[Diabetes-Talk] Not eating enough, or eating properly

Tue Feb 16 20:43:31 UTC 2021

Terry,

Also, first, it's ultimately what you're comfortable with, but it is
possible to use a flat top stove when blind. I prefer gas stoves in general,
but we recently moved and are renting right now, and our rental has a flat
top. I've also used flat tops in the past. I'm totally blind and cook just
fine. It's just about learning nonvisual techniques to know where to place
skillets and saucepans, etc.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Terri
Stimmel via Diabetes-Talk
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2021 10:02 PM
To: diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Terri Stimmel <icecreamlover76 at outlook.com>
Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] Not eating enough, or eating properly

Hello everyone,

I hope that you all are doing well. And are staying safe.

First of all, I just want to say thank you to all of you who offer me
advice, and encouragement. It has been so very bennificial. It has also
really meant a lot to me. You all offer me a lot of support, and I really
appreciate it.

I am still struggling. I am really trying hard. But this is definitely
rough! Much more than I ever thought it would be.

Who knew eating well was such a chore. I think there has always been a part
of me that felt it was tough. But until you really commit to trying to do
this pretty much all of the time, it doesn't really click.

I am struggling to cook. I am the person who cooks for my boyfriend and I,
most of the time. I do have an aid that comes in 3 days a week. She can do
some cooking. But the few times we have had her make some things, it didn't
go well. I think she just gets too distracted, too easily. So we don't
usually ask her to do much.

But with my limited experience, it's making things rather difficult. I don't
want to cook extravigant meals. But I do want things to taste flavorful. I
have been finding recipes that sound great. But I don't know the first thing
about how to prepare some of these things.

For example, I don't know how to mince garlic. So I bought it already made
this way.

We have a glass top stove. Therefore, you can't physically touch the
burners. So we bought an electric skillet. We have to get the temperature
knobb marked. But at least now we have something we can use. 
I am also looking into purchasing a talking meat thermometer.

But I don't know anything really about baking chicken. Much less, making
sauces, or sautaeing veggies. I feel way out of my depth here.

I have tried twice now to join the cooking in the dark email list. The 
first time I never got a response. This last time, I got a message 
stating my email was undeliverable. So I am not quite sure what is going 
on there.

I have also considered contacting the society for the blind, out here 
where I live, to see if I could get some help with cooking. I know that 
they used to help with this sort of thing.

However, I don't know if they are doing this currently, due to the 
virus. Next Monday I might give them a call, and see what they have to 
say. I would call this week. But the weather is pretty bad right now. It 
is pretty much supposed to be this way all week.

But I feel like I am possibly not eating enough. Much less, eating what 
is good for me. Lately, I have been skipping breakfast. I know this 
isn't necessarily a good thing. It is also not something that my doctor 
really wants me to do.

But a lot of the times, I just don't know what I want. I also get bored 
with eating the same things over, and over again. So I just don't eat.

I usually have lunch around noon. I've been eating a turkey and cheese 
sandwich, and some grapes. About 15 of them. Or I will eat about 10 
vanilla wafers. Or a sugar-free chocolate pudding cup. For my drink I 
either have a bottle of Gold Peak, diet tea. Or a bottle of water.

My bread for my sandwich is, Sara Lee, honey weat. I have tried buying 
something else. But it is difficult to get my boyfriend to eat a 
different bread. If we purchase 2 different breads, then too much gets 
thrown out.

My turkey is Land O Frost. I think it is honey smoked. It's honey 
something. But I can't remember exactly what it is. I usually use 3, to 
4 slices of the turkey.

My cheese is currently a sharp cheddar I got from the deli. I just use 
one piece.

If I have a snack in the afternoon, it is usually candy. Which isn't at 
all good. I beat myself up for this, pretty regularly. But usually in 
the afternoons I am upstairs, as I am as I write this. So it is the most 
simple thing to access. If I am downstairs, I have a pudding, which is 
sugar-free. Or a peach cup. Or some grapes. This afternoon, it was a 
fun-size bag of skittles. As well as, a fun-size bag of M&M's. Also, a 
small bag of cheese popcorn.

For dinner this evening, we had Marie Calendar, chicken potpie. I think 
they are about fifteen ounces, if I am remembering correctly. With that, 
I drank a glass of Mylo's zero calorie sweet tea.

Then later in the evening, I unfortunately had some more candy. I had 2 
snack-size peanut butter cups, and a mini honeybun.

I do drink a good amount of water during the day. So this is at least a 
plus. Not every day is like this, when it comes to snacking, or meals. 
But in the last week, or 2, most of the time this is how it is. This is 
not at all good. I know only I can change it. And I do want to make it 
happen. I just feel crushed by it all sometimes.

My boyfriend, and friends are supportive. But most of my friends aren't 
dealing with diabetes. So in many ways they just can't relate.

My boyfriend is willing to try new things, and tries to be supportive. 
But he also wants us to have quick, and easy things for us to fix. I can 
understand this. But at the same time, it's not as though we have jobs, 
or kids to raise. So in a lot of ways, we aren't hurting for time. We 
have a good deal of time on our hands, during the day.

So this is the latest. I know things need to change. My blood sugars are 
going low at times. Although, not as low as they were just as of about 2 
weeks ago. It has gotten better since they adjusted my Triseba. The 
lowest it has gone lately is, 65.

However, I have been getting nasty headaches lately. They will sometimes 
start not long after I am up. There are times where they will go away on 
their own. Other times, I can't seem to get rid of them. They don't 
always seem to happen when my blood sugar is low. But I can't help but 
think that they are somehow related.

Any thoughts are much appreciated. Also, I just appreciate you all 
listening.

Thank you. I will keep you all posted.

Terri

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