Dating a Man with Diabetes: An Editorial
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Recently, I dated a Daniel Craig look-a-like. This attractive Chicagoan had incredibly expressive blue eyes and long eyelashes women would envy. He was a swimmer and didn’t have an ounce of body fat. When we first met, he seemed like any other normal guy.
However, there was something very different and special about him. This 30-something suffered from type 1 diabetes which is also known as juvenile diabetes.
Our romance educated me about diabetes and provided me with a plethora of information about dating someone with diabetes. Some of these helpful tips were featured in dLife’s story ʺSupport Your Loved One with Diabetes.ʺ
1. Support. Support. Support.
Ask your significant other what you should do in case of an emergency. Ask them for emergency phone numbers (doctor’s phone numbers, local hospital, pharmacy, insurance, etc.) and an emergency contact phone number. Post these important phone numbers near their landline and add them into your cell phone. Also, ask about their medication. Find out the type of medication they are taking and where they store their medication. If your loved one suffers from fatigue due to diabetes, allow them the rest they need to recharge their batteries.
2. Educate yourself.
Read up and learn about your loved one’s illness. If possible attend one of their doctor’s appointments or an appointment with their diabetes educator. Learn about their glucose readings and their glucose reading device. For example, the gentleman I dated tested his blood sugar before and after his meals. He’d casually take out his glucose monitor, prick his finger and wait for his reading.
3. Be Active.
Because we avoided the bars, we filled our days with activities. We worked out together, walked everywhere and attended baseball games. Also, we attended oodles of summer music and art festivals. Interestingly enough, we grocery shopped and cooked together. Our grocery list looked like this:
• Lots of fish
• Whole wheat products like multi-grain breads and whole wheat pastas. One of our jokes was there were no white food products (white rice, white bread, white sugar) in his house.
• Diet drinks
• Brown rice
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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ALL carbs are processed in the body the same as sugar; which is why counting carbs is a necessity for T1D's. The one and only day my 6 year old son had the best blood sugar ever was the day he ate very little to no carbs. Too bad he's a carb-a-holic, :( The point is: rice, whole grains, any breads of any kind - they're all the same as eating pure sugar. Carbs are carbs no matter where they come from.
Anyway.... I wanted to say that, first and foremost, I hope my son sees a cure LONG before he starts dating. But, if he doesn't, I hope whomever he dates takes as much an interest in learning about caring for him as you did. ;)
August 9, 2011 - 10:48amThis Comment