Diabetic Recipes
Things are better today. I appreciated the comments I got on my “What the F?” post. I agree, yeah sometimes I do probably think things to death. And yes, we all have “those days” from time to time- diabetes or no diabetes. Like I said, writing those posts in my “diary” (blog) made me feel much better. I said that it was good to see my diary again … and I meant it.
I also meant what I said about my martial arts and my health and being thankful for having the physical abilities that I am graced with. I try and maintain that positive outlook all the time.
With that being said and put aside for the time being, I would like to talk about a few other things today. I would really like to hear from you guys. If you don’t have the ability to comment, you should really see about becoming a member of dlife. We would love to have you contribute your two cents in the comment section below.
What types of things do you really LOVE to do?
What are some of your passions?
As people living with diabetes, perhaps our hobbies and true likes are a bit more special to us than a person who doesn’t live with a disease?
No?
Maybe I’m wrong? I don’t want to come across as being conceited or anything, but I feel, (at least in my case) that because I live with this disease, I look at life a little differently than others (/most)?
In other words, when you live life 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with your thoughts constantly on “worry mode” or whether or not you will go into a diabetic coma, or seize/pass out/get low/die ... it has an affect on your daily activities and outlook. In a sense, being diabetic can sometimes affect how much you enjoy certain things.
Do you agree to some extent? What do you just absolutely love to do? Do you think having diabetes, and perhaps living with the knowledge that someday your life may be cut short, causes you to appreciate things more?
Or do you experience the opposite? Do you feel like diabetes won’t impact your life, therefore not affecting how you enjoy the simple things?
Thanks for reading. –Andy Bell
Considering I'm T2/d&e and a relative newbie (6 years next month)... I think I "got over" the "impending doom" bit when I had to spend too much time thinking about serving the customer screaming in my ear because he was blacked out of a baseball game...
Diagnosis did cause me to pick back up cooking and baking as a creative outlet, since most of the diabetes recipe books aren't low sodium, and the low-sodium recipe books aren't diabetes-friendly, and none of them is cholesterol-friendly... In a way, inventing new recipes and new ways of enjoying old favorites has brought me closer to my foremothers, and wistfully remembering "helping" my great-grandmother bake...
Diabetes HAS made me more aware of physical fitness and finding more fun in physical fitness. It HAS made me more aware of a need to care for my body. It HAS made me more empathetic, and to some degree, more aware of others' infirmities.
But other than improving the healthiness of my diet and my physical self, no -- diabetes has not impacted my enjoyment of life.
Awesome Comment tmana...very heartfelt. Thank you. -Andy :)
Andy, first of all I look forward to your posts. Glad you're 'back'. I wish I could post an entirely positive message, but I currently find myself in quite a funk regarding D and life in general. I try to pretend that D doesn't affect everything else in my life, but I'm afraid it touches everything - or at least the planning of everything I do. I am a T2 and was Orals/D&E until Nov. Now I've added MDIs to that mix. Things I loved to do in the past, such as bike riding and such has taken on a whole new life as I try to make sure I'm not going to crash while out on the trail etc. I consider myself a pretty good problem solver, but apparently when things change on a daily basis as they do with D, I don't cope all that well with it. I haven't been to the gym in three weeks (I was a 6 day a week person), haven't ridden my bike in weeks. All I want to do is go home after work and vedge. I know I need to exercise. I know that exercise not only would help my mood/depression, but helps with BG readings. I, like everyone else doing the D feel quite alone at times. I'm really a serious daily routine kind of guy. This diabetes life doesn't do that and I guess that's where I'm at these days. So, when you say WTF - I'm right there with you.
Sorry, meant to close with my name. Take care,
Corey
:) Thank you Corey!
I completely agree Andy. I love being outdoors; riding my bike, going for a jog, swimming, etc. but unlike others around me I have to ensure that I am prepared for a "diabetic situation". I definitely have my bad days but I try and live my life to the fullest; as diabetics we will always have the "worry mode" but if we allow ourselves to let it affect us all the time how can we truly enjoy life? As crazy as this sounds because of how much I hate this disease I am grateful for it; I am a much stronger person because of it and just like you said, maybe diabetes can make us appreciate things more.
????? - Happiness To All!
Amy Vallely
Awesome Amy Vallely :) Thank you for the comment.
HEy Andy, I've played hockey, squash, underwater rugby, underwater hockey, inline skating, inline hockey, water polo, swimming, and some more - ben diabetic for 12 years now since age 15. D has hit me hard just once for me to wake up and take proper care of myself, and now I take care of the D. Sometimes I'm up and sometimes I'm down, but most times I'm on par. Always checking, testing, counting, but D has made me more sure of myself, more confident, and given me far more self discipline than I could ever have wished for.
But I'm living, and healthy than most of my friends - and the better I worry and take care, the longer I lead a normal, healthy life.
cheers
Thank you Boost45. Cheers to you too mate :)
Hey Andy, great, thought provoking questions yer asking there. I think that diabetes put me in touch with my own mortality and has definitely impacted how I live and enjoy life. Have had T1 for 16 yrs.
I love to be outdoors and have taken up running over the past few years. Running has sort of a "settling" effect on me. I occasionally place in my age group, and it also is like affirmation to myself...see, I can do this even though I have the D challenge.
I also love animals and after 20 years as an accountant, started my own pet sitting biz in the last year, fulfilling two dreams...working with animals and having my own biz. Both running and pet sitting I feel that I do in spite of diabetes. Or perhaps I do these things to spite diabetes. I seriously doubt that I would have ever thought to leave my "stable" job without diabetes helping me to realize that there are no guarantees in life.
I also have no doubt that my BG's would be much more stable if I had a more predictable scedule in terms of activity, but I don't WANT a boring life.
What frustrates me the most (right now) is that I still feel sort of alone with the "D". The online D community is great, and I have wonderful friends and family, but most of them still don't really "get it". Even my doctor doesn't seem very interested in helping me get my #'s surrounding exercise in better shape. Perhaps this is just a phase (can you still have phases when you're over 40?). Either way, diabetes is so integral and interwoven in my life that it's hard to even answer these questions, but I just wrote a book trying :)
Awesome Carol40! Thanks for your comment...who cares if you feel like you wrote a book...that's what it's all about, sharing whatever you want with the rest of the online community :) We (and I) appreciate your time and thought. And I love your outlook on business and life and everything :)
-Andy