Conquering life living with Type 1 Diabetes

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Just want to clear something up

I have type 1 Diabetes, yes me, the person who looks healthy and doesn't appear to have any weight control issues. You have a concerned look on your face, a look of worry and fear and like I have an expiration date stamped on me somewhere.  I am not exactly sure what you are thinking, because after all humans haven't mastered mind reading yet, but the face you are making kind of hurts me a little bit, its a face of someone who just received really bad news or like I told you I just ran over your dog or something, something not good.

This is the face I see every time I tell someone I have type 1 Diabetes or they find out or whatever the case may be.  I am unsure of the things you are thinking, but from my side of your face the expression you are making isn't really a good one. All those sad faces compiled on top of each other kind of start to hurt me even though I try hard to not let it hurt me.  I have a pretty tough hide for the most part but underneath that tough exterior I really do still have feelings.  Luckily I have a husband who understands all this very well and when I need to I can let all that hurt out without fear or judgement.



Type 1 Diabetes doesn't have to be death sentence or a shortened life span sentence, IF you take care of yourself.  30 years ago or so yes, type 1 Diabetes did kill a lot of people or shorten lives. 30 years ago we didn't have ability to check our blood sugar at home and the insulins today were not available then.  It's shocking I know, but in just 30 years the ability to manage type 1 Diabetes has revolutionized.

I have had t1d (type one Diabetes) for 15 years.  Granted the first 8 or so weren't the greatest and I didn't REALLY care about it like I do now.  Meeting a medical team that actually cares about me and helps me changed my life forever.  Meeting my husband is what inspired me to take better care of myself.

Deciding to take a HUGE, tremendous leap of faith 8 months ago and change the ENTIRE way I eat has also been a turning point in my life with t1d. I follow Dr. Bernstein's Way of Eating.  I say way of eating, because it is NOT a diet, I am not trying to lose weight, I am only trying to manage my type 1 Diabetes.  Though with this woe (way of eating) you can lose weight, lose it fairly quickly and easily because you are cutting carbs from your life and processed food.

It is a personal decision and I know it's a VERY hard one to make.  Most people balk like you wouldn't believe when I tell them I don't eat carbs.  People in general DO NOT want to GIVE UP CARBS!  Carb addiction is a real thing and it's really hard to get over.  Eating carbs makes you want to eat more carbs and when you stop eating them you feel like you are going to go insane because your brain is craving them.  It is possible to do though, I have made it 8 months for the most part.  I have had some slip ups and a few days when I was having a hard time and ate a lot of crap.  I felt like crap too and my blood sugar suffered for several days.   That's life though, I am not perfect even if I try hard to be and not eat junk.

If you are struggling to control your blood sugar and are sick and tired of your blood sugar swinging up and down please look into Dr. Bernstein and join Pinterest (here is my page) for the thousands of recipes on there that are grain free, starch free and sugar free.  The food I eat doesn't suck, it tastes great and its more filling than carb loaded food.  You can sub almost anything for a low carb version!  The food I eat is real, real ingredients, real fat and real protein, so I get full 2 times faster and eat less.  I am no longer starving like I use to be because I was eating the wrong foods and if I ate enough to be full my blood sugar would spike to 300.  Just try it, try low carb for a month, be amazed at the control you gain, how much better you feel, how much more energy you have, how many less aches and pains you have and how your outlook on life improves.  You will be AMAZED.  There just aren't any excuses good enough to keep treating the food you eat with more and more drugs to combat the blood sugar spikes.  Follow the ADA diet, keep loading those drug companies pockets with your money, after all that is what they want, they don't truly care about your health, or they too would be SCREAMING from the rooftops about eating low carb.

If you know someone who has type 1 or type 2 Diabetes, don't make that sad, terrible face.  Instead try to be supportive, and offer to help instead of being critical and don't ignore the fact that they have Diabetes, it isn't going away any time soon.  We are critical of ourselves every single moment of every single day because managing this disease is very hard, very tedious, can be dangerous and it is going to last our entire lifetime.  That thought is daunting to say the least.  I know personally how hard t1d can be and to be judged by everyone around me, really really wears me down and just hurts.  It can make me very bitter and I have said some things in the past I wish I wouldn't have. In my 20's I said a lot of really terrible things to a lot of people mostly because of poor diabetes control, which affects mood, depression, a terrible relationship and because I did not have the online Diabetes community support like I do now.  Support makes a HUGE world of a difference let me tell you.  If you happen to be one of those people who were a victim of my bad attitude in my early 20's I am truly, truly sorry and would take it back if I could.

Diabetes and Depression go hand in hand for many people.  I know I was depressed for many years because of my t1d diagnosis but now that I have a loving husband, a child and eating healthier I feel like a brand new person.  If you or someone you know or love is battling depression please seek some sort of medical help.  Don't brush it under the rug.  Last week someone I have known for a very long time took their life and no one expected that to happen by any means, everyone was completely shocked and heart broken. He had many many friends, family who loved him and always had a smile on his face and time to stop to talk to everyone.  He left an impression on everyone he met and now everyone who knew him is hurting dearly, wishing they could have done something to help him.  Depression is real, no one should ever feel ashamed that they need help.  If you (anyone reading this) need help coping with whatever life has thrown at you, please seek help.  Everyone has someone who loves them so very dearly, whether it be family or friends, no one needs to cut their life short.  The people who love you will help you get through. The people who love you will feel like part of their heart has been ripped out because you are no longer here.  People are much more willing to help than you assume but you have to ask, no one knows you need help until you ask.


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