Blood Sport

Posted on April 12, 2005 in Crosstalk Sugar and Fat

Elkit confessed to auto-vampirism in a recent post that had me thinking about the relationship I have with the red dots I create twice a day at the tips of my fingers:

I’m fascinated with my blood. The color, the viscosity, the sweet metallic taste, and just seeing it flow out of my skin – never ceases to amaze me. I am such a child.

Checking my blood is a way of life. My endocrinologist bades me to puncture myself in the morning before I wake up and at night before I eat my final snack. As the drop wells up between the furrows of my fingerprints, I make note of its color and consistency. A deep burgundy color and a slow rise indicate to me that my blood sugar is probably on the high side. A brighter red and wateriness suggest low blood sugar. And the numbers on my meter usually reflect that.

Sometimes I do my tests in a public place such as a classroom or a bathroom. You’d think that people would flee my presence, but the act of leeching from myself usually attracts them. “What are you doing?” they ask. “Is that a good number or a bad one?” Friends have expressed disappointment that they missed the show. If vampires be real, I am surrounded by them.

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Here’s another blood sport that shelli found: Save Toby.