Around the end of October, 2001, I was scheduled to go into the hospital for surgery. The day before the surgery I was scheduled for a pre op physical with both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. I completed the physical and went home to spend what turned out to be a sleepless night thinking of the planned surgery.

Next morning, bright and early my Guardian Angel took me to the hospital and as I sat in the surgical prep room a nurse came in and told me the surgery had been canceled. Seems the blood test I took showed a high level of sugar (glucose) in my system indicating I might be diabetic.

The hospital then scheduled me for Diabetes Education classes for which I will be eternally grateful. I learned more about the human body and it's quirks then in the month since then, than I have learned in my entire life.

I learned about the Pancreas, Insulin, Neuropathy, Nephropathy, Retinopathy, Blood/Glucose testing, the complications of Diabetes if B/G levels are not maintained in the normal range. I learned the "How" I'm going to die even if I don't know the when.