Hello! I have been diabetic for 10 years, and last year I began the fight against depression. Just when I was beginning to have depression under control, I started to struggle with an eating disorder. I restrict my food, purge, and omit my insulin. I am now getting help, but I wanted to ask if anyone else has these same obstacles? Do you have any advice on how to begin eating a normal diet again and get back on your insulin?
Megan
I was diagnosed at 16, and for most of those first few years, I did not manage my BG’s well at all. I barely ever tested because I was so frustrated by the numbers I saw, had poor insurance coverage, but figured I was doing OK because I took my shots and stayed out of DKA. I know now that I was probably quite high much of that time, but I was so nice and slender and felt OK but I was in denial. We have a name for it now - diabulimia. I finally got my act together in baby steps. I started seeing a diabetes educator, who had me start checking my BG 4x/day and writing them down, and I learned to count carbs more accurately so I could record that as well (oh, how I hated logging). Gradually we fine-tuned my insulin regimen, increased my frequency from 2 shots/day to 5-6/day, and changed to newer insulins. That helped a lot, but Lantus didn’t cover me a full 24 hours and splitting it up caused more problem. By keeping lots of logs I was able to finally qualify for a pump. That was a true godsend. I gained a few pounds for a while as my control improved, but then learned how to eat lower-carb, and things have been good for about the last 15 years. All in all it probably took me 8-10 years to get to a good place, but it was well worth it. If you’re not seeing an endocrinologist, that’s step 1. Then get a referral to a diabetes educator because they can spend more time with you to fine tune. Take it bit by bit from there. Don’t think of checking your BG as a test you could potentially fail. It’s just information you can use to make a correction, just a number. Every 1-point drop in your A1C results represents huge improvement, so don’t try to achieve everything all at once. You will start to feel empowered, healthier, and more in control of your life. Good luck!