my dad wrote to his coworkers after I got home. It’s sort of cute! And it sort of in hindsight tells me just how little he realized, a week after I was diagnosed, and how hands-off everyone foolishly used to be when it came to a type one diabetes diagnosis:
FYI,
Amy (age 10) was diagnosed as diabetic and spent last week in the hospital until they stabilized her blood glucose level with insulin. She is back to a normal lifestyle now, except she has to analyze 4 blood samples and give herself 2 insulin injections every day.
We all have appreciated the concern and support of [his coworkers].
It’s just so, so, I don’t know, cute and captures a lot. A lot of how little we knew, I guess.
And, also, maybe just how much my parents were unable to see was going on with their little girl. I don’t think it took four days to get my blood glucose level “stable” (and, btw, what is that? I still search for that every day!)… I think it took that long and probably longer to get my blood chemistry back in line after months of living in ketosis. (That’s what the Astra-8 and SMA panel lab charges are…you can see they took that multiple times over the four days.)
I was a very sick little girl. This bill shows me just how sick, and is a great little reminder of how far I’ve come (and how much I heart insulin).
Oh, and they didn’t charge me for the diabetic folder. Wonder what that was. Bedside supplies were $5.23! (Was that the pillow? Kleenex box? Water jug?)
Aw, I just think it’s fun to see.
AND, it’s helping me get that medal.
Woot.
