On Thursday, I went to my specialist and got the news that I’ve been waiting all summer to hear…You no longer have to take Byetta.   I’ve been working really hard (eating right, exercising, and taking my medication) so that by the end of summer my close relationship with Byetta would be over.  My Endocrinologist, whom I was seeing for the first time since summer vacation, informed me that due to my 38-pound weight lost and good numbers that he was canceling my Byetta regiment.  This news was awesome to hear. I could have shouted all the way out his office.

When I think about the ways the shot has impeded upon my life, I feel like a ton of weight has been lifted.  Life with the injection was something like this:
I was nauseous most of the time,
It cut my appetite in half (which was a good thing since I lacked portion control),
I would frequently find myself at dinner unable to eat when everyone else is eating because I had to wait at least 15 minutes before eating after giving myself the shot,
I had to take a cool pack on the airplane to ensure that my Byetta stayed cool until the first usage,
I experimented with at least three different needle sizes, brands, and lengths before finding the “perfect” one for me,
I had to disclose my illness to people or at times that I didn’t want to because they would see the needles in my bag or see me administering the shot.

When I think about all the tears I’ve shed around issues of having to give myself a shot twice a day or how the psychological pain begins long before and lingers long after the pain of the needle has pierced my skin or how complicated my life has been because I had to give myself a shot twice a day and make sure the timing was accurate or risk a diabetic attack.  (And my earlier entry on diabetic attacks explains just how much I hate those).

This picture represents my OLD life and I’m praying that it remains that way.