Some Good Advice

As you may know, I love the absurd. Absurd situations and stories make me laugh out loud, so I love finding these treasures in my inbox. They are often not intended to do so, but let me explain.

I'm a member of several online groups, and there is always a tidbit or two that amuse, irritate, and even inform me. This tip was shared in a support group for diabetics, with all earnestness of someone who really believes this. Now as you read the following, put yourself in the shoes of the wait staff in a restaurant as they draw straws, "Who gets to take the crazy person at table 8?"

Several weeks ago someone asked if there was some way to test to make sure you were given diet coke and not "regular" coke in a restaurant. In the September/October issue of Diabetes Self-Management Magazine, they address that issue. They say to to buy the dip-sticks designed for checking for sugar in the urine from your local pharmacy. Whenmoistened with a drop of sugar-sweetened soft drink, the dipstick will register sugar by changing color. However, if it's diet, it will not display a color change. I don't remember who asked about this before but thought it might be of interest to anyone who can't tell the difference just by taste and wants to make sure they are getting what they ordered.

Perhaps the person who wrote this really believes that it is good advice. And maybe, if this person wants to go to such great lengths to make sure their drink is diet, more power to him or her.

But perhaps, just perhaps, one could just inquire about said drink, and maybe just send it back and ask for another. Perhaps, if this person is the type given to such paranoia, they might consider ordering water with a twist of lemon. Hey, what a concept.

But looking at it from my own corner, as someone with diabetes, it took me years to get comfortable with doing a blood test with my meter at the table - which is one of the unfortunate requirements of my own treatment. But let me tell you, I'm not ever EVER going to be taking out a pee stick - even an unused one - at a table in a restaurant just to see if a Coke is diet or not.

And I think that good advice for anyone not wanting to be called the Crazy Person at Table 8.

Contributed by Jamie Naessens