Este Haim on 'mentally taxing' type 1 diabetes battle
During the conversation with Will Gluck, Este Haim opened up about how having type 1 diabetes - where the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin for the body - affects her life, as she said it’s “not fun”.
Este Haim has admitted she “really struggles” living with type 1 diabetes.
The 40-year-old singer, who forms the rock band Haim with her sisters Danielle and Alana, was one of the famous faces taking part in the Storytellers series at the Tribeca Festival in New York earlier this month.
During the conversation with Will Gluck, she opened up about how having type 1 diabetes - where the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin for the body - affects her life, as she said it’s “not fun”.
She said: "I really struggle with this part of my life. Everything in my life is amazing. I have an amazing husband. I have an amazing career. I have an amazing family. This is the only thing in my life where I wish I didn't have to deal with it.
"If I'm really being honest, it's tough.”
Este went on to say that it’s exhausting being a diabetic, as she has to be so careful about regulating her blood sugar levels.
She continued: “It's really mentally taxing. As a diabetic, you make at least 200 microdecisions every single day.
“‘What am I eating? How many carbs is this? How much insulin am I taking? What if my blood sugar gets low? I need to bring supplies. Oh, I don't have supplies. What if I don't have supplies? Oh, my CGM just popped out. Oh, I'm bleeding.’ It can just be really tough.”
However, there is one silver lining - namely that it gave her “empathy”.
She explained: “Meeting other diabetics in the world has brought me community. And I think that one day we'll find a cure, but until then we're just going to keep on keeping on.”
While she’s pretty well versed in keeping herself, and her blood sugars, on track, there are times when Este has been on stage with her sisters and ended up passing out.
She said: “I leave the side of the stage because I feel like I'm going to pass out, and then I actually do pass out.
“And my sisters and my manager have fudge that they keep in their pocket for this very reason. They start shaking me. They put fudge in my mouth, literally.”
