Halloween can be a challenge for many families touched by diabetes, but just imagine beng diagnosed ON Halloween. That's what happened to Kelly Kunik in 1977. In this "Classic" episode from 2017, Kelly shares her story, her family's unique experience with diabetes, and what led her to beginning her blog, Diabetesaliciousness, in 2007.
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Episode transcription:
Stacey Simms 0:00
This episode of Diabetes Connections is brought to you by the world's worst diabetes mom real life stories of parenting a child with type 1 diabetes available as a paperback ebook and audiobook, read reviews and get your copy today at Amazon or at Diabetes connections.com.
Announcer 0:24
This is Diabetes Connections with Stacey Simms.
Stacey Simms 0:30
Welcome to what I'm calling a classic episode of Diabetes Connections. This interview originally aired Halloween week of 2017. But it's a really good one. And we have a lot of new listeners and a lot of people who might discover it now for the first time. So if that's you, Hi, I'm your host, Stacey Simms and my son was diagnosed with type one almost 14 years ago as a toddler.
And Halloween this year is going to look very different just like everything else in 2020. But I hope you find a way to celebrate Halloween that is safe, that feels good to your family. And as always doesn't let diabetes get in the way. If you have questions about Halloween, if you are newer diagnosed family or you just are confused, you want to try something new this year. We did a great ask the D moms episode about that. And I will link that up in this episode homepage, you just go over to Diabetes connections.com. And when you see this episode, click on it and it will have a transcript and it will have links and one of those links will be over to that ask the D mom episode where me and my friend and wonderful author McCarthy give advice. We get questions all the time and we answer them the best we can we did a whole episode about Halloween.
My guest for this episode is all about Halloween. Now. Not only was she diagnosed on Halloween, but she loves the holiday you're going to hear her family. I mean, they do it up big and they always have Kelly Kunis was diagnosed with type one in 1977, 43 years ago. And yes, you really was diagnosed on Halloween. She is a diabetes advocate mythbuster consultant, writer and speaker, Kelly launched her very funny and insightful blog diabetes deliciousness in 2007 with that goal of busting diabetes myths and spreading validation through humor and ownership and advocacy. She is also a daughter, sister, cousin, niece and and to people living with type one and type two diabetes. That incredible family experience really gives her a unique perspective. So here is my interview with Kelly Kunic on the eve of her 40th diversity with type 1 diabetes.
Kelly, thanks for joining me, you're one of the things I get a lot in parenting groups that I'm in is you know, what do I do about Halloween? And so we're gonna be talking about that this week. But I thought it would be really fun. And so just a good excuse to talk to you. To find out more about being diagnosed on Halloween. I shouldn't have said it'll be fun. It's always fun to talk to you, Kelly. But that's not fun at all. Thanks for coming on with me.
Kelly Kunik 3:11
Well, thank you for having and thank you for doing what you do. And I think Halloween is an excellent topic.
Stacey Simms 3:18
Yeah. Tell us your story. You were diagnosed. And I can't believe as we're talking here. You're kind of on 40 years for your diagnosis.
Kelly Kunik 3:25
Yes. Yes, I am. And that's crazy. And I can't believe it. And I just as shocked as you are. But yes, it will be 40 years with, you know, celebrating my type 1 diabetes diagnosis on Halloween. And it was interesting. And what I remember a lot of it, tell us, I just remember a lot of whispering that week with my parents and my siblings. You know, I have siblings who, who also have type one. And my dad had type one. And, you know, Halloween every year was a pretty big deal in our house. And it was up to my siblings to come up with my Halloween costume. or help me come up with it. Because there were so many of us. And I couldn't get them to commit. And I remember coming home from school one day, and my sister Debbie, who had diabetes and who had passed away from diabetes met me at the door. And she asked me if I was thirsty. And I was of course, and she gave me a tab. And I download it. And then she asked me if I wanted another one, which of course I did. And I download it. And then she asked me if I wanted another one.
Stacey Simms 4:44
And we're talking about tab the diet soda because just to be clear, right? I mean, right?
Kelly Kunik 4:49
That right tab the diet soda and I drank the third one and then of course I had to go to the bathroom. And she said well drinking I'm not going to let you go to the bathroom, unless you pee on this test tape, which was a way back in the late 70s to test what your sugar was. And I was smart enough to know that that wasn't a good thing. Because there was test tape in all of our bathrooms, because of my two sisters with type one and my father, and I looked at my sister and I told her I didn't have to go to the bathroom. Oh, geez. And I was a pretty stubborn little girl. And I refused to go to the bathroom for like an hour. And I was dying at that point. Like I literally was doubled over in pain, but I knew that something was up and that if I peed on that test tape, something was going to happen that I didn't want. And I finally you know, I did I like I said, I would do it. And it turned to color it shouldn't have.
And there were lots of whispers. And I remember my parents being on the phone with CHOP children's hospitals, Pennsylvania that night. And it was the night before Halloween. And I don't really remember a lot. But I remember the next morning we got up very early. And we drove to Philadelphia to CHOP. And I remember waiting in the registration office to register because as a patient because we'd never been to chat before. And then the physical exam. And I remember them hooking me up with an insulin drip. And I was trying to make my parents laugh. So I called it the Alaskan pipeline. Like luck bomb. It's the laughter pipeline. Look at me, I have my own Alaskan pipeline. But I really wanted to go out trick or treating. I wanted to go out and costumes, you can talk of all these different costumes I could wear and I love Halloween. Not just because the candy. I love dressing up in costumes. That was kind of my thing. As a kid. I was always dressing up in costumes, like if I could have gone to school in a cape. But back in the 70s it wasn't really acceptable. I was constantly dressing up in costumes. And I tried to convince a nurse who was dressed like a clown, that the results were inconclusive. Again, I watched a lot of television
Stacey Simms 7:25
you're waiting to hear. You're eight years old. You're trying to tell that the medical professionals around Yeah, because maybe it's not, you know?
Kelly Kunik 7:32
Well, I I used to watch Quincy, on answer Carol Burnett. Yes. And so I was I was just like, repeat everything that Quincy would say, I'd like to think the tests are inconclusive. And he just let me go out trick or treating. I promise you, I won't eat any candy. And my parents will bring me back tomorrow. But I have all these costumes lined up. And she looked at me and she said, Oh, honey, the tests are inconclusive. You have diabetes. And no one had said that. I said, Oh, okay. I guess I have diabetes, like okay. And I didn't really think that's when I started not to like clown so much. Yeah, and I remember them telling me that I could go trick or treating in the hospital. They could provide me with a costume, which was subpar. There was no way I was walking around in this costume. They had no creativity behind them at all. And then I could only get dietetic candy. And I was like, nope, no, thank you not doing that. I know what that is because of my sisters. There's no way I know, your stomach. You know that? What does to your teeth? I'm not doing it. And so I stayed in and watch TV, you know, and kind of waited till my parents left to lose it a little bit because they didn't want them to get upset. I could tell that they were upset and I didn't want them to get any more upset.
Stacey Simms 8:55
Tell you so much to talk about that you've said already here. But it strikes me now you've said a couple of times that you're trying not to upset your parents. You know, I mean, you were eight years old at the time, your perspective is different. It's your dad has had type one. You had other people in your family, sisters, other people in your extended family. Why was it so important to do you remember, it's just amazing how we try to protect the people around us. They didn't mean protecting you did you're though, you know you were the little kid.
Kelly Kunik 9:21
I think I knew from a very early age. I was one of six children. It was not necessarily a common household. You know, the six kids there were two parents. There were various extended family grandmothers great uncle's living with us, which was wonderful. It was a great way to grow up, but I knew the diabetes. I didn't know exactly what it was. But I grew up with it, if that makes any sense. And I knew there was a stress level involved with it. Even though I didn't understand it. I knew that some of my siblings and my dad would take needles at the table. Before they ate, I knew that our bathrooms were sort of set up like a lab with test tubes, and things like that, because they didn't test blood sugar back, then they tested urine. And your insulin was very, very precious, and a bit expensive. And I just knew that I like to make people laugh when they were stressed. And I think when you're the youngest child diabetes or not, that's kind of the thing. Just sort of become the comic. Because everybody's watching what you do. You're the youngest, baby. Oh, isn't that cute? She's so funny. You know, and I knew I couldn't articulate it. And I couldn't explain it. But I knew that it was big for my parents, this diagnosis or whatever was going on, because I couldn't even articulate it like I am now. But I knew that I knew they were sad. And they were trying to act like they weren't. You know what I mean? And I knew that for a fact. So I was trying to make it easier for them. And look, kids are smart. They just are, and they see, and they handle things in certain ways. And, you know, when you see your dad who's, you know, trying to keep it together, you want to make it easy for him. Especially when it has to do with you.
Stacey Simms 11:24
It just, it's amazing to me that and you're right kids know, they are much smarter than I think we give them credit for and even Benny at two was trying to make me feel better. You know, it's as hard to see your parent be upset. And that's it. You know, a kid wants to fix that most of the time. So even he do and that's what it is. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker 11:42
So So what happens on a Halloween,
Kelly Kunik 11:44
I stayed in and watch TV. I mean, I, I wasn't going to go out trick or treating in the hospitals. I had to have diet like guy they called it dietetic candy when I was throwing up. It's what it was called. And it was disgusting. And it caused a lot of gastrointestinal distress. And they had something like a jolly rancher type of dietetic candy that would make your teeth stick together. For like, five minutes, while it melted in your mouth, you could not separate your jaw. And I'm not kidding. It's God's truth. And it just wasn't worth it to me. I had tried this stuff, because my sisters would get it in their Easter baskets, or, you know, family friends would bring it over for them. And it was disgusting. And you know, when you're little, you don't know the difference. And you're like, oh, Chocolate, right? And it really did cause a lot of problems. And I knew that. Like, I mean, you learned it very young. Yeah, I didn't even have diabetes learned it is not good stuff. So I was like, I'm not a I don't have my costume choices with me. I'm not wearing these drugstore. Like I have a closet full of homemade patterns that are very good. And I'm not chick retreating. And working so hard for this disgusting candy. Most of it
Stacey Simms 13:10
was it was Halloween. Was Halloween ruined for you or the following year? Don't you dig out one of those costumes if I wake up?
Kelly Kunik 13:19
Oh God, I went to I never missed a Halloween growing up. The rule was like every other kid, I will give that credit to my parents. I never missed the Halloween. I went out with my pillowcase. Because that helped more. And we trigger treated for hours. I would eat some candy while I was trick or treating because we were walking like three miles. And then I came home, went to the living room, dump the pillowcase on the floor. Did the division like all the kids do? Candy? Like they like candy. They don't like candy. They would consider trading money. Because people would throw in nickels and quarters, boxes of raisins, which immediately hit the trash. And my mom would say, yeah, it's I mean, it was like any other thing. My mom would say, okay, what's the candy you wouldn't keep? And she would keep it. And we would figure it out like when I could have it. And then in a week or two, somehow that Halloween candy would disappear. Sometimes my mother would hide it after a few weeks in the top of her closet, or on top of the china cabinet, which kind of dipped in so you couldn't see what was laying on top she would put it or those cabinets on top of the refrigerator that holds nothing and are really hard to get to. But after a few weeks, just slowly disappear. And she'd say your your siblings ate it. Daddy must have gotten into it. You know my mother was a Chocoholic. I mean, but we always had fun. I always went out with my friends. And I give my parents a lot of I remember going to like Halloween party. somewhere maybe in fourth grade, I don't remember. But there was a cake. I think my mom even brought it. I think my mom bought a cake was ghosts on it was a big deal. And the ghosts were made out of icing. That was toothpicks. And I remember like, I won't want to go, but they didn't see I couldn't. And that was really smart of them. They didn't make it a bad day. They made it a fun day. It was a fun day. Halloween fun. They kept it that way.
Stacey Simms 15:28
Just wonderful. And it's just so great to hear. Did you have a favorite costume over all those years?
Kelly Kunik 15:33
Except that oh my god, are you kidding me? I was a gypsy, which was actually my mother's mother's costume from a Gilbert and Sullivan. Oh, she was an orator in England. So I had this beautiful like corseted top, that all the girls were in my family. And we I was Gypsy and I had a scarf and a big skirt. I was tigerlily for like two years in a row three years in a row. Maybe because I was obsessed to Tiger Lily did not like Wendy Darling. I could not relate. I thought Wendy Darling was a whiner. He thought Tiger Lily was a badass. And she kind of looked like me a little bit long, dark braids. And I have long dark braids. But she's who I related to. And I was her for two, maybe three years. I was a jack in the box. One year I won an award for that. most creative con. So yeah, I mean, I love Halloween. I don't. I think it's a great I still think it's a great holiday. So I don't know. Yeah. And I don't like when people and I understand why they say it. I shouldn't say I don't like but I always tell people to mine their words, when it comes to diabetes. Like Don't let your kids know that you're dreading it. Because it really is a fun hot day. But it's great not to be you for a night. You know what I mean? diabetes or not? Like it's going to be a challenge. But today they give away much more prize related gifts today than they ever did when I was growing up. And look, we are black that we can count carbs today. Nothing is off limit. Well, let's
Stacey Simms 17:12
talk about that. Let's go on. Let's just you know, we'll get on the soapbox for a minute because Kelly people who know you sure you have opinions. opinions are welcome. I have a radio friend who says agreement is not required. So let's let's just talk about it. You can say whatever you want here. Because as a parent of a kid with type one. Halloween is is scary and is your oh my gosh, everything's got to change. It says how do I do this? And then I have actually found if I could talk about me for a minute. The hardest part for Halloween for us has always been my well meaning neighbors, because I have a daughter who's three years older than Benny. And since the time they were very little we did Halloween just like you guys did. We get all the candy we put most of it away even without diabetes, you're gonna throw half that candy away or give it to the truth is the dentist or whatever. So my neighbor's bless their hearts. You know, those first couple years, they would say here's a Hershey bar for Lea. And here's a sugar free hard candy for Benny, you know, like, Oh, right. And I'm not letting my two year old eat a hard candy anyway,
Unknown Speaker 18:13
but Right, right.
Stacey Simms 18:15
Yeah. And some of them did have little prizes. I mean, I have one neighbor who always has a little toy for him. Like, you know, Penny toys is so cute and so nice. And I never said to people, you know, at the door on Halloween. No, thank you. We're not taking that sugar free candy. But you know, maybe a couple weeks later, when you're seeing them at the grocery store elsewhere, you can kind of work it into the conversation. But I always tell parents just go and like you said, you're walking so much half the time that they go low when they're out there, right.
Kelly Kunik 18:44
Yeah, I mean, like when I said I walked three miles at night, my hometown was only a mile long. Again, like, not really big, but we walked so much and for so many hours that my parents encouraged me to have that Chocolate bar because they knew I really needed it and I wasn't you know, when I was little to treat a low we would eat an orange. My mom didn't even bother cutting and wrapping an orange in tin foil. She said no, she's going to have she's gonna have a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and she's walking around because she's gonna need it. But like you I still get asked you know, can you eat this Is this okay? And I always tell people like there's not too much I can eat I don't eat liver. They won't eat liver. So
Stacey Simms 19:28
not even with not even Chopped liver. No,
Kelly Kunik 19:32
no, I don't like it and you know, I know that I probably should like it because I run a little bit on the anemic side. I have my whole life but I can't stand liver. But yeah, I'm like the only thing I can't eat is liver. You know everything else is Game on. Oh, and like you said like diabetes or not divide the candy up and somehow it disappears the next few weeks because nobody functioning pancreas or not eating all of that candy. Just Can't nobody can adult child a child with diabetes, don't diabetes, anybody, people, it's just too much sugar. But, you know, I'm sure you talk to your neighbors and tell them something similar because I don't know, it's really great to have people thinking and looking out for your kids. But sometimes what they're trying to do like, for me, personally, I think there's a lot of damage with the sugar alcohol, like gastrointestinal is not damaged. But
Unknown Speaker 20:31
that's what I always trusting. So
Stacey Simms 20:34
I want to try to tell other parents Look, the way I handle it is just, you know, you don't say don't do this, you say, please do that, you know, you say, oh, wasn't Halloween fun? Hey, you know, we're trying something new this year, or maybe a couple of weeks before, you know, my doctor says, even if your doctor never says, you know, my doctor says that it'll be really fun and easier for Benny, if he just gets all the regular candy. And then we figure it out at home. Because right, sugar alcohols aren't good for him, or, you know, it's just better to have the real stuff. And but thanks so much. So just nothing special. And we'll see it in a couple of weeks of Halloween. And that way, nobody feels bad. You're not saying you know, hey, you bought us that candy, and we never ate it. And it made him poop for three days, you know, we're never not doing that.
Kelly Kunik 21:13
You know what it's expensive to that's the thing like here, people are really looking out for you. And right, and your child and spending more money than they should for very little bit of candy. Because, you know, a sugar free Chocolate bar or whatever. And it's expensive. So
Stacey Simms 21:34
I'm thinking here, we're talking about trick or treating, which I put all the costumes and everything. But it's been 40 years, if you don't mind me asking you to reflect on that a little bit. Something has diabetes never change. I imagine some things have changed quite a bit. You know, your bathroom probably doesn't look like a laboratory with those test tubes. Are you doing any reflection with the shear?
Kelly Kunik 21:54
You know, I am. So much has been going on in our world lately. Like I was gonna, I really wanted to do it up right for my 40th. And so much has happened over the summer and in the fall around our world with the elements and things like that last night I yesterday, I was working all day at a fundraiser for Puerto Rico, that I haven't really gotten it together to have this huge celebration I wanted to have. And five years ago when it was my 35th I was smack dab in the middle of Hurricane Sandy. Oh, right. Where I was where I lived was hit very hard from Sandy. So again, everything sort of went to the wayside. So I think I'm gonna do something for the year, as far as reflecting, because it's not just going to be about the day, a year of reflection, and bringing it into the 41st. year. I mean, quite, quite honestly, when I was little, I didn't necessarily think a person could live 40 years with diabetes, you know what I mean? Like, but I don't think as a child, you don't think that far? Know what I mean? You're just very immediate in the now for the most part, because that's what childhood is. It's the now. Yeah, I mean, I look back and I, I can't believe it. You know, I can't believe it's been four years, I can't believe all the changes, I can't believe I started with this journey with people who aren't here anymore. And my family, that makes me sad. But I try and live and be positive for them. So that's good. I mean, I just want it to be a good year. And I want it to be a great life. And, you know, we take the good and the bad, right? vinegar with the sweet. So there are days I get annoyed with it. Don't get me wrong, but I really try and focus on the positive because if I, if I let it bring me down every day, then what kind of life is that? You know, any mean? Any it's not going anywhere? So I like to say some days I'm in charge other days, diabetes in charge, like, some days we're both kind of like co executives of Kelly Punic Tony beam. Yeah, you know, there are days where I'm the CEO, and there are days when diabetes is nipping its heels and trying at my, you know, like, No, I want to be in charge. But I try and work with it as much as I can. You know what I mean? Because I don't want to hate it. There are moments when I dislike it intensely. But I don't want to hate myself. I can open up any magazine, and that tells me I'm not tall enough. Not skinny enough. Not busty enough. That's really easy. You know if he hated my diabetes, and I would be hating me, and I don't need that. I'm awesome.
Stacey Simms 24:53
You are awesome. But I have to ask you before we wrap up here, tell me about your blog, because I'm good. I always mess it up. Diabetesaliciousness. So where does that come from? And I love it.
Kelly Kunik 25:06
Okay, first of all, I'm such a dork. It was supposed to be called diet. I was supposed to be called diabetes-licious. Now when I started blogging, which will be 10 years in November, Oh, great. Go figure that one out. I had no idea what blogging was. Okay? None. It just looked like a Word file. And I could do a Word file. I couldn't create a website. That makes any sense. Oh, yeah. And blogger was essentially a fancy word file, right? He could upload pictures too. And there was always this thing I'd say, Oh, so diabetes-alicious. Like if I went surfing, and I got out of the water, and my blood sugar was like 125. So I can go to low diabetes-alicious. Or if I went out to dinner, and I had a big dessert, or maybe it was dinner in an Italian restaurant, which is always a bit of a challenge for me, pasta wise. And I checked my blood sugar a couple hours later, and it was like 170 like, Oh, that's fabulous. I nailed it. So it was always kind of a goal. Diabetes-alicious is always a goal to achieve was always just hitting the norm in my life, doing my normal everyday things, but celebrating it, you know, again, if I eat a pasta dinner, and two hours later, I was 175. That's pretty. That's like Nirvana. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah, totally Nirvana. It was diabetes. Delicious. And so I started to fill out the blog information that I wanted to do. And at the end, right before I hit Enter, I put the n e s s so made it diabetesaliciousness. I changed it. Because let's make it more difficult to say and pronounced. Why not? Again, I had no idea what I was doing. The only blog I'd ever read was Perez Hilton. And I didn't even know it was blog. I thought it was a gossip website.
Stacey Simms 27:02
And it's hard to imagine, right? But in 2007 we weren't even on Facebook. I mean, you know, it was so different.
Kelly Kunik 27:11
It was so different and I had now I can't change it. And I even change it on the business cards I had printed up I actually put Diabetes-alicious people are like what so if Diabetes-alicious never like diabetes, delicious. ness. Or you could just say Diabetes-alicious. I mean, I know it's a bitch to spell. It's my own fault. But it was 2007. I didn't know what I was doing. the interwebs was a new and exciting place. I didn't know there was a diabetes online community. Seriously. I had no clue.
Stacey Simms 27:46
Why did you start that? What made you jump in?
Kelly Kunik 27:49
You know, I had last a long term relationship. And I'd love to career. And I believe it or not, I wanted to sell insulin pumps, right? Because I really felt like my I had been pumping since 2002. I come from a family of sales reps, and performers, to basically like there's no doctors or lawyers in my family. We're all like salesman, performers, for teachers. And I was always the example that doctors would use, like, you got to meet this patient. She's doing really well. My doctors would have me talk to teens. And parents would stop me when they would see my insulin pump at the drugstore and haven't talked to her children. And I thought I really felt like insulin pumping changed my life. And I thought, well, I want to sell these things. And I sent my resumes out and nobody would talk to me. Nobody. And I had a marketing background and a writing background. I worked for several local newspapers and magazines, and I was a writer. And someone had mentioned blogging, or personal journaling. And I thought, oh, okay, hmm. And then of course, there was the whole like, a celebrity said they wean themselves off insulin and I got really mad at that particular celebrity. And I started this blog and then didn't know what I was doing. And I ended up calling this celebrities publicist in the LA in New York often, and I think I frightened the gatekeepers so much at both offices that the publicist ended up calling me back. And we played phone tag, and I ended up speaking with the publicist and saying, look, I think so and so was misdiagnosed. And this Oscar award winning person can be misdiagnosed how many other people can be misdiagnosed, and I really do think that's the case. But I was also upset because I knew of several young women with diabetes Lamia, whose parents had mentioned And this particular celebrity, as someone to aspire to. She has type one diabetes and look how great she's doing. And when I tell you I used to have parents come out of the woodwork and still do to talk with about their children to me. I mentioned that to the to that publicist, I said, Look, I don't know if you're aware of this thing called by Alenia. And it's very dangerous. And it's detrimental health, mostly it's women, young girls, and women with Type One Diabetes. But, you know, I know that young boys and men are awesome. And anybody can have it, you know what I mean? And so there has to be a better way to articulate that. And I really think if she came out with a statement, and again, I'm not blaming this particular celebrity, I think that's on the onus of the publicist. And she just wouldn't budge. And it got me so angry. And I think that was my first blog post. And I didn't know what I was doing. I just used it as a writing exercise every day on a subject that I knew intimately. And nobody read it. Except my friends. And I can tell you, the first person to leave a comment was Bernard, Errol. And that was like two and a half months after I started blogging, and I didn't know that this community existed. And when I found it was pretty life changing. So I'm very lucky. You know, but I had no idea what I was doing. I certainly wouldn't have made such a crazy name.
Unknown Speaker 31:40
Right now.
Kelly Kunik 31:43
Like, I had no idea. I just knew it was this great outlet for me to get all my feelings out. And I didn't even realize how badly I needed that until I started doing it. Yeah, we should I learned so much.
Stacey Simms 31:59
Oh, of course. Yeah, let's circle back to Halloween. Because there's so much we can talk about in Kelly, I'll have to have you back on. But let's circle back to Halloween. Because, you know, we're talking about food and food issues, and everybody has food issues anyway. And then if you have diabetes, it's a more food issues on top of food issues. So if you're talking to people who want to trick or treat or parents of kids, and they're worried about this holiday, any any last advice here on just kind of keeping it fun. And making it as normal as it can be?
Kelly Kunik 32:30
for Halloween is a great holiday. It's really fun. It's an imaginative holiday roll with the imagination part of it. If you have more than one child, the rules apply for all you know what I mean? You can have a little candy while we're trickers reading, you can have a CHOPolate bar, whatever I know, a lot of you know, we have our check stations, right? Check our blood sugar's if you're on a deck, it's a little easier, right? On the Dexcom. So that makes it a little easier, and really enjoy the moment and don't dread it. And if you're going to dread it, don't dread it in front of your kid. Especially your kids with diabetes. Like Don't do that to them. Because they can't necessarily differentiate that you're dreading the diabetes aspect of it, and they're gonna internalize it and take it personally. Does that make sense? Oh, yeah. It's just like, it's like, children don't understand when you're upset at the number on the meter screen. They think you're upset at them. Okay, so what happens? You find ways to change the number. I did. And, you know, I went and check my blood sugar with one hand, the number would be lower. You know what I mean? Like their kids can't tell the difference. Whether they're 10 or five, they can't tell the difference. You're mad or you're upset. I should say you're upset at the number on the screen. They think you're upset at them. They are diabetes. I mean, I do. They're dying. Yeah. And I think it's, yeah, and it's, it's so important for parents to know, at least I think it is that you got to put your game face. You can say, I'm going to be up checking all night. This is crazy. Don't say it in front of your kid. Don't say it in front of your kids. Just do it. Just do it. Like, honestly, that's not fair. And I know, parents, they go through a lot with this disease. I saw what my parents went through and they didn't have the technology nor did they have this supportive community. I don't know how they survived. But you got to keep your game face on. You got to make it fun. You have to make it fun. And just do what you have to do and that your kids take part in it. Hey, look, could you do me a favor? Could you check your blood sugar? Like, let them participate? What's the carb on that? Do we know the carb? Here? It's on my phone, look up my list, like something like that. You know what I mean? where, you know, kids like to help? You know, they have to know this stuff, too.
Stacey Simms 35:16
Oh yeah, we're on. So what do you do for Halloween? Do you still get dressed up? Do you
Kelly Kunik 35:21
know? I did last year I wanted to Abby from NCIS was really fun. Great costume. I've done that a couple years ago, cuz it's just so much fun to wear. I don't know what I'm doing this year. And again, because I've been so focused on what's been going on in our world and healthcare and things like that. And hurricanes. I haven't had a chance to focus. You know, I'm hoping I can get together with friends, at least. And then we kick off into world diabetes day. And it's a really big whirlwind for me, I hope to do something fun this year. And I haven't been thinking about it. Because there's been so much leading up to this where I'm living like I said, it's the five year anniversary of Sandy's on the 26th I want to say, and they're still part of my town where like, people are trying to get back in their houses their homes. Yeah, so the past few years, it's been a little bit. My focus has been split. Which is good, because it's not all about me, even though it totally should be.
Stacey Simms 36:28
Well, well, let me make it about you. Because we're airing this show. As we're talking here, a little louder. This, but we're airing the show on your 14th die aversary. So from all of my listeners, to you, yeah, we're sending you a gift now we're congratulations. Thank you so much. Well, I'm gonna put this all over social media. And at least we can give you a big Halloween. Congratulations and way to go and everything else because it should not go unnoticed. I just think you're wonderful. Kelly, you do so much good for our community. Your is so much fun to talk to. I hope
Kelly Kunik 37:02
you have a great Halloween. I hope you did, too. And thank you so much. I will go have a glass of Prosecco for sure. And I will toast it your way. And I will tell you what in the DSC because honestly, I can say it's the best medicine and I am so grateful to be part of it. And you do such a phenomenal job. It's just so fun. And voc is amazing. And I really feel like sometimes when nobody else gets it, I just know that I can turn to my community. And you guys get it. And I don't even have to utter the D word. to just be like, Hey, guys, I need your vibes and I get it. So I appreciate it so much. And I love everyone and I love what you do. So keep up the great work. And hopefully we can all have a little celebration together soon. Thank you for doing this show though. I think it's gonna be wonderful and help a lot of people and as all your shows do, and Iraq.
Announcer 38:09
You're listening to Diabetes Connections with Stacey Simms.
Stacey Simms 38:15
If you haven't read Kelly's blog, now you have to right go head over to Diabetes connections.com. I will link up diabetes maliciousness in the show notes. And I'm just so happy to bring Kelly and her story to a new audience a couple of years later. So we'll see what the reaction is to these classic episodes. I'd like to start releasing them doing things like this regularly in the new year. So let me know. Have you heard all 330 plus episodes of Diabetes Connections? Or have you joined us more recently, and you're looking to catch up by you know, having something like this come right to you. Because that's what's nice about these classic episodes, you don't have to search for them, they will come right to wherever you listen, whatever podcast app, they'll come up as new. And I think that'll really give some new life to these episodes that I love and are so dear to me. And our newer listeners haven't had a chance to hear. So I'd love to hear from you. Let me know what you think.
Our regular episode is coming up on Tuesday. We drop episodes generally once a week on Tuesday, with bonus episodes here and there. And I am talking to Leo brown from The Amazing Race. You may have spotted his Dexcom and the episode that aired that very first episode of The Amazing Race. There was a racer, he took a shirt off there was his Dexcom and the diabetes community lit up so I was able to get in touch with him. We had a great conversation, and that is coming up on Tuesday. Thank you to my editor John Bukenas from audio editing solutions. Thank you so much for listening. I'm Stacey Simms. I'll see you back here on Tuesday. Until then, be kind to yourself.
Unknown Speaker 39:56
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