Newly diagnosed

[Ladyarcher]

Hi all, my eldest son while living in Canada developed diabetes which they told him was type 2, he lost a load of weight and to cut a long story short due to marital breakdown he has now returned to the UK. I have badgered, cajoled and lost my temper to get him to the doctor and, now, having seen the Diabetic nurse at the hospital she feels that he has type 1 and has arranged for him to see a consultant. I am having to do a lot of reading in an effort to help him, the biggest problem we have found is, I guess like a lot of people, money. Everything I read says to eat a healthy diet, in today's climate this is virtually impossible, he is unemployed and his only income is JSA and not all of his rent or council tax is covered by housing benefit. This is plea for all of you good people to give me ideas on how to help him without it costing me a fortune either. I would welcome any help or information, I am aware that he is an adult but he is still my child. Thank you.

 

[mo1905]

Firstly, it's a myth that a healthy diet costs more money, I think it's actually the opposite. In order to keep his blood glucose levels rising too much he needs to reduce sugar and carbs from his diet. So, cut down on bread,rice,potato,pasta,biscuits,sweets etc. He can eat lots of meat, veg, salad, cheese, eggs, fish ( not in batter/breadcrumb ), nuts and berries. This list is just an example, not exhaustive. You mention he may be T1, is he being tested for this ? He can apply for a medical exemption certificate so his prescriptions are free. Any more questions, please ask.
Mo

 

[Ladyarcher]

Firstly, it's a myth that a healthy diet costs more money, I think it's actually the opposite. In order to keep his blood glucose levels rising too much he needs to reduce sugar and carbs from his diet. So, cut down on bread,rice,potato,pasta,biscuits,sweets etc. He can eat lots of meat, veg, salad, cheese, eggs, fish ( not in batter/breadcrumb ), nuts and berries. This list is just an example, not exhaustive. You mention he may be T1, is he being tested for this ? He can apply for a medical exemption certificate so his prescriptions are free. Any more questions, please ask.
Mo

Thank you for the advice, he is waiting for an appointment to see a consultant. As he is on JSA then his prescriptions are free but it is good to know that if and when he does get a job he will be able to still apply for an exemption certificate.

 

[carraway]

Hi

Try Aldi and Lidl for good value. Avoid sugary things and cut back on carbohydrates such as what bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.

Omelettes, salads, veg, cheese make filling inexpensive meals.
Use courgette ribbons (potato peeler!) instead of spaghetti and swede as mash or oven chips, cauliflower makes great rice if chopped in a food processor or on a grater. That will save lots of carbohydrate. Sugar free jelly is a quick, cheap sweet treat.

Once you know if he is Type 1 or 2 we can help a bit more. Has he been keeping track of his blood sugar levels?

A mum is never off duty!

Cara

 

[Andy12345]

hi, welcome

 

[Ladyarcher]

Hi

Try Aldi and Lidl for good value. Avoid sugary things and cut back on carbohydrates such as what bread, pasta, rice and potatoes.

Omelettes, salads, veg, cheese make filling inexpensive meals.
Use courgette ribbons (potato peeler!) instead of spaghetti and swede as mash or oven chips, cauliflower makes great rice if chopped in a food processor or on a grater. That will save lots of carbohydrate. Sugar free jelly is a quick, cheap sweet treat.

Once you know if he is Type 1 or 2 we can help a bit more. Has he been keeping track of his blood sugar levels?

A mum is never off duty!

Cara

Thank you for that, I do the cauliflower 'rice' as part of my diet and never thought to give it to him. His blood sugar levels are all over the place, he had dinner the other day and everything was fine, had some fruit during the evening and his sugar level crashed to 2.4 about 04:30

 

[Daibell]

Hi. If your son lost weight without trying shortly before diagnosis then he is likely to be a Late onset Type 1 (LADA). Yes, a good low-carb diet will be necessary for most diabetics to control blood sugar and weight. As he is on insulin, having some control of the carbs will avoid weight gain. It may take a while to get the insulin balance right. Is your son on a Basal/Bolus i.e. daily and rapid insulin regime? If so may be he needs more guidance on carb-counting or if not yet carb-counting then doing this helps with control. Do discuss with the consultant. Yes, buying suitable foods isn't easy but if he or you can buy the raw product rather than processed food and have the time then that will help

 

[Ladyarcher]

Hi. If your son lost weight without trying shortly before diagnosis then he is likely to be a Late onset Type 1 (LADA). Yes, a good low-carb diet will be necessary for most diabetics to control blood sugar and weight. As he is on insulin, having some control of the carbs will avoid weight gain. It may take a while to get the insulin balance right. Is your son on a Basal/Bolus i.e. daily and rapid insulin regime? If so may be he needs more guidance on carb-counting or if not yet carb-counting then doing this helps with control. Do discuss with the consultant. Yes, buying suitable foods isn't easy but if he or you can buy the raw product rather than processed food and have the time then that will help

While in Canada he was eventually given daily insulin, when he saw the specialist nurse last week she prescribed him daily and rapid (at least that is my understanding of it). Thank you for your help