His once a month but eats recku

[Maltose]

My older cousin was diagnosed last year at 54. He was already overweight for his 5’8 stature (280).

He gets a once monthly injection an continues eating what he likes as the medication magically lowers a1c.

“I gotta live”. “My doctor says i gotta live” as the rationalization for weekly cheesecake

How long elevated BS before some kind of brain damage? Then poorer choices?

He has since added salad occasionally

Rice
Beans
Beer
Other carbs

Not removed. Not even reduced.

“I cut back on rice an beans”. Uh, no you did not.

Is this selfish insanity?

is GFR savagery next?

HF?

He used to coach soccer. Now he is sedentary + office-car walking.

Time to plan my eulogy?


Are most late onset diabetics like this? Talk talk talk no changes?

 

[EllieM]

Hi @Maltose and welcome to the orums.

I may not be the best person to comment because I'm T1 and was diagnosed at 8, but different people handle their diabetes in different ways.

Also, some modern diabetic meds aren't suited to low carb diets.

If your cousin's meds are keeping his bgs down then his diet may not be too bad for him. Complications generally come after many many years of higher bgs. (Speaking from the experience of a T1 who has had more than 50 years of diabetic bgs.) Plenty of the late diagnosed T2s on here control their diabetes by changing their diets, but others use the medication route, and I think that that is a personal choice you have to respect.

is GFR savagery next?

Not sure what you mean by GFR ?

If you care about your cousin and want to help him then it may be more productive to ease up on the blame game. He may or may not be making the most optimal health choices, but his diabetes is not his fault. I would argue that it is caused by a combination of genetics and the modern food industry.

I buy my 96 year old dad (who has been T2 for 20 years) delicious keto cakes, which satisfy his sweet tooth (very common in his age group) but don't mess up his bgs.

Maybe you could go for walks with your cousin and bring delicious low carb treats with you?

 

[Jaylee]

Hi @Maltose ,

Welcome to the forum.

Maybe you could encourage your cousin to join DCUK?
There is discussion, support & self empowerment on these boards.

We do have T2s into assorts of activities.
Maybe you could ask your cousin for a friendly “kick about” in the back yard or park?

 

[KennyA]

My older cousin was diagnosed last year at 54. He was already overweight for his 5’8 stature (280).

He gets a once monthly injection an continues eating what he likes as the medication magically lowers a1c.

“I gotta live”. “My doctor says i gotta live” as the rationalization for weekly cheesecake

How long elevated BS before some kind of brain damage? Then poorer choices?

He has since added salad occasionally

Rice
Beans
Beer
Other carbs

Not removed. Not even reduced.

“I cut back on rice an beans”. Uh, no you did not.

Is this selfish insanity?

is GFR savagery next?

HF?

He used to coach soccer. Now he is sedentary + office-car walking.

Time to plan my eulogy?


Are most late onset diabetics like this? Talk talk talk no changes?

Hi and welcome. Your cousin's health is really your cousin's own responsibility. Everything depends on what he decides to do. I'd certainly suggest having a look on here to see what can be accomplished - please do not lose sight of the fact that as far as "official" health advice goes T2 is a progressive disease that never gets better. Your cousin may simply be going along with what most health services still work to.

I was also a "late onset diabetic" - if by that you mean someone diagnosed with T2 later in life. I had rigorously followed the official high carbohydrate "healthy eating" advice and taken lots of exercise, and developed T2. Fortunately for me, a 20g carb/day approach without medication sorted my situation out very quickly (four months), BG normalised and my other symptoms went, and in the years that followed I lost around 90 lbs. Although I never used any, medication can be very useful for some people, and there's nothing magical about it.

The other thing I'd mention is that scare stories don't work. People just switch off, and if you want them to actively think about and manage a condition, you want them thinking more about it, not less.

 

[Angela64]

I developed T2 virtually overnight, no inheritance as I know of, no close siblings with it, but do have a genetic Haemochromatosis, which is simply, Iron overload and lacking in enzyme Hepcidin. Various reasons why I developed it.
I went Low Carb, high protein diet, for past 5 years, it is very challenging as many have no idea what a Low Carb diet is or even what a carb is. I find it almost impossible to eat out without a lot of considerations. I am on two tablets and currently having to add another. I made the decision to do as much as I can to delay having to have insulin.

There are many who choose to take pill after pill and I am not happy with current medical practices on T2D’s not having monitors, not testing regularly to monitor how levels are etc. I ‘was’ given a test kit because I’d been taken to hospital and not GP surgery. I now use a CGM because my fingers hate pricking and so do I and it’s easier to see how I react to foods.

Everyone has Free Choice and your cousin does, so as much as you might worry, its his decision, which is not unusual one. Sadly this isn’t great for long term health and can cause serious health problems with eyes and peripheral nerves. You can only hope that any information you might be able to help with will be accepted.
Good luck

 

[Mrs Redboots]

I can understand that you are worried about your cousin, but honestly, if he takes his medication as prescribed he should be fine. It's not a death sentence - he will probably die with it, rather than of it. I personally haven't done much to adjust my diet, but the medication seems to control my diabetes very well, and my blood sugar is normal. Criticising his diet will do more harm than good!