Labeling system: proven again

I devised a system of labeling all my diabetic equipment after I left my insulin pouch on the caltrain a few months ago. Luckily, I had written my name and cell phone number in it and was called before I had even realized it was missing. Today, I left my glucose meter in a conference room where we had training for work in NY. I received a call from a new friend I had made while sitting down to dinner at WD-50 (i will devote another blog to eating experiences in the near future). He was kind enough to drop it by on his way home. Once again, labeling system saved the day. I'm impressed that he even knew to associate my freestyle flash meter with diabetes. If I had found that contraption a year ago, I would have no idea what it was and be really grossed out by the gauze spotted with dried blood.

Stress. I'm not sure if it's the physical or emotion effect of diabetes (or it could be psychosomatic), but I've changed. I feel like I am more easily stressed out and upset - by traveling, by losing my cell phone, by misplacing my diabetes stuff, by work, by traffic, by having to find parking at 7pm, by mean cab drivers, by crowds of people. On this trip back to New York, I'm finding a place I used to call home a bit foreign, unforgiving and noisy. I'm morphing into one of those "it's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here" people, which is a little unacceptable seeing how I identify with being a New Yorker (from Queens...like Lucy Liu, who went to my high school.)

The benefits of growing older include wisdom and courage, supposedly. The negative experiences we survive and work through should make us stronger. I don't feel stronger than I was at fifteen, and I think its manifesting itself in my relationship with New York City. At having diabetes makes me feel vulnerable or victimized. Perhaps navigating a bigger city just underscores this feeling. Or this could be complete nonsense.