team pizza.

I had an appointment with the nutritionist at my diabetes clinic recently. It was so great. I always learn something new about food and how to deal with all it's implications to my diabetes. I also learn stuff about myself in the process of learning about food and my diabetes. Like the fact that over time, and in the effort to keep my life and diabetes regimen simple, I gradually narrow the choices I think I have. A few bad experiences with pizza for example, and over time pizza comes off my list of foods I want to eat. Which on one hand makes logical sense. There is no sense in continually going back for more of the same bad result. What's interesting to me though is how I decide that no pizza is the way to do that. After all, I wear the pump and it has the ability to do dual wave bolus', a feature designed for foods like pizza. That's another way of dealing with the pizza issue, but it hasn't been one I've even wanted to try, because it's yet another thing to have to try and experiment with and master. Another thing, on it's face, means more work, more highs and lows in the process, in a word, no fun. So my decision tree shuts off that option too and I'm back to no pizza for birdie. And so it's been years since I've had pizza for a meal. I've nibbled here and tasted there, but no crispy, thin crusted, cheesy delights as the main course for me. No, no, no.

Well, what was great about this visit to the nutritionist, was we talked about the process I go through to get to the pizza no. The reason's behind saying no, without judgement or recrimination. My wonderful nurse empathized deeply with me as a person navigating diabetes. Her empathy allowed me to see the choices I was making in a clear and supportive light. My husband was also there which helped further, because he's always trying to make my life better with diabetes. A professional and a loving partner, team members in my journey with diabetes. How amazing is that? What was great was we looked at the pizza story as a team, and we problem solved together. My nutritionist explained the biomechanics of how fat effects absorbtion. Check, on the science. Now the project. We came up with this idea that over the next few weeks, we'd just solve the pizza dilemma. Not all food dilemma's. Not dual wave bolus' and square bolus'. Nope we'd just solve pizza. We came up with a plan. I'd first eat a slice of pizza, test every hour after the meal for the next few hours. I'd just collect the data. Then I'd meet with my team to assess the data. We'd then walk through the dual wave process together. Then I'd try that with another pizza slice. Report back. It became a kind of a fun project. A team project. A small and managable diabetes project. With the end result being that I'd get to have a little bit of pizza back in my life. Fun. Not work. What fun.

Ok, so I know this sounds kind of remedial to all the folks out there that are wizards at their pump. It also may sound kind of lame that I've limited myself so much. I know that this isn't rocket science and I even know I'm smart enough to figure this out without the need of advice from a nutritionist or my husband. I know that I'm the one that's limited myself and that in the end, I'm the one that's going to need to do some work here. But frankly, that's not the point. The point is that I get filled up with diabetes management and technology interface and data collection. I'm not by nature a scientist or an engineer. My heart doesn't race with excitement when I think about yet another experiment where my body is the test animal. My personality, my tenure as a diabetic, my preferences don't predispose me to experimentation in this zone. So at the end of the day, I need some help in moving beyond my predisposition, and that's where my crack team comes in. By doing this simple small thing with them, I get beyond my habit, my decision tree, my belief of no pizza for me and end up with a reservation at ken's artisan pizza. Me, my team, my dual wave bolus and hopefully, the thinnest, crispiest, cheesiest pizza they make as my main course. It's a small thing but I think it's actually a big thing, because in the end, a little more pizza in my life would be nice. So now I'm pretty excited about this small adventure where before I was leary. It will be fun, not to mention the fact that my husband wants to have birdie's team pizza tee's made for the project. A great team, pizza and silly teeshirts. Boy am I the luckiest girl ever!

Comments

[Chrissie in Belgium]

That team you you have got there is extraordinary and you do appreciate it! That's great! It is almost a one-of -a-kind team! You described VERY, VERY well exactly why I do not eat pizzas. At the bottom line, every time you go into a new pizza restaurant, where you cannot know what will go into that particular pizza, you are making a choice between the imminent good taste in your mouth and VERY feasible bad feeling in your body hours later. Now or then, which do I prioritate? Is what I put into my mouth really that important? Is it so wonderful that I choose it over that probable yucky feeling to come? All pizzas are different. It is very difficult to correctly assess a new one. But if you can suceed and are having a great time with your team along the way, I am all for it!

[Molly]

What a great entry! I too, have struggled with eating pizza, and I have put it on my no list. I've tried all sorts of different kinds of boluses, with some success and some failures. I quit trying because it felt like so much work for some cheese and crispy crust. BUT to have a team working on the process...I like that.
Please continue to log your team pizza information. I can't wait to hear how you guys figure it out! :-)

[Bernard Farrell]

I'll be VERY INTERESTED in what you find out. I basically made the NO pizza decision some time ago. So I'd love to see what you come up with.

Interesting idea to eat a slice and just watch the results (is that without dosing for it?). And fine tune from there. Please let us know how that all works out.

[Scott K. Johnson]

What a great and freeing post! I think the t-shirts are a spectacular idea!

[Jayne]

My daughter and I both respond well to 4 units per slice...with a combination bolus ~ 1/2 now, 1/2 over an hour. Our pump basals & bolus ratios are very different from each other...but for some reason this works for both of us when it comes to pizza. Of course, we did experiment for awhile before finding the right combo ~ and are shocked it works for both of us. Good luck and have fun!

[Kevin]

We all get in grooves with our diabetes care (diet and otherwise). Sometimes this is a good thing, and sometimes not so much.

I eat about the same meal for breakfast and lunch everyday. While this is limiting in one sense, it's quite freeing in another.

I too have the same pizza phobia, but I have come to realize that there are a few frozen thin-crust pizzas on the market that I can handle rather well (even without having to bust out a dual wave). The thin crust pizzas from California Pizza Kitchen comes to mind. Half of one clocks in at something like 35 or 40 CHO. Doubtful that it'll be as good as what you're going to find at Ken's, but occasionally (read: weekly), it hits the spot for a quick dinner option.

Good luck, and have fun with those t-shirts!

[Evan Kamph]

We have a 3 year old. We also do a 50/50 dual wave bolus, but over 3-4 hours for the square. Works reasonably well for us.