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Type 2 At a Loss

C

Cassiebabe

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Insulin
Hi Folks
Have been a member for some time but this is the first time I have made contact with the rest of the forum - need advice of course!
I have been a type 2 insulin dependant diabetic for some years now - have a pretty colourful medical history and won't bore you with it at present
My problem is that, as well as requiring insulin to control my diabetes, I also have an ileostomy that has given me tremendous discomfort, embarrassment, and distress since first having to get it back in 2010 - that is - until I went through yet another operation in the summer - much better since then
However, my diet is, of necessity, pretty unhealthy. Because I obstruct very easily I have been advised against taking any vegetables that are grown above the ground. Salad, nuts, fruit, beans etc are a definite no, no, which leaves me with a diet consisting mainly of eg., potatoes, rice, pasta, meat, especially chicken, & fish.
I should confess to the fact that if it is a choice between keeping my blood sugar steady and avoiding an embarrassing incident stoma bag wise - the stoma wins out every time.
I am fully aware that my diet is sadly lacking and thought I would ask if any of you have any recipe suggestions that you think would be suitable for me - I really am willing to have a bash at most things
Many thanks for taking time to read this and I look forward hopefully to some positive responses
Hope you all had an enjoyable and peaceful Christmas
Cassiebabe
 
Hi @Cassiebabe

Sorry, i can't help.

Cooking and recipes, NOT my strong point.

Just wanted to reach out and says it ok to ask question and want help in life.
and i love the fact you have now, there's a whole world of help out there AND in here.

.i have little idea of how you must deal with your day,
i feel bad that i even whinged about mine, now.

Hope someone can come across with viable options for you.
so sorry i couldn't be of use, just didn't want you to think the question had gone unread.

Best of luck.
 
My friend has a stoma, ileostomy and a bladder bag.. but not diabetes. She cannot use her feet or hands at all either.
She also can only open her mouth minimally enough to suck food but not chew it...
Like you, she cannot eat anything above ground at all.

However, I have also been very limited in foods that I can eat and I am a T1 with slow colonic transit and full erosive gastritis of stomach.
I cook for her and eat the same foods as well and manage to keep my levels good and her bags good as well.
We can eat mushrooms, butternut squash, spiralised courgettes are brilliant also we have parsnips and mashed swede. I am very specific to measure weight of all food for both of us. Mine for carb counting and friend to ensure she has enough to keep good vitamins and nourishment in smaller meals.
We can both eat cheese and crackers.

It’s not ideal but these are the main veg we eat and once insulin is balanced with the correct weight of carb food then we both can enjoy meals together.

She also has problems with batches of bags though being faulty......
 
Hi jjraak
Your speedy and sensitive response has brought just a ''wee' tear to my eye - than you for that. Things only went ****-eyed for me in the last ten years prior to that I had a pretty good life with an amazing husband - so can't complain really
have a good evening
 
donnellysdogs said:
My friend has a stoma, ileostomy and a bladder bag.. but not diabetes. She cannot use her feet or hands at all either.
She also can only open her mouth minimally enough to suck food but not chew it...
Like you, she cannot eat anything above ground at all.

However, I have also been very limited in foods that I can eat and I am a T1 with slow colonic transit and full erosive gastritis of stomach.
I cook for her and eat the same foods as well and manage to keep my levels good and her bags good as well.
We can eat mushrooms, butternut squash, spiralised courgettes are brilliant also we have parsnips and mashed swede. I am very specific to measure weight of all food for both of us. Mine for carb counting and friend to ensure she has enough to keep good vitamins and nourishment in smaller meals.
We can both eat cheese and crackers.

It’s not ideal but these are the main veg we eat and once insulin is balanced with the correct weight of carb food then we both can enjoy meals together.

She also has problems with batches of bags though being faulty......
Click to expand...
 
Could you maybe eat a bigger portion of the meat (and cheese and eggs?) and a smaller portion of rice and pasta? What kind of vegetables can you eat? Maybe avocado's? I have no idea what you should or shouldn't eat with an ileostomy or what the problems are with eating vegetables, so apologies if I make nonsense suggestions ;)
 
Hi donnellysdogs
My heart really does go out to you both - especially your friend. Leaking bags on top of all her other problems must be so difficult - how fortunate she is to have you around. I use a hairdryer on a gentle heat around the stoma area to ensure the skin is really dry before applying the bag - works well for me
Mushrooms, much as I love them, are out for me - they produce too much gas, but I will try the spiralised courgettes. The butternut squash I make soup with and often pop in a parsnip or carrots - can only take a little amount and not every day. Not sure about mashed Swede - will give it a bash and see how it goes.
My thanks to you for getting back to me with all that info
hope the coming year is kind to you both
Cassiebabe
.
 
Antje77 said:
Could you maybe eat a bigger portion of the meat (and cheese and eggs?) and a smaller portion of rice and pasta? What kind of vegetables can you eat? Maybe avocado's? I have no idea what you should or shouldn't eat with an ileostomy or what the problems are with eating vegetables, so apologies if I make nonsense suggestions ;)
Click to expand...
 
Hello there.
Please check out my profile and you will see that I have complex medical history, different to yours, but here is my way of dealing with the balance needed.
I work on the principal of what will kill me first, then next and next etc.
So I eat to satisfy the first then the next.
The doctor's don't like my attitude, but agree with me.
Hope that helps in some way.
 
Hi Antje77
No apologies needed that's for sure
I eat a fair amount of meat, cheese and eggs (probably too much) - have eggs every morning for breakfast (with toast for carbs).
I can take below the ground vegetables in moderation - though if I am going out somewhere special - I must cut back on the veg for a couple of days prior so that the risk of embarrassing happenings are reduced.
The reason I can take them is that they are, in the main, less fibrous, making them easy for me to digest - I have absolutely no large intestine and in one incident was rushed to the hospital an acute emergency because I obstructed on one stick of celery & this has an adverse effect on my diabetes. - I do love the crunch of celery but too scared to take it now
I will find out what makes up an Avocado to see if that is suitable
many thanks for your interest
Cassiebabe
 
alf_Josiah said:
Hello there.
Please check out my profile and you will see that I have complex medical history, different to yours, but here is my way of dealing with the balance needed.
I work on the principal of what will kill me first, then next and next etc.
So I eat to satisfy the first then the next.
The doctor's don't like my attitude, but agree with me.
Hope that helps in some way.
Click to expand...
 
Hi alf_ Joseph
You certainly have and are having a tough time of it by the sound of things but I like your philosophy.
Not sure I could adopt it as I think you would have to be pretty strong minded to follow your regime and I am maybe a bit of a 'feartie' when it comes to taking chances with obstructing - the diabetes I can pretty well handle though my blood sugars are not always the best but I will have a go at some of the suggestions I have been give.
many thanks for taking time to write
Take care, keep safe, stay warm
Cassiebabe
 
@Cassiebabe - You really do have a lot to deal with. I'm fortunate to have had a pretty easy run at life, to date, so don't have any specific or perrsonal experience to offer you.

My only comment would be that some people, both with diabetes, and some without, do very well on a carnivore diet; effectively cutting out all veggies and carbs. If you are able to tolerate protein and fat, would that be something you would consider researching?

As I say, I don't use a carnivore diet myself.
 
So you eat the carby food for the fibre, do I have that right? Would it work to add a non carb fibre item to the less fibrous veg balancing it that way. Eg psyllium husk to carrots in some way (ok doesn’t sound appealing but you get the idea I hope).

You say too many eggs, no such thing especially if you’re referring to long disproved cholesterol restrictions on eggs. Do you need the toast with it?

Butternut squash and Turnips are fairly low carb too and can be used in similar ways to potatoes and even pasta for the squash.
 
Last edited:
@Cassiebabe - I should have added to my earlier post that if you were to adjust your carb intake downwards, you would likely need to adjust your insulin to match. Do you carb count and match your insulin doses to what you eat, or are you on fixed doses at the moment?
 
DCUKMod said:
@Cassiebabe - You really do have a lot to deal with. I'm fortunate to have had a pretty easy run at life, to date, so don't have any specific or perrsonal experience to offer you.

My only comment would be that some people, both with diabetes, and some without, do very well on a carnivore diet; effectively cutting out all veggies and carbs. If you are able to tolerate protein and fat, would that be something you would consider researching?

As I say, I don't use a carnivore diet myself.
Click to expand...
 
Hi DCUKMod
when I read some of the replies that have come back to me - I think life has treated me pretty good - for most if it anyhow.
Not sure that the diet you suggest would be right for me - like all diabetics I need some carbs to balance the diabetes - my problem is that fibre and high fat has a bad effect on me. I am unable to digest either as the mechanism to do so is no longer there; High protein I can take to a certain extent but had a problem with my urine filtration rate some time back and almost ended up on renal dialysis so, though I probably take more protein than is good for me, I do try to moderate it somewhat.
Many thanks for taking time to get back to me
 
HSSS said:
So you eat the carby food for the fibre, do I have that right? Would it work to add a non carb fibre item to the less fibrous veg balancing it that way. Eg psyllium husk to carrots in some way (ok doesn’t sound appealing but you get the idea I hope).

You say too many eggs, no such thing especially if you’re referring to long disproved cholesterol restrictions on eggs. Do you need the toast with it?

Butternut squash and Turnips are fairly low carb too and can be used in similar ways to potatoes and even pasta for the squash.
Click to expand...
 
Hi HSSS
many thanks for your email - but no, I eat carbs for my diabetes - unable to digest fibre - so am advised against taking any vegetables that are grown above the ground eg;, peas, sprouts, etc, fruit, pulses, salads etc., .when I have tried to sneak them into my diet almost every time I have obstructed and most times have landed in hospital as an emergency. plus high fibre (any fibre really ) has a disastrous effect on my ileostomy and me
Eggs, I eat at least two almost every day for breakfast - toast is for carb intake plus it fills me up until lunch so no snacking on biscuits, etc.
I am on long acting and rapid acting insulin. Long acting is fixed dosage, but quick acting I take according to blood sugar readings, what I am about to eat, when I am next going to eat and what actions I intend doing in the time in between -
my readings fluctuate a bit but are not so very bad
just hoping for some recipes to ring some changes without causing problems - lucky really - at least I have food
Have a lovely evening
 
Cassiebabe said:
I eat carbs for my diabetes -
Click to expand...
A slightly odd thing to say as many T2's can do fine avoiding carbs almost totally (or even totally).
Do you mean you eat carbs to balance your insulin? That I can imagine would be the case.. although it may be possible to reduce the insulin by reducing ingested carbs?
 
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