New to insulin

[LovingLindsay1]

Hi all, I’ve been on insulin for a couple of months now, and am finding it really hard. I have 10 units of long-acting insulin first thing after breakfast. I have binge eating disorder too, which doesn’t help. I binge on things that are sweet which isn’t good. Today I found out that my favourite cereal is full of sugar. 33g in 100g. I am really struggling as I feel that everything I like is out of bounds. Even the low sugar biscuits taste like cardboard. Any advice how I can get through this? I am totally blind too, and my family didn’t learn about type 2 diabetes, and I feel I am in at the deep end.

 

[xfieldok]

No cereals are good for us. Any reason why you can't have bacon and eggs for breakfast or a mushroom omelette?

You can have sweet things. Google keto chocolate mug cake. Served with double cream it is lush.

Edited to add: what time of day do you take your steroids?

 

[LovingLindsay1]

I can’t have that sort of thing because I live in a care home and they can’t do that sort of thing as they have to see to other residents. I take my steroids at breakfast time and at lunch time.

 

[LovingLindsay1]

I am also totally blind, so insulin has to be injected into me by either a family member or the district nurse.

 

[xfieldok]

You need to discuss your medication with whoever prescribes it. I generally don't eat carbs so my insulin is totally to control the steroids.

If you have no alternative but to eat carbs, you might enquire about a fast acting insulin which you would take before meals.

 

[Fenn]

Hi, when you say you are struggling, do you mean you are having hypos or the insulin is not working? I would say you are in a dont care home if you are not being fed healthy meals. Or worse, someone is buying you foods to binge on that completey reverse the effects of the insulin, you've said family, maybe you could ask your family to research the subject, perhaps spend some time here?

If its that the insulin isnt working? Well... it is working, you just either need to give it less to do or take more, in my opinion, if you are binge eating, 10u aint going to do anything, I would work on the eating, not the insulin, thats the easy part.

I found that eating sweet/carby food was a habit, the less you eat, the less you care about them, its very hard even when your not restricted and can walk around the supermarket for hours on end, reading labels, I cannot begin to imagine how tough this will be for you but its the only way I know of.

It comes down to diabetes being horrible but thats no helpful, if you need help, you need your helpers to know how.

I hope this isnt too harsh, I havent walked a single step in your shoes so have no idea, I wish you the very best.

 

[LovingLindsay1]

Hi, when you say you are struggling, do you mean you are having hypos or the insulin is not working? I would say you are in a dont care home if you are not being fed healthy meals. Or worse, someone is buying you foods to binge on that completey reverse the effects of the insulin, you've said family, maybe you could ask your family to research the subject, perhaps spend some time here?

If its that the insulin isnt working? Well... it is working, you just either need to give it less to do or take more, in my opinion, if you are binge eating, 10u aint going to do anything, I would work on the eating, not the insulin, thats the easy part.

I found that eating sweet/carby food was a habit, the less you eat, the less you care about them, its very hard even when your not restricted and can walk around the supermarket for hours on end, reading labels, I cannot begin to imagine how tough this will be for you but its the only way I know of.

It comes down to diabetes being horrible but thats no helpful, if you need help, you need your helpers to know how.

I hope this isnt too harsh, I havent walked a single step in your shoes so have no idea, I wish you the very best.

I mean the insulin isn’t working my blood sugars in the morning or around about between 10 and 15 and at bedtime they can be 15 or over.

 

[KK123]

I mean the insulin isn’t working my blood sugars in the morning or around about between 10 and 15 and at bedtime they can be 15 or over.

Hi Lindsay, now that is a challenging set of circumstances with you being in a care home and having to rely on staff. My Mum spent her last few years in a care home (she was in her 80s though and you are in your 40s?). It was nigh on impossible to get them to follow my Mum's preferred regime BUT to a large extent they did because myself and my sisters moaned, moaned and moaned some more! We examined records, challenged insulin doses when it was clear they'd messed up and generally had them under scrutiny. The home was a good one but initially rigid in the 'insulin of 'this amount', and 'food consisting of the eatwell plate'.

The Home claimed to treat people as individuals and they each had care plans in which there was opportunity to state diet requirements, amongst other things. We started by discussing the care plan around food, is there a chance you could do this and TELL them exactly what your requirements are, ie, no sugary cereal but an alternative of an omelette or bacon & eggs or whatever you decide (within reason, no caviar!!), BECAUSE you have a condition where you are CARB INTOLERANT. Do you have a social worker that you could speak to, or a close family member or friend to assist you? I apologise if you are a very independent lady who is not shy at telling them straight yourself of course.

I would say DON'T let them get away with having 'no time' to do all this, YOU are a resident and you have the right (like any of us) to make your own decisions and that includes what you wish to eat. You are not asking for cordon bleu, you are asking for normal, every day food. Tell them you are concerned about your glucose levels being high especially given your other conditions, speak to your GP/Your main carer, etc and make a real nuisance of yourself. It's your health and I'm afraid many care homes get away with doing the minimum for an individual as they are used to dealing with groups collectively in a 'one size fits all' mentality.

Please let us know how you get on, (also get whatever concerns you raise, and their responses WRITTEN down, in the long run this can be very useful if you have to lodge a complaint). Keep calm when discussing it with them and be reasonable BUT be insistent too. xxx

 

[MeiChanski]

Hello I work in an assisted living facility and the kitchen are very accommodating. If you request eggs and bacon without toast, they’ll do that for you and if you pre order lunch, giving them enough time to cook yours separately, they’ll do that for you.
All the food for the people that live there is fortified, so be very careful eating their meals because you’ll gain weight very very quickly. (Just bear that in mind)

But I feel you need to speak to your diabetes team first before considering low carb or keto because of insulin or some guidance with insulin.