Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by shea on February 16, 2013 at 10:20pm

Dear Thas

I empathise as I prepare for Purim without too much drink. The truth is the penimius of the holiday is still avaliable to us - for just as it is HaShem who gave us Diabetes, it is HaShem that removed our ability to drinking a lot on Purim.

Belzers drink very little - 3 glasses of wine or so and then sleep - this is to be able to have both halachic opinions of "not knowing the difference between haman and morderchai" - ie with a little drink ones senses are effected and when you're asleep for sure you don't know the difference ;)

Last year I drank a lot, and it's really not wise - nor is it halachically permissible.

This year I am going to have 2 - 3 glasses of wine, enjoy and meal with my family and discuss the Megillah.

The Shomreh Emunim says that one Purim (both days - even outside of Yerushalyim) one should daven with great devikus and slow, drawn out tefillahs - this is much easier when you're sober ;)

Enjoy :D

Permalink Reply by Sidkd5 on February 17, 2013 at 7:13am

I tend to also do the 2-3 drinks then sleep thing. Someone in our shul makes delicious sugar free hamentaschen. Aside from that, Pesach and Yom Kippur are bigger challenges for me as a diabetic Jew. I have had type 1 diabetes for 19 years and been Jewish for 7 of those (although official conversion was only a year ago).

Permalink Reply by shea on February 17, 2013 at 8:05am

My first YK with diabetes was this year just gone - I had an amazing experience and hope it will be the same for you and I for many years to come.

It took 7 years to do geyrus? That sounds like a very grueling process! I thought London was the hardest - I have heard of people taking 5 years there. Any tips for Pesach? This is my first diabetic Pesach coming up

Permalink Reply by Thas on February 17, 2013 at 10:54am

Yom Kippur was easy for me - even pleasant. I was still on orals at that point, so I simply skipped my meds and fasted. As orals were giving me problems, I actually felt better on Yom Kippur than any other day.
Assuming there's no change in my type-2 diagnosis, I don't anticipate an bigger problem now, even though I'm taking insulin, MDI. Will discuss the situation with my doctor, of course, but I don't expect it to be a big problem.

Purim and Pesach - especially Pesach - will be much more challenging.

Permalink Reply by Deborah on February 17, 2013 at 3:41pm

Sugar-free hamentashen are still made with white flour & fruit filling. Have one (or just a half) and walk away.

Permalink Reply by catlover on February 17, 2013 at 8:21am

Hi Shea-I hope you have been well since you were on the site last. With Pesach coming before too long ( actually very early this year,)I need to think about how I will deal with all of the food. My husband and I will be spending the 1st Seder at our Rabbi's home and I have no idea what they will be serving. They are having 24 guests so I guess there will be plenty of food to pick from. I usually take a small bolus of insulin (I am on MDI) to cover the food eaten during the reading of the Hagadah. Then when dinner starts, I take a large bolus of insulin to cover the dinner. I usually skip the matzah ball soup ( never liked it anyway) and starchy veggies. I take small portions of food and just taste them. I am sure you will have plenty to eat, just watch yourself. Chag Sameach !! Cat ( Susan)

P.S. Sidkd5- Welcome to the clan.

Permalink Reply by shea on February 17, 2013 at 9:07am

I was thinking about doing the same with the bolus. I am making my own sedar (only one as we live in Eretz Yisrael) this year... if I go out I always mention to people what would be a great dish for me - since it's a mitzvah in Yiddishkiet to look after the body I always find everyone very understanding and helpful.

I love sedar night, on a simple level it's beautiful and in the deeper sense so much happens on this night - one of the most important nights of the year

HaShem should bless you with a very special sedar - with good BG levels! - and to bring you out from any "personal Eygpts" you might be experiencing in your personal life. We see from the great Chassidic masters how Egypt represents those traits we wish to eliminate or transform - and as any difficulties we may be experiencing in our lives. This year may we see many great miracles in our own lives!

very best wishes

Permalink Reply by Deborah on February 17, 2013 at 3:47pm

Welcome! I've made it through two years of holidays & thinking ahead is essential. After some experiments with liquor, I just gave it up. I buy a nice sparkling water to have something special to drink at celebrations. This could be colored with a touch of wine of course.
You've probably seen the Pesach thread. I eat alot of egg based dishes, such as fritattas; veggie soups. I go for whole wheat or spelt matzah. I have definitely said good-bye to many of the traditional holiday dishes that I grew up with.

Permalink Reply by Thas on February 18, 2013 at 12:34am

For Pesach, the matzah's one of my big questions (obviously) because, I've found that using Novolog means that for me whole grain products are a major problem. The whole grains hit my bloodstream after 3.5 hours -- when the Novolog is all but gone. As a result, I get bad spikes every time I try whole grain products. I eat only the hand made matzah on Pesach, which I think would be closer in characteristic to whole grain than anything else - so how is that going to work? Will I need to bolus twice per meal: once for the 'meal' and a separate, later bolus for the matzah?

As for your other suggestion, the sparkling water sounds nice enough, but isn't satisfying me sense of simchas Yom Tov - not for Purim (the hamantachen I can live without! :) ) and certainly not for Pesach. Perhaps not totally rational, but I need to find a way that'll work a little better than that for me...

Permalink Reply by shea on February 19, 2013 at 9:43am

Dr told me today that the main concern should be going low from having 2 glasses of wine before any real eating...

Permalink Reply by Thas on February 19, 2013 at 10:32am

That is something I will definitely watch, though my experience this far with wine is that my BG goes up, not down. Am thinking of just skipping a pre-Seuda bolus and calling it a "vacation" - can correct later.

Permalink Reply by shea on February 19, 2013 at 9:57pm

Yes I had the exact same plan - looking forward to holiday, even if it is somewhat short

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