Some Days It Happens
What has my mind wandering down this path? Thoughts have been dribbling in over the past several days as I’ve gotten deeper and deeper into the study program for an experimental diabetes medication. I’ve mentioned before the exhaustive information gathering of my medical history that was required, wanting to know almost every aspect of my surgeries, medical problems, and the length of time that I’ve been taking my each of my present medications. That was a difficult accomplishment.
For the study, it’s necessary for me to maintain a log of my blood sugar measures, my weight, my diet, and what times I eat. Although I’ve not been asked to do so, I’ve included any changes in my health and any symptoms that I might be experiencing. Yesterday I had indigestion, last night I have a headache. I’m not blaming the medication, but it may help me to recognize whether I am having a problem with the medication.
Over the past week I had to delay or postpone some aspects of the studies guidelines because of some mistakes that I made. One day I fell asleep and forgot to take my insulin. Another day I poured my pills, but went downstairs and had to take my meds much later in the day. Each of my mistakes would affect the outcome of my record keeping and alter my blood sugar readings.
I shared my forgetfulness to explain the following. I took my first dose of the new medicine several days ago. The capsules were in a white, square plastic bottle with a label and my patient number on the outside. When I came home from picking up my medication, I placed the bottle on my kitchen counter. The very next day when I went to fetch it to take my next capsule, it wasn’t there. Because of my occasional forgetfulness, I thought I’d misplaced it and began to search for the “missing” bottle. After making several tours of my house, upstairs and downstairs, I started to panic. If I can’t find the meds, will I need to call the study to get more? Will they have more? What am I going to do?
I knew the medication didn’t just walk off, so I began to pray to God for help and made another tour of my house. I was still in bedtime attire wearing a T shirt and pajama pants. I decided to climb into my jeans from the day before and…there protruding from the pocket of my jeans was the bottle of meds. Apparently I’d decided the day before to carry the medication upstairs sticking the bottle in my jeans. What a relief.