Out & About

I went out to dinner last night!

It may not seem like much but it was a big deal to me. First, I had to calculate what I “might” eat and what I would need to cover (insulin) before going out. It was also the first time I had gone out since being released from the hospital. While it wasn’t the first time I had left the security of my apartment during a “food hour” it was the first time I had been to a restaurant with my insulin gear.

Prior to that I had been to a backyard birthday dinner, but that’s a little different. Just being out of the house did spook me though. I brought several more syringes than I needed and all my insulin – even the stuff I am only supposed to take before bed. In the even of some global catastrophe that prevented me from returning to my apartment I wanted to be sure I had my meds.

Last night, Sunday, was Mexican at a little place called Mezcal’s on Court Street. It went swell. I brought my new “magic marker” insulin delivery device and nothing more. I kind’a new what I was going to have (Fajitas for protein) and had already decided what I would need to cover. So all that I needed to do was take a brief visit to the men’s room when I knew the food was on its way.

And that’s how it happened. There were no screaming babies. There were no mothers shielding their child’s eyes from the heroine addict. And there was no third-degree from the owner of the restaurant or from the policemen he might have called. Equally, I didn’t pass out in the bathroom or drop my syringe down the toilet by mistake. All these fears have been dismissed and I had a good time.

I am confident that I can start enjoying the restaurant life I love. But next time I want to eat real food, not a 10,000 calorie Mexican meal.