hello , advice please?

[crazy_mum21]

Hello
My Fiance has been diagnosed this morning with type 2 diabetes and has been put on tablets immediatly, ( lots of) he also has been told today he has high cholesterol and high blood pressure so is on medication for that too.
I am not really sure what that means in regards to changing his life, he has been told he has to stop drinking which will be like having his arm cut off as he is a heavy strongbow drinker and isn't at all keen to stop.
The doctor said a lot of things that worried me this morning but i don't really want to voice my concerns to my fiance as he already feels like his life is over.
the doctor said that his blood pressure and cholesterol are very high and he is at risk of heart attacks and strokes and he said that within 7 years he will have to inject with insulin to stop his heart failing????
he told us we need to change his diet etc and to not eat many carbohydrates ?? welll ummmmm what are they? :?:
a little help from him might of been nice
I mean if i have to change his eating habits and his life style an idea might be nice as he is telling us we need to change it NOW
we got bombarded with info , but not any that actually helps me to help him
any advice will be greatly appreciated
:shock:

 

[ChocFish]

Hi and welcome to the forum

So sorry to hear your news, but congratulations on having such a sensible doctor, actually suggesting to cut down on carbohydrates - carbohydrates are anything starchy, like bread, flour, potatoes, root vegetables, rice and pasta, these need to be reduced or even cut out completely depending on what his blood sugar readings are like, so frequent testing is required especially in the beginning so that your husband learns which foods raise his sugars and which keep him stable.

In the beginning it is information overload, especially if you are still in a state of shock after receiving the diagnosis, but you know it is not the end of life, its actually a new beginning, towards a healthier lifestyle and if he achieves good control of his blood glucose and makes some lifestyle changes (replacing the not so good choices with some much better ones) there is no need to develop complications. And although you yourself are not diabetic, its possible that you too will benefit from eating less carbs, increasing exercise, etc ?

So where do you start, hmmmm, ok I suggest you both read as many posts on here as possible, and that you send off for the diabetics bible, a book by Dr Bernstein, called The Diabetes Solution.
If you havent already got a tester, then get one from a chemist, these cost something between £10-£15, your GP should prescribe needles and test strips, if he/she doesnt then explain that he needs to learn how the different foods affect his sugars. Sometimes you have to be firm with your GP and insist on a prescription.

Aha the drinking, well the cider has to go, its better to cut down and also to switch from cider to drinking red wine or if he must have something stronger, spirits, but obviously not a real lot, he doesnt want to have liver troubles on top of diabetes, now does he?

I am posting you a link that is a good starting point for you, and please ask away if there is something you dont understand or feel you are struggling, anything really, this is a really good forum with lots of support and encouragement from people who have become experts through their own experiences of dealing with their diabetes.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3527&p=18539#p18539
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3869&start=15

The more you learn about diabetes the less scary it will be, as I said it doesnt have to be all negative, and if you really have to have an illness I think diabetes is the best one to have, at least you can control it yourself, to a large extent at least, so dont be afraid of making the necessary changes to your lifestyle to keep healthy.

All the best

Karen