"Kelly, Can You Eat That? The Number 1 Most Annoying Question EVER

"Kelly, can u eat that??" - THE NUMBER 1 MOST ANNOYING QUESTION EVER.


I know that friends, family and strangers mean well, but it still drives me crazy.
In the old days of boiled needles, SWEETA, & urine testing instead of blood.
The common rule of thumb was that any thing sweet, lets just say chocolate, would equal sugar, which equaled EVIL. We were told to eat an orange or some corn chips instead.
It wasn't about the carbohydrate count & I'm sure some damage was done.

My Dad actually ordered his pasta gravy on the side because he was told by his Dr. that that was where all the sugar was! He could never figure out why he woke up with a high blood sugar the next morning. After all, he only had like a table spoon or two of gravy - CRAZY, I know.

T1 kids were given sugar-free candy in our Easter baskets and Halloween was never as much fun after our initial diagnoses. All things with even a hint of the voodoo sugar were taboo, and cookies at midnight and Snickers bars in our sock drawer became the norm for many of us.

Saccharin was our main condiment. It's aftertaste lingered after almost every meal - especially breakfast. When aspartame came out in the early 80's I was hooked! Yes, I had headaches, and the aftertaste was still there, but it was cutting edge in diabetes cuisine chemistry. I wanted in.

Over the years I've ingested so much artificial sweetener that when I die, my family will get a discount from the mortician. Rumor has it that the stuff turns into formaldehyde if it gets above a certain temp. Even after 15 years of not drinking diet soda - or any soda for that matter, saccharin still runs through my veins. On the bright side and thanks to good genetics ( I know, it's pretty ironic that I actually use the term good genetics,) and the gynormous artificial sweetener intake of my formative years, I look at least 7 years younger than my actual age - or so I've been told! ;)

Thank God times have changed. Carb counting is key, protein is essential, and medical technology has made all diabetics lives easier.

We can now enjoy the occasional ice cream on a hot summer night, and have cream & sugar in our coffee. Of course we have to eat healthy and workout. But I digress.

The masses have not kept up with the times and they continually offend on a daily basis.

I just want to tell them to get a clue, mind their own business, and take inventory of their own carb intake instead of constantly questioning mine.

Instead, I make a joke and spread the carbo counting/bolus gospel according to Kelly, as taught to her by her Diabetes Educator Cheryl. Old habits die hard & the annoying question will continually be asked. I just have to deal with it. Life is sweet.....and so is this Reese's Peanut Butter Cup I'm about to eat. And yes, I've counted the carbs & bolused for it. Oh, and my blood sugar was 78. SNAP.