If you have diabetes, regardless of type, it is inevitable that at some point you have encountered some form of THE question…
“Can you eat that?”
Sometimes it takes on the shape of “Should you be eating that?” or “Is that good for your diabetes?” or “I’m eating for two, even though I’m a dude, so why are you eating that when I was counting on eating your share?!”
When I’m asked this question, sometimes I will respond with some well-deserved diabetes education. “Yes, I can eat this. I just have to know how many carbs (carbohydrates) are in it, and what my blood sugar is, so that I can give myself the correct amount of insulin to keep my blood sugar from spiking too high due to not enough insulin, or going too low because I dosed too much.”
That is usually enough to get either understanding or slightly confused looks of acceptance. Math and science, for the win! And truthfully, I’m typically happy to educate. I like it when people learn about real life with diabetes.
If I’m in a mood though, or if I’m having a low BG (low blood sugar) and don’t have the patience for a diabetes learnin’ session, I might just respond with a snotty little question of my own, such as, “Should YOU be eating that?” That’s always a show stopper, as the guilty party takes that last bite of chocolate cake and shamefully makes their way back to the other room while I feel only slightly guilty with my shaky, moody, slightly confused, sweat-drenched self. Cake or death? Whatever, I’ll apologize later…GIVE ME CAKE!
Since I got my CGM (continuous glucose monitor), even more questions have been introduced to my world with diabetes. A-Flizzle is getting good at recognizing the different tones of the CGM alarms, but most people around me and my beeps and bonks aren’t able to decipher if I’m low, high, have a low reservoir, a low battery, or if I just forgot to hit “OK” after my last BG (blood glucose) check. Still, I’m glad when it beeps and they stop to ask, “What does that alarm mean?” It doesn’t matter to me if they were able to define the alarm or not. What matters was that they heard it, and recognized that it was diabetes related, so that if I need something, I have their attention. Diabetes win!
Another diabetes win happened this past weekend when A-Flizzle was supervising, I mean, helping me organize my diabetes supplies. While sifting through test strips, glucose gels, infusion sets, and alcohol swabs, we came across this little gem when I got my paws on a fresh box of CGM sensors.
Do you see it? Look a little closer.
Cake! On a diabetes supply container! For a device that helps monitor glucose levels!
Cake or death, you ask? CAKE! Definitely, cake.
Diabetically Speaking 
Martin – this is the best find ever! You made my night!!
I have a problem with that picture! Who the heck eats the cake from the back of the slice??? Maybe she was low and needed the extra icing sooner. 🙂
it’s a rather large piece of cake to boot! “give me cake or give me death” 🙂
eddie izzard ftw!
that cake is totes carrot, and therefore way healthier better for diabetics than chocolate, right?
yay! martin wrote a post! 😀
and i’ve noticed the cake pic before. i think it’s brilliant!
miss you!
I switched to Dex from MM Guardian last spring, but I was using MM for over 3 years, and that picture never registered with me. I am oblivious.
Happy birthday, Martin! Enjoy your cake!
You are like R2D2 with all your beeps and boops. And now come to think of it, your big round head too! Now we just have to teach Amanda a snotty Brit accent and you can be gay robots together. 🙂
Happy Birthday!
But seriously, who chooses carrot cake?
This is hilarious, especially since I was thinking the same thing earlier this week. I’ve had that box sitting on our bathroom counter, and I can’t not notice her expression with that cake. She’s all “Fuck yeah — I know exactly what my BG is right now and I’m about the bolus the shit out of this carb count.”
Now if only they would put cake IN the box, too.
I already want to go on the pump. Now I NEED to just so I can have this picture in person. 😀
And Sara, I happen to LOVE carrot cake & often choose it over chocolate. I don’t like it with nuts or raisins in it though. I mean I’ll eat it that way. I’m not crazy & that IS cake, but prefer it sans nuts & fruit.
Martin, you & A-Flizzle made my night. 🙂
I remember seeing that picture on the sensor box for the first time last year, and felt like taking it into school going: “look- diabetes and cake!” A friend brought fudge into school the other day, and I took the tiniest piece. Immediately look of concern and the: “are you sure you can eat that?” My BG was low, and I know she meant well but I was like: “let me live!” Cake wins any day, unless I’m ridiculously high – then it’s the last thing on earth I want to see!
Really enjoying reading your blog 🙂
Sophie