A very dear friend of mine got very sick and I saved her life. I mean this literally- I stopped by to check on her after work because I knew she wasn’t feeling well, and being a trained first responder, I recognized that she was in danger and called 911.
Getting her stabilized took a few days. I dropped everything and cared for her son (caring for special needs son during day, working night shift at night). When she was finally able to return home I was so exhausted I handed off the helping-around-the-house phase to her ex-husband and slept for a few days.
Several months later, she finds out she needs surgery. I’m asking her about if she’s made plans for her recovery and she keeps not answering me. I finally make an off-hand comment about how, since she won’t talk to me about it, I was assuming her other friend must be handling it, and she says something about how since I didn’t help her last time, she wasn’t going to bother me this time.
In absolute shock, I answered in monotone all the things I did for her. I left. I didn’t talk to her much again after that. We happened to cross paths and she hugged me and thanked me for saving her life… but the truth is, while I was hurt, I knew she was septic. I knew she could’ve forgotten what I did. I used it as an excuse.
I’m an educated person. The thing that put her in the hospital is very, very dangerous. It was a miracle she survived, but it’s one of those things where most people are dead within a year.
She made it a year… and then died shortly after. I couldn’t hide my lack of surprise when the news came. I can’t say I was relieved? Just that I’d already grieved. I knew this was coming, so it was as if it had already happened.
Anybody reading this; one of the compounding factors in her death was her diabetes. It was often poorly managed. If you’re in your 20s and not taking your metformin, if you’re in your late 20s, or 30s, and not taking your insulin, I don’t care what your excuses are. I don’t care what your nonsense is. (If you’re too poor, that’s not an excuse. That’s a good reason. Only those of you who are truly too impoverished are exempt from my speech.) If you aren’t treating your diabetes, you are the reason you are going to die. Sooner than you think. You’re going to die, it’s going to hurt, and it’s going to be your own fault. And for most of you, you’re signing up your family or the people you care for to suffer, and for a long time before you finally die.
I’m not going to apologize for it. I’m so heartsick from watching perfectly preventable deaths from people who just can’t be bothered. I hate seeing it coming a million miles away.
:::
::: TW: diabetes, death
A very dear friend of mine got very sick and I saved her life. I mean this literally- I stopped by to check on her after work because I knew she wasn’t feeling well, and being a trained first responder, I recognized that she was in danger and called 911.
Getting her stabilized took a few days. I dropped everything and cared for her son (caring for special needs son during day, working night shift at night). When she was finally able to return home I was so exhausted I handed off the helping-around-the-house phase to her ex-husband and slept for a few days.
Several months later, she finds out she needs surgery. I’m asking her about if she’s made plans for her recovery and she keeps not answering me. I finally make an off-hand comment about how, since she won’t talk to me about it, I was assuming her other friend must be handling it, and she says something about how since I didn’t help her last time, she wasn’t going to bother me this time.
In absolute shock, I answered in monotone all the things I did for her. I left. I didn’t talk to her much again after that. We happened to cross paths and she hugged me and thanked me for saving her life… but the truth is, while I was hurt, I knew she was septic. I knew she could’ve forgotten what I did. I used it as an excuse.
I’m an educated person. The thing that put her in the hospital is very, very dangerous. It was a miracle she survived, but it’s one of those things where most people are dead within a year.
She made it a year… and then died shortly after. I couldn’t hide my lack of surprise when the news came. I can’t say I was relieved? Just that I’d already grieved. I knew this was coming, so it was as if it had already happened.
Anybody reading this; one of the compounding factors in her death was her diabetes. It was often poorly managed. If you’re in your 20s and not taking your metformin, if you’re in your late 20s, or 30s, and not taking your insulin, I don’t care what your excuses are. I don’t care what your nonsense is. (If you’re too poor, that’s not an excuse. That’s a good reason. Only those of you who are truly too impoverished are exempt from my speech.) If you aren’t treating your diabetes, you are the reason you are going to die. Sooner than you think. You’re going to die, it’s going to hurt, and it’s going to be your own fault. And for most of you, you’re signing up your family or the people you care for to suffer, and for a long time before you finally die.
I’m not going to apologize for it. I’m so heartsick from watching perfectly preventable deaths from people who just can’t be bothered. I hate seeing it coming a million miles away. :::