Special post from the Creator of ' The Diabetic Ice Cream Social' Lizmari M. Collazo

The Diabetic Ice Cream Social has been my baby for a few years now. It’s really been everyone’s baby. It’s been a special thing for me to fight misconceptions, and to spread a little bit of change in everyone’s mindsets as to what a person with diabetes can and cannot eat – as well as what moderation looks like. The idea that a person with diabetes gave themselves a disease is repulsive to me, as well as the idea that foods are ‘bad’ or ‘off limits.’ As a person with an eating disorder, as well as diabetes, I feel that moderation (and not deprivation) are key to managing our daily lives with a modicum of enjoyment and success.

So, in 2011, when a local Indiana chef wrote a poorly educated column on type 2 diabetes, he stopped my world. In his misguided crusade against people with type 2 diabetes, he sought to attack the local Diabetes Youth Foundation of Indiana for holding an ice cream fund raiser in order to help children with type 1 diabetes go to diabetes camp.  There isn’t just something wrong with attacking children with type 1 diabetes trying to enjoy life as any other child – there is also something wrong with someone who tries to shame our food choices, and create food militancy. Food militancy is something we don’t need in our body image obsessed society. Food militancy is one of the triggers for disordered eating, and many of the common eating disorders affecting our current society – including diabulimia.

Food militancy is also creating a lot of shaming of people with type 2 diabetes and this has got to stop. NO ONE gave themselves diabetes – not a type 1 and not a type 2. People with diabetes are people who were predisposed to developing the disease, for one reason or another. No one knows what triggers type 1, and though obesity may trigger type 2, the fact is that millions of obese people will never develop type 2 diabetes. We all struggle making the healthiest choices for ourselves, and we all need to learn moderation… and we all suffer from bad luck. Life just happens. The #1 risk factor for developing illness is living. Being alive. But one thing is for sure: none of us need deprivation and shaming.

This is what we seek to spread with the Diabetic Ice Cream Social. We seek to spread a renewed view of the person with diabetes; a renewed perspective, as well as a healthier attitude toward food. I have had some pushback from a few folks with different perspectives – and that’s fine. I respect their life path for managing their conditions. But at the same time, I have had thousands of partners in this crusade – the crusade for freedom to make the best choices we know we can make in order to manage diabetes, without fear or shame from others.

The Diabetic Ice Cream Social is a celebration of life – and you may choose to celebrate it any way you want. You can have an ice cream scoop in any way you please: make it lactose free, fat free, sugar free, make it sorbet, make it wine. Make it whatever you prefer – but make it a statement that says you love life, and you appreciate living it, even with diabetes. Make it with family, with friends… or toast the full moon. Make it your own.

This year, 2014, I am very busy with many life challenges and responsibilities – so I won’t be able to lead the crusade as I always do. I won’t be too far from the fray, though. I will be right here, having my scoop, and cheering it on.

My friends at the Blue Heel Society have agreed to take on the Social for me… perhaps for a year or so, we’ll see. But they are just as gung-ho about diabetes awareness as I am, so please know this event will keep going. Give them your full support, as I know I will.

This year, while you have your favorite treat… have it will wearing your favorite pair of blues: blue shoes, that is.  

Meet Michelle Chase

Meet Michelle Chase

BHS: Please tell us your connection with diabetes?

MC: My name is Michelle Chase, I am a 46yo married mom of one, my son Ryan is 26yo, and has had type 1 diabetes since 2/15/00. 14yrs. A date I will never forget. I have had type 2 diabetes for approximately 18 years. Funny how I can't remember the date I was diagnosed but remember every second of the day my son was diagnosed. Must be a " D mom" thing. Or maybe just a "mom" thing! My husband Shaun is 48, and is a real balance to my "crazy D nerves" even after all these years!! He's cool as a cucumber in the worst situations.

BHS: What general geographic location do you reside?

MC: We live in Southwestern New Hampshire in a small historic town.

BHS: What blue shoe (Heel, Sneaker,Riding shoe, etc.) suits you & Why?

MC:  My favorite blue shoe would be my walking sneakers. My warrior sneakers as my sister calls them. The shoes I had to learn to walk again in after a near fatal devastating car accident seven years ago. I've always been a runner, loved to hike, walk, very active in the outdoors until my accident. I'm unable to walk very far without assistance or taking a break, but I swim, and that's the best I can do!! :)

BHS: What does advocacy mean to you?

MC: I have been an advocate for children with all kinds of illnesses since my son was diagnosed with diabetes. I worked with the JDRF delivering bags of hope, I worked with parents of kids and with newly diagnosed adults with type 1 insulin in the doctors office I worked at, teaching injection techniques, sharing tricks and ideas for diabetes issues that cause concern.

I've worked on programs with the lawmakers in our state to provide more support systems for kids with all sorts of chronic illnesses and their parents. I've done grass roots advocacy from driving patients to appointments to going to the state house and meeting with our individual lawmakers and our state senator explaining the needs of kids with chronic illnesses. I have organized two JDRF walks for diabetes, run youth group in our town for kids, and even organized a first aid class for my youth group with a focus on things like asthma and diabetes emergency management. Advocacy to me means helping others find their strength and their voice, and when they are weak, being that voice for a time until they get their strength back.

BHS: Words of wisdom/encouraging statement/general statement about diabetes?
MC: I guess if I had any words of wisdom regarding diabetes it would be to become stronger than the disease itself. Even if you feel defeated, realize that tomorrow is another day, and a lot of good changes can happen in 24 hours!! Staying mentally positive can make positive physical changes in your life.

About Michelle: My name is Michelle Chase. I live in Southern New Hampshire and am a type 2 diabetic for 18yrs, mom of a son, Ryan, 26yo with type 1 diabetes for 14yrs. Some days I feel like I breathe diabetes. I am 46yo and married to Shaun, 48yo, who has ridden this roller coaster of life with me for 25yrs. We've been married 20yrs. I have two rare medical conditions aside from the diabetes and have had a near fatal car accident that left me with mobility issues. My son Ryan has had type 1 since 2/15/00 and has had psoriatic arthritis for 12yrs. I hope to be able to shed some light on the life of an insulin dependent type 2 diabetic who cared for a type 1 diabetic. Life is certainly interesting that's for sure!! 

'Throwback Thursday' - Diabetes History

Diabetes is one of the first diseases described with an Egyptian manuscript from c. 1500 BCE mentioning “too great emptying of the urine." The first described cases are believed to be of type 1 diabetes. Indian physicians around the same time identified the disease and classified it as madhumeha or honey urine noting that the urine would attract ants. The term "diabetes" or "to pass through" was first used in 250 BCE by the Greek Apollonius Of Memphis.Type 1 and type 2 diabetes were identified as separate conditions for the first time by the Indian physicians Sushruta and Charaka in 400-500 CE with type 1 associated with youth and type 2 with obesity. The term "mellitus" or "from honey" was added by Thomas Willis in the late 1600s to separate the condition from diabetes insipidus which is also associated with frequent urination.

Read more here

'Wordless Wednesday'

'Type 2 Tuesday' - Just Be A Friend

Just Be a Friend

I am often sorry that I have type 2 diabetes. Not because I feel that I gave myself a disease, or even because of the seriousness of the condition itself, but because of other people. I hate the feeling of living in a glass house for all to scrutinize my choices; for all to judge if I’m being ‘responsible’ with my self-care. I tend to be cautious who I let into my world. Unavoidably, though, many will know – I am, after all, a diabetes advocate. 

But what happens when people find out? Often, type 2 diabetes changes us in the eyes of others. For instance, most of us would never dream of going up to family and friends, and telling them they’re eating poorly (much less think about their moral shortcomings for doing so). But with a diabetes diagnosis, people will give themselves permission to judge, and to openly advise, chastise, or admonish a person.

Take this inbox message I got recently…

“I stumbled upon your blog this morning when I was trying to find a gut wrenching but inspirational read for a high school classmate who just got diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Sadly she is not taking it seriously at all and is all to [sic] happy to just take pills. I myself am a Type 1 diabetic and will be "celebrating" my 19 year anniversary December 7th. It's been a long road and took me to [sic] many years to wake up and realize the importance of taking care of myself. I would love to hear more about you and what your life is like now, what products you take and how you deal daily. I look forward to hearing from you!”

Some of you might think: “Wow, what a nice friend!” And maybe she has good intentions… I can also truly appreciate that she has lived for so long with such a challenging condition as is type 1 diabetes. But honestly, I got pretty upset. This woman is policing her friend over her type 2 diabetes and her treatment choices – and deeming them “not taking [her type 2 diabetes] seriously at all.” She is making her feel shame for using a beneficial medication, AND, she wanted me to conspire with her into basically ‘shocking’ her into action with a gut wrenching story. I later came to find out that she works for one of these self described ‘health companies’ that just sell health products and other dietary nonsense trying to bill themselves to people as ‘the thing that changes lives.’ She also only just started ‘really taking care of herself’ last September, by following a drastic diet, and of course, doesn’t deem anyone else’s dietary choices as ‘the right ones.’

She did not like my reply, I can tell you that much. I take it she wanted to sell her friend something.

In not too many words, I explained to her that she needed to respect her friend, giver her room to grow, and not be the diabetes police to her; that at least, she was taking her medications. I gently, but firmly, explained that we all need to make our own choices, and we all need to want to learn and take care of ourselves. That acceptance of such an insidious, yet invisible disease is a tough path for many – especially because, unless we feel horrible, we’ll only know it’s there by doing a blood test... or until we’re riddled with complications.

Type 2 diabetes is a psychologically complex condition. It often arises out of obesity (though most obese never develop it): a psychologically complex condition in itself.

Most of us have dealt with the demons of trying to tame our emotional-behavioral issues, often expressed in overeating. Most of us feel some sense of grief or anger over having “failed,” and ended up in a diagnosis. Little do many realize that overeating triggers the same reward pathways in the brain as abusing cocaine, but to a lesser extent – and it’s a tough road to reprogram ourselves. The last thing we need is someone making us feel more shame over something we’ve long wrestled, and behaviors long ago ingrained in our minds.

Simply put, obesity and diabetes are not just matters of calories in and calories out – they are diseases which should be treated with as much a psychological approach, as well as a behavioral intervention approach. Type 2 cannot be healed with special powders, gimmicks, special prayers, or spices. It cannot be healed with a low carb diet, a vegan diet, a raw diet, a bird seed milk diet, a gastric bypass. The disease itself CANNOT be healed, and it cannot be reversed. Well controlled, but never gone. We just have to emotionally make peace with ourselves, accept the road ahead, DO the things we need to do, and expect no shortcuts. No one’s going to come and rescue us, and that’s a tough lesson to learn, and we need to fall and skin our knees to learn it, sometimes. What we don’t need is people thinking they can parent us, and shame us into action.

In fewer words: I told her that she just needs to be a friend. 

Lizmari M. Collazo is a person living with type 2 diabetes. She was diagnosed in 2009, after a couple of years of escalating symptoms, and the loss of her professional job in Human Resources. 
Sobered by the reality of her diagnosis, and her late father’s battle with the disease, she immediately took to the internet to learn as much as she could about the condition. Today, she is a much healthier person, and dedicates her time to help advocate and educate about this disease. She is a Stanford University’s Medicine X ePatient Scholar (a community of patients, along with medicine professionals and innovators, who convene every year to discuss the future of healthcare and technology), and she administrates a Facebook group called “Living with Diabetes.” You can read her various musings at her personal blog, The Angry Type 2 Diabetic.