Type 1 Diabetes: If you Give a T1D a Slice of Cake

Diabetic. What do you picture when you hear that word? For most people, the word conjures up an image of a middle-aged, overweight person who eats poorly and never exercises. Is that what you saw in your head? Not only is that a poor representation of diabetes, but did you know that there are different kinds of diabetes? Let’s get rid of that unfortunate misconception. There’s a lot more to type 1 diabetes than most people think.

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I am not a doctor or medical professional. This article is for informational purposes only. If you are thinking about changing the way you treat your diabetes, consult your medical team for assistance.

It’s difficult to explain type 1 diabetes. The disease is overwhelming and complex. If you don’t live with it, it’s almost impossible to understand. Yet everyone believes they understand it. They take snippets from TV and movies. They mostly learn from diabetes jokes in the media and think they’re accurate to real life.

I was reading one of our favorite bedtime books: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, and I decided I could use that to explain a little bit about type 1 diabetes.

If you Give a T1D a Slice of Cake:

If you give a T1D a slice of cake…

He’s going to ask for a carb count.

When you go to get the nutrition label…

You’ll remember that you already threw it in the garbage.

When you fish it out of the trash and look at the label…

You’ll wonder who the heck eats 3 tsp of dry cake mix (the serving size provided… that’s helpful)

Slightly frustrated, but not surprised, he’ll take a picture of the cake…

And post it in a T1D online community to help him SWAG it.

While he’s waiting for responses…

He’ll get distracted by notifications and doom-scrolling.

Twenty minutes later, he’ll remember the slice of cake and check the answers on his post.

Unfortunately, he’ll see a dozen different carb count guesses.

He’ll use the average number, bolus for the cake, and hope for the best.

As he’s eating his cake…

Inevitably someone will ask him, “Should you be eating that?”

He will explain that T1D is an autoimmune disease,

And has nothing to do with diet or lifestyle choices.

That, as long as he gives himself insulin…

He can eat anything he wants just like everyone else.

They will look confused and reply…

“But you have diabetes. My grandma has diabetes and she can’t eat cake.”

He will sigh, roll his eyes, and walk away…

Because if he doesn’t, he might say something he’ll regret.

As he tries to enjoy the party…

He will notice people sneaking glimpses of his CGM and insulin pump.

(They’re not being as stealthy as they think)

Every once in a while…

He’ll hear someone whisper, “But he doesn’t look diabetic.”

But he won’t have time to correct them…

Because he’ll start to feel low.

And he’ll realize the carb count was wrong and he gave himself too much insulin for the cake.

Which means he’ll need some fast-acting carbs…

To bring up his glucose level.

And chances are, if he’s having fast-acting carbs…

He’ll probably need a slice of cake to keep his glucose levels even.

And everyone at the party…

Will be thinking to themselves, “No wonder he has diabetes. He can’t even limit himself to one slice of cake.”

Those people who drain a 51g carb specialty coffee every morning, guzzle a 43g carb bottle of pop at lunch, and inhale a quick 54g carb energy drink for that 2 pm pick me up, will think that he brought it on himself.

They will believe that he should have eaten healthier, like they do.

That if he would only watch what he eats, he could simply reverse his diabetes.

Did you know…?

• T1D is an autoimmune disease. There is no way to prevent it.
• No cure exists for type 1 diabetes. (No, your daughter’s friend’s second cousin did not cure their T1D with cinnamon and okra water).
• T1D doesn’t discriminate. While many are diagnosed as children, it can happen at any age, to any race, and any body type.
• Type 1 diabetics need insulin to survive. They cannot take a pill or change their lifestyle to go off insulin.
• T1D is a lifelong condition. It cannot be reversed and people can’t grow out of it.
• Type 1 diabetics can eat whatever anyone else eats. They often need sugar to avoid a seizure, a coma, or a hospital visit.
• Food is not the only thing that affects blood sugar levels. When someone with T1D calculates their carbs and insulin, they also have to consider activity level, other macros, and many other variables.
• Type 1 diabetes is not the “good kind” or the ‘bad kind”. There is no good kind of diabetes.

Let’s try again: Diabetic

Now what do you picture? Is it still the middle-aged, overweight, unhealthy person? Or is it more like this:

Happy Carb Counting!

~ Leah

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