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Husband with worsening type 2

J

JJ27

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Hi,

Just looking for some thoughts really, my husband has type 2, had it for about 8 years or so but has kept relatively well and a 'normal' hba1c result. He is on tablets for it.

However, his last check up revealed his hba1c is up for the first time since starting treatment and his bp is raised. He had the latter rechecked this week and it's still high so he has to go and get it checked in a month.

I see this as a slippery slope downwards now, he smokes, he is overweight, he eats and drinks wrong and he has a very sendentary job where he sits a lot and sleeps all day. However, you can lead a horse to water and all that...

He knows what his future holds - his father and brother started with diabetes, then high bp, then a heart attack and infact his father had now had to have a pacemaker inserted and actually technically died from a heart attack at one point. His brother who is just 2 years older than him, not as heavy, who walks everywhere and has never smoked in his life...yeah, should scare the poop out of my hubby but it doesn't.

So, apart from the obvious of quitting the fags and losing weight and watching what he eats, is there any hope of reversing this slope? He's been eating better but isn't seeing any improvement in his blood sugar readings - if anything, they have got worse??? Is he looking at insulin next?
 
hi, im sorry he is doing this to you, its such a shame as its so unneccersary (sorry cant spell that) with the right changes in diet and exercise maybe shed a few pounds he could probly live for many happy years :( watching my dad die of diabetes was an incentive for me but if that dosent do it i dont know what will, there must be a chance if he is trying, dont give up any advice on food and exercise we can help with but he has to want to change
 
Hi, I feel for you. Insulin is not the best idea if your husband is overweight as he will already have excess insulin the body can't use. There are other injectables such as Byetta which may be suggested by the GP. Try to focus on the carbs with your husband and either discreetly or otherwise get the carbs down if nothing else e.g. sweeteners not sugar, wholemeal bread with thinner slices and so on. Alcohol is fine but no fruit juice drinks, drinks with added sugar and so. If you want more advice on meal changes do come back with more questions. In what way has he improved his eating?
 
Thank you for taking the time to respond, both of you.

Well, when I say change his eating habits - I mean cut out the 2 Picnic bars a day, the 2 litre bottle of Dr Pepper Zero he drank every other day, the coffee with syrup he had twice a day and Crunchy Nut Cornflakes he had for breakfast daily. Not huge changes by any stretch of the imagination but baby-steps in the right direction I suppose.

He sleeps most of the day due to his job and eats at night and not even that bad I wouldn't of thought - a couple of sandwiches, yes white rolls which I know aren't great, with ham, a piece of fruit, a usually low fat ready meal such as curry with rice and perhaps a packet of crisps and then some fruit flavoured water. He may have a chocolate bar during the night sometimes but just the one. He really doesn't pig on food or anything but just doesn't make the best choice obviously. He would have a coffee and cornflakes when he got in but the rest of the day, until about 3pm, he doesn't eat.

I think what he's eating, along with a job where he sits for 12 hours - only going for a slow walk once per hour, of about 10 minutes, doesn't help. And of course the excess weight and the cigarettes.

I think he gets frustrated because he does eat fruit, cut all of those really terrible foods out for a few weeks and yet his sugars are usually constantly at the 12+ mark, whereas before, they were around the 6-9.
 
i would urge you to read some posts here both positive and negative, there are some really scarey posts and some wondeful success stories, to maybe pick a really bad this for example
viewtopic.php?f=34&t=48758
then perhaps find a really good thread and show him them, hopefully scaring him then showing him its possible to turn things around before its too late, i was once your husband i understand hes mentality

best of luck
 
Fruit can raise bs, what sort, and how many does he eat.
Oranges are bad for me, but plums are ok.

White rolls, rice, and the crisps can all have a bad rise in bs as well.

Brown rolls are better, the prawn cracker style "crisps" are better for me, (come in a good chilli flavour at Asda, but in a big bag, so split it)
Ready meals are harder, basmati rice is better, or pack him a few cold sausages, maybe a meal with beans in, or a Chinese without the rice or noodles.

As to the bar of chocolate, I don't eat much myself, but there as better brand bars suggested on here.
 
Hi. Yes, I have 85% Dark Chocolate which is quite low carb. Try to get your husband to move to this. You do get used to it and I now prefer it to sugary Milk chocolate. Do check that the fruit flavoured water doesn't have added sugar as it often has a lot added.
 
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