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How can I get my wife to understand diabetes ?

R

rgs2502

Active Member
It’s just being used as a whipping post, we had a Chinese for a treat tonight and I had light batter sweet and sour chicken as a treat with mushrooms and veggie chow mein as I only had a shredded wheat which doesn’t spike me and then an omelette with ham and cheese for lunch with a thin slice of home made bread and butter. I was then offered pineapple and banana fritters with syrup for dessert which I declined, saying sorry I can’t eat that now. She hasn’t spoken to me since for declining the ‘treat’
 
Aww that’s harsh. I think it’s very difficult for anyone who isn’t diabetic to fully understand, especially if we are trying to eat low carb. Maybe she could be encouraged to try a limited carb intake just for a day to see what she can no longer have despite the fact she might really want to eat it. My partner isn’t always as supportive as I would like, loves weekends when he gets to eat eggs and bacon with me but when we do the food shop he switches off and fills the trolly with all his “treats” and at the same time looks at carb values on things and turns to me and says “you can’t have it” urgh
 
the odd treat is fine but have you worked out how many carbs you ate.i found that there was not a lot on the menu that was not pretty heavy. i would also dump the bread and fill upon salad or even fruit. carb for carb much better for you.
 
I can only suggest you let her know how many carbs there would have been for the evening meal plus that for lunch (plus breakfast). You need to explain that low-carbing is essential and needs to be a max of around 150gm carbs per day. You need to show her your meter reading when you go too far above that. How you get her to understand how serious diabetes is I'm afraid I don't know. I'm lucky as my wife is very supportive.
 
I’m fine with a Shredded Wheat for brekkies, only a thin slice of bread with my Omelette, I’d have preferred wholemeal but she’d made white today. I’m usually fine with wholemeal as I don’t eat a lot anyway. She is prediabetic and BMI 35+ whereas I am 25 and type 2 after Pancreatitis last Easter.
 
My husband has always supported me, even though he eats carbs and puddings himself. He saw his best friend deteriorate through severe retinopathy, neuropathy to the stage where he could only shuffle, dialysis then a kidney transplant and considerable ill health thereafter. He died when he was 40. He doesn't want that to happen to me.
 
She borrows my meter too to test herself so apart from the readings I note myself I have no clean record to take to the GP
 
There is probably another issue here as she’s suddenly decided to go veggie and our live in son and gf have gone vegan.
 
Never been much of a pudding person anyway, I’ve only just got my first figures back after a 6 month check and they are all fine
 
I used to make my own sweet and sour sauce so I know how much sugar goes into it. I would guess that it is between a third and a half sugar and that is without the sugar in the pineapple juice or the pineapple itself.

I do not mean to sound harsh here but might as well have had the pudding as it may had had less sugar than your mains.
 
maybe you should invest in another meter and strips for yourself - and perhaps some useful things for cooking - there are so many really useful toys for the kitchen these days. There is information around on the forum about a cheap mail order source.
As a diet controlled type two I can't have such things as shredded wheat or bread except the Lidl protein rolls, but I am pushing for normal readings from now on. You are so lucky if you can cope with them safely
A pineapple and banana fritter with syrup sounds rather sickly sweet to me - it would not have tempted me in the least. Perhaps having some mixed frozen fruit and double cream on hand would be something to decide that you just fancy in the face of 'treats' - there are various mixtures I get which are well under 10 percent carbs and I always have in the freezer.
 

I would ask her to join this forum, research online about low carb diet etc so that she would better understand how to deal with our condition.

It’s all about evangelisation and education etc. I would think.
 
Shock tactics - show her the Panorama programme on diabetes and its complications. She will get to see several people's feet being sawn off!
And you can get her a free meter with her own lancet gun, lancets, and case from these people:
http://spirit-healthcare.co.uk/product/tee2-blood-glucose-meter/
I hope you are not sharing lancets. That is a total no-no, especially as it sounds as if you are heading for divorce!!!
 

No she has her own lancets from mine. We’ve been married 30 years and have 2 kids so there is probably little we haven’t shared
 
rgs2502 said:
There is probably another issue here as she’s suddenly decided to go veggie and our live in son and gf have gone vegan.
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I used to be vegetarian and I still draw the line at various types of meat, partly on animal welfare issues. However it seems to me extremely difficult to eat really low carb without eating meat and fish (vegetarian). IMO without cheese and eggs (vegan) it would be pretty much impossible. I am putting self-preservation first while trying to do my best for animal welfare with free-range chicken and wild fish.
 

I can’t eat sweet things any more, and don’t usually do puddings, I have frozen fruit and Greek Yoghurt in the fridge which I have for brekkies when I’m bored of eggs.
 

Thank you. I only buy quality meat, free range chicken, wild salmon steaks. I buy local whenever I can and free range eggs.
 
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