Diabetes help

Humphrey10

How do they know that it is type 2 diabetes and not type 1? As his doctor was shocked, that suggests your father is not in a high risk group for type 2 diabetes. It is unusual to develop type 1 diabetes over the age of 40, but it is possible.

Re: blood glucose testing - when is he testing? He needs to take into account when he last ate. See: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/Guide-to-diabetes/Monitoring/Blood_glucose/Blood_glucose_targets/
Whatever he eats, his blood sugar should raise, that's normal.

btw I find the accu-check multiclix lancet device by far the best, you don't have to use the lancet device that came with the meter.

Look up 'low glycemic load' foods in a book or on the internet ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_load ), that should give your dad some ideas of better things to eat.

VfM4meplse

Most of what has been listed above is perfectly correct.

If your Mum would like the occasional sweet treat, it's okay to indulge. The problem is that what is supposed to be a rare treat can quickly become the norm. She will find if she has small quantities of low GI complex carbohydrates and exercises well, her cravings will disappear. If find that coarse bulgar wheat is particularly effective at regulating my blood sugar (this may just be me though!).

For a sweet treat, my suggestion is that next time she has an over-ripe banana, she chops this into 3/4 inch slices and freezes (spread out on a tray initially, can then be bagged up when frozen). She can suck on a piece whenever she has a craving for sweets.

VfM4meplse

Humphrey10 wrote: »

How do they know that it is type 2 diabetes and not type 1? As his doctor was shocked, that suggests your father is not in a high risk group for type 2 diabetes. It is unusual to develop type 1 diabetes over the age of 40, but it is possible.

Re: blood glucose testing - when is he testing? He needs to take into account when he last ate.

Type I would be very unusual, but not impossible for a man over 60 to develop - but unlikely I think as there would other suspicious symptoms that would have resulted in an urgent referral to the diabetologist.

quickstepqueen - plse reassure your Dad that once he's settled into a healthy eating routine and medication regimen, as long as he remains on oral treatment there won't be the need to test his blood sugar more than a couple of times a week unless he is unwell.

margaretclare

quickstepqueen wrote: »

I'm glad I've found this thread. My dad was diagnosed Type 2, 2 weeks ago. He sees the nurse next week for a proper appt. (The 1st appt was very rushed with little info and prior to that had just had a 2 page minimal detailed sheet sent in the post.)

I think he's doing really well considering he's had the same diet for the last 64 years and has now had to change so many things he eats. BUT he too is missing those sweet "treats", especially "afters".

To his credit I feel he is doing really well but he says he is always feeling so hungry and tonight we all got upset over it. I don't know what I can suggest to help quell those hunger pangs. It's heartbreaking to see him wanting food and for mum to keep telling him he can't have this or that. My Dad is not overweight and even the GP was shocked to discover he was diabetic (found in routine blood tests.) He takes Metformins and is checking his blood twice a day but I think he's expecting too much too soon. Can anyone suggest some healthy snacks/afters - not really fruit as he already has this after his lunch, and nothing too hard as he can't chew properly (lack of teeth!) I just want an alternative until he can speak to the nurse. (Does custard made with canderel taste ok? - bananas and custard perhaps?)

Once he's spoken to the nurse hopefully we'll all have a better understanding of how his blood sugars work in relation to his body and the food he puts into it. It's just been such a shock and everyone you meet who has diabetes seems to give conflicting info. I didn't even know that carbs can affect blood sugars (saw previous post). So after eating mash (using semi milk), veg and lean meat it's probably no surprise then that his sugars are up??

If we're not careful Dad's going to start avoiding food altogether as it's just such a minefield. I would rather he do what he can now (cut out sugar in drinks, on cereals, cakes & choc - which to his credit he has done) and then if he can't manage the rest so be it, until he can see the nurse for more info. If anyone can help it really would be appreciated.

PS Sorry about the long post but it's upsetting to see my dad so upset.

It's a learning curve. Yes, carbs can and do affect BS. Especially the easily-digested ones - you mentioned mashed potato! - sweets, chocolate, sweet drinks, anything that more or less requires no digestion but goes straight into the body's system. It would be a good idea to read up about glycaemic index. Some foods, for example, take a long time to digest and keep you fuller for longer - porridge is one example that springs to mind.

We use Splenda for sweetening and I have made custard with semi-skimmed milk to have with sugar-free jelly. Hartley's make these. I would go easy on the bananas, because they contain a lot of sugar. At this time of year, how about stewed apple sweetened with Splenda and with custard, also with Splenda?

DH has been on low carbs since I started the Dukan diet at the end of July. He hasn't eaten potatoes except occasionally when we're out, eats only wholemeal bread, and never eats cakes, chocolates or cereals, except porridge which we have maybe once a week. Snacks are not necessary. I mention DH because I think he's done extremely well, diagnosed 30 years ago, been an insulin user since about 1996, and he hasn't developed many of those nasty side-effects that can be such a worry. Your Dad will need to get his eyes checked every year. The man across the road ignored the symptoms and as a result has had a below-knee leg amputation because a small wound on his toe didn't heal, and got worse..What DH did was to take the bull by the horns and find out about the whole thing from day one, keeping in touch with all new developments. A Diabetes Specialist Nurse is the best person to speak to. These are excellent, are right up-to-the-minute and well qualified in all aspects of the care and treatment with this nasty disease. Also, contact https://www.diabetes.org.uk

Starrystarrynight

I'm glad to have seen this thread.

My hubby has type 2 diabetes, but is controlling it fairly well with his diet and the prescribed tablets. He does eat sweet things, still, but has them in moderation. We now buy sugar free drinks for him, although it took him a while to get used to the taste.

We always look at the sugar content of products in the supermarket and I've been absolutely shocked at the amount of sugar things contain. Even the products listed as healthy have what seem like huge amounts of sugars to me.

quickstepqueen

Guys I can't thank you enough for your swift and informative responses. I will take time to read up on GI foods and hopefully once Dad has seen the nurse he will have more information to help him move forward. Changing a diet you've had for 64 years can't be easy but I know he can do it given some time and support. Thanks again.

Humphrey10

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Type I would be very unusual, but not impossible for a man over 60 to develop - but unlikely I think as there would other suspicious symptoms that would have resulted in an urgent referral to the diabetologist.

It took years for me to be referred to a consultant and get correctly rediagnosed as type 1, after first being misdiagnosed as type 2 by three GPs. And I was only referred because I asked to be, my GP wanted me to stay at the diabetic clinic at the doctor's surgery.

The symptoms would be very similar to type 2, type 1 diabetes develops much slower in adults than it does in children, at the start it presents very much like type 2 diabetes.

Treating it as type 2 diabetes will result in lowered blood sugar for a while - as insulin is still being produced, albeit at a reduced rate, so giving the insulin less work to do by changing diet or improving insulin sensitivity will improve blood sugar. Even tablets that make the pancreas produce more insulin may have an effect, at the start.

I don't know why GPs don't routinely test for type 1 diabetes in people newly diagnosed. I don't know if it is down to cost, or just that they are not aware that adults can develop type 1 diabetes.

Retro_Eames

Hi there,
I was diagnosed at 27 with type 1 diabetes.

They tried me to tablets first to see if I was type 2, but the tablets had no effect on reducing my blood sugars.

They started me on insulin and I was much better immediately.

Type 1 develops when the body does not produce enough insulin to maintain a normal blood glucose level, or when the body is unable to effectively use the insulin that is being produced.

Type 2 develops when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. As a result the body is unable to produce insulin.

For more info google diabetes uk.

siaoeh

Retro_Eames wrote: »

Hi there,
Type 1 develops when the body does not produce enough insulin to maintain a normal blood glucose level, or when the body is unable to effectively use the insulin that is being produced.

Type 2 develops when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce insulin. As a result the body is unable to produce insulin.

erm, you might not have noticed it, but I think you've maybe made a typo and got the definition of the 2 types of diabetes reversed?