Hey you! My autoimmune disease, destroyer of my insulin supply. Hello my Diabetes.
Thank you Diabetes for storming into my life. Thanks for almost killing me, having me meet the best health care givers in the world, allowing me to reflect on life even at 14. For almost seven years now we've been stuck together. More like I've been stuck with you, you just don't seem to pick up my hints to have you leave. You're more than welcome to, if you want to of course.
I might hate you sometimes but damn you have brought me a lot of good. My pancreas disagrees on this though, but let's leave that one out of this conversation for now. This is my moment to say thank you. Because you don't get the credit you deserve 99% of the time. It's because of you that I am who I am today and I am where I am today. If not for you my life would have looked so much different, much more healthy.
Thanks to you I started to reflect on life, on the privileges I have in mine. I was born in a wealthy European country. I have access to amazing health care. I can choose my own diabetes supplies and health care insurance. Plus you got me the best doctors and nurses I could have wished for, they are truly amazing and have helped me deal with you in the best way possible. You don't go easy on them or me though, maybe cut us some slack?
Thanks to you I decided I wanted to use my privileges for good things. Thanks to you I got in touch with Worldmapping who brought me along to South-Africa and Brasil. Trough whom I met so many amazing and inspiring people. People I am still in touch with today, people that still influence me or help me make choices, whether they know it or now. Thanks to my great experiences with Worldmapping I ended at Puylagorge. And that has become my happy place for these last three years, and this summer it will be my happy place again. Here too, I met so many incredible people, new friends, amazing families with even more amazing kids. Special needs kids who are just special to us, volunteers. A place where no one looks at disabilities in a negative way. A place where no one is different, not even me! And you don't even know what a relief it is to not be different sometime, to just be. A place where nobody cares about my diabetes because we all have our special skills. And Diabetes, without you I would never have gotten there, to that incredible place.
Also Diabetes, you showed me who my true friends are. Thankfully I already had pretty good taste because nobody left me because of you. They accepted you even before I had because that was who I was now. Thank you for helping me meet new friends, with and without chronic illnesses. Thank you for allowing me to joke about you to make myself and others have a good laugh. Thank you for helping me check other people's blood sugar to make sure they aren't diabetic as well. Even though I secretly wouldn't mind having more diabetics in my life.
Thank you for showing me how fragile and precious life is. Thanks for showing me how incredibly strong my body is even though I feel very weak sometimes. Thank you for helping my family except my other struggles and thanks for helping me in finding help for all those problems. Even when you turned out to be one of them. You stayed around nonetheless.
Thank you Diabetes for helping me to accept myself. To trust on myself more, to become more independent. Thanks for helping me grow. For all the opportunities I got because of you.
Diabetes, sometimes, well most times I don't like you too much. You seem to complicate things quite a bit. But despite all that I wouldn't want it any different, you are a part of me. Because of you I'm me.
Thank you Diabetes, to many more years together!
Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96
Hiya!
One of my goals in 2018 is to eat more plant based. Now at first I considered going full on vegan, however, since I still live at home with my parents this turned out to be more complicated than I thought. So for now I've decided to stick with vegetarianism.
For those of you who don't know what a vegetarian is; a vegetarian is a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat and/ or fish. Now you get vegetarians in a lot of different sorts and sizes. There are vegetarians that don't eat meat and fish, vegetarians that don't eat meat but eat fish, vegetarians that don't use substitutes for meat like soy based 'meats' or tofu, vegetarians that do use substitutes and so on.
Personally I don't eat meat and fish but use the substitutes as I would otherwise be missing out on a lot of necessary proteins and vitamins and other important stuff my body runs on. This also on a recommendation by my personal dietitian thanks to my diabetes check ups.
Now me becoming a vegetarian has stirred things up in the Vercoulen household. At first my mum, since she cooks 95% of the time (I'm the other 5%) insisted that she could not keep my diet completely meat free, 'cause there were four other people living in this household that do eat meat. Lame excuse mum. However her worst excuse was "I won't always remember that you became a vegetarian." She mentioned that so many times she couldn't possibly have forgotten that tiny fact.
And that's what you're all here for! The funny/ weird/ stupid comments on me becoming a vegetarian. So get yourself a cup of tea or any other beverage, sit back and enjoy!
"But you've always eaten meat before!"
Yes thanks, I know but this was a decision I made and choose to live by deliberately after doing research and speaking to other vegetarians/ vegans.
"You used to like meat."
Well it's not that I don't like meat anymore, it's just that I've made the decision not to eat it anymore hoping to be of use against global warming, pollution and harm against animals.
"Going out for dinner won't be easy for you now you're a vegetarian."
I'm sorry what? Have you ever been to a restaurant that doesn't offer vegetarian meals on their menu or where you can't ask for the meat to be taken out of the meal? Cause I haven't.
"Are you becoming an environmentalist now or what? Before you know it you'll be vegan."
Yeah, can you imagine actually caring for the planet and it's future by making the deliberate choice to actually care for the planet and it's future.
"Now you'll only eat vegetables."
Have you ever heard of meat substitutes? Or things like Tofu? Cause I have and there are plenty delicious vegetarian dishes out there that include more than vegetables.
"Now we can't go to McDonalds anymore!"
Yes we can, I'll just enjoy their way too salty fries and delicious McFlurries, plus they have a veggie burger so what's the problem?\
"Are you like, never going to eat meat again?"
That is basically the point but again SUBSTITUTES. And who knows, maybe I'll get back into meat someday.
"Don't you miss eating meat?"
SUBSTITUTES, for Christ's sake, I voluntarily and deliberately chose becoming a vegetarian. And what if I sometimes think, God I wish I could eat that piece of meat. Guess what I actually could eat it nonetheless.
EATING MEAT OR NOT EATING MEAT IS A VOLUNTARY CHOICE ONE CAN MAKE AND COME BACK FROM AT ANY DAY AND ANY TIME! THERE ARE NO SET RULES TO VEGETARIANISM OR VEGANISM!
IT'S NOT AN ALLERGY!
YOU WON'T DIE FROM (NOT) EATING MEAT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE!
And this is just from the first three months of 2018. I can't wait for what's yet to come!
Lots of love,
ThatDutchGirl96
ps. Let me know in the comments whether you are a vegetarian or not and why! I would love to know! Maybe even share your favourite vegetarian/ vegan recipes!
