the future

Hi

My husband was diagnosed with type 2 last week. We had our first meeting with the specialist nurse today, and he has become quite depressed over it.

Basically she has said they will try and control it with diet, but he will inevitably need medication at some point, and the vast majority of people in his condition need to be on insulin within 9 yrs. Is this peoples experience on this forum, or was she being unduly negative for some reason? The doctor who told him was much more upbeat, saying his results were relatively low, and that he shouldnt need to make too many changes. That contrasts with what we were told today.

I would be grateful for any feedback - I am involved with a community based around my own health condition, and find the views of those who are living with it to be vastly better than the professionals!

Thanks for your time

kaj

xxx

Kaj,

In my experience the doctor was being a bit upbeat and trying to sugar coat the diagnosis. The nurse was being very realistic. Diabetes is a progressive disease. Please transmit the following information to your husband: Insulin, medications, exercise, diet, nutrition, education, yoga, relaxation, good shoes, good doctors, frequent testing..... whatever it takes... Just keep on doing what you must to keep the blood sugars in range. What you are taking and how you are taking it is not near as important as those good readings. And the reward for being good is that you get to be good some more. The penalties for not following your program could include loss of limbs and blindness as well as heart attack and stroke. Choose well and choose wisely every time you can. Don't look back. If you had a goof at breakfast then have a wonderfully nutritious lunch. Keep going and keep learning. Visit here often or any place you find positive reinforcement for staying as healthy as possible with diabetes.

We are all about education and sharing so maybe your hubby would like this forum. You of course are welcome, too. We appreciate everybody's input.

I also was diagnosed 3 years ago with type 2. I am not personally convinced this is a progressive desease, but very bad diet habits, and a lack of even moderate exercise. If you are disabled physically then it is very hard to control with diet alone, but possible. I was 380#, 6' 2", at 55 years and work in front of a computer all the time(no real exercise). My dr. prescibed oral medication because my A1c was 11. 5 (I think) . I had read a book about Diet and Exercise Control and I tried that instead. After the strictest diet of my life and one year I lost 60-80#(scale wasn't that accurate). and my A1c had come down to 5.3-4. (normal!) I have maintained that for 2 more years. But I am still 100# overweight and trying to add exercise and loose weight. This seems to be a problem.
I'm not entirely sure this was a good idea. That year my health was at risk. I could have failed. Also they say "once Diabetic always."..I don't stand convinced though.
I test every food and volume(by wt.) and record glucometer readings pre- and 2 hour after eating. If the numbers are too high, then I reduce the volume or eliminate the food. Also watch my resting heart rate. After eating it sort of goes up in a similar pattern as lower blood glucose levels(max: for me is 85 bpm and 140 mg/dl.).
I have notice if my weight change is positive so is the change in my A1c. If negative wt gain, then negative change in A1c. Anybody else notice this?
Oh! my adema in my ankles dissapeared, 20 year-IBS symptoms disapeared, 10 year-reflux (BAD!!) dissapeared, snoring dissapeared(wierd!) ...feel much better,!!

Good Luck! Be careful and get your blood work checked often if you doctor tells you. (And I still don't medicate. Good ,bad? I don't know...))