I'm only half way through Chuck Eichten's, The Book Of Better -- Life with diabetes can't be perfect, make it better! This book is serious fun and only diabetics can fully appreciate the "hit the nail on the head" humor.
Written by a long term Type 1 diabetic, this book is filled with eye pleasing graphics and is relatively short on words. It's a book about philosophically handling diabetes in a realistic but upbeat fashion. The book's main theme is that perfection is a false and poor goal to hold. Improving things on the margin, even slightly, is much better than striving for perfection.
Perfection, moi? Guilty as charged!
In Eichten's list of the bottom 10 bad things about diabetes, he list "The Food Obsession" as bad thing # 3. It had me gut laughing for the duration of this two-page chapter:
"Some people with diabetes become crazy obsessed with food. We have to have it. But not too much. Oh, and not right now. Okay now. We have to have it now. A certain kind. But not too much. That's enough. Whoa. That's way too much. You're going to pay for that. Don't have any more. Okay, now you need some more. More than that. A lot more than that. Not much more. Not that much. Not that kind. Wait. Stop. Okay. Go. Where is it? Do you have enough? Do you think? Are you sure? Maybe the same as last time. Maybe not the same. You'll need some while you're sleeping. And maybe some while you're working. And working out. You will need extra. Even just sitting there requires some. Not as much. But some. What did you have yesterday? And the day before that? Hard to know. Exactly. Exactly what is in that. And what it will do. Exactly what or how much or when or even if. Maybe you need a little more. Or maybe a little less. I guess. I'll just try again. Maybe I will get it right this time. Shockingly, only some people with diabetes become crazy obsessed with food."
Any diabetic in need of some philosophical and emotional support should read this book. The author's plain speaking and spot-on use of humor presents a perspective that could benefit all of us that struggle with diabetes. I bought my paperback version on Amazon for about $15. Amazon provides many pages to sample.
Disclosure: I have no connection, financial or otherwise, with this author, publisher, or book. I am just a simple admirer.