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My husband is a diabetic

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Posted 1/2/2008 5:52 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone,

My husband of 11 1/2 years is a diabetic.  He has been Diabetic since he was 9 months old.  He will be 41 on January 12th.  In the early stages of our relationship & marriage he didn't take care of himself.  He would take a shot in the morning and a shot at night, that was it. He always felt he was untouchable from problems.  I was new to the whole thing so I didn't know that what he was doing was wrong.  Well, I studied up and learned a few things.  Good for me, not good for him. LOL!!!! 

Soon after we married he had a low blood sugar behind the wheel of my car (ya, why couldn't it have been his vehicle!!!)  tried to get up our driveway (which is a steep incline) on just the rim of the tire.  Somewhere between his work and our house (approx 25 miles) he lost the tire. I was at work at the time so my neighbor (who is a nurse) came out and force fed him honey and he came around.  Soon after that it happened again he drove from work to the mall (30 miles or so) and doesn't remember punching out from work or driving.  He came to eating a Big Mac from McDonalds that he didn't even remember going thru the drive to get.  But the mirror of my Blazer was gone on the drivers side!!! 

I finally made him get a GOOD Dr she suggested the Insulin Pump.  he has been on that since Sept 96.  It has done wonders but it still does not stop him from having lows.  There have been several ambulance calls in the middle of the night.  I know he is low before he knows it.  I have saved his life several times. And he is very greatful.  We have a 8 year old son that luckily has not had to witness a severe low.  All the ambulance calls seem to be in the middle of the night when our son is sleeping.  My husband can have a low in the 20's and still be walking around coherant.  He drinks soda to bring up his number. When I met him he was 140 lbs and a scrawny guy LOL.  But now he is 207 lbs.  I wouldn't call him fat but he has a belly!!  I know alot of the weight gain had to do with him not being able to work anymore. But the soda isn't helping.  Does anyone have any suggestions as to what he can have to bring him up from lows other then 1 or 2 cans of soda.  There are some days he will drink 1-5 cans of regular soda just to come up from lows. It depends on how active he has been that day.  He has been on Social Security since 1999 due to complications from Diabetes.  He has Diabetic Retinopathy.  He has had Vitrectomies in both eyes. 

I know I am rambling on but I need help as to how to help him.  I am tired.  I seem more concerned about this then he does and it is his life.  Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Sheryl

Posted 1/3/2008 1:24 AM (GMT 0)

  There are glucose tablets, chewable, that you can get at any drugstore & some grocery stores. They're flavored, too.

  I carry them with me, just in case. With these tablets, all you're getting is a blast of glucose, and not the other crud. It depends on how low your sugar is, as to how many you need to chew up. He should have a monitor and when it appears that his sugar is dropping, check it, and then yiou'll know pretty much how many he needs to eat.

 If it's below 40, call an ambulance.

 Good luck, Joyce

Posted 1/3/2008 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
Sheryl,
I'm a type2, pretty much under control because I DON'T WANT TO BE A BURDEN TO MY FAMILY. I would think that he would like to stay around to watch his son grow up and meet his grandchildren. Time for a major pow wow. He needs to start a food journal and record what he eats when, insulin used, blood sugars two hours after a meal, and keep track of what is happening with his body. If he doesn't do this he might do more than minor damage to a car next time... And eventually his body may start to break down.

He is the one responsible for his diabetes and he needs to get more education or pay better attention to what is going on. He may not be able to feel his lows coming on but checking his sugars at bedtime and maybe setting an alarm to check them in the middle of the night would be a good idea until he can get back to his endocrinolgist and get this all straightened out. Good records can help him pinpoint which foods are missing from his food plan and help him figure out a better way to avoid the lows. Maybe if you set up a journal and help him work on it he will get a better picture of what is going on? Wish I could help more.
Posted 1/12/2008 6:42 AM (GMT 0)
Sheryl:
I'm so glad I found you! I, too, am married to a diabetic who, in the past took a shot here and there, thought HE was in control. After the last 10 years of roller coaster blood sugars, he is now seeing double vision, and is off work. It's been 2 months since he's been off work, and I, working 40+hours a week, do all the driving PLUS drive our 3 children to their extra curricular activities! We've many a time had "do youw ant to see your child walk down the aisle on their wedding day?" lecture. Well, now it may be too late. He will not try an insulin pump...
I think I finally had it was last Aug when his sugar was so low, he was convulsing, right in front of our 9 year old.....luckily my friend was visiting us at the time and helped administer syrup, orange juice etc, with my 13 year old! He would not let her call 911 (afraid he'd lose his driver's licence)
I put my foot down and said ENOUGH. Since he's been off work, he does keep a journal of what he eats, blood sugars prior to and 2 hours after a meal and amts of insulin taken. But what if he does go back to work and all of the above stops?
Yes, I need to hope it does not. I know. But after 2 decades of broken promises and denial, it does get hard. My son was so scared that his dad was dieing that day, for months, he'd ask my husband, R U okay daddy? How is your sugar? Should you check it?
I'm telling you, our relationship was surely tested that day...
Hang in there, try the glucose tabs as mentioned in previous notes. There is also a "gel"out, like toothpaste, can't remember the name-supposed to be good too. Does he drink? They say that a diabetic that drinks too much will have low sugars later on, like 12-20 hours later.....that's what happened to my hubby...
I'd love to hear from you-maybe we can be supportive of our hubbies and ourselves...
Tears
Posted 1/13/2008 10:26 PM (GMT 0)
My thoughts and prayers go out to both of you women... You can't really make someone do what's best for them.... My dad used to ask, "Did you ever try to push a chain?"
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