I was shaking all over in the pharmacy. Oh, I don’t know why I was so afraid. No one in my family had ever been diagnosed with diabetes, to the best of my knowledge. At least not in my immediate family, or my first cousins on my father’s side. But my new primary care physician had suggested—merely suggested, that I go and get this kit. So there I was, with Hershey bars and Oreos in the car for Jennifer and Jesse, purchasing a diabetes test for myself. Suddenly I remembered to call my husband at the law firm on my cell phone. He would certainly want to know that I would be doing this terrifying thing. Now, I pride myself on being an ovo-lacto vegetarian, okay? I don’t even touch meat or poultry. I am an advocate of animal rights since the seventies, when I was still in grammar school. Sweets, on the other hand, have been a little—harder to stay away from, let’s just say. I keep pretty good control over my weight, which is about average for my 5’8” height. The doctor, though, said you never know. The best thing is to just get it over with. I mentioned the possibility of a blood count, a laboratory test, but apparently she works independently and does not contract with what she refers to as “the big labs in the sky.” She sent me to get this Ascensia Elite Test Kit. And here it is in my hand! Right now, while the kids are watching television. Don’t have it! Thank God!