You Know What They Say About “Assuming”

June 30th, 2010 by Amy Gonsalves Leave a reply »

We are all experts at a lot of different things.  I sometimes forget that, especially when it comes to food.  I think we all know about carbohydrates.

My sister sent me an email last week; she was having dinner guests and one of the guests has type 2 diabetes.  I’m not clear if the guest asked for anything in particular, but my sister wanted me to look at the menu because she was worried the menu was “too starchy”.

So here it is:

-Potato and rosemary flat bread (made with gluten-free pizza dough–I KNOW that’s starchy!)

-Herbed carrot soup (has one potato in it for 6-8 servings; no cream, just veggies–but are carrots starchy too?)

-strawberry and lentil salad (the lentils and goat cheese and pecans are the protein, but are lentils also starchy??) 

My sister knows what foods have gluten and what foods have dairy; she has determined that for her, she does better when she avoids both food groups.  It was kind of funny to see that she was having a hard time coming up with a menu.  I assumed she was well-versed in all food counts (carbohydrates, proteins, fats).  I guess not!

I do the same thing with the rest of my diabetes.  I assume others struggle with blood sugar levels and highs and lows all day, every day.  I assume I’m like everyone else, a lot of the time.

It only takes this emailed question from my sister to remind me what happens when I assume. 

I guess I assume everyone knows what I know about living with diabetes because it just makes my life easier and makes me feel less alone when I struggle.  I took the evening off of a work function yesterday because I have had several extreme lows overnight during the last week and haven’t slept well as a result.  I appreciate that I feel comfortable saying that to my coworkers, but at the same time, I’m not sure I like taking the time off for a diabetes-related reason.  Then again, I haven’t been sick all year with a cold or sore throat, so I guess it evens out in the end.

Still, I should remind myself that living with diabetes and functioning for my pancreas does take time, energy, and knowledge of a lot of different things that most people don’t know about and don’t have to know about.  I should remind myself that I deserve a pat on the back and sometimes an extra hour of rest when I need it.  I should be okay with asking for what I need, and not assume others know what I face. 

Because you know what happens when you “ass-u-me”!

 (For the record, I suggested my sister add a rotisserie chicken or roasted asparagus to round out the meal.  I’m not sure what she ended up serving; I just know that usually when friends have dinner together, they aren’t getting together for the food.  I’m sure it was a lovely evening all around.)

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