I began injecting insulin for the first time a couple of days ago. I included an image of the syringes I now have to use in an effort to connect to my readers more thoroughly. If you found yourself flinching the second this page appeared in your browser then I’ll consider the effect successful (anything for my readers).

This is scary as hell.

Look, I know diabetes is progressive. I know that once you’re found to be diabetic the chances are you’ll always be a diabetic even if you are only 5 foot, 11 inches tall and weigh all of 150 pounds. And I realize that a type II diabetic like myself wasn’t guaranteed to be able to control my diabetes with pills “for ever more” especially when the docs have no clue as to why I developed diabetes in the first place or why it’s progressing the way it is. My diet is good, I’ve never really had any sort of sweet tooth at all and there’s no history of diabetes on either side of my family. Still, when my HbA1c came back at 12.1% (normal is 4% to 6%) and my afternoon blood sugar readings were somewhere in the 400s (normal is 70 to 150) it became clear that something needed to be done. And that something was insulin.

But as a lot of folks realize, knowing what may be coming is one thing. The reality of the situation is quite a different matter.

Not that I’m squeamish about needles at all. I don’t get all sweaty and shaky with eyes rolling back into my skull and drooling a lot. Nope, I just simply pass out the moment I see the needle, saves all the theatrics. Okay, that’s not true in fact, I couldn’t care less about needles. I’ve been poked by them all my life so these little things (1/2 inch long and so thin I can’t see it without my reading glasses) are no problem at all. Of course injecting yourself instead of someone else doing it for you can take the wind out of your sails at first I’ll allow that much.

So I’ve had my training including injection practice down at my local VA and I’ve given myself injections (20 units twice a day) for two days now and all done with proper clinical precision–more or less. The label on the phial of insulin they sent tells me that it’s a delayed action, “human” NPH type whatever that means.

And “human” type? As compared to what exactly? Non-human type? Badger type or perhaps salamander type? Klingon type? I attempted a bit of research on the old WWW and all I got out of it was a disturbing sense of profound confusion and a solid idea that diabetics like me should stay as far away from these diabetes forums as possible. I mean really, the way one person treats their diabetes is absolutely not how another person should treat their diabetes and it seemed to me that a lot of unprofessional advice in that area was being passed around in these forums I visited. First impressions you know.

I believe I’ll stick with my docs and professional med sites when it comes to questions about diabetes for now.

Okay then, it appears to be lunch time and since I am at the very beginning of my insulin regime and still not off the type II medication I’ve been taking for the last few years (glipizide)–I’d better have some lunch.