Diabetic Recipes
Mark Birkle
It seems like lately I've felt more abnormal than ever before in my life. I've always known I wasn't like the rest of the world. I have always been the different kid, the one who had to eat different food, the one who did shots all the time. I thought that I wouldn't feel so different when I got older. I figured that with time diabetes would be just a part of my life like being a brunette or having freckles. Now I'm getting older and diabetes is completely ingrained in me, but I still feel different.
On Tuesday, a friend of mine met me at the gym. I tested before I got there, ate a quick snack and tested again right before we started the workout. Everything looked good. We started out with some cardio then hit the weight room. We were working on abs when it hit. I was low, and dropping fast. I chugged the bottle of juice I had with me and sat down on the floor of the weight room. My friend continued her workout. While I was sitting there, I realized how different I was from the athletes around me. Everyone else was completely unaware of how different I was (they probably just thought I was lazy sitting on the floor), but I felt so out of place. After a few minutes, I felt fine so I returned to the weight sets. I didn't want to be different for a second longer. Unfortunately, my diabetes didn't care. There was no way I could get a good workout when I had just come out of a low. I faked my way through the rest of the workout still feeling so abnormal.
Today I planned on going to the gym but my friend cancelled. For a second, I considered going to the gym on my own. Eventually, I remembered the recent low and the many lows I've had lately because of my commitment to the gym. I heard my mother's voice echo in my head, her worries pushing down on me. My own worries pushed down on me. What if I passed out while I was there? What if no one knew how to treat a low? What if they didn't even know I was diabetic (my medic alert bracelet would tell them but would they look?)? I pictured myself jogging around the track and suddenly collapsing. The other joggers panic, some just pass by, some stop to see what happened. But who is there to tell them that I'm low? that I need icing or glucagon? Again, I realize that I'm not normal. A normal person would just head to the gym alone. A normal person might make excuses not to go the gym alone. But me...I have to be different. I can't make an excuse because I have a realistic reason.
I wonder if I will ever be normal. I wonder if someday I'll be cured and not think of how weird I am. I wonder if one day I will be so comfortable in my diabetes that I won't even consider being any other way. I wonder how to change the way I feel now. I wonder if I can overcome being different even when people don't see me that way. I wonder if I'll eventually see myself with normal brown hair, normal freckles and normal diabetes.
This is an awesome post. I know exactly what you mean about feeling different. I try to make myself feel better about it by thinking of the good things my T1 has brought me, like discipline, tenacity, a great work ethic, persistence, maturity, healty habits, etc... But it doesn't change the fact that I'm not like everyone else, and if I dwell on it too long then I find that I get jealous of "normal" people, especially when they're running on the treadmill at the gym and I can't get my bg to come up enough to run.
Lindsey, there is NO normal for real people. I'm overweight (BMI 37) and I get "the look" whenever I go to any restaurant. I go back for thirds at chinese buffets and I eat my yard trimmings for the most part to make up for it. I wont dain to tell you I know how you feel but we all have reasons, real or made up, for not doing things we should. I just don't let these things bother me. I have high BP and that increases my risks of a lot of things as well as the diabetes but the illness that scares most people the most is my schizoaffective/bipolar. I can tell people, even strangers, that I'm diabetic or have high BP or even that I get kidney stones but I can NEVER mention SCHIZO anything. You're as normal as you can be right now. I hope your outlook changes a bit knowing that there are people out there hiding worse secrets than diabetes. Shane
katy- thank you! i have to catch myself from feeling jealous of them too because i know it's no one's fault that we are the way we are. i'm so glad to hear i'm not alone in feeling like this tho!
Shane- thanks for the comment! you're right, we all have our own reasons for feeling different. that doesn't take away from the fact that feeling different can get us down. you just mentioned schizo on here and you're still totally accepted. that's the good thing about being one of the different ones...we're less likely to judge.
Most gyms have one or two "floor trainers" who are there to consult with, find new exercises from, spot you on a chest press, etc. They also have just-enough first aid to get through most basic emergencies.
What you need to do is speak with the head trainer or the gym manager, in the office is OK, and give them some basics (you have diabetes, *x* may happen if you drop too low during exercise, and if so, you may need *y*). They will know to keep an eye out if something is off, and they will be able to assist you if you drop too low on the floor.
Also, most gyms sell both high-protein beverages (for body-builders) and high-carb beverages (theoretically for electrolyte replacement), so if you drop AND you've gone through your juice box, they should STILL have something around to bring you back to normal.
Lindsey,
I really enjoy your posts! I find myself dealing with this thing on different levels every day, it seems. I'm either crying in pity for myself or mad at myself when I have to drop out because of a low. I never know which it will be.
I think I was initiated into the 'diabetes hall of whatever' Saturday night. I hit a low at the squaredance and someone came by to see what was the matter....i.e. I never sit down unless I can't physically stand up anymore at a dance....so they knew something was wrong. While walking away, this lady said to her friend, "She's a diabetic. A BAD diabetic". I still don't know what to think. Are there 'good' diabetics??? I guess she meant because I have to take lots of shots.
I feel like I've been punched in the belly.
Oh, well.....
Let's just keep on keeping on , I guess.
Mousie
i know how you feel. i was low one day while at the gym and went to check... 47... drank some gatorade but didn't feel like i was coming up fast enough so i just sat in the locker room waiting to be at a good number to continue my workout. but honestly, i don't think anyone even thought oh that girl is so lazy just sitting there not working out or whatever because i don't think people pay that much attention to other people while they workout at least i don't anyway... and as far as 'normal' goes. no one is normal... what is normal?? if one thing isn't wrong it's another... no one is perfect. keep going to the gym! alone even!
http://pancreaticallychallenged.blogspot.com
tmana- going to the trainers is definitely an awesome idea! my gym (it's a campus gym) is pretty large and always really busy so i feel safer if i have a friend familiar with me and my diabetes around. at least until i get this pump and exercise thing figured out.
Mousie- you're reading my mind! one of my upcoming posts is about being labeled a bad or good diabetic. i'm glad you can relate. just today i was in the crying mode thinking of how i'm never going to drop the weight i want to because of all this!
julie-no one is normal, so true. but that does not mean we can't want to feel normal and feel even weirder because we have diabetes. my point with them thinking i was lazy was because i was sitting in the middle of the gym floor, for all the world to see. it was just blatantly ironic to me. i'm glad i'm not the only one sitting around at the gym tho :)
Lindsey,
Going to the gym is one of the biggest challenges with T1 Diabetes. However, it is probably one of the most beneficial activities we can do to preserve our health and longevity, as well as lower our stress. It doesn't hurt that it pays off with a sweet beach body too! In my personal experience, cardio exercise is very difficult to do for long periods of time because of the quick effect on blood glucose it has... sometimes I'll do 10-20 minutes on an elliptical machine to bring down a renegade sugar, but as always you need to test and be careful. Another problem is that several hours after an intense cardio workout, your blood sugar may rise. This is because strenuously exercising muscle cannot get enough Oxygen to burn the glucose, and instead "partially" burns it by producing lactate as a byproduct. That lactate then goes to the liver and gets converted back to glucose once the exercise has stopped.
What I've learned to do instead of cardio is fast paced resistance training. Doing 4 sets of 15 reps followed with very short breaks in between gives me a cardiovascular workout and minimizes the post-workout glucose spike I mentioned. As always, make sure to test often when you try something new. Good luck!
I work a completely opposite schedule compared to most people(7pm-6am). I go to the gym in the middle of the night when no one else is there. I would consider myself a serious weightlifter. I have become friends with the two trainers that are usually at the gym when I am. They watch out for me, and they know the signs to look for when I get to low. They also know I turn into a defensive jerk when I go low. I grunt and groan when I lift, but when I start to cuss, thats when they tell me to go test my BS. So far it has been pretty accurate. I cuss, I'm too low. Most trainers have a bit of EMT and nutritional training. They understand the pros and cons of "enough energy". I have had some pretty in depth conversations about working to muscular failure in 2 sets of 5 reps with a somewhat low BS to maximize muscle growth.
We are different when it comes to working out and being safe in the gym. But once you learn what you can and cannot do the rest is gravy.
I ve just recently logged on to the site, and it is sooo great to hear other people express how they feel. I ve been diabetic for 26 years now and it never seems to get easier for me..And I would like to comment on the fact that people who do not have diabetes have the popular misconception of thinking this disease is so easy to control., with diet and excercise that they like to label us good and bad diabetics..When they sooo dont have a clue on how hard it really is..You sometimes have highs u dont expect, and u sometimes have extreme lows which are very frightening..My baby girl got diabetes when she was 2 years old..How do u give shots to a baby every day?? Sometimes 2 to 3 times a day?? It takes a toll on all of us..And even though I am 40 now, I still do not feel normal or expect I never will. My kidneys work at 25 percent, but I function everyday as normally as we in a diabetic society are expected to function..But when people who do not have the disease try to tell me or I can hear them whispering about how they think I dont take care of myself, they just dont understand..We dont plan for these things to happen, sometimes we over due are insulin and sometimes we eat tooo much..We are human and we make mistakes and it would be nice if there were alot less judge mental people in this world..Especially the misinformed ones..So I want to say people with diabetes ROCK ON..Because we know what its all about..Sacrifice, Committment, Oh and yes probably which hospitals have the best food..lol
You know sometimes I feel not normal either and sometimes it makes me sad that I can't eat like normal people do just eat whatever and don't have to think about my blood sugar or when I was pregnant with my daughter you know most females just eat whatever but not me I had to be on my strict diet had to control my blood sugar, inject insulin so I can have a normal healthy baby it was alot of work for me and sometimes I feel like it's unfair or why me but what can I do maybe one day I can be normal again liek b4.
Hi, I know exactly how you feel Im type 1 and i feel like everyday there is something extra always lingering over me. For once i would love to work out and not have to think about my blood suguar or if i have something with me to drink if i get low.I dont think with disease we will ever feel normal but i just keep telling myself that i wont let this disease win i will fight it everyday. Even if there are times were my body decides to not work with me like a unexpected low BG. Dont get discouraged there are alot of people who are going through a similar thing.