Yep, my dad one day came back from our family GP around 25/30 years back & mentioned something along the lines of, "I got a touch of diabetes.."
Like me, a slim active guy. (Even during his retirement, he carried on working.)
I honestly don't think his managment was that great. (Metformin.)
it all came to a head after a "mini stroke" (even after recovering from that, he returned back to work?) & then diagnosed with vascular demetia.. During this time, my mum became his full time carer with myself being closest offering support looking in & helping out with the "dad sitting." Around my work commitments.
Oddly, his surgery had prescribed a meter & strips? At the time it was fancier than my meter.
We revised his diet by (guess what.) cutting carbs. & he came off metformin.
The progressive nature of vascular demetia took him around 8 years later, in the end.