Hubby just diagnosed with Diabetes

Parent Cafe
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<p>I’m wondering if any of you have advice for me regarding DH who was just diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes…he’s technically borderline, not overweight at all, doesn’t drink or smoke, gets a modest amount of exercise, and he should be able to control it with diet. We suspect this is hereditary; his Mom developed it later in life.</p>

<p>We already know what he can and can not have (it was hard giving away that 10 pounds of sugar I just bought for Holiday baking!) He’s registering us for a Diabetes education class, which the whole family will be going (including my SIL who lives with us and is also borderline Type 1). We’re also considering joining a gym.</p>

<p>I checked out a couple of websites, but so far everything is quite confusing! Any websites to recommend?</p>

<p>Any good tips regarding food preparation would also be appreciated!</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

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<p>Hi SpringfieldMOm.</p>

<p>My D was diagnosed 9 years ago with Type 1 diabetes. We have found the Joslin Center to be a great source for information. You can find your way around the website pretty easily.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.joslin.org/LearnAboutDiabetes_Index_home.asp[/url]”>http://www.joslin.org/LearnAboutDiabetes_Index_home.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Are you in Springfield, MA? If so, you may want to schedule a visit there. (Boston) We were able to get a referral from primary care. We try to go at least twice / year. They are up to speed with all the current research, testing, insulin, etc. Our next appointment is in early December.</p>

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<p>I don’t know much about diabetes, but I can recommend a cookbook that you might find helpful. It’s The Sugar Solution Cookbook. I bought it because I like to cook with minimal sugar, and the recipes looked great. So far my family has loved everything I’ve made from it. I’m not absolutely sure that the recipes are suitable for diabetics, though.</p>

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<p>springfieldMOm,</p>

<p>I just re-read your post.</p>

<p>If your H can control his diabetes without insulin, it is probably Type 2. Type 2 may be hereditary, and generally occurs later in life.</p>

<p>Type 1 means that you are insulin dependent. Either you have to take insulin or you don’t. I do not think there is anything as a “borderline” Type 1.
Type 1 used to be called Juvenile diabetes because it generally (not always) was diagnosed prior to adulthood.</p>

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<p>You probably mean type II.</p>

<p>First thing to understand that type II is mental as well as physical. Deppression is very common, as are mood swings. And you don’t have to throw out the sugar…</p>

<p>When I was diagnosed 8 years ago the first thoughts that flooded my brain was I failed… I failed my wife and my kids, I let them down…I had a terrible doctor who made me feel awful ontop of that… granted neither my wife or kids felt let down, but I did… no one beats you up like yourself…</p>

<p>Watch for anger and confusion, they are sympthoms of a sugar imbalance. Usually when I get angry over nothing, it because I haven’t eaten. Then I know my bs is low because then I can’t decide what to eat… </p>

<p>Make sure you go to that class. You really don’t have to buy a bunch of cookbooks or at least wait until after the class. The big food thing from class was learning how to read labels… Carbs are necessary, but in proper amounts. Fats, fiber and calories as well as carbs are things to watch for.</p>

<p>Learn to love these foods
brown rice
Whole wheat
whole wheat pasta
diet sodas
green veggies
the dill pickle is your friend… (zero food)
nonfat milk</p>

<p>You really can eat very well and very healthy on the diabetic diet. Your pallet will adjust a bit. </p>

<p>Hopefully they talk about blue moon days… that is don’t deny a food, just limit it.</p>

<p>The big thing is to remember to eat fairly often. It will seem that your always eating something, a LITTLE something, but remember a nibble of a good food here and there will level bsugar far better than eating nothing for hours. With my job I sometimes forget to eat, which swings my bs all over the place.</p>

<p>A few almonds, a couple of wheat crackers, preferably from a zippy bag from home will help balance things out. </p>

<p>Consistent exercise is my downfall. I know when I walk at least 30 minutes, my weight comes down and so do my numbers.</p>

<p>The big thing is encourage, encourage, encourage… you H will whether he shows it or not, be slightly depressed often… If he slips a bit, he slips a bit. Don’t beat him up. If he’s the kind of person who can’t have treats in the house, don’t buy em. Me? I can leave a candy bar for months before I break off a piece, my spouse just minutes after it’s home… </p>

<p>If you ever want to pm me about it, that’s fine. I am definately not the picture of perfection in diabetes control, but I understand far better now than I did before diagnosis.</p>

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<p>Type 1 is usually diagnosed in childhood- type II is usually adult onset.</p>

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<p>In my work I talk with a lot of type I & II diabetics- the #1 thing I would recommend is to find every way you can to truly take it seriously and address control of the numbers- watch that A1C, obsess a bit on the numbers and keep it well controlled.</p>

<p>Most of the people who seem to have problems later are teh ones who seem (from what they say to me) to have not taken the condition seriously, to rationalise it and when your blood sugar is constantly too high, tiny hidden damage can be done and it could come back to bite you 5-10 years later. The people who decide they have a condition to be addressed and take control of their lives seem to avoid complications.</p>

<p>Of course, some peoples bodies are better behaved than others- I hate to hear a doctor dumping on some one- like Opie mentions- because it is not your “fault” even type II- there are plenty of people eating the same type of diet and needing to lose weight who do not develope diabetes; therefore, yes you have a problem, yes, you need to address the condition, but blame is pointless. Now, if you do nothing and pretend you don’t really have it, then damages ten years from now could be your fault. It’s not helpful for a doctor to tell some one it’s their fault. it’s more important to convey that this is a condition YOU can CONTROL (to a degree) and empowering your DH to embrace it and just do the best possible job maintaining control</p>

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<p>“I hate to hear a doctor dumping on some one- like Opie mentions- because it is not your “fault” even type II”</p>

<p>I actually changed doctors after a year and a half because I could not bring myself to go see this guy. I would literally pull my car over to the side of the road. I started with insulin and now take oral meds…</p>

<p>It is IMPORTANT to work with an md that works with diabetics or one that stays current. That may mean switching your doctor… </p>

<p>The original guy (longtime md) had me mixing my insulins (slow/fast acting) by hand, rather than my next md pointed out just use the 75/25 insulin. Watch for BS crashes…Low blood sugar is just as dangerous as high… I remember my first week of taking insulin and having a headache… checking my bloodsugars and they read 40… fortunately for me, my office was next to a home health agency full of nurses… “is this Ok?” “Opie eat this cake NOW!” ( or as the medicos say STAT!) :slight_smile:
No one explained the low is as bad as the high at that point… I just was lucky to have the neighbors I did…</p>

<p>I found a great doctor, a type 1 himslef. He was always up on the science and more importantly up on the support. I hated to see him move to utah to do diabetes research, but the next md has been very good and positive as well. </p>

<p>the A1c somemom talks about is the three month bs benchmark (avg) you want 7 or lower… I think 7 translates to about 140 which is high for a normal person, but not bad for a diabetic… </p>

<p>The biggest thing is developing consistency in eating, exercising and everything. It’s not easy for some like myslef. Which is why I ended up this way… Not enough rest, inconsistent exercise and eating… changing lifelong habits is very hard… after 8 years I’m still working on it… I’m not as good as I should be, but I’m not as bad as I once was… (sounds like a country song.)</p>

<p>Keep positive, keep moving in the right direction. Somemom is right do something, but its important to keep doing it… good luck…</p>

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<p>These 3 herbs/vegetables seem to help. I grow and eat these herbs/vegetables. Disclaimer, I do not have diabetes.</p>

<p>1) bitter melon - slice and stir fry them</p>

<p>2) jerusalem artichoke - taste like potato with no starch - just boil and eat or make soup.</p>

<p>3) stevia - as a sweeteners </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.stevia.com/SteviaArticle.asp?Id=2269[/url]”>http://www.stevia.com/SteviaArticle.asp?Id=2269&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>It is devious and debilitating. You walk around some days in a lead suit. Some days you don’t even walk around. It is insidious. Or so they tell me.</p>

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<p>The mantra these days is tight control. Keep those A1Cs in check, and hopefully you’ll stay diet controlled for a long while, and avoid the complications of diabetes. </p>

<p>I tend to think of a diabetic diet as the way we should be eating anyhow, all of us. The diagnosis gives you a big push to do that, and get over some of the unhealthy eating patterns part of our society. The balance of exercise, rest and food that is part of living as a healthy diabetic is good for the entire family. Allow yourself to be a little overwhelmed and upset during the necessary transition, as it is a loss of familar patterns. Being concientious is a certain amount of work, though will become easier with time, as you memorize carb counts and learn how your own body responds to different foods and situations. </p>

<p>Opie, great post. Dill pickles, huh?</p>

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<p>…“watch that A1C, obsess a bit on the numbers and keep it well controlled”…</p>

<p>You cannot obsess over the numbers or you will set yourself up for failure. Yes, you need to take control over your condition but if you only worry about your number when you go high, you will feel like, why should I continue to try if when I eat what I should I still get high numbers and just quit!</p>

<p>You will have good days and bad ones. You just need to continue to work on eating the right things and make exercise a daily ritual.</p>

<p>I, too, have a doctor that I am ready to trade for a new one. He tells me, uh, you’ve gained weight this month…no duh doc, the Avandia you have me on, in addition to glyburide will have you put on weight…remember you warned me of possible weight gain when you put me on it…I’m trying my best, but some days I want to throw in the towel.</p>

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<p>laxmom. Towel? They gave you a towel? Gee. I’m feeling left out. </p>

<p>I am not offering this as advice, only as a conclusion that I have come to over a very long time, and only for myself - I would have been a helluva lot better off than I am now if that doc had listened to me and kept me on the pills. I was not obese. I could run, jump, skip, play tennis, enjoyed watersports and hiking, work 60 hours a week at a high level. I was having a ball. Now , after 7 years of insulin I can… well, enough of that. </p>

<p>I hope your H is a better advocate for himself than I have been for me.</p>

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<p>Welcome to the club that no one wants to join, SpringfieldMom’s Hubby! I was diagnosed with TypeII almost 2 years ago. I really didn’t fit the profile, either - not overweight, moderately active, healthy , etc. - but I consider myself the “victim” of bad genes! (In fact, when I first went to the doctor with my suspicions, the resident rotating through the office spent 5 minutes telling me how I “couldn’t” be diabetic because I wasn’t overweight. Ha! Guess she learned something about medicine that day.)</p>

<p>Like Opie, I felt really bad and beat myself up mentally for a while. Ironically, now I feel healthier than I ever have. Here’s what I’ve learned over the past two years:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Sugar isn’t the enemy - it’s carbs. Learn to count carbs and love fiber! Bascially, I’ve given up on “white” food (white bread, white rice, potatoes), although you really can have anything in moderation. That’s my mantra!</p></li>
<li><p>Actually, there are a LOT of “good” foods out there, but I’ve learned to avoid many of the foods marketed to diabetics - if you read the labels, most of it has just as many (if not more) carbs than the “real” food! Chocolate is a good example. Good dark chocolate is surprisingly low in carbs and tastes much better than most “diet” chocolate.</p></li>
<li><p>Exercise is your friend. I REALLY hate to exercise, but I still plug away on my exercise bike every day for 30 minutes (believe me, if I can do it, anyone can.) It really can help with high glucose numbers - I can lower my blood sugar by 70 points if need be with about 20 minutes of cycling.</p></li>
<li><p>In the beginning, test your blood OFTEN to see what spikes your sugar. I read somewhere that over 70% of diabetics never test their blood glucose at all.</p></li>
<li><p>Another mantra - every diabetic is different! I have a hard time with oatmeal, for instance (makes my numbers skyrocket), but some can eat it with no problem.</p></li>
<li><p>Don’t be too suprised or discouraged if your H eventually needs oral meds (that’s me) or insulin. Diabetes is a progressive disease, and over time, most people do need meds. It’s not a sign of failure AT ALL.</p></li>
<li><p>And tell your H to be good to himself! Like Opie, I felt guilty and ashamed for TOO LONG, like I had failed or something. Diabetes is a pancreatic problem, not a moral failure.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>And almonds - almonds are good, too. If you’re pressed for time and need something good to eat, the South Beach diet frozen foods are okay. And if you need a recipe for cranberry sauce with mangoes and triple sec, I know a great recipe which uses Splenda. (After all, Thanksgiving is coming up.)</p>

<p>PM me if you want. And good luck! It will all work out.</p>

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<p>Any type II diabetics may want to consider having their kids’ fasting blood glucose levels checked every few years past the age of 20 or so. </p>

<p>My father is diabetic, as is my grandfather, and my primary care physician had me checked at my annual appointment this year, even though I’m only 23 and below normal weight. I like that she’s proactive about it, considering that I have about a 40% lifetime chance of developing type II diabetes.</p>

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<p>Curm has another great point - educate yourself and become your own advocate. See specialists if need be. Dig in your heels if you must. </p>

<p>And lax - don’t you just go ahead and throw in the towel sometimes? I know I do… although I usually pick it up again and get back on the bike. I like to tell myself that this diabetes thing is a marathon, not a sprint.</p>

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<p>“It is devious and debilitating. You walk around some days in a lead suit. Some days you don’t even walk around. It is insidious. Or so they tell me.”</p>

<p>You can do everything right and still be high then turn around binge and have great numbers. That’s where the A1C comes in, an over time average…</p>

<p>I just can’t do physically what I did to get myself here anymore. I can’t do a 60-80 hour work week…Had I known what I was doing to myself when I could, things might be a little different… but I had the worst illness a man can have… if it “ain’t fallen off”, it’s not a problem…</p>

<p>“Opie, great post. Dill pickles, huh?”</p>

<p>The perfect zero food snack if you don’t have sodium issues… cold crunchy and tangy and zero carbs… :slight_smile: If it’s green, it usually an excellent zero food source… eat as much as you want…</p>

<p>laxmom, sounds like you had my first guy… If you have a diabetes class the hospital puts on, contact them and ask who they feel is “up” on diabetes…
They won’t bad mouth anybody, but body language and the positives when they talk about certain doctors let’s you know… My second doc realized my drugs were interacting against each other (also have hyper tension) causing a medicated rise in bs… switched a couple hbp meds to hbp meds that were diabetes friendly and knocked like 50 bs points off daily readings in a couple days. </p>

<p>and scout 59 everything you posted is spot on…</p>

<p>In my case, my illness made me realize how special my wife is…I was so afraid she’d be mad, she has been supportive positive and still kicks me in the backside here and there, just to keep me humble…;)</p>

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<p>Opie, my new endocrinologist has been wonderful (my PCP wasn’t bad, either, but she suggested I see this endo to “fine tune” my meds.) Anyway, I had a terrible time with my morning fasting numbers - nothing I did seemed to work - until the new doctor changed my metformin dosage and timing. Bingo!</p>

<p>A good doctor is worth his/her weight in gold…</p>

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<p>Thanks for all of the excellent info. For now they’re calling him Type 1 not Type 2 because he has been having symptoms since his early 20s but, being typically male, ignored them and was never diagnosed. Also his mother is for sure Type 1. Lucky for him, he has been married to me for almost 25 years, and I have basically been cooking a modified diabetic diet (due to my own weight issues). I have always worried about his snacking habits (his office is big on bringing in snacks most Fridays) but he assures me he will learn to say no. I think at this point his biggest problem won’t be so much the change of diet, but learning to eat enough of the good stuff to keep his weight up. His mother struggled weight issues especially in her later years when her appetite waned and she became a 5’10" 120 pound old woman. He hasn’t scheduled the class yet but assures me he will.</p>

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<p>We have diabetes in our family too–and my Dad developed type 1 in his thirties. Treatments have really improved since then and life expectancies greatly increased.</p>

<p>A book like the South Beach Diet could be helpful (your library will have it) because it’s all about keeping a stable blood sugar level through diet. Some fruits, and especially fruit juices, can be as much a culprit as white sugar. Learning how to snack in a healthy way is also covered. I highly reccomend it.</p>