Interview: Haidee Merritt
September 30, 2009 by
Filed under Featured, Interviews
Haidee Merritt has had diabetes her entire life. Think about this the next time you complain about your health. Think about having diabetes from the time you could remember. It might change your perspective. Haidee is realistic about her diabetes. She has dealt with complications and does her best, like all of us. She freely admits to not being positive sometimes which I think is a very healthy way to be. We can’t always be “up,” but we can learn from and support each other. It’s one reason I like doing these interviews.
Haidee is a talented artist as well. She’s shared a few photos displaying her talent which I know you’re going to love.
Enjoy this interview.
What type of diabetes do you have?
Let me tell you about myself and my relationship with diabetes. I have Type 1, full-blown Juvenile Diabetes.
When was it diagnosed, and how?
It was diagnosed around the age of 2, misdiagnosed a number of times actually.
What’s the biggest challenge in managing your blood sugars?
The biggest challenge in managing my blood-sugars is food: if I didn’t have to eat then life would be smooth sailing. A nutrition pill that didn’t effect me in any way is what I hope for. I love to eat, don’t get me wrong, it’s just the root of my entire struggle.
Tell me more about yourself: Hobbies? Favorite way to spend time? Family life? Etc.
I’m an artist on the Seacoast of New Hampshire, lovely Portsmouth. I’m an illustrator of many things, lately a humorous book about living with the disease called One Lump or Two: Things That Suck About Being Diabetic.
I recycle, redesign and repurpose lamps, you can see the business here: www.BirdWingProductions.etsy.com. To support my expensive hobbies I have a private gardening business–Haidee S. Merritt Gardening–which exhausts me from spring to fall. It’s great exercise for the brain and body.
What keeps you motivated to stay positive?
I don’t necessarily stay positive and I think that’s ok. I have never had a day away from diabetes and it’s often a chore to maintain the needs and demands that it requires. People always say “you have to do it for yourself”? One thing I can tell other people is that you absolutely CAN do it for something or someone else. Whatever it takes to get you through the day is what should be said.
Find out more about Haidee at her website.
Great interview. And Haidee, I am SO with you on the food thing. It is the number one problem for me and trying to manage my diabetes. It makes life terribly complex, and I’m sure I’ve got some sort(s?) of eating disorder(s?) because of how diabetes affects my relationship with food.
I LOVED your book, and think that any person living with diabetes would get a lot out of it.
Thanks!
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datingdi Reply:
February 21st, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Scott,
Very true. I don’t think people realize how much diabetes affects your relationship with food. Thanks for your comment.
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How did I miss this??!!
Great interview Haidee. I am with you, it’s So hard to be “up” All the time. Some days just plain suck.
I told my Endo last month that if I didn’t have to eat, managing my Type 1 would be So easy. We had a short laugh. But it is So true. It’s what “runs” our life…we need to count, measure then take insulin. We have to think before we do Anything, really. It’s frustrating.
Love the book. Cannot wait (but I will) for the second one.
Glad to see your cartoons on The Diabetes Resource weekly though.
Keep up the great work you do!
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datingdi Reply:
February 21st, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Haidee’s artwork and cartoons are awesome. She’s right about being “up.” It’s hard to do all the time but it’s good we can all help each other in that regard.
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