I've been purposely neglecting

I've been neglecting this blog. Most people that neglect things usually say, "OH! SORRY! I'VE BEEN SO BUSY!"

Whatever. I have been SO busy in the past, I know what its like, and you're not there. Deal with it. You just can't admit to people that you've purposely been shoving them to the back of your mind. I can, and freely do, admit this.

One of the reasons I've been neglecting this blog is because my life has been so damn dull. When I started this blog...well, when I started thinking about starting this blog, my life was busy and filled with hilarity and crazy tales from the hospital. I've got a lot of things I want to talk about here, recount some past stories, stuff like that. I just haven't. It's who I am.

One thing that is funny to me, and spurred me to make this entry, is another example of someone that was purposely neglecting. I had this patient the other day that came in for his diabetes. His hemoglobin A1c was 12% (very, very high, which is bad). The A1c is a way to monitor the average blood sugar over the last 120 days (the lifespan of a red blood cell). Say a patient hasn't been taking their medicine. The day of their visit they say, "shit, I don't want to look like a jack ass who is killing myself by neglect, I'm going to double down on the insulin and look like a shining example of what a diabetic should be."

I used to do that before I went to see my orthodontist. I'd wear my retainer on my way over there and writhe around in pain as it squished my teeth back into position. Orthodontist would look at them, tighten the shit up, and say "looked great!" Then I'd repeat the process in a month.

Well, the A1c tells us what the average blood sugar has been over the past 120 days and keeps diabetics honest. I can extrapolate back what your average blood sugar was despite what your current blood sugar says.

This guy doesn't seem to understand that. Last time he was in his A1c was 10, and his blood sugar was 57 (low, just above the point where people start losing consciousness). He was sweaty, and felt terrible. Basically he tripled down on his insulin to make his sugar low and overshot...then drove to the clinic probably with blurred vision.

Anyway, we explained to him how we knew he hadn't been taking his medicine. Well. He didn't get it, because he did the same shit at this visit. Came in with an A1c of 12 which is an average blood sugar of over 300 (again, really damn high). His blood sugar in the office today--87.

Purposely neglecting.

Its like the person that has started to have bad lungs from smoking. More cough, getting infections more often, gets winded walking up the stairs. But still, they continue to smoke. Today, one of my mentors told me how he deals with these people. "Either quit smoking or start doubling down so you can hurry up and get the process over with. There's no need to prolong the suffering."

So my advice to you today. Whatever it is you've been neglecting...either shit or get off the pot. No need to prolong the suffering.