Help please

[lisacp]

Hello, I am a type 1 diabetic so therefor understand about carb counting and adjusting insulin.
My problem is my Dad!
He is a type 2 with very poor control.
I have posted on here before about him being his own worst enemy.
He doesn't test often enough and has a very high carb diet. I have tried to talk to him about following a low carb diet as I have seen many type twos on here talking about it, but as of yet he hasn't paid any attention to me.
Today he visited the doctor who told him that out of his 420 diabetics on his list my dad is the 6th worst!!
He also told him that if he didn't sort himself out he will die (he wasn't specific as to when this will be lol)
He is in a very difficult situation as he is disabled and cannot walk so exercise is impossible he sits and watches telly and is very over weight.
I have told him to keep a detailed diary of what he has eaten and what his bg is an hour after eating so that he can gain an understanding of what different foods will do to his levels, but to be honest I don't understand how the tablets he takes affect his bloods in relation to what he has eaten. Unlike me where I can adjust insulin doses depending on what I have eaten.
Can anyone explain this to me?
Can anyone recommend a book that is easy to follow that would explain to a type 2 how carbohydrate is turned to sugar and how best to manage type 2 through the food that you eat.
Thank you for taking the time to read this long post. X

 

[13lizanne]

The DSN at your or your Dad's surgery should be able to supply pamphlets which will describe the way carbohydrates affect type 2 diabetes. But, honestly? your Dad will get more help from you and your loving concern. Good luck with helping your Dad.

 

[Lazybones]

It's a difficult situation that you find yourself in, but all is not lost. As a Type 1 you already have the knowledge and understanding of how foods (Carbs and Sugars) effect the blood glucose levels, so this is great.
If you are responsible for caring after your father, then you can control what he eats and change his diet over a period of time gradually cut back on the Carbs and Sugars and supplement this with Fats, so that he doesn't realise what's going on or feel hungry eventually weaning him over to the LCHF diet.
You need to be diplomatic and careful, so as to not antagonise him or any good work that you do will be lost. Incidentally most medications that a Type 2 diabetic would use (unlike most insulin's) are generally slow acting and take many hours often days to become active, so for this reason it is often better to measure B/G levels before and then again 2 hours after eating so as to work out what foods/drinks are best to keep the resultant rise within a 2.0 mmol/L level.
Incidentally a good book on foods and portion sizes is the Diabetes UK book "Carbs and Calls"
You don't say if he is confined to a wheelchair only that he has difficulty in walking. If he is able to then any form of exercise can be most beneficial, and what comes to mind is possibly gardening, particularly if you have raised flower beds, where he could use his upper arms effectively in planting, pruning, hoeing and what ever else. If this is not possible it might be worth encouraging him to take up a hobby that indirectly exercises his upper body, possibly picture painting, jigsaws, model making in fact anything that moves his upper limbs will help benefit him and keep his brain active as well - The television certainly won't do that.
It will be a long, slow process, and you must take each day as it comes. Don't attempt to change him and everything in one go as it will take some time. There will be some set-backs along the way but over time with a careful approach you should be able to take control of the situation and he will ultimately have a much better life.