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Life free from autoimmune captivity

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You are here: Home / Health / Type 1 Diabetes / Insulin Free Type 1 Diabetes Update | September 2018

Insulin Free Type 1 Diabetes Update | September 2018

September 26, 2018 by Emily Leave a Comment

Hi and welcome to Flawed yet Functional! One topic I like to share here is my health journey. Growing up I considered myself perfectly healthy and normal, and I was. Until high school when I started having localized seizures out of the blue. Seven years later things would worsen which lead to the discovery of my AVM. Fast-forward 8 years later through two pregnancies with gestational diabetes, and I receive the diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes as a 33 year old. Through much research and experimentation, I began managing my diabetes through a healthy diet, exercise, and health habits…without insulin. Crazy, right? Today I’d like to give you an insulin free type 1 diabetes update since I just had another visit to my endocrinologist.

insulin free type 1 diabetes update

Diabetes History

Once receiving my diabetes diagnosis in April 2017, I originally accepted it and the process of carb counting and insulin injections. I had already been on insulin for my second pregnancy, and I have 3 Type 1 Diabetics in my family. I knew the drill, and I adjusted my life accordingly.

But then that fateful night when I discovered gluten and its affect on the human body, particular in how it causes (yep, I said causes. I might be wrong, but I don’t think so!) autoimmune diseases. I dove into the research. I changed my diet the next day and stopped taking fast-acting insulin that day. I didn’t stop because I was doing an experiment or my pancreas spontaneously started producing more insulin (This is NOT a honeymoon period). I stopped because my blood sugar remained in Type 1 Diabetic normal range without the need of additional insulin because I removed gluten from my diet. If you want to read more of my story, click here.

Endocrinologist Visit

Last week I had my regular check-up with my endocrinologist. This was just a regular quarterly visit, so no major labs were taken for me to go over with you. The only thing they checked was my A1c which was 6.6. 6.6!!!! Did you catch my last life update just a couple weeks ago? I was kind of bummed about my blood sugar control over the summer and was sort of dreading getting my A1c checked.

Never fear, it was pure gold!

An A1c is an average blood sugar of the last 2-3 months. The goal is to keep it less than 7.0 for a Type 1 Diabetic which means the average blood sugar was less than 150. For a non diabetic, 100 is their average blood sugar, for reference. The chart below spells out the A1c values compared to blood sugar levels.

A1c Chart

All that sweating and being nervous for nothing. However, I will say this is my highest A1c since being insulin free. Nevertheless, even with all that went wrong this summer, gluten, dairy, sickness, and antibiotics for 2 weeks, I still came in under 7.0. It’s a great feeling!

Plans for the Future

I’m still moving forward with the Autoimmune Protocol to manage my diabetes and continuing on with the reintroduction phase. The next reintroduction will be in a week or so, and I’m thinking it will be cashews. There are so many things I want to try that it’s hard to slow down and pick one!

As far as diabetes management, I will continue to test my blood sugar 4 times a day so I’m keeping close tabs on how I’m doing. There is no plan to reintroduce insulin any time soon because my results are good enough without additional insulin. As my doctor likes to say, we are riding this wave for as long as we can!

Relax

This was my biggest take away from my doctor’s visit: RELAX. My diet is working. My theories on health, food, and diabetes are proving true. If I have a high reading, or weeks of readings, due to a gluten exposure or sickness that it is all still ok in the long run. Diabetes is a marathon, a life-long marathon, I need to relax and not sweat a few bad days or weeks.

Relaxing is actually not easy for me. Maybe you guessed? When I was sick, I think I prolonged my illness because I couldn’t just sit and relax. It’s just not how I’m wired. I like to be doing something pretty much at all times.

So this is uncharted territory for me. How will it look to relax a bit in regards to my health care management? I’m not sure! I’ll update when I know though. Maybe I’ll learn a few things that will be helpful to pass along.

That’s a quick summary of my endocrinologist visit after being insulin free for 1 year and 6 months. Bottom line, things are going great! Even if I have a bad day or week ever now and then this grain-free, dairy-free, and egg-free diet of mine is managing my Type 1 Diabetes superbly. My hope is that as you watch my journey to better health that you are encouraged to change your health for the better.


How is your health care management going? Have you made any changes? Are those changes panning out? Do you have any questions for me? I’d be happy to try to help!

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Filed Under: Autoimmune Disease, Health, Type 1 Diabetes

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Welcome!

I'm Emily, and I am passionate about using food and healthy habits to transform lives with autoimmune disease. Here you will find healthy recipes that follow the Paleo or Autoimmune Protocol diets, strategies to create a life free from autoimmune symptoms, and encouragement to press on!

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flawedyetfunctional

Maximize health through food🍴
Type 1 Diabetic in Grand Rapids 🇺🇸
❤ Lover of Jesus, my home, cooking, warm drinks, and my family 🥑 Lead a healthy l

Instagram post 2197230251778723532_177481688 A common question I get in regards to my diet is what about my kids???
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Since I believe there is a good chance they could develop an autoimmune disease, since I have more than one, I keep them on the same diet as me to prevent further health problems.
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This means that my kids eat lots of vegetables. How do I do it?
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1) Involve them in the preparation of vegetables. Yes, it's hard sometimes but let them help!
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2) Let them taste and sample. Frozen green beans and raw carrots coated in oil and salt and pepper are my kids' favorite!
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3) Start slowly. Don't heap their plate with vegetables the first time you begin to eat them more regularly. Give them one or two and work your way up.
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4) Model enjoyment of vegetables. If your kids see you eating them and enjoying them regularly, then they will know that it is what they should eventually be like.
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5) Eliminate processed and/or sugary food. It will take some time, but you need to change their palate. If they are regularly snacking on sweetened or processed food then it will be more difficult for them to detect the sweetness in vegetables.
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6) Mercy sauce. There are going to be certain vegetables that are just plain difficult. Give them some mercy in the form of a dip like ketchup or mustard. Find a sauce that fits into your diet and allow your child to smother their vegetables if need be!
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What are your tips to get your kids to eat vegetables?
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#vegetables #getyourkidstoeatveggies #eatmorevegetables #kidsinthekitchen #kidchef @opinelofficiel
Instagram post 2196954893592512213_177481688 What healthy lifestyle habit are you working on lately?⁣
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Creating healthy habits is an ongoing process for me, and sleep is one I'm constantly working to keep at the top of my list.⁣
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Why?⁣
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Because good, quality, sufficient sleep helps keep my blood sugar stable. ⁣
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If you are a diabetic, have you noticed that if you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, your blood sugar is more stable?⁣
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I have! If you have a hard time getting good sleep, check out FlawedyetFunctional.com today for a few strategies to help you get better sleep!⁣
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Photo: @diimejii
Instagram post 2196545632397921432_177481688 Up before the kids...reading my Bible and journaling by the light of the tree...also drinking hot cinnamon spice tea!
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What's your happy place this morning??
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#flawedyetfunctional #morningroutine #journaling #readyourbible #hotcinnamonspice #harneyandsons @harneyteas #quiettime #mommytime #refresh
Instagram post 2195433352831773490_177481688 What is the single biggest thing that has improved your health?⁣
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That's a difficult question, especially if you've seen huge changes in your health.⁣
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I'd have to say that ONE of the biggest changes has been eating vegetables at every meal. Yes, every meal, including breakfast.⁣
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Do you think eliminating gluten and grains will be too restrictive on you? It won't be if you replace those items with vegetables. ⁣
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Vegetables will fill you up WAY faster than grains and keep you full longer AND give your body so many more nutrients!⁣
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It's a win win! Try my latest recipe, root vegetable hash browns, to get more vegetables into your breakfast!⁣
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How do you get your veggies in each day??
Instagram post 2191563882953243345_177481688 Do you fear your kids developing the same autoimmune disease you have?⁣
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Are you discouraged because your children have more health concerns than you EVER had?⁣
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Hope is not lost! While diet and lifestyle changes don't cure all diseases, they go a LONG way in minimizing or completely eliminating symptoms!⁣
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One of my goals in publishing Flawed yet Functional, it to help you live in freedom. Freedom from the symptoms associated with autoimmune disease, and FREE to live your best life.⁣
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Part of that freedom, is creating it in our children. Some autoimmune diseases are hereditary, and there are steps to take to prevent or eliminate an autoimmune reaction from triggering.⁣
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Want to learn more? Click through to FlawedyetFunctional.com, #linkinbio, to learn 5 strategies to prevent autoimmune diseases in your kids!⁣
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Photo: @ibrnphotography
Instagram post 2190931330521385039_177481688 10 years ago today this lady was in part 2 of a two-part procedure to remove an AVM.
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Not to be too graphic, but they drilled a hole through my skull! That fact never ceases to amaze me, that they went into my skull, fixed my brain, and put me back together. Isn't God and modern medicine amazing!
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Here's a random tidbit from that time in my life: I was in the middle of orthodontic work, and my braces were interrupting the MRI imaging. My neurosurgeon had to call my orthodontist and cryptically, with no extra information (HIPPA!) Ask them to send someone to the Intensive Care Unit to remove the braces from one of their patients.
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So a very confused orthodontia tech arrived in my hospital room with a few tools and saying she was here to remove my braces.
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Once I explained to the severity of the situation, she not only removed my braces as best she could with manual tools. She took impressions for temporary braces, went back to the office to make them, and returned them to my hospital room... All on her day off!
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She and my orthodontist office or just another example of God's great provision through this time. I was tenderly cared for in so many ways by so many people!
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#avm #avmsurvivor #brainsurgery #frontallobe #godisgood #peoplelovingpeople
#caringpeople
Instagram post 2190090088388638753_177481688 Wow, that picture is OLD and grainy!⁣
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That's the image quality of a film camera scanned into a computer, and at the time, I'm sure we thought it was great.⁣
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Enough about old photography.⁣
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There's a huge victory in that picture. A living, walking miracle is being celebrated that Christmas of 2009.⁣
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You see I (in the black circle) had just survived an AVM resection from the right frontal lobe of my brain.⁣
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Brain surgery. As in opening my skull, removing what was wrong, and putting me back together.⁣
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In this picture, I am STANDING...something I had to relearn to do after surgery.⁣
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In this picture, I am HOME...after an almost 40 day stay in the hospital.⁣
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In this picture, I am THANKFUL...my husband (who never left my side) and family rallied around me and supported me every day through my recovery.⁣
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Flawed yet Functional means so much more than autoimmune disease, type 1 diabetes, or gestational diabetes...it means my brain was malfunctioning and it was FIXED. ⁣
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My AVM is not a primary focus of my blog anymore, but writing out my story was the beginning of FyF. If you'd like encouragement in the face of dire health diagnosis, check of my AVM story through the link in my bio.⁣
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Be encouraged today, my friend!
Instagram post 2184956825441573133_177481688 Thanksgiving week is here, and with it, the largest meal of the year!⁣
I don't like wasting food any time of the year, but especially around the holidays. Why?⁣
-Throwing away food shows disrespect for the blessing of food God has given us.⁣
-There ARE starving people in other parts of the world (and in your hometown!) so drive down food costs by avoiding over-consumption and eating everything you buy.⁣
-Nothing saves a grocery budget like eating all the leftovers. You will be AMAZED how many more meals you can get from leftovers! Stretch your budget by not throwing food away.⁣
In light of "no waste" this holiday season, make this leftover heavy Paleo shepherd's pie! ⁣
Shepherd's pie is the quintessential catch-all dish that will fill you up for 2-4 more meals, and it's completely made from leftovers! Plan on it this upcoming weekend!⁣
What is your best tip to minimize waste this holiday week??
Instagram post 2180135016124981869_177481688 As soon as fall hits, the pumpkin spice craze is in full glory, but there's another fall flavor that I love just as much because it is sweet AND savory.⁣
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That flavor combo is sausage with acorn squash.⁣
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Acorn squash is sweet, just like pumpkin, and when combined with the rich flavors of sausage and sage, it's a meal to die for!⁣
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Check out the recipe at FlawedYetFunctional.com, #linkinbio! ⁣
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I think you'll find another fall favorite! ⁣
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What is your favorite fall dinner??
Instagram post 2177911072252673718_177481688 It's a pot roast sort of day here!
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A lovely friend gave me some grass-fed roasts. Yes, I do have the best friends!
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See the fat on the side of the back roast?
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It's yellow!
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Did you know yellow fat is a sign of grass-fed beef?
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Also, it tastes delicious! It is nothing like the grisly fat of traditionally raised cows. It literally melts in your mouth!
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Can't wait for dinner!
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What's on your plate tonight??
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#flawedyetfunctional #grassfed #grassfedbeef #potroast #redwineroast #beefitswhatsfordinner
Instagram post 2176366620811892851_177481688 Day 13 Medical ID
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I bought a medical ID bracelet when I was first diagnosed. I thought it was more chic to get the printing that's just etched in. However, it's quite hard to read.
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Since I manage my diabetes so differently, lows are uncommon for me. So I have gotten out of the habit of wearing my ID bracelet regularly.
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Mostly, I just wear it when I travel. Perhaps I should wear it more. What do you do?
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Do you wear your medical ID every day?
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#happydiabeticchallenge #type1diabetes #t1d #t1dlookslikeme #medicalid #medicalidbracelet #flawedyetfunctional
Instagram post 2176364131802794115_177481688 Day 12...maybe? I'm not good at staying on track with these 30 day challenges!
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My two favorite diabetic friendly snacks are almond butter, straight from the jar, and pork rinds. The pork rinds are definitely low carb and easy on my blood sugar, but I do have to rein myself in with the almond butter. Haha!
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What is your go-to easy snack?
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#happydiabeticchallenge #type1diabetes #t1d #diabetes #diabeticsnacks #lowcarb #lowcarbsnack #flawedyetfunctional #ndam
Instagram post 2176332025244616010_177481688 Don't throw the turkey carcass away after your Thanksgiving meal!⁣
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There are a whole bunch of uses for the bones, drippings, organs, and leftover meat.⁣
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Check out today's post to learn how to eliminate waste and use ALL the parts of a turkey! Just click on the link in my profile to get to FlawedYetFunctional.com to check it out!⁣
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Do you have any more tips? What do you do with your turkey leftovers??
Instagram post 2174945426209602908_177481688 What is your favorite part of a Thanksgiving meal?⁣
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The turkey? The mashed vegetables? The pie?⁣
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All of those are lovely, and I like them too. But  nothing holds a candle to traditional, homemade gravy. ⁣
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Give me a plate of all the Thanksgiving trimmings then drown the whole plate in gravy. ⁣
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Heaven⁣
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Do you want to wow your guests this year? Learn how to make gravy from scratch with the drippings from the turkey AND the organ meat. ⁣
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Don't run and hide because I said "organ meat!" It really is the key to rich, robust gravy!⁣
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Click through to FlawedYetFunctional.com to try it!
Instagram post 2172838668161685481_177481688 Day 8 | Diabetes & Work
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Blood sugar waits for no man. That's a phrase, right?.
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As a blogger and stay at home mom, diabetes management happens anywhere and everywhere.
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In the grocery store parking lot
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Interrupting my kids bedtime routine because I'm going low
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Making lunch late, much to my children's dismay, because I need to check my blood sugar and dose insulin
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Diabetes is all day, everyday. Even though one could dwell on the overwhelm of that responsibility, it teaches many good lessons: patience, empathy, and self-control.
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I have become a more patient and understanding mother and my kids have become more patient kids as we all deal with the ramifications of me managing my blood sugar all day everyday.
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What is your best lesson learned from managing diabetes (or any health condition)?
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@the.insulin.type #happydiabeticchallenge #type1diabetes #t1d #bloodsugarmanagement #glucosemonitor @onedroptoday #diabetes #patience #selfcontrol #empathy
Instagram post 2172030473369539293_177481688 Day 6 & 7 | Diabetes Hero &  #throwbackthursday Diabetes Style
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I've only had type 1 diabetes for 2 and 1/2 years. My repertoire of old diabetes stuff is limited in regards to my experience.
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However, my brother was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was nine and I was six. Diabetes management has come a long way. This is what it looked like from my perspective almost 30 years ago.
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So many syringes
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Humalog 70/30 or NPH insulin in vials
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Low blood sugar in the middle of the night
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Blood glucose test with huge drops of blood
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Family guessing games to guess his blood sugar while the machine calculated
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Often painful injections
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Unstable insulin
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No knowledge of counting carbs or what exactly is driving high blood sugar
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My brother is not a brittle diabetic, thankfully! It is amazing to me that he made it through all those years with far inferior tools than we have today.
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He is alive and a thriving type 1 diabetic today, but his road was so much more difficult than mine.
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Love you, @lukerumley!
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#happydiabeticchallenge #type1diabetes #t1d #ndam #diabetes
Instagram post 2171409524145507753_177481688 The holidays are almost here! Black Friday sales are already ramping up. Are you gathering ideas for loved ones on your list?⁣
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If you've got a cook or foodie that you'll be buying for this year, you've got to check out my top 10 kitchen gifts list!⁣
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In this list, I share my experience with the tool (I only recommend items I use regularly that have stood up well over time) AND how to save or splurge on the item.⁣
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Want fool-proof kitchen gifts that fit any budget? Click through my profile to FlawedYetFunctional.com to check out the Top 10 Gifts for a Cook!
Instagram post 2170845204481853939_177481688 Just a random selfie with a cool tree I found this summer. The picture has nothing to do with the post. Ha!
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Day 5 of the #happydiabeticchallenge is about my diaversary or the day I was diagnosed.
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I don't recall the exact day, but it was early April 2017.
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The only reason I know it that specifically (I generally do not hold on to dates. I forget things like that quickly.) is I constantly measure my insulin-free days to my insulin-dependent days.
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You see I've been experimenting with the whole "food is medicine" concept since my diagnosis. About 2-4 weeks after my diagnosis, I experimented with going gluten-free. It changed my perspective on food and health forever.
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When I stopped eating gluten (and eventually discovering other sensitivities of dairy and eggs), I could stop taking insulin. .
Yes, that's right. I was an insulin-free type 1 diabetic for 19 months after diagnosis!
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In December 2018, my pancreas kicked the bucket a bit more and I had to return to daily insulin injections. I am still on the same diet and following the AIP reintroductions because I know my body now. This is how I can maintain it best.
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So instead of a diaversary, I think 19 months insulin-free and 11 months insulin-dependent.
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Eventually, I will stop thinking about not taking insulin. Maybe. It was an amazing discovery and if I could go back and do it again, I most defintely would.
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#type1diabetes #t1d #diabetes #insulinfree #insulindependent #aip #autoimmunedisease #autoimmuneprotocol #glutenfree #dairyfree #eggfree #foodISmedicine #healyourgut #healthygut #leakygut
Instagram post 2169987699163054238_177481688 What is the hardest part of hosting a holiday dinner?⁣
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For me, it's getting everything on the table HOT...not lukewarm or cold...HOT.⁣
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Here's my best tip: free up oven space by cooking your turkey on the grill. Yep, the grill!⁣
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Follow the link in my profile to check out this super easy, super tasty charcoal grilled turkey. You'll never cook the turkey in the oven again!
Instagram post 2169968829072138622_177481688 Late this summer I was emotionally and mentally drained documenting and analyzing my diet and glucose numbers.
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I just needed a break. .
So I took one, and almost immediately my numbers rose. Drat it all! It's been about 2 months since I took a break in food journaling, and as of two days ago, I'm back at it again.
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I feel refreshed and ready to think about the food/diabetes connection (I follow the Autoimmune Protocol plus many reintroductions which has done amazing things for my blood sugar control!). I don't like waking up high (170+) or not knowing why my numbers are out of range throughout the day.
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The not knowing ends now!
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#motivationmonday #happydiabeticchallenge #t1d #type1diabetes #foodjournal #takecontrolofyourhealth #trytryagain #nevergiveup #takeabrake #mentalhealth
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Type 1 diabetic, AVM survivor, Autoimmune Protocol dieter, DIY-er, Mom, Wife, and Lover of Jesus. So glad you are here today, and I hope you leave encouraged! Learn more about me →

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