Advise Please

[xyzzy]

In two weeks time my sister-in-law is coming to stay for at least a week. She has been Type 2 for several years, is size 28, does no exercise and has absolutely no idea of what she should be eating despite me, my wife and probably her HCP's telling her. She's coming so that my wife and I can "sort her out"

I don't want to end up killing her...

Where should we start...

Help... :crazy:

 

[alliebee]

Give her the forum!!!!! Best thing that ever happened to me just as i had to start on insulin,
and finally found i was type 1.5 With lowish carbing I manage on jusy a split dose of levemir morn and night,

This forum taught me so so much and for that I willl always be grateful.

Its like having a family around you

Good luck
Alison x

 

[Grazer]

Hi Xyzzy! Agree with Alliebee. Mind you, you can do more as well.
I had a similar thing happen to me with a family friend that I had to "educate". He had an A1C of 11.2, so no lightweight in the type 2 stakes!
I decided I needed a proper plan and notes; I used to train people and knew that off-the-cuff rambling wouldn't work; thare's too much to cover. I approached it like this:-

Told friend we needed to sit down for an hours dedicated session, no chatting, no punches pulled.
Explained what happened when a non-diabetic ate food; insulin release on carbohydrate consumption, sugar levels etc.
Explained difference with a diabetic.
Explained graphically affect of too high sugars; amputations, blindness etc etc.
Re-assured with ability to not cure, but to have non-diabetic sugar levels
Explained probalems with some drugs, hypos etc, and preference of fixing on diet only.
Explained about MODERATE carbing initially, including low GI, followed by testing and reduction in carbs as necessary.
Had loads of packets and tins from cupboard to show nutrition info labels and explain.
Explained role of exercise and need for it.
Reminded of penalty of LAPSING on diet and exercise, (complications), and need to remeber them every time we started to waiver.
Arranged follow-up phone call to monitor and answer queries etc.
I used abbreviated notes to keep me on track through this, and resisted the urge to let the session become too derailed by questions, using the "I'll come to that" system!
In other words, a sort of training and development plan. Must have worked. $ months later he got an HbA1c of 5.7 on diet and exercise only, down from 11.2
Good luck!

 

[didie]

Start small with exercise. Even little things like parking at the other end of the supermarket car park helps.

 

[xyzzy]

Well back from today's walk in 6" of beautiful snow. I love snow always have and always will, I can sit just looking out of the window watching it fall. No experiments on myself today either :evil:

Anyway back the problem in hand.

Thanks for all the advise to far

Give her the forum!!!!!

Done that seems to have made no difference. She is a very computer literate and otherwise intelligent person so it being on the internet isn't an issue. Trust me if she had joined our happy band we'd all know about it :shock: She may be lurking so if she is "Hello dearest sister-in-law you know who I'm talking about"

Her real issue is sugar "addiction" imo. She knows precisely the risks she is taking but can't ever lose weight or give up sugary things. For example the other day she quite happily told me the only things she ate the entire day were a packet of biscuits and loads of fresh orange juice! Absolute Madness! I have no experience in this as prior to my diagnosis I never much ate sweet things, my downfall was sausage rolls, cornish pasties and just generally eating to much.

We have told her when she is here that she will have to follow my low carb diet full stop. My wife who has been absolutely brilliant also eats the same as me since my diagnosis so I get a load of support from her. I've also told her to expect to go on the same BS testing regime I do which is before and +2 hours after each meal. She has tried testing before but the truth is she is precisely what the NHS says is the reason that test strips for Type 2's are pointless. All she is doing is making pointless holes in her fingertips. Exercise wise she can come do the 45 min WALKS we do with the dogs, I don't think that will be too much.

Her main excuse is the "when my sugars are in a normal range I have no energy and fall asleep or I start to feel dizzy" I try and tell her that's just her sugar addiction trying to get her to eat in the same way as when you give up smoking you crave for a ciggie and that if she stuck at it for more than a few minutes she might find things get progressively easier. Is that right do you think?

Grazer I like the train the hell out her at least it might let me let of some steam!

Any more ideas gratefully received!