My hubby has type 2 diabetes and a lot of other medical problems including AS, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis and a very rare form of skin cancer.Despite being on 3 diff types of diabetes medication, they cannot get his diabetes under virtual control. He is supposed to go into hospital next week for a thyroid cancer op but the anaesthist is not happy about his HB1ac count which unfortunately is 99. The doctor wants him to have the operation but the anaesthist might try and block it. anyone lese had same problems.
Hubby with Diabetes Type2 needing a cancer operation
- Thread starter tracey1907
- Start Date
Totto
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,831
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I'm sorry your husband has so many medical problems.
What medication is he on, what does his diet look like? IF you could post a typical day's eating for example?
99 is high so regardless he'll want that number lower.
What medication is he on, what does his diet look like? IF you could post a typical day's eating for example?
99 is high so regardless he'll want that number lower.
he is metformin 500mg, glicazide and sitagliptin 100mg. all daily. we eat fairly well.
Cereal on a morning either cornflakes, shredded wheat. Lunch just a simple sandwich and dinner is varied depending on the mood, could be a roast, his home made lasagne, with different vegetables. We know that you not supposed to have bread with potatoes and never do that. But he is also on a lot of medication for his other problems. He takes an average of 20 tabs a day.
Cereal on a morning either cornflakes, shredded wheat. Lunch just a simple sandwich and dinner is varied depending on the mood, could be a roast, his home made lasagne, with different vegetables. We know that you not supposed to have bread with potatoes and never do that. But he is also on a lot of medication for his other problems. He takes an average of 20 tabs a day.
Bluetit1802
Legend
- Messages
- 25,216
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi and welcome,
So sorry to read about your husband's many problems. It is normal for operations to be cancelled due to high blood sugars I'm afraid.
As for his diet, I wouldn't agree you eat fairly well, at least not for a diabetic. Carbohydrates all convert to glucose once inside the system and so should be cut to as low as possible. This is not what the NHS tells us, but is what they should be telling us. The worst culprits are bread, potatoes, cereals, pasta and rice. In fact, anything made with flour. If he cut those out his BS should fall dramatically, although possibly not in time for the operation. Please have a good read round the forum and you will see what I am saying.
Has he got a meter, and does he test regularly? He should have a meter on Glicazide. If you test before a meal and again 2 hours after your first bite, you will see a rise in levels. This is due entirely to the carbs in that meal. Can you get him to test like this? He should aim for this rise to be less than 2mmol/l. preferably much less, and ideally under 1mmol/l although this can be hard. If the rise is more, there are too many carbs in that meal.
With an Hba1c of 99 he is running in the teens and possibly 20's all the time. For the sake of his health, never mind his operation, he needs to get these down. If you have any questions, please ask.
So sorry to read about your husband's many problems. It is normal for operations to be cancelled due to high blood sugars I'm afraid.
As for his diet, I wouldn't agree you eat fairly well, at least not for a diabetic. Carbohydrates all convert to glucose once inside the system and so should be cut to as low as possible. This is not what the NHS tells us, but is what they should be telling us. The worst culprits are bread, potatoes, cereals, pasta and rice. In fact, anything made with flour. If he cut those out his BS should fall dramatically, although possibly not in time for the operation. Please have a good read round the forum and you will see what I am saying.
Has he got a meter, and does he test regularly? He should have a meter on Glicazide. If you test before a meal and again 2 hours after your first bite, you will see a rise in levels. This is due entirely to the carbs in that meal. Can you get him to test like this? He should aim for this rise to be less than 2mmol/l. preferably much less, and ideally under 1mmol/l although this can be hard. If the rise is more, there are too many carbs in that meal.
With an Hba1c of 99 he is running in the teens and possibly 20's all the time. For the sake of his health, never mind his operation, he needs to get these down. If you have any questions, please ask.
Thanks for that advice Bluetit, we have never been told that , so will take that on board. He does check himself regularly with a meter and has been as low as 8.5. but even his doctors have admitted they may never get it under full control because of the fact he was undiagnosed for so many years before a doctor picked it up in a urine test. but changing the diet will probably benefit us both as I am a diabetic too just over a year and my levels are very good. last one done was 49.
Bluetit1802
Legend
- Messages
- 25,216
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
@tracey1907 There is a good thread about low carbs for beginners here. http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/a-new-low-carb-guide-for-beginners.68695/ How low you go is up to you, but the lower the better for blood sugar levels.. What many of us found helpful was to keep a food diary including portion sizes and record the before and after levels alongside. Patterns will start to emerge and you can learn a great deal from it.
If you wish, you could start testing your next meal (before and 2 hours after first bite with nothing to eat in between) and put yours and your husband's results on here along with the food you ate, then maybe we can advise you further. I will also tag @daisy1 who will come along with some advice for new members.
If you wish, you could start testing your next meal (before and 2 hours after first bite with nothing to eat in between) and put yours and your husband's results on here along with the food you ate, then maybe we can advise you further. I will also tag @daisy1 who will come along with some advice for new members.
daisy1
Legend
- Messages
- 26,457
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Tablets (oral)
- Dislikes
- Cruelty towards animals.
@tracey1907
Hello Tracey and welcome to the forum
Some good advice here from Bluetit. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope it will help you to help your husband. It contains a lot of information about carbs which is very important. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will come along and help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 130,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Hello Tracey and welcome to the forum
Some good advice here from Bluetit. Here is the information we give to new members and I hope it will help you to help your husband. It contains a lot of information about carbs which is very important. Ask all the questions you need to and someone will come along and help.
BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS
Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.
A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 130,000 people who are demonstrating this.
On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.
The role of carbohydrate
Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.
If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.
The bad news
Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.
The good news
People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.
Controlling your carbs
The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:
- Reduce your carbohydrate intake
- Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates
Reduce your carbohydrates
A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.
The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.
Choosing better carbohydrates
Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html
The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.
Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes
Eating what works for you
Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.
To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.
The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:
Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l
- Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
- 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l
Access to blood glucose test strips
The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:
- structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
- self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education
Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.
You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic
Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.
Totto
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 2,831
- Type of diabetes
- Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
How are his eyes? I have seen mentioned that if you go too fast from high bg to normal/near normal it can do unexpected damage to the eyes. I have no real knowledge of this myself but thought I should mention it. To lower bg is always a good idea but in some cases maybe not too low to soon.
I do LCHF and my last HbA1c was 33. This is the advice I follow: http://www.dietdoctor.com/lchf
Hi totto, his eyes are a slight problem, he has regular eye checks but because he also suffers with another condition As that he has had for over 20 years and this also affects his eyes in a condition called uveitis, they do tend to blame the diabetes, which I think is wrong.
He did his blood sugar this morning and it was 17 took his tablets, and retook his test again 2 hrs after and it has now shot up to 22.
He did his blood sugar this morning and it was 17 took his tablets, and retook his test again 2 hrs after and it has now shot up to 22.
Bluetit1802
Legend
- Messages
- 25,216
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
- Messages
- 2,602
- Type of diabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
When I first went Low carb I just cut out cereals inc porrage ..bread, pasta and potatoes .. Then dumped all my low fat products with full fat ones .. My BS came down steadily .. And now lost lots of weight ( I still have more to loose) I have come off my T2 med's and diet controlled now .. It can be done .. Just forget all the DNS and Dr have told you and read the forums here ..
Hope it works out well for him
Edit to add .. Only after my blood sugars slowly began dropping did the wife start carb counting .. My food and carb records showed what was not good for me .. I now have around 30 carbs a day .. That's the amount that works for me .. Test before and 2 hrs after eating and you may find he can have more carbs than I do .. To be honest I feel a lot better without eating the carbs now.. But they are addictive.. So when carbs are first reduced he can feel a bit unwell .. This soon passes .. It's called carb flu !
Hope it works out well for him
Edit to add .. Only after my blood sugars slowly began dropping did the wife start carb counting .. My food and carb records showed what was not good for me .. I now have around 30 carbs a day .. That's the amount that works for me .. Test before and 2 hrs after eating and you may find he can have more carbs than I do .. To be honest I feel a lot better without eating the carbs now.. But they are addictive.. So when carbs are first reduced he can feel a bit unwell .. This soon passes .. It's called carb flu !
Last edited by a moderator:
thanks kat and bluetit, the op has been cancelled for now till they get the levels down, changing our diet from other day and not eating as many carbs now. will probably take a few weeks for his levels to drop, but also seeing doctors again about what they can advise with regards to his diabetes treatment.and enclave for that info.
Robinredbreast
Oracle
- Messages
- 18,448
- Type of diabetes
- Type 1
- Treatment type
- Insulin
- Dislikes
- Bullies, Liars, Trolls and dishonest cruel people
- Messages
- 11,338
- Type of diabetes
- I reversed my Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I can see that would be unwelcome news. Does he have a target blood score, around which the operation can take place? When is he next being seen?
hi And
Lets just say last couple of days have got so complicated. Got a phone call from pre assessment on fri to ask if he could go in this Monday and they would put him on a sliding scale to have the op Tuesday night. Now we are totally confused.com lol. They've set no target score but gonna be speaking with our GP 2morrow to see what else we can do. Also got to speak to doctor who is doing operation to see whats going on.
Lets just say last couple of days have got so complicated. Got a phone call from pre assessment on fri to ask if he could go in this Monday and they would put him on a sliding scale to have the op Tuesday night. Now we are totally confused.com lol. They've set no target score but gonna be speaking with our GP 2morrow to see what else we can do. Also got to speak to doctor who is doing operation to see whats going on.
- Messages
- 11,338
- Type of diabetes
- I reversed my Type 2
- Treatment type
- Diet only
I'm sure I would find it helpful to have something to aim for. "Must do better" just says nothing!
I do hope the delay can be minimised for you both.
Hi all
LOL definitely confused.com now, the hospital have just rang today to ask bryan to go in this afternoon to have his operation tomorrow. Talk about a major communication breakdown.
LOL definitely confused.com now, the hospital have just rang today to ask bryan to go in this afternoon to have his operation tomorrow. Talk about a major communication breakdown.
