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Posted 1/21/2006 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
tongue  Hi I'm cherise my husband was diagnosed w/ diabetes about 2 years ago, and I seeing him becoming depressed, and unable to make decisions, I then noticed that the metformin he is on is 1000mg twice a day and he is only taking it once a day. Since I don't have diabetes I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on the subject...thanks
Posted 1/21/2006 9:01 PM (GMT 0)

Hi cherise,

It is really tough to tell where your husband is at with his diabetes if he doesn't have a Blood Glucose meter and isn't taking readings at least once a day.  He may be under control or he may be way out of control.  Get your doctor to write a prescription for a meter and your insurance should cover it.  Have hubby use the meter and its a VISUAL reminder of whether he is controling his diabetes or not!!  Don't wait until he has serious complications because he is ignoring his condition.

scool Warren
Posted 1/21/2006 9:47 PM (GMT 0)
Cherise,
Ask him. Did the doctor reduce his dosage? Does he need help keeping his sugars in line? Is he even testing his sugars? If you are doing the cooking are you following the prescribed diet that his doctor gave him? Do you do the grocery shopping together so you can both be clear on what is ok and what foods are only for once in a while?

Depression in diabetics is very common. It can be caused by an overload of information, a sense of mortality that had been avoidable until the diagnosis and some men experience erectile dysfunction and feel a sadness for the loss of their 'love life'. There are lots of reasons why he may be sad. Fortunately there is a lot of help for your diabetic husband starting with your love for him. You obviously care for him or you wouldn't have found us. He may be feeling alone and diabetes can make a guy feel vulnerable for the first time in his life. You can help him by talking to him and telling him you are worried. Explain that you're a team and you want to be part of his diabetic health progress. If you become educated about diabetes you'll find that it's really a healthy way to live when you follow the guidelines and it works for regular people, too.

You can make this something you share instead of something he is hiding. Please reassure him that you're not 'checking up' on him (although I guess in a way you are...) you're just concerned that he might not be doing all he can to stay healthy. Tell him you want him to be around for a very long time and that anything you can do to help him you will do. Sign up for a diabetes class together or an exercise class or just start taking a walk together every night. Make it fun if you can. And you can read back in the posts and see what others are doing to help themselves and make suggestions to him.

A word of caution... Don't be the 'Food Police'. Let him make his own decisions about food choices. There is nothing more agrivating to a diabetic than to be questioned on their food choices. Only he knows how much food he has had today and whether or not he is budgeting his carbs correctly. If he is cheating he will be embarrassed that you noticed. If he's not cheating he will feel like you are correcting him. (Either way, it makes you feel like a little kid when people check up on your food choices.) You can help by not buying or baking sweets and making good purchaces of fresh veggies and low carb dressings. Learn ways to fix brown rice and barley in place of pasta and white rice. Have two vegetables at lunch and dinner... Start grilling fish and chicken and look into some spicy marinade recipies. I could go on forever but I guess you should start by talking to him.
Posted 1/21/2006 11:37 PM (GMT 0)
Cherise This is such a complex, complicated disease with so many facets. I highly advocate going to diabetic classes. You need alot of education with this. I know I took classes at my local hopital. I never knew what Idid not know about this. This is the type of disease you can only learn from experience. You can only be pointed in the right direction, than the person has to do it. It all honesty it is self help and self management. It's 1 percent know how and 99% motivated enough to work at it 24 hours a day 365 days a years, no weekends off and no holidays. You have to be constantly vigilent and paying attention what you ingest in your body.Experience is the best teacher. whether it is an auto mechanic, a plumber , electrician or any skill, and make no mistake about it, learning to eat and control blood sugar is a skill. Go to the library, take classes, go to book store and of course these message boards. The best source are other people who are diabetic. You can point a person in the right direction but they have to be willing to do the rest, Key things are carb counting, portion controlled food, exercise, loose weight if necessary. and of course glucose montoring and be flexible enogugh to make adjustment. Everything has to be in harmony, food, gllucagon, insulin, thyroid stimulating hormone. You don't want a logjam in the bloostream or in your cells.(weight) Everything has to keep running smooth to simplify this. I'm of course referring to your husband.

Post Edited (steven kreloff) : 1/21/2006 4:52:10 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/25/2006 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
Cherise:
As others have said depression is common for a diabetic but pleas watch how your husband act and says because if a person gets really depressed to the point of saying things like "What's the point of living. You would be better off without me. I am just taking up space on this earth." Or statement like this please try to get him some professional help. Not trying to be gloom and doom here just know what can sometimes happen when one is ill and think there is no reason to go on.

Here is a link you could go to if you thought it might help.
http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/

(links to other forums are a no no.  If you link to some specific info that is helpful as above even if it is in another forum..then thats ok.  Hope this helps.  Thanks for the post GreySquirrel)

Post Edited By Moderator (Warren) : 1/25/2006 7:15:14 PM (GMT-7)

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