Living with Diabetes

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:05.080 Hey snacks, welcome to season two of snacks eyes, the podcast that will 2 00:00:05.080 --> 00:00:09.750 drag you into your most fabulous life. I'm your host, lava Lushes, 3 00:00:09.990 --> 00:00:13.910 also known as the snack of the twin cities, a drag queen that twirled 4 00:00:13.910 --> 00:00:18.230 her way into podcasting, and the rest is a dream come true, and 5 00:00:18.510 --> 00:00:24.899 that's exactly what this podcast is about, making your dreams happen for you fabulously. 6 00:00:25.420 --> 00:00:29.460 This season we are continuing our journey in finding out what makes a happy 7 00:00:29.579 --> 00:00:33.899 and fulfilled life, going places we've never been before. Don't forget that, 8 00:00:34.020 --> 00:00:38.210 when it comes to your potential, the sky is the limit and it's never 9 00:00:38.250 --> 00:00:41.729 a bad time to be who you are. Get you a snack, because 10 00:00:41.770 --> 00:00:56.880 your fabulous life starts now. Hey snacks. The reason I started this podcast 11 00:00:57.079 --> 00:01:00.399 was because I wanted to share some of the things I've learned in my colorful 12 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:03.920 life with you all and invite other people to do the same. However, 13 00:01:03.280 --> 00:01:07.310 there are times in my own life where I need to learn and grow from 14 00:01:07.310 --> 00:01:11.469 listening to others, and I am at a time in my life right now 15 00:01:11.709 --> 00:01:15.549 where that is one of those times. In fact, I can actually say 16 00:01:15.629 --> 00:01:19.140 my life is completely changed. A little over a month ago, I was 17 00:01:19.299 --> 00:01:25.500 diagnosed with type two diabetes. I notice I had a lot of the symptoms 18 00:01:25.540 --> 00:01:29.060 that pointed to diabetes, so I called my doctor and they had me do 19 00:01:29.180 --> 00:01:33.689 some blood work. Not only did I have dangerously high blood sugar, my 20 00:01:33.769 --> 00:01:37.650 numbers indicated that I could die from a heart attack or stroke within a matter 21 00:01:37.650 --> 00:01:42.090 of months. I hadn't been to the doctor in ten years, and I 22 00:01:42.129 --> 00:01:44.650 don't want you all to think that I went into this thinking I was going 23 00:01:44.730 --> 00:01:47.599 to get a clean bill of health, but I can also say that I 24 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:52.359 never realized my health had gotten so bad. The fact is, when it 25 00:01:52.439 --> 00:01:55.519 comes to my goals and dreams, I definitely am one of those people who 26 00:01:55.519 --> 00:01:59.000 wants to do and have it all. I live in on the golifestyle and 27 00:01:59.079 --> 00:02:01.430 if I'm home, I'm always working on a project. So, while I 28 00:02:01.590 --> 00:02:05.829 was never a person that enjoyed a lot of sweets, and a lot of 29 00:02:05.909 --> 00:02:09.789 people associate diabetes with people who eat sugary foods, my diet revolved around what 30 00:02:09.949 --> 00:02:15.659 was easy, convenient and not necessarily healthy. Being a dry queen has been 31 00:02:15.699 --> 00:02:20.099 the center of my life since I was eighteen years old, and I was 32 00:02:20.139 --> 00:02:23.300 always so focused on getting to the next show we're working on the next costume, 33 00:02:23.580 --> 00:02:28.340 that my health wasn't at the forefront. I can say to you now 34 00:02:28.699 --> 00:02:31.969 that is the biggest mistake I've ever made in this life. I don't regret 35 00:02:32.050 --> 00:02:37.210 chasing my goals and dreams, and you should never regret chasing your goals and 36 00:02:37.250 --> 00:02:40.050 dreams, but what I do regret is not making my health a priority, 37 00:02:40.610 --> 00:02:44.719 and, looking back on it, there's no real reason why I couldn't have 38 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:49.479 done both. Like many young people, I thought I was really far away 39 00:02:49.479 --> 00:02:52.520 from death. I had told myself that I had a lot more time left 40 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:54.879 in this life and the choices I made wouldn't be so bad because I was 41 00:02:54.960 --> 00:03:00.469 young enough and had time to recover. Hearing that I could possibly die soon, 42 00:03:00.629 --> 00:03:05.189 especially someone like me who has a lot of dreams left to chase, 43 00:03:05.629 --> 00:03:09.349 was devastating, and that's putting it lightly. When the doctor told me my 44 00:03:09.469 --> 00:03:15.300 results, my first question was if I changed my lifestyle, will that reverse 45 00:03:15.340 --> 00:03:17.979 it? He said yes, that is very likely if you are aggressive with 46 00:03:19.099 --> 00:03:22.939 your changes. That was what I needed to hear to know I still had 47 00:03:23.060 --> 00:03:25.900 some hope, and that is when my outlook and my mindset about my health 48 00:03:27.060 --> 00:03:31.689 completely changed. Since my diagnosis with the help of a nutritionist, I have 49 00:03:31.810 --> 00:03:36.569 found a diet that works for both my health and my lifestyle. Between my 50 00:03:36.650 --> 00:03:39.490 new eating habits and with the help of medication, the changes in my life 51 00:03:39.530 --> 00:03:45.240 have been drastic. I've lost thirty pounds and my numbers are already half of 52 00:03:45.360 --> 00:03:50.319 what they were when I was diagnosed. Diabetes is a chronic illness and while 53 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:53.680 it is possible to reverse it, to achieve that, these lifestyle changes and 54 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:58.430 healthy choices are things I will have to make every day for the rest of 55 00:03:58.550 --> 00:04:02.069 my life. And you know what, I am happy about that. I 56 00:04:02.110 --> 00:04:05.310 can tell you that right now, in this moment, I feel so much 57 00:04:05.349 --> 00:04:10.460 better. I'm happier, I have more energy and I feel the healthiest I've 58 00:04:10.500 --> 00:04:14.740 ever been in life. However, even just took up weeks ago, I 59 00:04:14.939 --> 00:04:18.379 don't think I could say that. The truth is, when anyone is diagnosed 60 00:04:18.420 --> 00:04:21.699 with the serious illness, it changes their life and there is a toll on 61 00:04:21.779 --> 00:04:26.930 your physical health, but also your mental health. In a month, I 62 00:04:27.170 --> 00:04:30.889 feel like I've learned so much about living with diabetes, but I also know 63 00:04:30.050 --> 00:04:33.610 I have lots more to learn. So today I've invited a guest who also 64 00:04:33.649 --> 00:04:38.490 has diabetes to share some of their wisdom. But before we talk to them, 65 00:04:38.839 --> 00:04:42.040 I want to share a few things I've learned about life while being newly 66 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:47.720 diagnosed. First and foremost, nothing matters more than your health. Now, 67 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:51.399 yes, you have heard this before, but I'm saying it again for those 68 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:57.629 who may have heard it but perhaps aren't listening. Together, we are on 69 00:04:57.709 --> 00:05:01.509 a journey to a happy and fulfilled life, and without your health you can't 70 00:05:01.550 --> 00:05:08.019 achieve that. Your health has an effect on your career, finances, relationships 71 00:05:08.180 --> 00:05:13.019 and personal development. If you ignore your health or don't take it seriously, 72 00:05:13.579 --> 00:05:17.740 your life will be more difficult. As we have talked about in prior episodes, 73 00:05:17.860 --> 00:05:20.930 there can be so many bumps in the road on your way to success, 74 00:05:20.970 --> 00:05:26.810 so it's important that you don't lit the choices you make, especially concerning 75 00:05:26.850 --> 00:05:30.569 your health, be one of the things standing in your way. According to 76 00:05:30.649 --> 00:05:34.129 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of eleven people have diabetes, 77 00:05:34.649 --> 00:05:39.240 and out of the people who have it, one in ten don't even 78 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:43.879 know they have the disease. Knowing where you stand with your health is crucial 79 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:47.279 to success in life. If you haven't already, make a commitment to invest 80 00:05:47.439 --> 00:05:53.149 and your wellbeing. Second I've learned that you always have to give yourself a 81 00:05:53.350 --> 00:05:58.069 fighting chance. In Life, you will experience what it feels like to receive 82 00:05:58.269 --> 00:06:01.990 news that is overwhelming. This comes with an emotional trauma that can be very 83 00:06:02.230 --> 00:06:06.779 difficult to deal with. My diagnosis certainly felt that way. I felt this 84 00:06:06.980 --> 00:06:12.899 overwhelming guilt and hopelessness for weeks after. I remember the first couple days after 85 00:06:12.939 --> 00:06:16.779 I was diagnosed. I didn't eat anything because I convinced myself that that was 86 00:06:16.860 --> 00:06:20.850 how I had gotten diabetes. And while yes, diet is part of it, 87 00:06:21.370 --> 00:06:26.769 that doesn't mean that it's all of it. Difficulty dealing with difficult news 88 00:06:26.850 --> 00:06:30.009 can happen in many areas of your life. No one is immune to bad 89 00:06:30.089 --> 00:06:34.639 news or disappointment. So if you find yourself in this situation in life, 90 00:06:35.040 --> 00:06:40.199 remember it is how you process and deal with the situation that can result in 91 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:44.639 the best possible outcome. For me, I was able to take my diabetes 92 00:06:44.720 --> 00:06:47.990 from a death sentence to wake up call and just a month I allowed myself 93 00:06:48.029 --> 00:06:53.029 time to feel my emotions, but also did not let those emotions defeat me. 94 00:06:53.509 --> 00:06:56.790 A good friend of mine has always said the devil you know is better 95 00:06:56.829 --> 00:07:00.870 than the devil you don't. So part of my healing process is learning as 96 00:07:00.870 --> 00:07:03.220 much as I can about my illness. Well, I definitely have found some 97 00:07:03.620 --> 00:07:10.220 heartbreaking stories about diabetes, I can say I found more positive ones in which 98 00:07:10.259 --> 00:07:14.540 people are able to manage their illness and live the life they want for themselves. 99 00:07:15.300 --> 00:07:18.329 While I am still learning how to manage my diabetes, I am motivated 100 00:07:18.449 --> 00:07:23.009 by the success stories and that keeps me in the mindset that I can and 101 00:07:23.250 --> 00:07:28.730 will overcome this. Lastly, I want to talk about the societal stigma surrounding 102 00:07:28.769 --> 00:07:33.319 chronic illnesses, particularly diabetes. I've learned that people will quickly judge you for 103 00:07:33.480 --> 00:07:39.879 having diabetes. Telling family and friends about my diagnosis was one of the hardest 104 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:44.310 things I've ever had to do. People who have diabetes are blamed by others 105 00:07:44.389 --> 00:07:48.910 for causing their condition and are subject to negative stereotyping and sometimes discriminated against. 106 00:07:49.470 --> 00:07:55.509 In a comment on the stigma about diabetes, author and Diabetes Educator Janis Rossler 107 00:07:55.829 --> 00:08:00.699 says many people with type to diabetes are accused of causing their disease. That 108 00:08:00.899 --> 00:08:05.540 is not only unfair, it is incorrect. Diabetes is a complex disease. 109 00:08:05.980 --> 00:08:09.899 Not everyone who is overweight develops it. And there are many who have type 110 00:08:09.019 --> 00:08:15.810 to that are thin. Stigmas can prevent people from getting diagnosed and seeking proper 111 00:08:15.889 --> 00:08:20.410 treatment. Some people may even avoid insulin in Jackson's or testing their blood sugar 112 00:08:20.529 --> 00:08:24.290 and public, which can have very serious consequences to their health. People routinely 113 00:08:24.529 --> 00:08:31.160 face challenges in their social lives workplace and have an increased risk of depression. 114 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:37.679 Many people blame themselves for developing this disease. Such negative emotions can affect the 115 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:41.389 way people view their disease and their approach to their diabetes management. People are 116 00:08:41.470 --> 00:08:46.950 slowly becoming more aware of diabetes and its implications, but we still have a 117 00:08:46.070 --> 00:08:50.110 long way to go. I'd like you to remember that while in some situations 118 00:08:50.230 --> 00:08:56.299 it can be reversed, there is no definite cure for diabetes, and education 119 00:08:56.500 --> 00:09:01.179 is needed on both the part of those affected and those around them. Through 120 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:05.779 education and developing support and coping mechanisms for people with diabetes, they can overcome 121 00:09:05.820 --> 00:09:13.809 it and hopefully that understanding will also lead to more compassion. In my research 122 00:09:13.889 --> 00:09:18.450 on diabetes, I came across an article about my guests and I instantly connected 123 00:09:18.490 --> 00:09:22.129 with her story. As a chef, my guest has made a career out 124 00:09:22.129 --> 00:09:26.120 of helping people unlock their potential through their diet, but after a neardeath experience, 125 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:30.720 she decided it was time to take control of her own personal health. 126 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:37.120 Welcome to stack size, stacy McDonald. Hi, stacy, welcome to snack 127 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:41.870 size. Thank you. Glad to be here. Thank you so much for 128 00:09:41.990 --> 00:09:45.830 joining me and I just want to say I was so inspired by your story 129 00:09:45.870 --> 00:09:48.629 about your journey with diabetes. So I know that you are a chef. 130 00:09:48.830 --> 00:09:52.500 Is that correct? That is correct. definished for ten years. Awesome. 131 00:09:52.620 --> 00:09:56.419 Tell us a bit about your experience in that industry. The culinary industry has 132 00:09:56.460 --> 00:10:01.620 been a lifesaver for me. It is where I actually took my first sleep 133 00:10:01.700 --> 00:10:07.090 of faith for anything big and the world completely just opened up to me. 134 00:10:07.169 --> 00:10:13.049 I've had the great fortune of building a business that I'm really proud of that 135 00:10:13.090 --> 00:10:16.610 affords me the opportunity to have a very flexible schedule and just kind of do 136 00:10:16.730 --> 00:10:20.610 what I want to do and to help people, one family at a time, 137 00:10:20.730 --> 00:10:24.360 to eat well and to live well as a result. You are a 138 00:10:24.480 --> 00:10:26.840 mother too, is that right? I am. I have a daughter. 139 00:10:26.519 --> 00:10:31.080 She is sixteen now and she is a special needs child. Love of my 140 00:10:31.240 --> 00:10:37.429 life. Actually her name is Lilah and my sister calls her Lalah. So 141 00:10:37.509 --> 00:10:41.549 when I saw that I saw yeah, her. So you have a very 142 00:10:41.750 --> 00:10:45.669 moving story about how you found out that you had type to diabetes. Can 143 00:10:45.750 --> 00:10:50.179 you share that with my listeners? Well, I had been really sick for 144 00:10:50.700 --> 00:10:54.620 a long time and I because of my schedule and other things, I put 145 00:10:56.139 --> 00:11:00.019 by health at the bottom of my priority list and hadn't gone to the doctor 146 00:11:00.059 --> 00:11:03.379 when I first started experiencing the symptom. So it was probably about two years 147 00:11:03.860 --> 00:11:09.049 and every year that I waited the symptoms got profoundly worse. So at the 148 00:11:09.169 --> 00:11:15.730 height of it I was like fainting in public and having experiencing low iron a 149 00:11:15.929 --> 00:11:18.399 NEMIA. I even had to go to the emergency room and have a blood 150 00:11:18.399 --> 00:11:22.080 transfusion because my blood glucos was so low, my hamiglobing was so low. 151 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:26.519 So when I finally decided to drag myself into the doctor, they did the 152 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:31.159 lab work and usually lab work takes, you know, a while to come 153 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.190 back, but they called me the bit that very day and said come into 154 00:11:33.190 --> 00:11:37.429 our office tomorrow, we need to talk to you. And when I got 155 00:11:37.509 --> 00:11:39.269 there I was met by a team of doctors and I said, Oh, 156 00:11:39.549 --> 00:11:43.870 this does not look good and I thought, you know, I'm almost, 157 00:11:43.950 --> 00:11:46.750 you know, fifty years old. I thought, okay, it's got to 158 00:11:46.789 --> 00:11:50.460 be hormones. Maybe it's something else, you know. Never did I ever 159 00:11:50.500 --> 00:11:54.899 imagine them to say, you know, you have, you have type to 160 00:11:54.980 --> 00:11:58.940 diabetes, and I'm thinking, no, I don't, and they said yes, 161 00:11:58.100 --> 00:12:03.289 you do. Your labs came back and your numbers are all over the 162 00:12:03.370 --> 00:12:07.250 place and we need to do something for you now, like right now, 163 00:12:07.850 --> 00:12:09.049 or you're going to be in the hospital. Oh my God, us. 164 00:12:09.250 --> 00:12:15.879 Exactly. So my Hayma globing level on that day. They tested me that 165 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:20.159 morning and that morning, at zero am, my blood shure was five hundred 166 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:24.360 and fifty nine. Oh my gosh, exactly. So they said, you're 167 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:28.799 not leaving here. We're going to inject you with insulin. You can't say 168 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:31.470 no. It's either insolent or you're going to be admitted to the hospital. 169 00:12:31.590 --> 00:12:33.429 And as they're doing all of this, they're telling me, you know, 170 00:12:33.470 --> 00:12:39.789 they give me the whole diabetes speech. You know how starts and you know 171 00:12:39.990 --> 00:12:43.110 how you got it and what you need to do and how to do the 172 00:12:43.230 --> 00:12:46.779 insulin, and I was just frightened you know, it's like being hit by 173 00:12:46.820 --> 00:12:52.019 a car. It was, it is it to be. It was just 174 00:12:52.539 --> 00:12:56.340 overwhelming to be sitting here through all of this and but I just kind of 175 00:12:58.379 --> 00:13:01.009 took it all in. I didn't have a choice. When you were first 176 00:13:01.009 --> 00:13:03.490 diagnosed, what was it that you were most afraid of? Well, dying, 177 00:13:03.529 --> 00:13:09.009 because the doctor basically said you have to get this under control very quickly. 178 00:13:09.370 --> 00:13:13.000 I need you to understand how serious this is. But with numbers this 179 00:13:13.159 --> 00:13:16.600 high, you are in jeopardy of of having a stroke and going into a 180 00:13:16.679 --> 00:13:20.399 comma and your family is going to be coming to the hospital to see you, 181 00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:24.320 to say goodbye, somewhere around Thanksgiving or Christmas. And I looked in 182 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:28.789 at him and I said of two thousand and nineteen. He said yes, 183 00:13:28.830 --> 00:13:33.029 very direct very blunt, very straightforward, very serious. So in the article 184 00:13:33.149 --> 00:13:37.870 with healthcom you said type to diabetes is not a death sentence. It was 185 00:13:37.950 --> 00:13:41.899 brought into your life to provide an awareness at your health is off track, 186 00:13:41.179 --> 00:13:46.820 but it's also an opportunity to reinvent yourself. How have you readventage yourself and 187 00:13:46.860 --> 00:13:50.299 how would you encourage others to do the same after diagnosis? You know, 188 00:13:50.379 --> 00:13:54.340 I had to become realistic about where I was and where I want it to 189 00:13:54.379 --> 00:13:58.769 be. It in fact, is not a death sentence. I've met so 190 00:13:58.850 --> 00:14:03.649 many people who are living well and managing this disease, and so I thought 191 00:14:03.929 --> 00:14:05.850 my priority, since I was always at the Botom of the list, you 192 00:14:05.889 --> 00:14:09.480 know, putting my career first and my family first and everybody else first, 193 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:13.320 I needed to be at the top of the list. All the great things 194 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:16.480 that we want to do in the world, we can't accomplish them or do 195 00:14:16.679 --> 00:14:20.159 anything really well if we're in bad health. So I had to put myself 196 00:14:20.200 --> 00:14:26.350 first and I had to find support where I could find it and also information. 197 00:14:26.669 --> 00:14:28.870 Be Managing it, you have to have the information. You have to 198 00:14:28.990 --> 00:14:33.669 know everything that you possibly can know about it in order to create a plan 199 00:14:33.909 --> 00:14:37.980 to help you get your blood sugar and control under control and then to be 200 00:14:39.059 --> 00:14:41.659 able to maintain that. Do you think that taking control of your health has 201 00:14:41.740 --> 00:14:46.539 helped you in other areas of your life? Absolutely, because, again, 202 00:14:46.860 --> 00:14:48.220 health is our wealth. We if we don't have good health, we don't 203 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:52.580 really have anything else. You know, I'm I'm going to be optimally healthy. 204 00:14:52.659 --> 00:14:54.690 That's my goal. I'm going to achieve that and maintain that and then 205 00:14:54.970 --> 00:14:58.169 I'm going to do that in other areas of my life, like in my 206 00:14:58.289 --> 00:15:03.450 buusiness. It needs to be whole and sound and just leading life in the 207 00:15:03.570 --> 00:15:09.120 best possible position that you can. I definitely can relate to that. I 208 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:11.480 feel that, even though I've had a lot of success in my endeavors, 209 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:16.080 but I feel that there was also some always some type of instability, and 210 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:20.750 I never really thought about how back could relate to my health. And now 211 00:15:20.950 --> 00:15:24.990 that I have gotten control of this, I'm seeing more of the stability in 212 00:15:26.149 --> 00:15:30.149 other areas, even just in the fact that I feel better. Right for 213 00:15:30.269 --> 00:15:31.350 me, it was just like, you know, I said to myself, 214 00:15:31.549 --> 00:15:35.820 you know, your personality was not here while you were unwell. I was 215 00:15:35.860 --> 00:15:39.700 a flat like. My personality was just I was just basically existing, just 216 00:15:39.860 --> 00:15:43.940 moving through life like a robot. Well, I spent a lot of time 217 00:15:43.139 --> 00:15:48.019 isolating myself because I was so exhausted. All I wanted to do is do 218 00:15:48.139 --> 00:15:50.370 what I had to do, get back in the bed, get up, 219 00:15:50.649 --> 00:15:52.049 do what I have to do, get back in the bed, you know, 220 00:15:52.210 --> 00:15:58.210 and it's just it's such a joy to be here again fully. Yes, 221 00:16:00.009 --> 00:16:03.730 when we talk about chronic illnesses in general, it seems that diabetes has 222 00:16:03.809 --> 00:16:07.200 such a heavy stigma. Have you experienced that on your journey and how have 223 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:11.039 you dealt with that? Well, the first place I experienced it was, 224 00:16:11.080 --> 00:16:15.000 unfortunately, in my physicians office. He was just like, you know, 225 00:16:15.080 --> 00:16:15.720 this is going you're going to have this for the rest of your life, 226 00:16:15.720 --> 00:16:18.789 you're going to take the medicine for the rest of your life. You did 227 00:16:18.830 --> 00:16:22.870 this to yourself. You know, he's like, you're overweight and I don't. 228 00:16:22.950 --> 00:16:25.309 You know, he's like, just just take the medication and you'll be 229 00:16:25.429 --> 00:16:27.190 okay. You know, just eat, you know, whatever the list was, 230 00:16:27.309 --> 00:16:30.750 which was like a hundred fifty grams of carbs every day, eat this, 231 00:16:32.549 --> 00:16:33.820 do that, you know, manager stress and you'll be okay, and 232 00:16:33.860 --> 00:16:37.580 I'm thinking, no, this is just doesn't sound right. It was because 233 00:16:37.580 --> 00:16:41.220 he didn't really have any faith in the fact that I could actually transform my 234 00:16:41.379 --> 00:16:45.860 health. And so I started to realize that a lot of people encounter that 235 00:16:45.940 --> 00:16:48.529 when they go to the doctor. They're going in there and you're the you're 236 00:16:48.570 --> 00:16:51.929 the physician, you're the person with the knowledge to help me to turn this 237 00:16:52.090 --> 00:16:55.970 around, and yet you're judging me and you're condemning me and your Jamie me 238 00:16:56.490 --> 00:17:00.289 for something that may or may not have been under my control, and that's 239 00:17:00.289 --> 00:17:03.519 why a lot of people just kind of suffer in silence for that. Those 240 00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:07.279 initial appointments, I changed. I went to a new doctor. I needed 241 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:10.880 somebody who's going to collaborate with me, who would, you know, believe 242 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:14.319 me when I tell you I'm going to change this. So there's a couple 243 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:17.910 things I want to dive deeper into that you touched on. First, you 244 00:17:18.390 --> 00:17:22.150 mentioned that you found a group of women who are in the same position on 245 00:17:22.230 --> 00:17:25.230 you to lean on for support, and I know that I am a huge 246 00:17:25.349 --> 00:17:27.990 believer that you have to surround yourself with support. Can you talk about the 247 00:17:29.029 --> 00:17:32.700 people who supports you and how they played a role in your success? I 248 00:17:32.980 --> 00:17:36.660 first will first I have to mention my family. This was not an easy 249 00:17:36.779 --> 00:17:40.380 thing for them to hear, first of all, and for it to be 250 00:17:40.460 --> 00:17:45.890 so dire, but they rallied around me and just gave me the emotional support 251 00:17:45.930 --> 00:17:48.490 that I need, because I'm sure you know that diabetes is a very it's 252 00:17:48.529 --> 00:17:52.490 in a very effect you really, you know, as well as physically, 253 00:17:52.490 --> 00:17:56.569 and I don't think that people understand that. And then I was online on 254 00:17:56.690 --> 00:18:00.640 facebook one day and I met a woman who started a diabetes support group called 255 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:06.759 Sugar Mama Strong, and she's such a loving, bright woman who made it 256 00:18:06.839 --> 00:18:11.119 her mission to help other women with diabetes to to win. She had been 257 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:14.710 diagnosed since at twenty one years old now, so she's been dealing with the 258 00:18:14.789 --> 00:18:18.309 disease for a very long time and so she had knowledge and information that I 259 00:18:18.349 --> 00:18:22.869 didn't have. But she all so too reinforced that this disease is not a 260 00:18:23.069 --> 00:18:26.940 death sentence. All you have to do is create a plan for your life 261 00:18:27.339 --> 00:18:30.700 to go in the direction that you want to go and you're going to be 262 00:18:30.859 --> 00:18:36.500 okay. And I'm surrounded by women who are doing really well. They're, 263 00:18:36.619 --> 00:18:40.619 you know, exercising and eating will and managing their stress and we're just kind 264 00:18:40.660 --> 00:18:45.250 of rally around each other every day, you know, we're there to say 265 00:18:45.369 --> 00:18:48.329 hey, if you fall, it's okay. This is not about perfection, 266 00:18:48.849 --> 00:18:52.849 this is about progress and to have that because, I mean, you know, 267 00:18:52.890 --> 00:18:55.250 my family, as much love as they can give me, they don't 268 00:18:55.250 --> 00:18:57.680 understand what I'm going through, you know, and the people in the world, 269 00:18:57.839 --> 00:19:00.200 they don't really care that you have diabetes. They're just like, okay, 270 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:03.599 stop eating sugar, you know you'll be okay, but these women understand 271 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:07.519 when I say, Hey, I did everything right and I still woke up 272 00:19:07.559 --> 00:19:10.910 this morning and my blood sugar was, you know, really high. They 273 00:19:10.990 --> 00:19:14.549 understand when I say, you know, I can't deal with this, I'm 274 00:19:14.589 --> 00:19:18.430 going to eat a cheeseburger. You know, it's just like they understand and 275 00:19:18.910 --> 00:19:26.140 we are there to support each other and it's just such an amazing support system 276 00:19:26.299 --> 00:19:30.220 to have. You also credit the Keto Diet to a lot of the success 277 00:19:30.259 --> 00:19:33.019 you've had in managing your diabetes. Can you talk about that part of your 278 00:19:33.019 --> 00:19:37.220 journey and why you feel that Kido works for you? The day that I 279 00:19:37.339 --> 00:19:40.569 was diagnosed, I walked out of the doctor's office and picked up my phone 280 00:19:40.609 --> 00:19:41.849 and clicked on Google and I typed in, you know, how to be 281 00:19:41.970 --> 00:19:45.450 diabetes. Immediately the start it was about all about Keto and I'm thinking, 282 00:19:45.490 --> 00:19:49.609 okay, yeah, Keto. And as I went through all the information, 283 00:19:51.250 --> 00:19:56.559 it's a very low carb for specifically for type to diabetes. Was Really Low 284 00:19:56.680 --> 00:19:59.960 Carb, like twenty grahams a day, and I I'm thinking, oh, 285 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:04.759 because my my diet was very, very, very heavy carp and very, 286 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:08.750 very heavy sugar. So I didn't have the luxury of saying, you know, 287 00:20:10.150 --> 00:20:11.869 I can't do this. I didn't have that luxury. The doctor said 288 00:20:11.910 --> 00:20:17.309 November or December, you know you're going to be compromised. And so I 289 00:20:18.150 --> 00:20:21.740 looked at all the research, looked at all the youtube videos, found all 290 00:20:21.779 --> 00:20:25.660 the information that made sense to me and just sat down and created a plan. 291 00:20:26.299 --> 00:20:30.819 And it had to be something that I could stick to. And I 292 00:20:30.940 --> 00:20:33.539 mean, Keto is not that bad, I thought. I mean the first 293 00:20:33.579 --> 00:20:34.539 thing I saw was, oh, you can eat cheese burgers. I can 294 00:20:34.579 --> 00:20:38.049 eat burgers and cheese. Okay, fine, I can eat bacon, perfect 295 00:20:38.049 --> 00:20:41.089 eggs and my coffee. I said, great, I can do this. 296 00:20:41.569 --> 00:20:45.170 If you now could tell yourself when you were diagnose, any advice, what 297 00:20:45.289 --> 00:20:49.279 would it be? I would tell myself that everything's going to be okay. 298 00:20:49.480 --> 00:20:55.880 It's all going to be okay. This is not something to be embarrassed about. 299 00:20:56.079 --> 00:21:00.519 is nothing to be ashamed about. We fall and we get up. 300 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:03.880 That's the whole point. Just just get up and keep going, take it 301 00:21:03.000 --> 00:21:07.069 one day at a time. Progress over perfection. Put yourself first. Keep 302 00:21:07.069 --> 00:21:11.789 yourself first, and everything's going to work out. I think it is extremely, 303 00:21:11.869 --> 00:21:15.750 very view to share your story, which is the same reason I'm sharing 304 00:21:15.829 --> 00:21:18.579 mine, and even the act of sharing your story helps people feel less alone. 305 00:21:18.579 --> 00:21:22.819 I feel like there's something very isolating about this illness, and not that 306 00:21:22.900 --> 00:21:26.259 that doesn't happen with other illnesses, but no one really wants to talk about 307 00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:30.700 the fact that they have diabetes. So I appreciate that you were able to 308 00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:33.609 put yourself out there truly, as helped me share my story. So thank 309 00:21:33.609 --> 00:21:37.329 you so much. You're welcome. I'm so glad to be helpful. I 310 00:21:37.529 --> 00:21:41.089 definitely look forward to following your journey. If my listeners want to do the 311 00:21:41.130 --> 00:21:45.369 same, where can they find you? I am on Instagram at Stacy Cook's 312 00:21:45.490 --> 00:21:52.359 creative Stacy Staci. I am also on facebook with the same handle. That's 313 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:56.480 restpend most of my time. Wonderful will. Thank you so much, stacy, 314 00:21:56.559 --> 00:21:59.519 for coming to snack size and until next time. So you later. 315 00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:03.670 Snacks. Hey Snack I hope you enjoyed this episode. Snack size podcast is 316 00:22:03.710 --> 00:22:10.230 sponsored by twin cities gay scene, the online magazine for events and culture happening 317 00:22:10.269 --> 00:22:15.460 in the twin cities area. Check out my biweekly editorial snack scene at www 318 00:22:15.940 --> 00:22:22.500 dot twin cities gay scenecom and for more fun with this podcast, head on 319 00:22:22.579 --> 00:22:27.660 over to www dot snack size podcastcom to leave a review and follow me on 320 00:22:27.779 --> 00:22:32.690 my social media. Until next time, go be fabulous.