Can you have that?

I was having a really interesting conversation with my sister and husband yesterday about several diabetes-related thoughts and feelings. A a big topic of that conversation included how diabetics are sometimes treated by others. This ranged from reactions of people very close to diabetics (i.e. family members and friends) to how we are treated by the general public as well. Interestingly enough, it's often times our family and friends that are the most "annoying" (for lack of a better word), in terms of questions, comments, and reactions we receive.

Most of the time these reactions are natural and inquisitive. But my all time LEAST favorite question, that I get VERY often by a range of people is, "Can you have that?" Every time this question is related to a food item and I'm sure it's mean to be really quite endearing. I truly do appreciate it when you think of me when planning a meal, a party, or snacks. But please know that EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. my answer will be "Yes." I can eat whatever I want, it's purely a matter of insulin. That doesn't mean that most of the time I won't choose a lower carb option, but that's because I generally crave vegetables over pasta, regardless of my blood sugars.

It's taken awhile to get to the point with people I am close to to discuss how I feel about questions like these and I ultimately feel very lucky to have a husband who communicates so well, to the point where we have worked out a system of communication that doesn't bother me or make me feel like he is hovering over me. Additionally, I have several family members who understand the science behind it all, which really helps in terms of explaining this whole things. And the rest of my family have been around it for so long, that our communication has really increased, to the point where I feel like we are on the same page most of the time.

In the end, there are two things that have really helped in my relationships with others in terms of diabetes: education and communication. I think it's been extremely helpful that others around me know how it all works, how hard I work, and also can understand my lifestyle. I also feel very proud to be able to share my experiences, despite my own insecurities, fears, and embarrassment. I think sharing these things has only strengthened my relationships with others.