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Diabetic type one boyfriend

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xcampionx

Newbie
Messages
1
Location
Kent
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
Hi everyone, looking for some advice.

My boyfriend of 5 years is a type one diabetic and really struggles to accept this and his health has deteriorated. We are both only 25 and I really want to help make his life simpler by understanding it more myself and also taking the stress out of it by ordering his food preparing meals etc as he finds it all quite overwhelming. Any advice for favourite meals and snacks, and diabetic type one hacks?! He’s suffering both mentally and physically and would just appreciate any advice of things I can do to help :)
 
Well done on taking an interest in your boyfriend's condition.
I would start by referring to him having type 1 rather than being a type 1 diabetic. Using the latter is labelling him as that is who he is but yet, it is only part of who he is.
Do you know how he treats his diabetes? Does he carb count?
If so, there should be little restriction on what he can eat and no favourite type 1 meals or snacks.
However, you can help by learning to carb count and serving him meals (or cooking meals with him) along with a spreadsheet ... or even a total number of carbs in the dish. This would make his dosing much easier.
(You can take a look at bertie online to learn more about this.)

Some people with type 1 find it is easier to eat a lower carb diet - this means there is less carbs to count and inaccuracies add up to less so less insulin and less mistakes.

I am sure others will come along with some suggestions.
 
xcampionx said:
Hi everyone, looking for some advice.

My boyfriend of 5 years is a type one diabetic and really struggles to accept this and his health has deteriorated. We are both only 25 and I really want to help make his life simpler by understanding it more myself and also taking the stress out of it by ordering his food preparing meals etc as he finds it all quite overwhelming. Any advice for favourite meals and snacks, and diabetic type one hacks?! He’s suffering both mentally and physically and would just appreciate any advice of things I can do to help :)
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Hello! I'm sorry about the struggles your bf and you are going through. What I can say is, really push for help. My bf went to DAFNE and some appointments with me, so he can voice his perspective on things and understand my condition more. Now we carb count together and he helps me with hypo treatments so I don't over treat, he also tests my BG during the night.
There are tailored therapists for T1s, you'll need to take your bf and you to see the GP or ask his diabetes team to get some information.
Reassure him he isn't alone, we all struggle and it'll only get better if we give diabetes our full attention. Work with it and not against it.
If he hasn't been referred to do a carb counting course, you can help him ask for one. It's not a lecture, but more of a memory refresher and meet other people who are struggling too. I know when I was there, other diabetics didn't know the old insulins we had (I was diagnosed in 2001) and that was a story to tell.
Carb counting will help you and your bf to determine on food choices - more carbs more spikes and higher BG, unless it's taken with the right amount of insulin and good timing for higher fat snacks.
 
My husband came to my early specialist appointments, which made me feel supported and made me feel confident he knew some of what was going on. He checks my Libre when I'm asleep, at the gym and when we're dog walking, and carries sugar cubes in his pocket. He will eat when I feel I need to suddenly eat like late lunches or early dinners, and very happy to cook meat, and have a version of what I have (LCHF) - the meat and vegetables, but with the carbs added to it as well. He comes along to my late night gym sessions and sits in the coffee area downstairs and reads. Also, he will come on midnight dog walks if I suddenly decide I would like to correct my BS's without an injection. He will patiently listen while I bore him to death reading sections from Bernstein's Diabetes Solution or posts from this forum or general medical articles about diabetes. :)
 
xcampionx said:
Hi everyone, looking for some advice.

My boyfriend of 5 years is a type one diabetic and really struggles to accept this and his health has deteriorated. We are both only 25 and I really want to help make his life simpler by understanding it more myself and also taking the stress out of it by ordering his food preparing meals etc as he finds it all quite overwhelming. Any advice for favourite meals and snacks, and diabetic type one hacks?! He’s suffering both mentally and physically and would just appreciate any advice of things I can do to help :)
Click to expand...
Hi @xcampionx I don't think you realise how valued your support is. As a Type 1 from 1959-2013 I relied heavily on support in so many situations. At university I met a girl who was so supportive that I married her 2 years later. We have been married nearly 37 years! As to diet, I was put on a carb counting diet in 1966 and 2 injections of primitive mixed insulins a day. Although the injections stopped in 2013 I still instinctively carb count and I'm still the same weight as in 1978! Obviously we are all different, but I think there is already very sound advice above. The beauty is that choice is much expanded now, thanks to 21st century technology. Good luck to both of you.
 
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