I didn't talk about my diabetes at all during the years I danced with the New York City Ballet. A ballerina is an athlete and psychologically I needed my directors and co-workers to perceive me as healthy.
I did an interview with AccessDNA, a site devoted to helping people understand the genetics of rare and common disease. Knowing one's susceptibility might help them to make more informed decisions.
I was a one, like so many today, with a body image distortion. And I could have ended up with Diabulimia, a condition affecting more and more young women and girls with type 1 or insulin dependent diabetes.
We can't always be engaged in what we are doing. But by learning to be as present as we can we habituate ourselves to understand there is more of a reward in doing it than not.
