Being a foodie AND a diabetic? What?! How’s that possible? Well, I’m making it possible, my friends!
Being a new diabetic, I assumed that my foodie lifestyle was over. No more good food. No more going out for meals. No more enjoying that glass (or bottle!) of wine. Can’t even have cake on my birthday! Come on people! No cake on my birthday!
Really, telling me that I couldn’t eat the way I want was like telling me I was going to lose my vision. That’s how close food is to my heart. Never mind that this new diabetic lifestyle means blood testing, insulin shots, hypoglycemia, and hyperglycemia, etc. In some ways, it feels a little bit like a death sentence.
Ok, so maybe it’s not that dramatic. Needless to say, it’s upsetting!
But, the more I learn, the more my misconceptions about type 1 diabetes are exposed. The idea that it only affects children, that insulin is to be avoided, or that I’m doomed to eating a bland, sucralose-laced diet are all wrong. Type 1 is really about doing the work my pancreas is refusing to do, that lazy motherfucker! I’m learning that life isn’t necessarily going to be about restrictions, but more about management. My foodie lifestyle doesn’t have to disappear like my beta cells (har har – that’s some diabetes humor right there, kids!)!
So, why write a blog about it? Well, obviously, the first reason is because I’m self-indulgent. Who doesn’t want to read a blog about me?!?! :)
Another reason is because I scoured the internet in search of useful information, support, etc, and I came up a little short. Sure, there’s tons of information about diabetes out there, but it’s mostly for type 2 diabetics and it’s not really information that supports my lifestyle. I eat a healthy, all-natural, practically vegetarian diet. I hate putting chemicals, processed, or unnatural substances in my body. I actually enjoy exercising. Most importantly, I cook! I eat! I love food!
Lastly, I hope that writing a blog will help keep me on track. I am constantly overwhelmed by this new life. I am hoping that this blog will give me the outlet I need as well as keep my focus on what I need to do as I start this journey. Even if no else ever reads this, I think it will help me. And maybe, one day, it can help another newly diagnosed type 1 in search of some information and support.
So there it is.
A final fuck you to that lazy-ass pancreas as I move forward to living a long, healthy diabetic life!
Bonnie, excellent!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this. There needs to be an antidote to "Oh my God, my blood sugar was 250" and "Oh my God, I can't believe I had to use 40 units of insulin on Thanksgiving". Really, people. There is a third path of fun and testing, and testing.
Go team, those of us with late onset Type I, what an unfucking believable luck to avoid this stuff for all of our young lives!