Genesis Read Online Free Page B

face that it had probably
come out of a take-away bag. "Did you have coffee this morning?"
    "Maybe half a cup. The smell was a bit too much."
    "Cream and sugar?"
    "Black. I usually eat a good breakfast—yogurt, fruit. Right after
my run." Faith asked, "Is something wrong with my blood sugar?"
    "We'll see," Sara told her, squeezing some blood onto the test
strip. Mary raised an eyebrow, as if to ask if Sara wanted to place a
wager on the number. Sara shook her head: no bet . Mary persisted,
using her fingers to indicate one-five-zero.
    "I thought the test came later," Faith said, sounding unsure of
herself. "When they make you drink the sugary stuff?"
    "Have you ever had any problems with your blood sugar? Is there
a history in your family?"
    "No. None."
    The monitor beeped and the number 152 flashed on the screen.
    Mary gave a low whistle, impressed by her own guess. Sara had
once asked the woman why she didn't go to medical school, only to
be told that nurses were the ones who practiced the real medicine.
    Sara told Faith, "You have diabetes."
    Faith's mouth worked before she managed a faint, "What?"
    "My guess is that you've been pre-diabetic for a while. Your cholesterol
and triglycerides are extremely elevated. Your blood pressure
is a little high. The pregnancy and the rapid weight gain—ten
pounds is a lot for nine weeks—plus your bad eating habits, pushed
you over the edge."
    "My first pregnancy was fine."
    "You're older now." Sara gave her some tissue to press against her
finger so the bleeding would stop. "I want you to follow up with
your regular doctor first thing in the morning. We need to make sure
there's not something else going on here. Meanwhile, you have to
keep your blood sugar under control. If you don't, passing out in the
parking lot will be the least of your worries."
    "Maybe it's just—I haven't been eating right, and—"
    Sara cut her off mid-denial. "Anything over one-forty is a positive
diagnosis for diabetes. Your number has actually inched up since
the first blood test was taken."
    Faith took her time absorbing this. "Will it last?"
    The question was one for an endocrinologist to answer. "You'll
need to talk to your doctor and have him run some more tests," Sara
advised, though, if she had to make an educated guess, she would say
that Faith was in a precarious situation. Except for the pregnancy, she
would be presenting as a full-blown diabetic.
    Sara glanced at her watch. "I would admit you tonight for observation,
but by the time we processed you and found you a room,
your doctor's office would be open, and something tells me you
wouldn't stay here anyway." She had spent enough time around
police officers to know that Faith would bolt the minute she got the
chance.
    She continued, "You have to promise me that you'll call your
doctor first thing—and I mean that, first thing. We'll get a nurse educator
in here to teach you how to test your blood and how and
when to inject yourself, but you've got to follow up with him immediately."
    "I have to give myself shots?" Faith's voice went up in alarm.
    "Oral meds aren't approved for use in pregnant women. This is
why you need to talk to your doctor. There's a lot of trial and error
here. Your weight and hormone levels will change as the pregnancy
progresses. Your doctor's going to be your best friend for the next
eight months, at least."
    Faith seemed embarrassed. "I don't have a regular doctor."
    Sara took out her prescription pad and wrote down the name of a
woman she'd interned with years ago. "Delia Wallace works out of
Emory. She has a dual specialty in gynecology and endocrinology.
I'll call her tonight so her office knows to work you in."
    Faith still seemed unconvinced. "How can I suddenly have this? I
know I've put on weight, but I'm not fat."
    "You don't have to be fat," Sara told her. "You're older now. The
baby affects your hormones, your ability to produce insulin. You
haven't been eating well.