Just like in the movie, today we’re doing a swap. If you could switch chronic diseases, which one would you choose to deal with instead of diabetes? And while we’re considering other chronic conditions, do you think your participation in the DOC has affected how you treat friends and acquaintances with other medical conditions?

Super easy question for me: I’d choose celiac disease. I am so incredibly passionate about health, overall wellness and food. I’m such a foodie, and I love finding new ways to reinvent staple dishes, create new ones, and experiment, using healthier, different and a variety of ingredients. I love cooking for friends and family. I have a bumper sticker on my fridge that says, “Love People, Cook them Tasty Food.” I’ve been living the Paleo lifestyle for almost 2 years now, so I am gluten free as a result of that. There is nothing that I love more (okay, maybe a couple things) than being in the kitchen cooking and having fun with food. I find it so utterly calming and relaxing-which is apparent in the way my blood sugar reacts, it plummets as soon as I start getting the ingredients out 🙂

It’s my thought that with anything chronic, it isn’t about what you can’t have, but what you can, and working with that.

Yes and no; I don’t think the DOC specifically has affected the way I treat friends or acquaintances living with other medical conditions. Are you familiar with the color personality tests, where someone is designated one of four colors based on certain characteristics? I’m blue to the core, and always have been. Nurturing, trusting, empathetic, sensitive and always put others above myself, so I have always been probably over-sensitive and extremely observant to others needs. However, what the DOC has provided me, is an appreciation that we all come from different backgrounds, with varying life experiences that help shape who we are. When I didn’t have healthcare at diagnosis-who was there? The DOC. Having a chronic medical condition isn’t something to be ashamed of, but something to fuel you to help others, network and connect. I have some friends in the DOC that I consider close friends, that I know are there if I need them, and I haven’t even met them in person. This is pure awesome.