Candy – DiabetesDad

HAPPY HALLOWEEN: YOU CANNOT EAT CANDY….YOU HAVE DIABETES!!!!!

Posted on October 24, 2012 | by tomkarlya | 2 Comments

I have a good friend of mine. Let’s call her Marie. Actually that’s her name.

Marie had this idea for an event to do in her home town in Connecticut. There is this incredible candy store in Ridgefield called Deborah Ann’s Chocolates. Many would call it a landmark in the community. The candy there is some of the finest and best tasting you will ever have in your life.

Marie’s idea was to run a fund-raiser for the Diabetes Research Institute out of the candy store, but more than that, it was an opportunity to teach. A sweepstakes with the grand prize being an incredible basket of candy……really? Candy….diabetes? How in heaven’s name could such an idea ever be possible?

Years ago I was in an office and there was candy in a dish on the receptionist’s desk. Someone came in from a neighboring office and noticed the candy. She came into my office and stated she was horrified that we would have candy in a dish. “How could we?”
I smiled at her and responded, “You do not have anyone in your family with diabetes, do you?” When she answered that she didn’t, I explained to her just how much candy is needed for hypoglycemic reactions and also that, quite honestly, cardboard just doesn’t taste so good after a while.

Marie’s idea was to utilize the candy store as a teachable moment. She had flyers by the register explaining exactly what the event was all about and why a person with diabetes eating candy is really not the same as a person with lung cancer smoking a cigarette. It was a fabulous idea but coming from Marie, these type ideas are not uncommon. A mom who truly gets it.

So with Halloween just a week away, be ready for the questions about candy. Be ready to say thank you to the neighbors who will tell you, “I have fun stickers for Kaitlyn, because I did not want to give her candy.” Bless their hearts for caring so much.

There will be a time to teach others about what candy means to those with diabetes…….and that lesson when done correctly will always be sweet.

I am a diabetesdad.

Thank you Peanuts…..Happy Halloween! A GREAT idea…..still.

Posted on October 6, 2012 | by tomkarlya | 1 Comment

To this day, the BEST idea about how to handle Halloween still rests with our friends in Charles Schulz’s character-land of Peanuts.

Agreed. Your kids can still eat some of the candy even with their diabetes.

Agreed. There probably is not a time that Halloween did not come and go that our kids did not go low while trick or treating. That ‘low’ resulted in reaching into the bag of goodies to find the right candy to bring her blood sugar back up.

Agreed. Some of the neighbors good not be sweeter (pun intended) and gave stickers or pencils or crayons or something other than candy.

Agreed. Some of the relatives could use a bop in the nose when they quiz us about Halloween. “I thought of you today and am so sorry that Little XYZ (put your child’s name here, you know the drill) could not enjoy Halloween—my heavens what will you do?!” Ah……um……no.

But my favorite idea is still: After you save some of the candy from the trick or treat bag; you take the remainder of the bag and place it outside and while your child sleeps, good ‘ol Linus’ Great Pumpkin will stop by your house and pick up the candy and leave a toy as a thank you. The Great Pumpkin delivers the candy to everyone in heaven who could not trick or treat.

I have always loved that idea…….and I always will (feel free to tweak the story).

Have a happy and safe Halloween.

I’m a diabetesdad

SHUT UP and Give Her a Piece of Candy!

Posted on October 3, 2012 | by tomkarlya | 14 Comments

I’m just a tad tired of seeing ‘that’ horror on the faces of those people who have no clue what bearing candy has in the life of those who have diabetes; honestly, the answer is that it has none.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING? You cannot have candy out on the table; you have two kids with diabetes!”

(What I wanted to say) “Shut up you more-off (morON is too good for them), you have no idea what you are talking about. It’s not poison, it’s candy.”
(What I said) “No, it’s okay. They can eat candy, they just have to know what the carb ratio is, and bolus accordingly; and depending on their blood sugar level, they might just be able to ‘pop’ it in their mouth.”

Well when I tell you that the mouth was just hanging open.

“Reallllllyyyyyyy” (really long pause) “Wow……..who knew?”

AHA…..and THAT is the point, STUPID. We…..the parents know. AHA……the ones with diabetes know. AND WE ALL NEED NO HELP FROM YOU.

So here’s the deal, IF I do not mention to you that your daughter is not really at her girlfriend’s house like she said or your teen-age son was not really in the woods looking at birds with his friends and those cans were not soda, or the mints and perfume your daughter uses is not that she is so hygiene-savvy, or when your kids say they are at the movies and do not remember what it was about; all leads me to say that MY KIDS and WHAT they eat should have no place on your list of things that you feel compelled to share with me. If I don’t tell you how to raise your kids, don’t tell me about mine—-especially when it comes to diabetes.

Because no matter how much I beat myself up over this wretched disease and everything it means, does, is and continues and regardless what YOU think—–I AM THE EXPERT.

Thank you.

Feel free to hand this out as needed. 🙂

I’m a diabetesdad.