WTMI about the last two months

- First I got food poisoning. I didnt go the hospital.
- Then, almost without a break , I got some cold floating around.
- Almost without a break, I got food poisoning AGAIN.

Still, didnt go to the hospital.

- Sinus infection.
- Stomach flu.
- A very nasty west coast influenza strain that had me snorting up green phlegm.

Then it cleared up.

By this time, Im thinking my immune system had been hammered enough.

No, a few nights ago, I woke up with a stiff neck, followed by the cause.

A boil on the back of my neck. A big one that isnt easily seen, but is big and hard and situated just where it can cause me grief, I couldnt turn my neck (Chica gazing HURTS), headaches, neck pain (leaning down to pick up something on my right side causes pain that has me on my knee as if I had a bad back.)

THAT drove me to the hospital, to at least LANCE this motherfucker to relieve the pressure on the back of my neck and spine, and henceforth the pain.

So, to my surprise - I was told the diagnosis.

Diabetes.

My blood sugar reading was at 460. Whoa.. the last time I checked, I was at 166.

The cause of this (apart from the daily donuts)... if youre predisposed, your blood sugar level will skyrocket if you have an infection.

The UC Berkeley pre-med students (I still firmly believe that pre-meds, interns and some residents should be kept FAR away from needles and medicine cabinets) freaked the fuck out. The nurse wanted to put me on an insulin program, full lab workup and followup visits.

This is where I became a Difficult Patient.

Ever so politely, I asked about the pain caused by the boil. You know. THE reason I was there and why I could barely move.

I was breezily told that I would be put on a mild antibiotic treatment, but to focus on the far more serious matter of diabetes. Would clear up in a week.

Ever so politely, I advised that I'd been on my way to the emergency room, before Id made a left turn at the clinic, and I INTENDED to lance the blasted boil MYSELF if they werent about to do it. By any means necessary.

I was NOT concerned about diabetes at that point.

This declaration brought Dr Duffy.

Dr Duffy felt the boil and told me why it would make no sense to burst the boil yet (turn your eyes, kiddies -------- because it wasnt 'ripe' enough to burst, as the point of lancing wasnt to burst the bubble, merely get blood from tissue and not the desired pus AND blood).

All those infections did cause my blood sugar flareup.

And a symptom of diabetes or extremely high blood sugar are.. boils.

More than likely caused by dirty clippers when I went to the barber a week ago.

But that I very very very likely dont have full blown diabetes.

Long story short... I got EXTREMELY strong antibiotics to reduce the boil gradually, Im scheduled for a lab-workup monday to see if I do have diabetes.

Joy.

Thats why I havent felt like writing, even with Tim the Photographer coming to town and paying me a visit the other night.

And Im still in pain.