Help Diabetes

[blondemoments]

Don't be afraid to ask the doctor and the nutritionist as many questions as you need to. Get all your questions answered and make sure that you understand the answers. You'll find that you will learn alot that way, there are no silly or insignificant questions.

Take the nutrition class, and go with him, the one we took was very informative, and you will learn more as you go along.

Watch the carbs & sugars, & read labels.

Exercise will help whether he is over weight or not.

Please have patience with him, remember it's harder on him than you.

[NoLongerInRadioGuy]

That point someone made ( I dont remember who, short attention span! ) is most important to remember - it is NOT the end of the world! After reading this, you also helped me realize that I have not exactly been living a good diabetic lifestyle and I am going to start over again - so for that, I thank you!

Like my doctor told me - dont make life miserable. Sure, limit bad things in your life, like sugars, carbs, and alcohol and increase the excercise. But, if you miss one day of walking, oh well - get back after it the next day and dont beat yourself up or get down. If you go out for supper and you crave some pasta, then go for it - but make sure it is a special treat, not a regular meal.

And, PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE - make sure he does not think that since he is on medication that everything is ok and the meds counteract what he is already doing! I know a guy that thought that was ok - take double insulin then go out and eat a huge bowl of ice cream...or take an extra shot so he could go out drinking all night. That is not how it works!!

[Horse]

Make sure you watch him closely as he becomes used to the pills. If he gets pale and breaks out in a cold sweat it can be a sign of dangerously low blood glucose. High levels of blood glucose are not good for you but very low blood sugar can kill you in a hurry. If you dont already have one, I'd recommend getting a blood glucose test machine. Good luck !!!

[K C Muffin]

I have hypoglycemia - the opposite of diabetes.....after all these years, I can finally 'feel' when a Snickers is needed. Snickers was what the doctor recommended when I "feel" it coming on. He said there is enough simple sugar and complex sugar plus the nuts that will help bring about a quick end to the episode and keep the blood on a normal level until you can eat a small nutritious meal. It's saved my butt a couple of times when I've been on the road and unable to eat regular decent meals. I just keep 'em handy.

[Tony Clams]

I work with a guy who is diabetic and he has an insulin pump that frees him from having to take all the shots. Might want to look into that.

[Bound]

I went to the grocery store tonight and it's very depressing. How do you know if 2g of sugar in green beans is alot or a little? How much is too much per day? Is it like counting calories- can you only have a certain amount a day? Last night his # 456 , this AM it was 345 and tonight it was 348, isn't it bad to be this high for this long? I guess I'll need to be educating myself alot real soon.

[Highwayman]

I’m no expert with diabetes but 2g of sugar doesn’t sound like much to me. I assume you’re looking at caned beans because I haven’t seen labels on fresh produce. My rule of thumb is fresh is better than canned, boxed or packaged. Home grown is better than store bought. Reality doesn’t let us grow our own and make meals from scratch. We have to do the best with what we have to work with.

Just stay sane. Don’t panic. You are already on the right track and you will hone your skills as you go. Don’t expect to be perfect overnight. You are on the right track by reading those labels. The fat and salt content of some of that store bought food will scare the heck out of you.

You’re going to do fine if you give yourself a chance.

[88-31-10]

I've got nothing.

But it looks like a lot of good, sound advice from people with experience.

[Made in the USA]

A lot of good advice, but each individual can have his/her own ways and reactions, so don't get overwhelmed. As TexKan said, try to get into a diabetic class. I don't know if they ever got them here in Dodge or not, but they offer them in Wichita. My Dad and my Wife have diabetes. The classes were helpful.

[NoLongerInRadioGuy]

2g of sugar isnt too bad at all...most foods have natural sugar in them anyway, so it is hard to stay completely away from sugars.

The numbers you mentioned are very high. Normal blood sugar level after eating should be around 140 or so, depending on what was eaten. Normal blood sugar without eating in the past couple hours should be more around 110-120. Course, everyone is different. I know a girl who's blood sugar always hangs aroun 90 and she is fine, but if she hits about 150, she gets sick.

The meds do take a bit to really kick in, and then need to be monitored. If the sugar gets to low, he could take on a "drunk" appearance - slurred words, poor balance, etc, and will have a "fruity" smell to his breath. This is a time to get him so fast sugar and probably head to the emergency room.