A diabetic homesteader?

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Hi, I'm a 19 year old diabetic girl, and discovered homesteading via the internet several years ago. The idea has appealed to me since I was first introduced to it; though I'm a child of the '90s, I hate all the trappings of the modern life style--I see to many unhappy people to buy the gimmicks and glamour.

Unfortuantly, I'm an insulin-dependant diabetic, which doesn't bode well for my homesteading future. As I see it, I'll have to wait for a cure or a pancrease transplant (10, maybe 20 years from now). I'm already a very down-shifted person, and plan to start my first vegetable garden this summer (I'm very excited).

I was wondering however, if any of you have run into this problem, and solved it or worked your way around it--2 heads are better than one, right?

So if you have any tips, I'd love to hear them. Otherwise, I might actually have to wait...

And you know a child of the '90s can't do that! ;)

Thanks.

-- Jamie Lee (americanbookworm@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002

Answers

I have worse things wrong and managed to get my place and be a homesteader anyway ;-) Check out my website....

http://www.homestead.com/peaceandcarrots/

My kid is 18 and is building her own house. Come visit!! Write and talk privately if you want ;-)

-- Peace and Carrots Farm, Vermont (wsm311@aol.com), April 08, 2002.


Radio Australia today had an article that may be of interest to you, research has shown that postive attitude and minimal strength/endurance training (gardening/homesteading work) can have a positive influence on decreasing the amount of insulin needed.

Also, the intake of whole wheat bread (doesn't have to be 100% whole wheat just something like 1/3 whole wheat in the recipe), has been shown to modulate glucose levels better than eating white bread (commercial bread) according to some USDA studies.

-- BC (desertdweller44@yahoo.com), April 08, 2002.


Hi Jamie, I know that there are two types of diebeties, and if we all don't start watching our diets we will eventually be in your shoes. Several years ago a group of doctors wrote a book called Sugar Busters. A lot of people really put the book down, said it was a very bad diet to be used. Different Health Care professionals, Celibrities, etc. were against it. I mainly thought the reason why was cause they were trying to promote their own diets/books. I read the book and thought it was very true, and today on Oprah she had a couple of diet chefs on that was cooking meals and describing what you should have and not have. Every philosiphy mentioned went right along with the Sugar Busters diet. I thought now that "OPRAH" has a new diet, maybe people will wake up.

In your garden, plant lots of greens. Stay away from corn, potatos, carots, and melons.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), April 08, 2002.


It is mostly lack of exercise, not so much diet (although that can be a factor), that causes Type 2 (also called adult onset diabetes). Type 2 can be controlled by diet and exercise, I don't think Type 1 (juvenile diabetes?) can.

Instead of avoiding high carb/starch foods (like potatoes), you might want to try eating them earlier in the day (like before 4pm), so your body has time to burn them off. An interesting book for women is "Fight Fat After 40 by Pamela Peeke, MD, MPN. Your library might have it.

Moderation in everything. And after Oprah doing that fasting diet, she'd be the last person I'd look to for any kind of diet advice.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), April 09, 2002.


You have GOT to talk to the PeaceandCarrots farm. That woman runs circles around most of us. Here's the name of the site: http://www.homestead.com/peaceandcarrots/

-- Susan in Michigan (cobwoman@yahoo.com), April 09, 2002.


Please don't take this wrong, but what does being an insulin- dependent diabetic have to do with anything? You have to manage your disease no matter what. You will, of course, need access to health care and a pharmacy- so I guess living someplace that's only accessible by mule is probably out of the question! But, you can live in the country or small town and grow your own food, have some critters, and basically do whatever you darn well please. No different than the city really, except fresh air, friendlier people (usually!), the sound of peepers at night, birds in the morning, the smell of earthworms after a good rain, etc., etc...

When I told my former boss that I was thinking about moving to KY, he told me to go ahead and do it-- or I'd always regret it. Turns out it was probably the smartest thing I've ever done. If homesteading is what you want to do, go for it!

-- shakeytails in KY (shakeytails@yahoo.com), April 09, 2002.


Your only as sick as you think you are ! I remember a man in a wheelchair that planted crops in raised beds 4 foot off the ground. Ask anybody here ? They all think I'm crazy and need to be institutionalized but I was out tilling an hour ago and I'll plant in two weeks. You reap what you sow !

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), April 09, 2002.

I think of the homestead philosophy as do whatever you CAN to provide yourself with your own food and live a good life. Everyone has problems of some sort. Everyone has things that they can not do. Go for it as much as possible. Don't think that because you can't do without electricity or chop your own firewood that you can't homestead. There are probably things you could do that possibly a neighbor couldn't and could exchange services. Do the best you can and make the world a better place for it. Lots of luck to you. Who knows what the future will bring? Maybe a tall handsome hunk that likes to dig in the dirt. Maybe not. Don't let the diabetis stop you from living as close to the kind of life as possible. Robin

-- Robin Downing (Southpawrobin1@aol.com), April 09, 2002.

I have CP and just make sure I don't tackle more than I can handle at one time and rely on "outside the box " thinking to give myself a tool or jig to give myself an edge on things usually out of my reach. I pursued my dreams, thought I had the world, and found myself divorced when my wife couldn't handle my lifestyle, so now I'm doing it by myself and starting over.... a pretty normal life. So just keep your perspective wide, don't ever put on blinders and you'll find your happiness as we all have.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 09, 2002.

Jay, I assume CP is cerebral palsy. I believe I remember now that you've said that before, but it's not something I remember about you - I remember more what you achieve, rather than some minor disability - even if that disability is not so minor from your point of view. You wouldn't BELIEVE how many google pages I had to go through to get to cerebral palsy as a match from a search on "CP".

Jamie, I agree with others - what does some handicap have to do with it? The pastor in the church my family (and I) go to in my old home town has become an insulin-dependent diabetic as well. He got a virus infection and shortly after that his insulin production shut down. He served in the Army Reserve (formerly the Citizen Military Forces). He still does, so far as I'm aware. While he's entirely capable of handling firearms, and being an active short-term warrior, he's actually in a band, and they'd probably love to take him on as a padre. He just couldn't take an active front-line position where supplies and/or power might be cut off long-term.

What we ought to do (at least what I'm trying to do) is to achieve a greater measure of self-reliance. Nobody can, or probably ought to try to, be self-sufficient these days. You'd need to be at the hunter/gatherer, chip your own flint, live mostly on worms and grasshoppers level to be able to achieve that; and as they say, life would be nasty, brutish and short. Most of us are or may be here because at some stage or another antibiotics played a part in our lives. You're probably capable of a lot more than I am - you're less than 40% of my age, and I have a bad back and poor circulation. Aim to do what you can, and if it's important to you then buy one of those little battery-powered lunchpack fridges, and a solar cell to charge the battery, and a spare battery. Fresh vegetables from the garden will be GREAT for your diet.

Oh, one other thing I do know about now is the poor circulation. That WILL affect you sooner or later - look after your extremities, so they don't get damaged and circulation-impaired. Wear long pants/ slacks/ trousers/ overalls/ whatever, solid boots, and leather gloves, when working in garden or farm. Maybe long sleeves? Don't chance getting frostbitten ever, and try to be careful (leather gloves again?) when working with any hot metal, including a barbecue. All this stuff won't kill you, but if you're not careful it may begin to restrict your options at age 50, whereas care might carry you through for two or three more decades.

Best wishes.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 09, 2002.



Yup....my body is a wreck. I just keep going. I'll work 20 minutes and rest for 30. Sometimes the slowness drives me bonkers, but I do manage to accomplish a few things. I guess I'm the turtle when it comes to the turtle and hare story.

When arranging for oxygen and all my medical needs on my trip last week, I started to wonder....for maybe 5 minutes....if I WAS crazy like people were saying. I'm glad I went. I met many great people and felt exhilarated from the whole experience. My docs have fits over me....but I am tougher than they are ;-p

Never, never give up dreams....they have a mysterious way of coming true if you continue to believe ;-)

I think being a homesteader is what keeps me alive, happy and stumping the docs who think I'm a goner ;-)

-- Peace and Carrots Farm, Vermont (wsm311@aol.com), April 09, 2002.


My boss's wife was diagnosed a type I diabetic at age 12. She's now 48 and is a beautiful, vibrant, active woman. She wears an insulin pump and checks her blood glucose levels several times a day. The key is to keep your glucose levels in control. Fresh air, exercise, and fresh homegrown food can help your condition too. There's no reason why you can't be a homesteader, you may just need to be a little more vigilant about your diet, wound care, etc than the rest of us.

I happen to work for the largest manufacturer of blood glucose monitors and test strips in the USA. If you'd like any more info about living with diabetes email me privately and I'll send you some links.

Good luck with your first garden. I did my first garden last summer and it was great!

-- Sherri C in Central Indiana (CeltiaSkye@aol.com), April 09, 2002.


How lovely to hear from you!

I have type 2 diabetes, and my biggest stumbling block is the different levels of exercize needed to run my place. As you know, exercize causes sugar to enter your cells WITHOUT insulin, so when I am trying to get a big garden in in the spring I tend to go too low, guess at the extra food I need, then often go too high. I am currently experimenting with a cheese snack just before I do the heavy work, but I don't have all of the bugs worked out yet. I tend to get too enthusiastic and work until I am really tired.

Extra finger sticks help: If I can catch the blood sugar going up half an hour after I eat the extra snack I can run in place 100 times, which is NOT fun when you are tired but this is the only body I have and I do TRY to take care of it, LOL! My fingers do get a little sore from sticking myself: I have found no better treatment for that than wearing those SOFT gloves at the garden shops when I am handling brush: MOST tools don't use fingertip pressure but the friction of the bark on the brush when I pick it up will irritate my fingertips every time. Soft gloves don't fix the problem but it helps.

For footwear I prefer the cheap K-Mart balloons (the cloth ones, not the leather ones) because they mold to my feet, are cool, and don't rub the skin. For working around brush, I use either boots (high-top tennis shoes would also work), or wear thick socks depending on how much protection I think my ankles will need.

Hey, let me know if you have any good solution to the problem of keeping blood sugar stable during vigorous or prolonged exercize. After all, 2 heads are better than 1, right?

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), April 09, 2002.


Jamie,

Made a good point about capabilities, so don't consider it as "a mountain to climb", its just life. You live your life to accomodate your condition now, you'll accomodate it then. You'll make it.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), April 09, 2002.


My husband is in insulin dependent diabetic, he's had diabetes since he was a child. I have Rheumatoid Arthritus which I have had since age 9 and I am now 34. We manage just fine, not as good as people who don't have our problems but we do okay. We have our chickens, goats, turkeys and other critters and hope to start a garden for the first time.

Good luck.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), April 09, 2002.



Hi Jamie, I can't think of a better lifestyle for a diabetic than homesteading! My 14 year old son is a Type 1 insulin dependent diabetic, and we obviously (hehe) homestead. Fresh air, fresh food and exercise are good for you as a diabetic. I can't see any reason why this lifestyle would be anything but good for you. Good Luck!

-- CJ (sheep@katahdins.net), April 11, 2002.

Yet another diabetic homesteader here :o). I'm a type 2 and fortunately I'm not insulin dependant yet...but it will happen in a couple of years. I get tired really easily so I have to pace myself (I have some other serious health problems besides diabetes). It does get frustrating that I can't get as much done as I used to....however I still do more than most folks(lots more). You can do it too.....just give yourself plenty of time to accomplish your goals and be realistic. Hubby is always telling me to have patience(I need that one bumper sticker....God please grant me patience but do it now!). If you keep plugging away at things they will end up getting done steadily.

-- Amanda (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), April 11, 2002.

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