Married to a Type 1 Diabetic: Interview with Zachary
“Marriage is like a walk in the park.
Jurassic Park.”
Jk- I love being married to this man! We have been together for 7 years and married for almost 3 years. Marriage or any relationship with a loved one can sometimes be hard. Everyone has their good days and bad days. But try to remember that everyday is a new day. You can’t change the past, you can only live in the present, and make that shit beautiful.
With some new days come new challenges we face together. Over the past six months, we have had P L E N T Y of those challenges. But, these challenges have only made us stronger. Discovering my diagnosis of diabetes has definitely been one of those challenges. Everyday is a new opportunity to better ourselves, and face these challenges head on.
“When you can’t control what’s happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening. That’s where your power is.”
It’s been over month since my diagnosis and in lei of that I’ve decided to interview Zachary to check in and see how he is dealing with our new life changes. I often have to remind myself that I am not the only one effected by this disease. He has been my rock throughout this new journey and I cannot thank him enough. If you know someone who’s type 1, or someone who has diabetes, perhaps these questions and answers, from a different perspective, can help bring some comfort to you knowing that you are not alone. If it doesn’t affect you then I want to help you understand this disease a little more.
I hope you enjoy our interview about what it’s like to be married to a type 1 diabetic.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
Z: 28 year old Tucson native, engineering and science nerd, techie, foodie, beerie, and wannabe musician.
Finding out Erika was a diabetic, what were your thoughts? How did you feel?
Z: I was taken by extreme surprise initially, but then I started to correlate the symptoms with her diagnosis and it started to make more sense. It was relieving to know why she had been experiencing these odd and troubling symptoms over the prior year. My emotions were mixed, mainly I felt sympathy for her, but also angst and uncertainty.
What has been the hardest adjustment for you?
Z: Mainly going to sleep at night, being worried that her number may go to low during the night and having a scary experience.
What steps have you done to learn more about diabetes?
Z: Attended 4 courses on the disease with Erika. We have some books we are reading too!
What is one thing you wish you could understand better around diabetes or her diabetes specifically?
Z: I wish we could have caught this earlier! I wish we could better understand how long she has been diabetic, and why it just came to the surface.
What is your favorite part of dating someone with diabetes?
Z: Having a controlled diet together, overall better understanding of nutrition and what she and I are putting in our bodies.
What is your least favorite part?
Z: Seeing Erika become frustrated with uncontrolled highs and lows, overall figuring out proper dosage of insulin to carb intake.
What has been one of the most significant things you’ve learned about diabetes through watching her live with it?
Z: Although we are still new to this thing, I am seeing how our lifestyle is not affected by this disease, and it is a chance to become educated on diet and food science!
