Always On Guard

I talked on Monday about all the driving I’m doing now, and how the reach of headlights has some parallels to our blood sugar testing.

Another similarity struck me as I was driving through Wisconsin.  It was just about dusk (prime time for deer crossing), and I was on a small, two-lane highway.  There were tall pine trees on both sides of the road, right up to the shoulder. I couldn’t see anything but pavement and pine trees.  I was absolutely paranoid about deer running across the road.  Paranoid.

I was torn between staying at 65mph to hurry through this claustrophobic stretch of highway, or slowing down to feel a little more careful.  The thing is, this is not like headlights, where going slower means you have more time to react.  If a deer darts in front of me when I’m going 35mph I’m still in trouble.  It all depends on where the deer crosses!  By the way, Bennet says I should just floor it and not look back. 

I had already seen two groups of deer darting across the road; one in my rear-view mirror, and one way up ahead of me.  That did nothing to settle my nerves.

It was so exhausting to have to keep my guard up like that.

And that is exactly what diabetes is like – all of the time.