My husband has been type 2 for a long time. When he was diagnosed my response was to research it. I then suggested as we both needed to lose weight why not try carb lowering as it apparently helped diab yes. He adamantly told me that, although he needed to lose weight, what he ate would not make any difference to the diabetes as they’d told him it was a progressive condition to be managed with increasing doses and changes of meds until the day when he’d eventually need insulin. He was also angry because my results were normal and it seemed unfair when I too was heavy and didn’t eat terribly healthily, but used this also as evidence diet made no difference. He also then told me the dietary advice said he needed plenty of starch carbs, around 50% of each meal.
His numbers rose. His meds rose. He eventually agreed to diet and was astonished when the numbers dropped a bit. He agreed to try reducing carbs, but started to get light headed and grumpy (result of lower blood sugar than his system expected). He mentioned it in the surgery and a progressive nurse suggested testing, so he did for a while. He refuses to do it regularly as he is a foodie. It’s been a long road, but he’s lost several stones. He came back off of Victoza and lowered the gliclazide. Sadly he still eats too much of the wrong things, but mostly not too bad. He has ups and downs. If life is stressful, he eats. At Christmas he eats, etc etc. He’s given an annual HBA1C and eye screening. He STILL isn’t self testing most of the time. He gets his annual result .. if it’s risen his meds go up. He then has a rebound diet splurge and tests for a while. He brings the levels back under better control but goes off the rails again long before then next check.
In my view self testing should be promoted and medics should ask people to record at the very least a monthly sample of data before collecting repeat meds. That would keep people like my hubby more focused and start to shift the control onto the individual.