Diabetes dietitian

Pregnant with T1D – the weight anguish

Once upon a time I was pregnant with T1D, and in that pregnancy I struggled greatly with preserving my mental health. The reason: the constant, incessant, judgemental focus on my weight. My son turned 13 last month – how is that even possible??? Some days, I feel like it was just yesterday that I was pregnant. But, friends, I am so happy it was not just yesterday. Overall, my pregnancy was not a difficult pregnancy. But, because I have type-1 diabetes, I had to attend many, many healthcare provider appointments that often made the experience feel extremely difficult. Some of these appointments included: Maternity clinic High risk obstetrician Diabetes and pregnancy clinic, which featured appointments with an endocrinologist, nurse, and dietitian Non-stress tests Multiple ultrasounds Etc., etc., etc Of all, it was the diabetes and pregnancy clinic that had me constantly fretting about weight gain in pregnancy. Pregnant with T1D: […]

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T1D and tasting menus: oh the challenge

T1D and tasting menus are not an easy mix! My husband and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary last weekend, and it was a full-on trial and error experiment with regards to my T1D. We went for dinner at The Mackenzie Room with our dear friends who were married the same day, same year – how cool is that?! Our friendship started just shy of 3 years after our weddings, and we’ve mostly been celebrating together ever since. For dinner, we opted for the chef’s tasting menu: 12 dishes served over 5 courses. T1D peeps, you know the struggle, don’t cha? Here’s what I love about tasting menus They are social. We were sharing the same dishes, chatting about the foods, and everything else, and comparing favourites from course to course. They are experiential. If we were to limit ourselves to just one or two dishes, we would not have

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T1D community breaks down the discomforts of eating

Fact: T1D community is such an important thing for our overall T1D health. Hi friends! This post is long overdue. Way back in July, I presented at Connected in Motion’s Western Slipstream – an adult camp for us T1Ds that is all about community. The topic I explored with my fellow T1Ds was discomforts of eating in uncertain environments. This was my fourth year presenting at Slipstream. The first was virtual during Covid times; all others have been in person. Every year I go, I leave with my heart feeling so full. I am inspired, energized, reassured, and invigorated. I always leave with a mindset motivated to create more positive change for our community. And I always leave with a notebook full of new workshop topic ideas to further explore. You – my T1D peeps – do this 🙂 Slipstream: all about T1D community I love camp; seriously, I love

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The importance of relationship building in T1D care

Relationship building in T1D care is so important. Relationships build trust. They create a foundation of respect. And they help healthcare treat people like people, not like their conditions.  This post is all about an endocrinologist who practiced the fundamentals of relationship building long before it was ever considered a thing. The man. The myth. The legend. The other night I was at a T1D research event in Vancouver, learning all about current T1D research happening right here in my neck of the woods. So much research filled my brain. Super cool stuff that my brain is still trying to process. As I was reading through one of the poster boards, I heard a voice. A very, very distinctive voice. A voice I hadn’t heard in close to 30 years. Meet Dr. Dan.  Dan Metzger is an endocrinologist at BC Children’s Hospital.  I was one of his first patients. And

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Poor wound healing is not a guarantee with T1D

Wound healing in T1D is a somewhat controversial topic. Many believe that people with T1D are automatic poor wound healers. But, that’s not actually the case. Yes, diabetes does have an increased risk for wound healing implications, but that risk is not a guarantee. This post is all about the dynamics and assumptions of wound healing in T1D, what implicates wound healing, what promotes it, and those times beyond T1D that we need to listen to our own gut instincts. The long road of injury My right foot has plagued me for a full year now. It feels like plantar fasciitis, but on the top of the foot, not the bottom. As soon as I felt the pain, I started going to physio, a podiatrist, and my family doctor.  I had shock wave therapy, heat and ice therapy, cupping on my calves, and massage therapy. I refused IMS because I’ve

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