New diagnosis for husband.

Hi there @welshgirl2228
welcome to the forum !

I am type 1 so have a different regime .

I am tagging some of our lovely type 2 people to come along and say hello , and hopefully offer some support.

@bulkbiker , @Pipp , @Mike D , @ickihun , @Grateful

I genuinely wish your husband well in his quest to control and possibly reverse this diagnosis

do keep posting and both of you be safe and well and happy .

himtoo
x

Hi @welshgirl2228 ,

Welcome to the forums.

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

The link above explains idealised blood glucose levels. The body can take high glucose levels for a while but it will start to take its toll and cause permanent damage if not addressed.

Please have a look around the forums and ask lots of questions.

Good luck.

welshgirl2228 said:

He's 46, 18st, has severe rheumatoid arthritis hence his weight as it's diffucult to excersize. We're both planning a healthy eating and supervised exersize plan in January (unrealistic to start now as will all go to pot over Christmas) he's a non smoker and rarely drinks.

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Start now would be my advice.. don't put it off.
I'll tag @daisy1 for the intro to our way of eating to control Type 2. I would also wager that your husband will loose some weight and lower his pretty high blood sugars by eating a low carb high fat diet.
The fat in the diet keeps you full and has a minimal impact on blood sugar levels.
There's a whole forum section about what to eat. I would also suggest that your husband joins himself so he can learn about his condition and take control of it as many of us have done. It looks very daunting to start with but results can be quite amazing.
First thing to do is cut out sugar and starch so no bread, pasta, rice, potatoes or fruit for the start anyway.

Welcome! I will tag @daisy1 who can provide useful information for newcomers.

welshgirl2228 said:

... will look at his script to tell you what they are.

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Yes that would help a lot. Also, do you know the result of his most recent HbA1c blood test?

(Gosh @himtoo I'm flattered, hope I can live up to being tagged....)

bulkbiker said:

Start now would be my advice.. don't put it off.
I'll tag @daisy1 for the intro to our way of eating to control Type 2.

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Sorry @bulkbiker, crossed posts....

(I agree not to wait until after Christmas ... but that is just me! And you!)

Grateful said:

Welcome! I will tag @daisy1 who can provide useful information for newcomers.



Yes that would help a lot. Also, do you know the result of his most recent HbA1c blood test?

(Gosh @himtoo I'm flattered, hope I can live up to being tagged....)

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I tag people to reply based on my experience of their answers across a broad range of topics
I am confident of helpful replies with people I tag

we have a great group on this forum !!!!

Welcome! I'm now six months from being diagnosed type 2. Once I was over the initial shock, I saw it as the proverbial kick up the bum to get healthier. I was started on Metformin and tolerate it well now after a bit of stomach upset in the early days. I wasn't advised to eat low carb by my GP or Diabetes education course, but stumbled on this forum by chance and took up a low carb life style with self monitoring. I started by eating less than 100g carbs/day to begin with and then after 6 weeks reduced it to 50-70g/day, that’s what I continue on now. Caution needs to be taken on certain drugs going low carb but on just Metformin it’s ok. The best way to see what foods suit him is to test right before a meal and then two hours after the first bite, you’re looking for a rise of no more than 2 mmol/l and to be within these recommended ranges http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
This has worked for me, to date I've lost 4 stone (still more to go) and got my HbA1c (blood test for 2-3 month average blood sugar) down to a non diabetic level, all due to the fantastic support and advise I got here. I have arthritis so exercising is difficult for me too, I just try and walk more. Read around the Forum and encourage your husband to join too and I'm sure you'll both find a way to do it too! I would encourage him to start as soon as possible to get rid of the nasty symptoms he’s feeling.

I would urge your husband to begin to take his diabetes seriously right away - to cut out sugar and reduce starchy foods - it is over a month until Christmas, and I am sure that diabetes is not going to take a holiday.
Those readings are high. Eating low carb is a powerful tool to keep blood glucose levels down. I'm a year from diagnosis and have had normal reading since my test at six months.

welshgirl2228 said:

All the nurse said was to lessen his carbs etc but we're new to all this.

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Believe it or not, that is good news. "Lessen his carbs" is the advice that I was given too, but surprisingly few people are given that advice nowadays.

Like him, I was diagnosed recently (in my case nine months ago). My doctor put me on a low-carb diet and with that, and without drugs, I was able to "reverse" my Type 2 diabetes and achieve blood glucose levels in the "non-diabetic" range within three months. I am not alone in this, many members of this forum have managed the same thing within months.

Your husband now has prescription drugs; for now, it is important to make sure that the diet is compatible with his drugs. So please consider the following information in that light. Lowering the carb level sharply, while also taking certain drugs, should be done only in coordination with his doctor or nurse.

Here is a good explanation of the various low-carb options: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html.

This website is really good for food information and recipes: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb.

You may find this confusing at first, and stressful to figure out. I know it was hard for me, when I was diagnosed.

Edited to add: The low-carb diet option is not for everyone, and often meets with resistance from the medical community. So it is a therapy that requires careful consideration before plunging in, making sure that you (your husband in this case) are a suitable candidate.

Best wishes.

I agree with starting a change of diet now. That wil give him over a month of better sugar levels and possibly feeling much better. And you can still go overboard with your new habits during christmas time and enjoy all 'forbidden ' food. That will only mess up his sugars for a couple of days, not six weeks like you're planning right now. I would take this diabetes serious, but don't be too hard on yourselves if you make mistakes or have off days once in a while. For starters, getting used to coffee without sugar took me two months , but I really don't like it with sugar anymore. Read up about carbs and never hesitate to ask questions, either here or with your health care professionals. Good luck!

Grateful said:

Believe it or not, that is good news. "Lessen his carbs" is the advice that I was given too, but surprisingly few people are given that advice nowadays.

Like him, I was diagnosed recently (in my case nine months ago). My doctor put me on a low-carb diet and with that, and without drugs, I was able to "reverse" my Type 2 diabetes and achieve blood glucose levels in the "non-diabetic" range within three months. I am not alone in this, many members of this forum have managed the same thing within months.

Your husband now has prescription drugs; for now, it is important to make sure that the diet is compatible with his drugs. So please consider the following information in that light. Lowering the carb level too quickly, while also taking certain drugs, should be done only in coordination with his doctor or nurse.

Here is a good explanation of the various low-carb options: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diet/low-carb-diabetes-diet.html.

This website is really good for food information and recipes: https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb.

You may find this confusing at first, and stressful to figure out. I know it was hard for me, when I was diagnosed.

Best wishes.

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to @welshgirl2228

this is the importance of tagging somebody who KNOWS what you are going through--
@Grateful has posted much like I would have had I been in his position

this is why we have such a great forum.

i would agree that reducing carbs will be of benefit -- using the blood glucose meter is the greatest ally in your husband's arsenal -- use it wisely to determine the foods that are tolerable ( and to ditch those that are not !! )

himtoo said:

@Grateful has posted much like I would have had I been in his position.

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I am blushing.

@welshgirl2228: I forgot to say that if the low-carb diet is suitable for him, it is quite possible your husband (and yourself, if you share his diet at least partially) will lose weight, maybe even quite a lot of weight. Some people in this forum were overweight or obese at diagnosis, but lost considerable amounts of weight with the low-carb diet. Some of them went from having multiple health problems linked to their weight, to bringing those problems under control.

So, for instance, maybe it would help deal with his rheumatoid arthritis or lessen the consequences somewhat. You said he is exercise-limited and that, too, is a common feature of some of the people here, at the time they are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

The "catch" -- and it is a big one! -- is that low-carb is really a "lifestyle" or lifelong commitment. It is not a "onetime wonder" to get the pounds off and then revert to the old habits. To keep the diabetes under control, you have to commit to that lifestyle for the rest of your life.

@welshgirl2228 you have joined a good forum for a huge difference of experience.
One same experience we have all had thou is wondering where to start.

Looking back I wish I'd made a plan and the confidence I have now to make the change type2 needs the most.
A diet change.
'Out with the old and in with the new' and 'a clean broom sweeps clean' all hits the mark for me.
If your happy to support your husband's health change it would be easier if you both ate similiar but of course you may be already eating a low carbohydrate diet (regime). Many people do now. It is helping with so much.
From what I've learned low carb diet can suit pretty much anyone.
Many eat lchf and share great recipes on a section in this forum.

I'm lucky I can eat lchf or low carb medium to low fat but my insulin regime prefers low fat.
The common thing about a low carb diet is dropping or reducing potato (especially processed), pasta, rice and bread it makes a huge difference to achieving ideal blood glucose levels, longterm.
Metformin can aid with weight loss. Once again longterm. It is a good appetite suppressant.
Many experience sugar/carb cravings before changing to low carb diet to help manage their type2 diabetes.
Your husband may be overeating on carby foods, some think out of boredom or hunger due to being good most of the day then are ravished come to evening time. Only your husband can say if he's eating out of hunger, generated by hormones (leptin), and are carb cravings and confirmed once his diet change has been fermented. He'll recognise the difference, for sure.

I see great things for him if he takes a low carb diet to be a new way of eating, permanently.
Some are able to stop some meds after a bit weight loss and great bg levels. I know @PenfoldAPD has.
Many type2 diabetics like myself have struggled with maintainence of good bg levels for decades but personally low carbing has been a god send to me. I had symptoms at 6yr old, 40yrs of off and on controlled diabetes but only 14yrs of diagnosis.
Only once I educated myself here, via this forum, did I truely see honest weight loss. I've lost 4st in 10mths doing low carb, low/medium fat. I'm maintaining til after xmas and then I'm digging in again at strict low carb (60-100g per day). I purchase protein bread from morrisons and have either fried/poached egg on toast or mackerel with favours I like on toast but never beans or spaghetti.
Many eat cheese on protein bread toast or other versions of low carb bread. Lidl protein rolls are a huge favourite.
White bread is dumped in the bin, alongside it's friends dried or fresh pasta, rice (white and brown) and chips, jackets and pizzas are all reinvented the low carb way. Made fresh or bought on-line.

If you're up for an experient. Your whole Christmas food and treats can be low carb and more delicious with extra cream on top. Bringing your husbands blood sugar levels into great healthy levels as a bonus.
I assure your husband will never change back to high carb eating, that's for sure.

To see lasting improvements low carb eating has to be longterm. Many have a 3mth review after diagnosis and have turned their high blood levels upside down and continue eating well, most hoping for life.

So stock up on pigs in blankets, nuts and cheeses this Christmas!
Oh and extra double cream or thick cream depending on taste. Throw custard and trifle out the window because low carb baking can wipe the floor with them high sugary cheap rubbish foods.
Quality not quantity it is from now on eh?

welshgirl2228 said:

Wow, thank you all for such a great response!

So much to take on board. We both need to loose weight and have health issues so starting now would be a good thing but being realistic Christmas is gonna cause a blip!

With his rheumatoid arthritis it's hard to know what's causing his nausea as he has to take Methotrexate for it but they prescribe anti sickness pills for that. Methotrexate is basically a form of chemo to lower his immune system to stop it attacking his joints. This in turn makes him at risk of infections etc which I'm guessing could affect his levels and leave him vulnerable to the effects of high blood sugars and coma etc?

I worry terribly for him so want to do all I can to prevent it. He has high cholesterol too so have cut right back on fat in his food but he has treats on the weekends.

I LOVE baking and recently have baked once a week (bread, cakes, pastries) so obviously thats not a good thing even if it's just on the weekend but in general his diet is very high carbs, SOOOOO much white bread! But pretty much everything I cook is high carb- curry n rice, Bolognese with pasta, cottage pie, sausage n mash not to mention my baking! All of these I use as little fat as possible during the week, all 5% or less fat meats, lots of veg......

Taking away the carbs, fat and sugar is going to leave nothing but boiled greens and grilled meat right?

What can he even have for breakfast? Broccoli and bacon!!

For sweet cravings nothing basically?

Like I said he doesn't smoke, rarely drinks, is in constant pain and now have to take one of his last pleasures away, his food

Jeez this sucks!

P.s I was treated for stage 1b1 cervical cancer last April (treated with major surgery, all clear since) and now being tested for MS. I've had PCOS since my teens and had weight issues since (5ft 7, 18st) and have Graves disease. So I'm intetested in general about healthy eating as I hear sugar effects cancer and pcos risks type 2.

My head hurts from all this info already lol x

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Do you take metformin for pcos like me? It helped me lose 2st when I took it longterm. Reports saying good for cancer too. When you get a chance read up on metformin for you, I highly recommend it.
We need you both healthy!

My sympathies to you both for your ailments. You are having a rough time.

If you do decide to give the low-carb diet a go, given what you have explained, it would probably be extra-important to try to figure out how this interacts with your husband's (and your) prescription meds, both for diabetes and other things. It is a radical change in diet, no two ways about it.

On the other hand you have lots of people on this forum with all sorts of "interesting" conditions (that they wish they didn't have!) so with any luck you will hear back from people who have gone through something similar!!!

(By the way the reason you hear from people like me at this barbaric hour in the UK is that this is a global forum and although I am a Brit, I live in America so am five hours behind you.)

Hi Welshgirl
You'll get all sorts of helpful information from people who know what they're talking about.
Then you'll get posts from rank amateurs like me who just want to wish you well and good luck.
What I will say is that I really sympathize with both of you - you have both been through the mill health-wise.
My advice would be not to panic, learn all you can and move forward with the help of your health care team.
There are lots of books and videos to help you, some of them simple enough for even a dunderhead like me to understand.
Once again, best of luck to you both.