In college, a guide-dog provided the extra guidance Matthew needed. He was a black-lab named Newton. Today, he uses a cane and the support of great friends and family to live in a world where vision is usually considered a necessity. He doses his own insulin, he graduated from Western Oregon University, and he exercises every week on the treadmill and his bike!

Having lost almost 200 lbs in the past few years, Matthew is definitely proof that changing your life is possible, exercising is possible, and managing diabetes is possible despite any challenges stacked against you.

But Matthew hardly considers his lack of sight a “disability” or a challenge. To him, it’s simply life.

Today, he’s involved in practically ever social media platform I can think of…and several I’ve never heard of. And he’s a self-proclaimed “geek” at matthewdeets.org.

“I love all things Apple,” says Matthew. “I switched from a PC back in 2005 because the the accessibility features that are built in to OS X and IOS across all Macs and Devices – nothing else even comes close out there, in my honest opinion!”

GINGER: Hi Matthew! You and I met through Facebook, if I remember correctly. You are definitely an active member of the DOC! (Diabetes Online Community)

MATTHEW: Hi Ginger! Yes, I discovered the Diabetes Online Community last summer. This changed my whole life with diabetes. I found that I wasn’t alone. I look forward to DSMA chat in twitter every week. Today, I couldn’t imagine living with diabetes without my friends in the DOC.

GINGER: What is life like lately around your diabetes management?
MATTHEW: I’m making time to workout just about every day — at least 5 to 6 days a week!

I want to note that I’m a type 2 and using insulin to manage my diabetes. I cannot say enough how much adding insulin therapy has improved my diabetes management! I just want people with type 2 to know that this is a step that they should not be afraid to take and although your diabetes may vary…it’s worked incredibly well for me!

My A1c was 7.1 before starting insulin Today, it’s 6.4 since my last visit after using insulin, and I hope to even have a better number when I visit my doctor on Monday!

GINGER: Okay, Matthew…I’m sure you’ve been on the receiving end of quite a few stereotypes that come along with being legally blind. What are some of the most surprising, ridiculous things people have said to you? 

MATTHEW: I’ve been very fortunate not to run into this very much at all. I do get the occasional question about blindness or diabetes, and I always try to educate people. As most people living with diabetes, I do occasionally run into the Food Police, but who doesn’t? I think that we each have our own challenges in life, and it’s how we choose to overcome those challenges that makes each of us who we are.

GINGER: What are some things you can still do that most people would be surprised about when thinking about life without vision?

MATTHEW: I like to say that I do everything that people with sight do in life!

GINGER: What was your diabetes diagnosis like?

MATTHEW: Something like…As I described that above, I don’t recall an actual “day I was diagnosed” or “d-anniversary”  although there could have been. I was just finally fortunate enough to have a doctor who was able to help me to take control of my health. I remember that my lab tests came back out of wack and we went from there.

GINGER: What were the hardest things for you to face/change in your life as a result of being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes?

MATTHEW: I’ve made it my life goal or mission in life to take charge of my health. Learn all that I am able about Diabetes. I think that I am feeling better and am more healthy now that I’ve been in years! I think that it’s been more positive than negative. I’m not perfect — some days are better than others, I always try to remember that I am a person first and everything else second –numbers do not define me!

GINGER: How do you think your diabetes management is impacted by your ONH…if at all?

MATTHEW: I have tools that make help me to manage my diabetes independently. I using a Prodigy Voice talking Glucometer — specially designed for blind people. I like the Accu-Chek MultiClix because I don’t have to worry about loading lancets – I love my MultiClix. For logging, I like to use EndoGoddess for iPhone with VoiceOver. Looking forward to when Glooko makes a cable that works for my meter for easier logging.

GINGER: How do you overcome challenges and obstacles in your life? Do you have a personal mantra?

MATTHEW: I like to look at each day and say “what can I do today to….” make time to exercise, remember to count my carbs, manage my diabetes, etc. Then all of the days add up to make longterm results — if that makes sense…

GINGER: Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your life, Matthew!

Matthew’s favorite inspiring quotes are: 

“People do best when they don’t do diabetes alone.” — Dr. Bill Polonsky

“There is nothing that you can do on the iPhone or iPad that I can’t
do.” –Stevie Wonder

Michelle!

A graduate of the University of Utah, Michelle currently practices at Wasatch Internal Medicine in Salt Lake City, UT, as the clinic’s diabetes specialist. At Wasatch Internal Medicine, she sees patients both in the clinic and in their homes via a “house call” program she developed for homebound elders. Check out Michelle’s blog about her work as a nurse practitioner & diabetes specialist here! 

When she isn’t helping us insulin-challenged-folks, she’s spending time with her family and friends, traveling, making really gorgeous jewelry and wheel thrown pottery, taking pictures, watching stand-up comedy, and co-chairing the Diabetes Mixer with MJ Tran. I met Michelle and her partner-in-crime, MJ when they invited me to be a guest speaker at their second DIABETES MIXER in Salt Lake City, UT.

GINGER: Why diabetes? What is it about people with diabetes that drives your passion for helping people?

MICHELLE:First and foremost, you have to have a connection with your health care provider. Mutual respect and good communication are the building blocks to this connection. Does your diabetes specialist listen to you? Do they understand where you are coming from? Communication is a two-way street. If your health care provider doesn’t take the time to listen to you, how can they expect a patient to take the time to listen to them? Does your health care provider know anything about you outside of your diagnosis? In order to provide patient-centered care, health care providers should know more about you than your last A1C and if you are due for refills.

Diabetes Mixer!

GINGER: What are the top three things you believe most people with diabetes DON’T GET from their diabetes specialist?

GINGER: What are some of the most challenging aspects of your work with PWDs?

Wearing blue for BLUE FRIDAYS!

MICHELLE: The biggest challenge is trying to figure out the best treatment options that fits within a patient’s insurance benefits, financial circumstances, and lifestyle.

GINGER: What are the most rewarding moments/parts of your work with PWDs?

GINGER: What advice would you give to a PWD looking for a good diabetes specialist? What should their standards be? What should and shouldn’t they overlook in how their Endo-NP cares for them?

MICHELLE: First, make sure they like taking care of individuals with diabetes, I know a number of endocrinologists/endocrinology specialists that would prefer to care for non-diabetes conditions (thyroid disease, osteoporosis, growth hormone, etc). Endocrinology specialist does not equal diabetes specialist. Second, make sure you and your provider have mutual respect for eachother and good communication; you need to be able to connect on some level. Sometimes, there are personalities that just don’t work well together. Third, make sure your provider has enough time for you and your needs. Check with the receptionist to see how long your appointment is, and decide if your needs can be addressed in that amount of time. Fourth, make sure your provider is knowledgeable enough to provide you individualized treatments and health information. No one fits a mold, especially when it comes to diabetes. Your health related plans and goals should be tailored to you.

GINGER: What is one thing you wish your patients would do for YOU so you could perform your role better?

On the contrary, a protein bar should serve as a pre- or post- workout meal, or to replace a meal when you can’t get whole foods into your belly. Therefore, 230 to 280 calories is ideal. Hopefully, that bar also comes with at least 15 grams of protein and 4 to 8 grams of fat, giving you a complete and full meal, fueling your metabolism, and satiating your hunger!

Here’s a review of a few gluten-free bars…and my number-one pick!

My number one choice!

• The PR-BAR is delicious, and I have to say it is absolutely my favorite thus far. Not only does it taste good, which I can’t say about most, but it also is NOT full of artificial sweeteners. Like most bars, for the sake of preservation, there are preservatives and other ingredients you wouldn’t find in whole, natural foods. The bars seem to come in to two types: with granola, or without granola! I liked the non-granola choices better, most specifically: Double Chocolate, Iced Brownie, and Chocolate Peanut! Each bar has roughly 200 calories, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fat and 15 grams of protein!

• My second favorite bar, and only other “go-to” protein bar, is the Clif Builder Bar! Mostly, I like how thick and dense these bars are! What can I say, I’m human. When I see that I’m getting a lot of food for the same amount of calories as something else, it makes me happy. But these bars also taste good and they don’t have any artificial sweeteners in them! My favorites, again, involve any flavor with chocolate, chocolate and peanut butter.

• The THINK-THIN bars used to be something I ate regularly when I couldn’t get to whole, natural foods. After a short period of time though, the immense amount of sugar alcohols in these things really started to bother my stomach! While they are gluten-free, smooth, and yummy at first, I literally started getting stomach cramps after eating them. Nutritionally, the bars come to 240 calories, 8 grams of fat, 24 grams of carbohydrates and 20 grams of protein. But, like I said, these have been totally removed from my diet for several years now because of the gnarly side-effects of sugar alcohols.

• I don’t eat Lara Bars regularly. If anything, I only grab one when I know I need some really dense carbohydrate to keep me safe during a long hike or any other lengthy athletic event where I might have a low blood sugar. While they are gluten free, they’re also practically all carbohydrates and fats, and pretty much zero protein. Well, yes, there are 4 grams of protein, but when I’m looking for a bar that will replace a meal, I need far more protein than that. However, if I’m looking for something to raise and sustain my blood sugar, this combo of carbohydrates and fat is great. You’ll find these bars are also made with really awesome ingredients, practically a whole food still on its own!

There is one thing I know for sure about Matt Neal: he is an energetic adventure man! Just “meeting” him on the phone, I could tell this is a person who does not sit still for long! While Matt’s career and success in BMX racing began long before he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, this disease has definitely never slowed him down! The training is intense on the track and in the gym, and the competitions are so intense, he needs more insulin during his event just to keep his blood sugar under control while he’s pumped with adrenaline! You can also find Matt Neal and Team Type 1 BMX on Facebook!

GINGER: So you’ve lived with Type 1 diabetes for just barely under three years! Diagnosed “late in life” at age 28…but you’ve been a competitive athlete since you were a kid! Tell me a little bit about your athletic career over the past 31 years.

Photo by Jed Strahm

MATT: I was always active as a kid. I started out playing baseball and always had a blast riding my bike. I had a few friends that raced at the BMX track that I rode with in my neighborhood. For my 10th birthday, my dad took me to the track and I was hooked! I was really fortunate to have sponsors help me out and I was able to race all over the country. It was really fun and I loved riding my bike.

A few highlights from my racing career: I was top 10 nationally in my age group several years, I got 2nd at the World Cup in 1999, and I raced professionally for a little bit.

I took time off to finish my degree and establish my career. After taking about 8 years off, I got the itch to get back on my bike. I started riding again.

MATT: The easiest way to describe BMX is that it is just like motocross but I am my own motor. We have all the jumps and turns, I just have to pedal to get around the track. It is very fast-paced, high adrenaline, and it’s a BLAST! Races are very short sprints. An average lap is about 30-45 seconds, depending on the track.

MATT: Not at all. My degree is in exercise science so I knew the basics of diabetes. I knew what a pancreas is, what insulin does, what carbs are, etc. I knew that I needed to figure out how to make it fit into my riding. I read several great books to learn more about diabetes and how to others were making it work in their every day lives as well as in different sports. Two books that I found really helpful were “Think Like a Pancreas” by Gary Scheiner and “Diabetic Athlete’s Handbook” by Sheri Colberg.

I started back slowly and tested my blood sugar a TON to figure out what happened when I trained on my bike and at the gym. It took some trial and error and eventually I  was able to dial it in pretty well.

Photo by Jed Strahm

MATT: I think the biggest change for me is that before diabetes I was able to just go up and race. Now I have to think about my blood sugar all day long. I have to start to prepare for each race much further in advance so that I have enough carbs, insulin, or both on board before I go back to warm up.

One thing that is pretty cool though is that I guarantee I am the only one on the starting gate who knows what my blood sugar is each race!

MATT: Factoring in the adrenaline. My blood sugar will rise for tough races. Basically, the harder the race, the more adrenaline which results in elevated glucose levels.

That as well as not knowing exactly when I will be racing next. We don’t have specific start times for events. It really depends on when I qualify, how many races there are that day, and how fast they run the events.

MATT: I make small adjustments and eat small meals all day. This helps me to keep my blood glucose relatively stable all day long. That way I can eat some carbs before a race to bring my blood sugar up and take a bolus to bring my blood sugar down after a race, as long as I don’t have another race coming up for a while.

I think that the technology for diabetes helps. I use the OmniPod system to fine tune my blood glucose. I also use the DexCom CGM system to keep track of my levels and trends. These tools really help me learn a lot about what happens for different types of activity.

MATT: I am a firm believer that diabetes doesn’t have to slow you down or stop you from doing anything. That is why I started Team Type 1 BMX. We have 11 riders, eight living with type 1. The team ROCKS and we have been making main events on the local, state and national levels all year long!!!

GINGER: That’s awesome! Tell me more about Team Type 1 BMX!

Photo by Jed Strahm

MATT: Yes, we are associated with Team Type 1 Sanofi. I had this idea about starting a team to raise awareness about type 1 after I was diagnosed and was working to get things started. I learned about the cycling team and thought it was really cool. Their mission was almost identical to my vision. I met Phil Southerland, the team’s CEO, and we were able to hook up with them for the 2011 season. Even though we ride bikes to share our message, just like they do, our sport is vastly different. We sprint while they ride long distance. BMX is an extreme sport and caters to younger kids. It is also a family sport so we are able to reach a completely different market to help spread the word.

MATT: I think the thing I miss the most is being able to eat without thinking about it. Before, I could wolf down a slice of cake without blinking an eye. Now I obviously need to calculate the carbs and take the right bolus before indulging. This isn’t completely bad though. It makes it a little easier to stay on track with my nutrition.

THANK YOU, MATT! 

Check out TEAM TYPE 1 BMX’s next event this November 24 in Tulsa, OK here!

Science Fiction Turns Into Medical Science

By Leslie Brown

It sounds like a plot from a science fiction book – The body’s defense, the autoimmune system, goes haywire and attacks the body.  It ravages the pancreas to the point of death unless the person injects himself with tiny droplets of a magical serum called “insulin.”

Or, rather, this was a poorly planned coup d’état. The autoimmune cells were full of vigor and force but lacked foresight. The damn military didn’t have a plan once it overthrew my pancreas.

In other words, my autoimmune system swarmed the beta cells like ants march to a melting Popsicle by a park bench. The ants left nothing.

Ah-HAH!

However you look at it, Type 1 diabetes is a bugger. It’s not easy and it doesn’t go away. (I tried. I told it I didn’t want it around. Didn’t work.)

Then again, knowledge is power, and it was a relief to figure out what was going on with my body. One October night I felt especially awful and started to research my symptoms. I followed a chain of links that eventually led me to a description of Diabetes Mellitus Type 1. (On a side note, until I was researching that night, I had NO idea there were two types of diabetes. Go figure. Two!) After I read the symptoms, it clicked.

Ah-HAH!

It all made sense: Earlier that day, I ate a sandwich and an entire family-size bag of Lays potato chips in one sitting. An hour later I was starving. Forget carrots – I then ate a 12 ounce bag of peanut M&Ms. Still hungry. It didn’t matter how many calories I ate, I kept losing weight. I could pull off my hip-hugger pants without unbuttoning them. Because I was losing so much weight I stopped biking to work and stopped running a week before. That was an easy commitment. I was too exhausted to walk up the stairs without leaning against the wall to rest. My vision had turned abysmal, and I had troubles reading street signs 20 feet ahead of me. I had been drinking my weight in water and peeing at least 14 times per day. Also, my sweat glands were overactive, especially at night. A week before, I woke in the middle of the night because sweat saturated the bed. My boyfriend, horrified, thought I peed the bed. (I didn’t.)

I turned from the WebMD page to look at my roommate. “I think I have diabetes.”

The following morning the doctor confirmed my suspicion. As I sat in one of those vulnerable hospital gowns, he said, “Leslie, you have diabetes. And no, it doesn’t matter that you ate a pear for breakfast. Your sugars should never be 680.” To which I responded, “!*#$. I thought so.”

My pancreas’s funeral

This was a lot to take on. I went from not knowing there were two types of diabetes to hearing that I am insulin dependent.

Maybe.

Because I was 24, my new physician was dubious of the ER doctor’s diagnosis. This was not normal to her: I wasn’t a juvenile, my symptoms manifested relatively slowly, I recovered relatively quickly after getting on insulin, and relatively speaking I didn’t need require that much insulin. She concluded that I had MODY or Type 2 – at which point I passed out. I’m embarrassed to this day to admit that. I was nodding my head confused one minute and then wilted over my lap the next. With that mind-power it seems like I should be able to tell diabetes to go away … because I have Type 1. Lab results negated that I have Type 2 or MODY and indicated I do indeed have juvenile diabetes.

Even the second time around, it wasn’t easy. The prognosis went like this: if I weren’t producing insulin as a Type 1 diabetic, I needed to take as much insulin as a normal, insulin-producing person. Right? The doctor prescribed that I take more insulin. I couldn’t walk around the block without eating 200 calories in lemon-lime GU, and I had this nagging feeling that my glucometer sometimes fibbed.

So I did what any normal person does: I threw a funeral for my pancreas. I invited my friends to celebrate the life of my oblong organ with wine and carbohydrates. One of them even brought white lilies to commemorate my pancreas. It’s amazing how much easier it is to cope with death (ok, death of an organ is still difficult) with friends and laughter.

The dark age

Regardless that I had people to share laughs, I was still coping. My body had betrayed me. I had been stripped of my identity and independence. Hypoglycemia and fear of hypoglycemia made it difficult to carry on normal activities. At age 24 I found myself losing touch with the person I had been growing into: an independent person who liked to explore through hiking, running and biking; who liked to go on road trips; who liked to bake; and who stuffed her pockets with fruit, not candy. Instead, I was turning into someone who was scared to be alone.

The following six months were a flurry of ups and downs. Simply put, I was depressed. I felt isolated, frustrated and helpless. Depression is an important facet of this disease, and it’s grossly overlooked in many medical management plans.

I don’t know when it started to get better, because it didn’t happen all at once. It was a slow progression. I did know that in order to kick those emotional lows, I needed to mitigate those blood glucose lows. When I dropped low, terror pulsed through my veins. I felt like I was running from dinosaurs in a very bad nightmare. A few times I was combative and irritable. Other times I just felt overwhelmed and infantile. Most times it took me a while to recover, and the low left a disempowering residue on my day. Regardless of what scary face The Low put on, I needed it to stop showing up so often.

Although I enjoyed my new physician on a personal level, I was experiencing hypoglycemia regularly. I decided to see another physician who specialized in working with Type 1 diabetics. He helped me understand the disease better and instilled confidence in me. I also started on a pump and CGM. I hate to say that technology revolutionized my life, so I won’t. Instead I’ll say it made it easier to act as a surrogate pancreas.

Technology and time decreased The Low’s daily appearances in my life. I went to the library and checked out every book related to Type 1 diabetes and scavenged the Internet for articles. I kept a diligent food and exercise diary so I could trace patterns in my blood sugars. Through managing variables I could control, I reclaimed parts of my life. My boyfriend (the one who thought I peed the bed – I didn’t) carried GU in his every pocket and patiently worked with me to manage my sugars while backcountry skiing and hiking. Throughout the last year he’s been with me through highs and lows (literally) and helped me laugh at life. Humor and good people (like the kind who come to a pancreas’s funeral) are arguably just as crucial as insulin therapy.  A good attitude disempowers the disease.

I’m the proud owner of a delinquent pancreas

That’s right, I said it: I’m the proud owner of a delinquent pancreas. I love and accept my pancreas for what it is, albeit delinquent.

It took me a while, but I finally accepted that I’m diabetic, and I need to adjust accordingly. Adjusting. Planning. Observing. Using patience. Finding humor in the frustrations. Through employing these habits, I’ve recaptured the lifestyle that makes me happy. Diabetes can be a bugger, and I can’t manage great sugars all the time. But that’s part of having a delinquent pancreas, and I accept myself for who I am: I’m a diabetic who explores through hiking, running and biking; who likes to go on road trips; who likes to bake; who stuffs her pockets with candy; and who approaches life with a sense of humor.

Sysy Morales has had type 1 diabetes for over 16 years. She is married and has two year old twins who drive her bananas as they climb everything from the bookcase to the top of the fireplace to the dining room table-and then attempt to fly. Sysy blogs at http://thegirlsguidetodiabetes.com. She is a diabetes advocate, and is attending the Institute of Integrative Nutrition to learn more about how to stay healthy and encourage others to do the same.

GINGER: Did you always know you would have children, or did you ever think it wouldn’t be possible because of your diabetes? What was the process of deciding you were ready to take on the challenge of balancing diabetes with pregnancy and the immense job of being a mother?

SYSY: Growing up the oldest of five children, I often wondered if I even wanted children at all. I witnessed how much my parents sacrificed and worked to keep the five of us healthy and happy. I was very afraid of motherhood taking away my health. Especially after I had worked so hard to regain it. The year before my twins were born, I made many life changes. I switched jobs, I fine-tuned my diet and exercise and stuck with it more. I got married and moved in with my husband. My A1c at the time of the wedding was under 6% and all other lab tests came out fine.

A month after the wedding I went to see a doctor for abdominal pain and without going into details was told I may never conceive. Surprised by how hard I took the news, I decided to just work on being healthy and not plan out my life so much as I’d always done. My husband and I thought we’d eventually adopt. Two months later I found out I was pregnant with twins! To me, this was a revelation because surely if I got pregnant with two, it meant I could actually do this. More than anything, knowing that I was healthy and had the right partner for support lead me to feel prepared for the possibility of parenthood.

GINGER: So, as a Type 1 diabetic woman, people ask me things all the time like, “Ohh, can you have children?” and “Oh, you probably won’t have children because of your diabetes, right?” And on the side, when I said that I’m not really sure I will ever have children, people say, “Because of your diabetes? That’s probably dangerous for you…”

What is your experience with outsider’s comments as a Type 1 woman with children?

SYSY: I have heard those same comments. I tell people that yeah, it is dangerous for me in the sense that If I don’t take care of my diabetes before and during and after pregnancy, negative consequences can arise. However, I always add that many, many women with type 1 are having and raising healthy children these days because they are achieving very good diabetes management.

GINGER: When you are raising your kids, and they’re younger and need so much one-on-one care, how do you make sure to leave enough time for checking your blood sugar, avoiding or treating lows, making time to eat often enough?

SYSY: This is tough. I’ve had to decide between risking a low and skipping a meal because sometimes my kids will need me and I won’t be able to eat on time. People always say, “Let the kids wait and just do what you gotta do,” and that’s true in many cases…but when there are two leaky diapers, I really don’t see myself letting that go and dealing with the huge mess afterwards, (and I mean huge).

So there really are times when I have to eat in a less than ideal way in order to keep things from getting too crazy at home. I tend to lower carbs when things get hectic because then if I don’t get a chance to test, my numbers won’t go so far out of range. When my husband is home to help me I enjoy my carbs! When I go out with the kids, I skip snacks and just focus on my blood sugars and staying hydrated. Eating while out and about and chasing after two toddlers adds too many variables for control.

I have my basal insulin set very well so when I eat less carbs than usual or skip a meal, my blood sugar holds pretty steady. I usually have glucose tablets in my pockets so that I don’t have to go retrieve them if needed. What makes all this doable for me is knowing that it’s a temporary situation. Eventually, my kids won’t be in the “terrific twos” stage and I can go back to a more enjoyable and consistent eating routine. I’m really looking forward to just eating while sitting down.

And I know this sounds very inconvenient. Here’s how I see it, pro-athletes with type 1 often have to change their routine in order to accomplish their goals. I’m no different. Sometimes I have to have a bite of breakfast and then eat a big lunch and it’s only because that’s how things went with the kids. The few occasions they’ve been sick (and always at the same time), I’ve had to rely on a can of tuna and an apple to make it through the day. I don’t blame anyone who wouldn’t want to do this. It’s not fun. I just think of it as staying well so I can be there for my kids. It breaks my heart when I can’t carry them because my blood sugar is high so I work hard to avoid that situation.

GINGER: So, which is more challenging? Motherhood or the job of diabetes?

SYSY: This question would get a different answer on different days. Some days the kids are these sweet little angels and my diabetes is the bane of my existence.

Other days, my blood sugar is doing fine and I feel healthy and my children are having a temper tantrum at the same time, perhaps on and off all day, and my husband is at work 12 hours a day. On days like this I feel that motherhood is most difficult.

Sometimes I think the toughest part of motherhood and diabetes are the emotional aspects. I have managed to work through my emotions regarding diabetes over these past 16 years. However, the emotions involving motherhood are surprisingly intense and I have less experience with them. I hope it doesn’t take 16 years to know how to handle these!

GINGER: Are there any aspects of living with diabetes that you think have helped you be a better mother?

SYSY: If we allow it, having diabetes can teach us patience and persistence and discipline. I’ve found that I can get my kids to eat vegetables and brown rice and pick uptheir toys by using those same virtues. I have a lot to learn when it comes to motherhood but diabetes has also taught me that over time I will learn to be patient more, accept more, and adapt better to the world of being a parent.

GINGER: Are there any aspects of being a mother that you think have helped you take better care of your diabetes?

SYSY: My pregnancy and first year with my twins was SO difficult that I stepped back one day and thought, Wow, I didn’t know other things in life could feel as difficult as my diabetes. I was in a lot of physical pain from several different issues (carpel tunnel, tendonitis, dislocated vertebrae, mastitis, anemia, post-partum depression, severe lack of sleep).

The medical bills and my leaving work to stay home and breast feed emptied our bank account, and raising twins during their first year was a very exhausting and isolating experience. It made me realize how much others have struggled with or without diabetes. I felt closer to all the women in the world who have had children and struggled in similar ways. I decided that even if no one else in the world had type 1 diabetes, I still wasn’t going to feel alone. I know it sounds crazy but my diabetes became much easier with this newfound perspective. I had no idea having children was going to heal much of my resentment about having diabetes but that’s what happened.

GINGER: What is a nugget of advice you would suggest to a Type 1 diabetic woman trying to decide if she is ready to have children?

SYSY: If deep down you feel that you can do this, than you can. On the surface I was worried to death that I couldn’t do it but deep down I felt strength and willpower to do it. I had the energy and motivation to test many times a day and to eat a very healthy diet. Aside from being honest with your own feelings, I would suggest being very honest about where your health is at. Had I had some diabetes complication, I would have felt differently about being open to having children because pregnancy is a stressful event.

However, talking with a doctor and weighing the pros and cons could help a person dealing with some health issues to decide. I’m an idealist but a realist, too.

I choose not to have anymore children beyond this point because to be honest, I am afraid that my eyes or other parts of me will be affected and I feel I should just be grateful for the two I’ve got. That said, I wouldn’t judge any woman who didn’t do what I’ve done.

I think we all need to decide for ourselves instead of go by what others do and think. And you know what’s funny? When I really think about it, had I been in this situation without diabetes, I think I would still feel very content with having only two children, which is kind of interesting. It tells me that perhaps diabetes doesn’t stop us from our goals and wants as much as we may think! I think having diabetes has often been my scapegoat.