February 28, 2014: Preparing to Rotate

As any conscientious person with Type 1 Diabetes will tell you, insulin injections do nasty things to your skin and muscle tissue when you inject it into the same (or close to) site on a habitual basis.  This is why people with T1D (and their care-givers) are taught to 'rotate sites' on the body...and why my "body" has distressed areas in several places.

Since I began this work in November, I've 'rotated' only the blood-testing 'sites' -- because I "ran out of fingers" on one hand.  I've long given up the notion that the "person" portrayed in MOB is going to have a realistic illustration of the places used for blood-letting.  Here's where I am on "Hand #2" as of February 28, 2014:

Yep...creeping along the middle finger of the second of the two hands...which means that before this project is over, both hands will be covered in 'pin pricks for blood testing', however unrealistic that is.

And as of March 1, I've rotated the injection sites to a new area -- the other upper arm.  Along with that, I'm stitching the blue "air" on the side of that other upper arm, for symmetry (perhaps) and for illustration of how few care-free days there were in my DH's life prior to his diagnosis.  Here's what the first arm/side looks like after 3 months of stitching:

I'm still planning to go to the Sunday afternoon Symposium in Edmonton on March 16.  If you are in the area, and have an interest in T1D research, you might check it out.  Full details -- and an RSVP -- are HERE (scroll down).  NOTE: If you are somewhere else in Canada, this same link will tell you where to find the one nearest you.

Everyone has a cause.  This one is mine.