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Eaten Alive
by Katha Sikka She was as pale and lifeless as the hard, white tile floor she sat on in her dorm room. Her eyes had a certain innocence but were now creased with craters as large as the moon. She seldom opened her mouth, which was almost in perfect synchronization with the sporadic creaks of the floor. Just as how the floor basked in the heat that came from the radiator, Deanna depended on her breath that provided warmth within her body. Her backpack. Everything indispensable to Deanna was packed into her backpack from Grey’s Anatomy to her pen. When I told you that Deanna’s life depended on her breath, I lied. It depended on this pen with its pointy tip, its substance in between, and its magical powers. But what was so special about an ordinary pen? I would tell you, but it is time to go to biology class. She sat every day in the same spot. No, it was not in the corner all the way in the back, but front and center. There were about hundred kids, but Deanna’s emotionless presence was paradoxically so strong that it felt as if she was the only one in the room. Even the teacher’s presence was negligible, but the words that came out of her mouth were not. What she said: Simply put, diabetes mellitus is an amalgamation of maladies that result from too much glucose in your bloodstream. What Deanna heard: Simply put, this zombie permeates you and slowly eats you alive. She was a rainbow, a series of colors with her blond hair, crimson lips, and vivid blue eyes. What she didn’t know was that her rainbow would turn into an eon of clouds and rain as she moved from a destination wedding in Hawaii to nearest hospital. #1: Her bridesmaid’s dress no longer fit due to her sudden weight loss. She had been cutting down on her Starbucks’ Oreo Frappuccinos but 12 pounds? #2: At the rehearsal dinner, she ate 5 servings and was still hungry. #3: The minister said, “And I now declare you … “DIABETIC, severely diabetic. You fainted during the wedding you were attending. You will need this insulin pen at all times. Consider this pen your lifeline. Also, you will need to manage your diet.” said the doctor as the rhythmic flow of insulin into her leg matched the pouring of the doctor’s words into her heart. What she said: Once one is diagnosed with diabetes, there are a multitude of forms of treatment to regulate one’s blood sugar levels. What Deanna heard: You can try to fight off the zombies, but what about the humans? “Not here, not now,” thought Deanna in her biology class of high school. Her chest became tighter, but her control on her life was loosening and became as tenuous as sand. She finally took out her insulin pen from her yellow backpack and showed its magical capability. But if Harry, a powerful wizard, didn’t fit in with the Muggles, how would Deanna live with them? They never said anything to her face, but she always knew. #1: Deanna Maloney and diabetes mellitus have the same initials. That’s why they are made for each other. #2: What if she has an attack next to me? I don’t think I would be able to control my laughter. #3: She’s a robot, with all her meters and pens, wired by diabetes. What she said: Not only must one treat the immediate problem of high blood sugar levels, but one must also preclude the potential complications that supplement diabetes. What Deanna heard: The zombies bring vampires and ghosts too. #1: Her tree stumps, otherwise known as legs affected by diabetic neuropathy, were always concealed. The visible roots of diabetes seemed to anchor more firmly in her skin every time she was reminded that although she had committed herself to the study of life, its seed would never be planted in her soul. #2: Why would she play Call of Duty when she could fight H. pylori bacteria? #3: Of course, she could have sweets once in a while, but she longed to hear the noise of the oven. She heard it. That DING, but this one meant that class was over. Deanna walked toward her dorm with her yellow backpack, passing by a bakery filled with confections, and opening a can of brussel sprouts, a “diabetic safe food.” |
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