Type 2 Blood Sugar # Accuracy and Importance when medicated.

Pryan5422 · Dec 9, 2020

Hello All!

I am so happy to have found this forum. My father is 62 years old and has been diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes for about 10 years or so now. He is a heavier man at about 255lb and is a stubborn irishman to say the least. In the last 5 years or so we have nicknamed him "the sugar bear" because not only has he been constantly consuming sugar, he does so at an alarming rate . It has gotten to the point that he has had to have shots administered to his eye balls to restore and strengthen his blood vessels to prevent him from serious vision impairment. I am scared to think what the rest of his blood vessles and capillaries look like.

What would be SO helpful for myself and my family is an educated explanation towards what he is doing to himself and the medical risks he is taking on by doing so. Anytime we tell him to drop the donut or coca cola his immediate response is "well I know, but my blood sugar this morning was xx, which is very good". So he is under the false impression that so long as his blood sugar (which he takes medication for) is at a normal number, he is not doing anything wrong by eating sugar. He has tuned out doctors advice and he will bend the truth to doctors and nutritionist about what his diet consists of, amount of exercise, etc.

If anybody could please share any helpful tactics, horror stories, or even simply an explanation as to what he is doing to himself by eating so much sugar each day to scare him straight, I will be beyond grateful. He is an avid fisherman/boater so losing that would kill him. Thank you to any and all that spend any time sharing their opinion and insight!

vic hill · Dec 11, 2020

MMM
yes i can go along with all you say i have great friend who i have know for 50 years seen him get married wife is avery good cook and he loves his meals
very overweight has had injections in both eyes i have tried easy hard and brutal conversations over the phone but but nothing will alter his manner he was type 2 now type one hugh amount of insulin each day ref total body mass .
now in your case tell him sugar is poison but BUT is also used to stop him going low say 2 teaspoons sugar in warm water will raise his blood sugar within 5 mins of use
forget blood sugars are ok check out his HBACI THE GET HIM TO HAVE THAT DONE EAVERY 3 MONTHS
as this will seesaw he is and if the clinic will not do it tell them why you wish it to be done also make him understand that in time he will poss go blind
it shook me up way back in 1985 when months of treatment at MOORFILDS LASER TREAMENT SAVED MY SIGHT now 75 i can still see well
if any of your family sons/daughters are married or are married may have children in future all that makes him think show him so he knows what can HAPPEN like the fish that got away
ps keep going on and tell him he is a sugar daddy but keep of it if he can keep a note the high spike if he takes sugar check his blood sugar say 30 mins after and the spike it causes ok it may shock him how high it is like i have a free style libre that is 24/7 blood sugar tell you what time high sugars are and when low but thats another option get the eye hospital to be helpful and what it cost to the NHS
OK NOT A LOT OF help but vic on insulin 63 years good luck

Pryan5422 · Dec 11, 2020

vic hill said:
MMM
yes i can go along with all you say i have great friend who i have know for 50 years seen him get married wife is avery good cook and he loves his meals
very overweight has had injections in both eyes i have tried easy hard and brutal conversations over the phone but but nothing will alter his manner he was type 2 now type one hugh amount of insulin each day ref total body mass .
now in your case tell him sugar is poison but BUT is also used to stop him going low say 2 teaspoons sugar in warm water will raise his blood sugar within 5 mins of use
forget blood sugars are ok check out his HBACI THE GET HIM TO HAVE THAT DONE EAVERY 3 MONTHS
as this will seesaw he is and if the clinic will not do it tell them why you wish it to be done also make him understand that in time he will poss go blind
it shook me up way back in 1985 when months of treatment at MOORFILDS LASER TREAMENT SAVED MY SIGHT now 75 i can still see well
if any of your family sons/daughters are married or are married may have children in future all that makes him think show him so he knows what can HAPPEN like the fish that got away
ps keep going on and tell him he is a sugar daddy but keep of it if he can keep a note the high spike if he takes sugar check his blood sugar say 30 mins after and the spike it causes ok it may shock him how high it is like i have a free style libre that is 24/7 blood sugar tell you what time high sugars are and when low but thats another option get the eye hospital to be helpful and what it cost to the NHS
OK NOT A LOT OF help but vic on insulin 63 years good luck

Thank you so much Vic! I appreciate you taking the time to answer! I will definitely look into how often he is having his HBAC1 tested. I tried sugar is poison, but that doesn't work! Thank you again for the response it is very helpful to me and my family, thank you and happy holidays!

EllieM · Dec 11, 2020

Pryan5422 said:
If anybody could please share any helpful tactics, horror stories, or even simply an explanation as to what he is doing to himself by eating so much sugar each day to scare him straight, I will be beyond grateful. He is an avid fisherman/boater so losing that would kill him. Thank you to any and all that spend any time sharing their opinion and insight!

Welcome to the forums.
T2 complications due to untreated high blood sugars are pretty grim, and would certainly make fishing difficult.
He already knows about potentially going blind, other issues include neuropathy (pain and loss of feeling in hands and feet), amputations, kidney disease, heart disease ....

T2s who don't restrict their carbs tend to find their illness progresses to insulin injections and then the above complications.

But the likelihood of complications is dependent on those blood sugar readings, so do you know what his current levels are? If he's managing to balance his intake with his medication then he should stay healthy, but I find it very hard to believe that a T2 imbibing huge quantities of sugar is managing to keep their blood glucose levels steady and in normal range. Also, weight gain is a symptom of high blood sugar levels in T2s, so reducing the carbs often reduces the weight.

And as @vic hill said, an hba1c will be a measure of his average blood sugar over 3 months, rather than single readings that may miss the highs.

JMK1954 · Dec 11, 2020

If he has equipment to test his blood sugar, as your first post suggests, he should be monitoring and recording his test results anyway. Presumably that is what he has been asked to do. Does he test his blood regularly ? Some of the medication prescribed to lower glucose levels can make the person's glucose level drop too low, though from what you are saying, it appears unlikely to happen in your father's case.

Pryan5422 · Dec 14, 2020

EllieM said:
Welcome to the forums.
T2 complications due to untreated high blood sugars are pretty grim, and would certainly make fishing difficult.
He already knows about potentially going blind, other issues include neuropathy (pain and loss of feeling in hands and feet), amputations, kidney disease, heart disease ....

T2s who don't restrict their carbs tend to find their illness progresses to insulin injections and then the above complications.

But the likelihood of complications is dependent on those blood sugar readings, so do you know what his current levels are? If he's managing to balance his intake with his medication then he should stay healthy, but I find it very hard to believe that a T2 imbibing huge quantities of sugar is managing to keep their blood glucose levels steady and in normal range. Also, weight gain is a symptom of high blood sugar levels in T2s, so reducing the carbs often reduces the weight.

And as @vic hill said, an hba1c will be a measure of his average blood sugar over 3 months, rather than single readings that may miss the highs.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am still waiting to hear back about these hba1c levels for him. I appreciate you mentioniong the various health problems he will a candidate for because that will help in making him aware of the game he is playing. He takes his blood pressure usually before a day filled of sugar intake, so im sure it doesnt account for the highs. Again, going to follow up with the hba1c now.

Pryan5422 · Dec 14, 2020

JMK1954 said:
If he has equipment to test his blood sugar, as your first post suggests, he should be monitoring and recording his test results anyway. Presumably that is what he has been asked to do. Does he test his blood regularly ? Some of the medication prescribed to lower glucose levels can make the person's glucose level drop too low, though from what you are saying, it appears unlikely to happen in your father's case.

Yes, he does diligently test his blood sugar every morning but it is before the onslaught of sugar he intakes. Need to get a hold og his AIC

Alexandra100 · Dec 14, 2020

Pryan5422 said:
If anybody could please share any helpful tactics, horror stories

Get him to watch this: There are scenes I just can't watch and will never forget. I find the memory of them intensely motivating. But maybe a man who has experienced injections into his eyes and still courts more of them is made of tougher stuff than me! Basically, he is probably going to go his own way to disaster. I suggest you leave him to it and instead of wasting your energies on rational arguments, which will not get through, focus on looking after and enjoying your own healthy life. Maybe if his rebellious behaviour stops attracting attention, it will seem less glorious to him.

EllieM · Dec 14, 2020

Pryan5422 said:
Yes, he does diligently test his blood sugar every morning but it is before the onslaught of sugar he intakes. Need to get a hold og his AIC

What are his levels in the morning and is he on any medication?

Also, be aware that T2 is strongly genetic so you may be carb intolerant yourself. Better to avoid sugar binges yourself before they encourage a potentially vulnerable system to go full T2.

Good luck.

Pryan5422 · Dec 14, 2020

EllieM said:
What are his levels in the morning and is he on any medication?

Also, be aware that T2 is strongly genetic so you may be carb intolerant yourself. Better to avoid sugar binges yourself before they encourage a potentially vulnerable system to go full T2.

Good luck.

I will find out, according to him they are right where they are supposed be. What is a healthy range? I appreciate the advice and yes I do take this into consideration for my daily regiments. As a former college athlete I have managed to stay healthy up to this point!

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