Hi everyone,
I am here about my Dad, he is 56 and a type 1 and has been for 20 years. However he doesn't take his diabetes seriously and I find myself constantly worrying myself sick about it, losing sleep, and nagging him about it. His father had diabetes also and died of a heart attack at 56. I am 18 and at uni and after years of this worry I feel like its now or never. I think he is willing to change and very capable but he just doesn't have that spark or motivation! That's where i'm going to try and help kick start him and hope he will take over once he sees the benefits for the first time. Unfortunately he's got himself in such a rut I think he has got used to not feeling well and blames the diabetes.
I do think he may be in denial even though he has had diabetes for so long. He does take his injections however he has never taken any interest in reading about his diabetes or anything and he pretty much just lives and eats as if he didn't have it. He doesn't like to take his blood sugar, he says it's because it reminds him and that its pointless.. for the majority of the time I think he likes to forget. He doesn't manage to keep his BS stable with highs and lows. Unfortunately he does have hypos in the night now and then which he finds terrifying yet its not enough to get him to change .
The positives are a year ago we got a dog and he has been much more active since, going on a walk nearly daily and he really enjoys how it makes him feel, also he does improve how he is eating etc briefly when I have a nag as he wants to make me happy...I feel if I had a concrete plan for him to follow it hopefully it would be more of a long term change :/
If anyone who is a type 1 or knows a type 1 who manages their diabetes I would be so so grateful for any advice on where to start. I've been reading a lot of this forum but am feeling overwhelmed by all the different info! Starting from scratch from diet, carb counting, exercise to anything else you think may help him. He was talking to a man he met about a pump the other week? For someone who has highs and lows of blood sugar I image one would be useful but also hard to get hold of?! Also if someone could help me with HbA1c tests and other things beneficial to type 1's that would be amazing. I do know a quite a bit about type 1 but hes very secretive about the things he should be doing at the doctors and what other successful types 1 actually do in their day to day lives! Hopefully I can get him signed up to this forum I think it would be good for him. I believe its never too late and I wont to get my Dad as healthy as he can be because life is too short to carry on this way! I realise he needs to make the effort himself and this is the final big push I am going to make!
This really will save our lives Thank you so much for any advice.
I am here about my Dad, he is 56 and a type 1 and has been for 20 years. However he doesn't take his diabetes seriously and I find myself constantly worrying myself sick about it, losing sleep, and nagging him about it. His father had diabetes also and died of a heart attack at 56. I am 18 and at uni and after years of this worry I feel like its now or never. I think he is willing to change and very capable but he just doesn't have that spark or motivation! That's where i'm going to try and help kick start him and hope he will take over once he sees the benefits for the first time. Unfortunately he's got himself in such a rut I think he has got used to not feeling well and blames the diabetes.
I do think he may be in denial even though he has had diabetes for so long. He does take his injections however he has never taken any interest in reading about his diabetes or anything and he pretty much just lives and eats as if he didn't have it. He doesn't like to take his blood sugar, he says it's because it reminds him and that its pointless.. for the majority of the time I think he likes to forget. He doesn't manage to keep his BS stable with highs and lows. Unfortunately he does have hypos in the night now and then which he finds terrifying yet its not enough to get him to change .
The positives are a year ago we got a dog and he has been much more active since, going on a walk nearly daily and he really enjoys how it makes him feel, also he does improve how he is eating etc briefly when I have a nag as he wants to make me happy...I feel if I had a concrete plan for him to follow it hopefully it would be more of a long term change :/
If anyone who is a type 1 or knows a type 1 who manages their diabetes I would be so so grateful for any advice on where to start. I've been reading a lot of this forum but am feeling overwhelmed by all the different info! Starting from scratch from diet, carb counting, exercise to anything else you think may help him. He was talking to a man he met about a pump the other week? For someone who has highs and lows of blood sugar I image one would be useful but also hard to get hold of?! Also if someone could help me with HbA1c tests and other things beneficial to type 1's that would be amazing. I do know a quite a bit about type 1 but hes very secretive about the things he should be doing at the doctors and what other successful types 1 actually do in their day to day lives! Hopefully I can get him signed up to this forum I think it would be good for him. I believe its never too late and I wont to get my Dad as healthy as he can be because life is too short to carry on this way! I realise he needs to make the effort himself and this is the final big push I am going to make!
This really will save our lives Thank you so much for any advice.