I have had diabetes for over 10 years now and as we all know it's pretty tough going. It has it's ups and it's down, but in general I manage. Keep the calm happy exterior us diabetics often have and lead positive lives anyway. The show must go on !!!!
But lately the show has been more like The Producers than Cats. I've been slow, I've been sluggish, but hey it must be the diabetes. I've been tired, I've been losing weight ,but hey diabetes has its complications. I've been chronically exhausted but apparently that's linked to diabetes too. I've seen countless specialists who have diagnosed me with anxiety and little else.
Feeling like my blood was poisoned some days, just about able to get to the hospital to be told ' Are you under stress ?' ' This is probably just stress related, calm down'. Until finally totally by chance I was offered a free food intolerance test. They test something crazy like 80 different foods from 3 drops of blood ! This is going to hurt, the friendly doctor says as he pricks my finger. Diabetics must be their favourite patients I think !!
Two weeks later and low and I head back to my doctors office where he greets me with a huge smile . ' Great, news' he exclaims ' you're results have come back very positive, often we can't help people but you !! We got some really great results!' This is good news , as far as knowing what's wrong and creating a treatment plan, sort of like when you were told you were diabetic that type of 'good news' !
He runs through the list and apparently besides sugar , my body doesn't like a lot of things including : cheese, milk, red meat, eggs, soya, wheat , gluten oh and the dagger in my back ......... wine ! Apparently, I learn, coeliac is much more prevalent in Type 1 diabetics or individuals with autoimmune disorders. Wonder why no-one at my diabetes clinic thought of these tests ?? Essentially every time I was savouring my low GI seed bread and carb counting, my body was trying to inflame the food ( hence my bloated inflammation ).
Luckily for me ( same version of lucky as good news) there are plenty of coeliac alternatives . Since cutting all my tummies enemies out of the equation my whole system definitely feels a lot more peaceful. It's another hassle to add to my D life, but once I get used to it I'm sure it'll become second nature. Make a piece of wheat free bread, not war !
Over 10 % of Type 1 diabetics have coeliac disease !! If you're feeling chronically tired, losing weight, anxious, or bloated you may be coeliac. Your medical team will be able to assist you with tests.