I had a crisis this week but it made me learn something about myself. Everyone in my dept received gifts of chococlate - except me. I got a mug. I was SO sad watching other people unwrap their beautiful boxes all ribboned up full of chocolate while I looked at my mug with the school logo on it. I had a bunch of conflicting thoughts and emotions. I was grateful for my boss’s thoughtfulness in considering my diabetes, but I DO allow myself a small (very small) amount of chocolate now and then and I coveted the chocolate. Then I chastised myself for having bad thoughts. One should be grateful for any gift!!! Then I hated being diabetic. Then I tried to be positive and made myself a nice cup of tea in my new mug. (Those Christmas teas are really good). Then I shared the story with some friends on facebook and they turned into the diabetes police telling me I can’t have chocolate and telling me how thoughtful it was of my boss. Then I posted on the bernstein forum and got yelled at for considering eating chocolate. I felt worse and it led to a day of self-pity. It wasn’t pretty but I learned to try to avoid the self-pity and to try to not over-react to stupid things. But we all have a day like this now and then don’t we? Ultimately I was glad I didn’t have the extra temptation of the chocolate.
One friend DID understand. She had her husband drive to my house and give me an 85% Lindt dark chocolate bar saying “Take this to Maria; it’s an emergency!” Is that awesome or what?
You do have an awesome friend, 85% chocolate is sooo good!.. Your story reminds me of when I was in elementary school…and we used to put out a shoe for St. Nicholas… and everyone else in my class got candy or a popcorn ball…and I got… I forget…either a piece of fruit or something not food related…and while it was nice being given something I could eat (cause at the time “sugar” was still forbidden except with lows), it was also hard being singled out and different from everyone else…like I wasn’t allowed to share in the same experience as everyone else.
I think if that happened to me as an adult it would be even harder…because regardless of whether I can eat or not, I want to be the one to make the decision whether I can eat the chocolate rather than some other adult.
So I do think situations like these are tough to be genuinely happy about…because a lot of emotions can get tangled into it.
your “chocolate hero” friend sounds awesome.
and i hope you told your “friends” on FB to go eat crap. haha. (gosh it’s hard to sensor myself on here)
and it was really thoughtful of your boss, but I’m of the mentality that I want to be treated like an equal and not singled out. I can make my own decisions. but, still, was really thoughtful of your boss and she was doing what she thought she was supposed to do. Gosh, what difficult situation. phew!
Hey, those people yelling have no idea. Chocolate is that high in fat that its carbs are coming slow. This is valid even for chocolates with ordinary sugar - although I prefer chocolate with fruit sugar. It will need an insulin wave later but that is what the pump can take care of. You should tell your boss about the brand new pump you received for christmas. It has this fabulous chocolate mode. Hopefully you will then receive a nice treat next time.
lol i had one of these days in spanish class. the teacher was giving out little pieces of dove chocolate (which i LOVE) and then she got to me. the only diabetic student she has. of course she asked if i could have it and i said yes. but that wasnt enough for her. i understand she was trying to be nice, but it felt mean. eventually she gave it to me, but she made me promise to wait til i got home to eat it. so i got to watch as all my friends ate the amazing dove chocolate.
i guess it was a happy ending when i got home and ate the chocolate.
Gosh, what difficult situation. phew!