Diabetes Community

Ang, never, ever be afraid or embarrassed to go to your doctor to get your health back in order. Love and concern for one's spouse or family member can often override commonsense when it comes to safeguarding self but the bottom line is a constant: if you don't maintain optimal health for yourself, you may not even be around to care for your loved one. In such situations, you will either require care yourself or will have passed on ... essentially deserting your spouse to whatever care from other sources that may or may not be available. Even airline passenger instructions always remind parents traveling with children that, in the event of an emergency where oxygen masks drop down, always don your own mask first before attempting to help your child with his/her mask.

If you have been neglecting your health for the past year, it's time to put an end to self-neglect and do whatever it takes to ensure you can function optimally in the future. The very quality of your life, as well as your husband's may depend on it. By all means, make an appointment with your doctor, have the requisite blood work done, and obtain an objective assessment as to what you need to do to get back on track. Time's awastin.'

go on - git girl! And look to the future, say 10 weeks from now and set goal for that view of yourself. On meds, sugar under control and loss of ten pounds.

Ang:

Quit beating yourself up, you cannot change the past but you can control what you do in the future. Set yourself some achievable goals with a time frame attached and start moving forward.

Your first goal might be a good breakfast on Wednesday...an egg white omelet with sauteed veggies...

That said, call your doctor and get an appointment. Take advantage of the momentum. Your doctor and staff will be glad you are taking steps to get back on track.

my best to you.

I too have Type 2. I had been working for sometime to get thing under control and was actually starting to take less medicines and doing very well controlling it. Like you my daughter was ill, diagnosed with cancer. This last year has been rough and I was her main caretaker. Even though I would try and remember to take my meds at times it just didn't seem important. After she passed away, I made an appointment with my doctor and got started to get back on track with my health. If you have a caring doctor, she/he will not make you "feel bad" they will be there to tell you what you need to do and help you get back to where you need to be. So don't be embarrassed and just be honest with your doctor. I have a great doctor and I am working on my next 3 month visit being very different from my last one in December.
Good Luck!

Not to feel bad Ang. Even if you are taking care of your husband, you can still eat 4 to 5 times per day, of food that is good for your body, and go for a walk (fastpaced) for at least 30 minutes per day and or weight train for 30 minutes/cardio, yoga, stretching, ext.. After you have been doing this for some time, you really don't need to take the medication all of the time.
Three things you need to do with diabetes.
Meds, eat correctly, exercise.
you can get by without the 1st once you get your bloodsugar under control.
Treat your body like the machine it is and it will run properly. You just perhaps never fed it correclty to begin with. This is why you have diabetes type 2. You have to help yourself, nobody else will. It is that easy, however very difficult to get it starting off in the beginning.

Women need 30 to 45 carbs 4 to 5 times per day.
Lots of fruit -- that is where the carbs are.
Lots of vegetables
Wholewheat flour, grains, nuts-- carbs
3 to 4 oz meat for protein
wheat pasta, blueberries are brain food
example
Apple is 30 carbs
bananna is 30 carbs
orange 30 carbs
whole wheat toast 15 carbs
17 red seedless grapes 15 carbs

break it down to 15 carb increments
vegetables are free, eat as many as you want anytime you want.
best of luck to you........poweberg

whoops sorry Orange is 15 carbs...I got caried away.

You can still have all of the foods you love, just eat them moderately.

So sorry, but I have to disagree, not completely, but with some of the things posted above.

I recently completed diabetes nutrition classes. I was pre-diabetic. My mother died from kidney failure which was directly related to her diabetes as was her heart. Most
people don't know this, but your kidneys, heart, and cognitive ability are intertwined. But, that is not what I am posting about.

Please do not eat a lot of fruit, breads. I read above to eat lost of fruit because that is where the carbs are. With diabetes, you have to limit your carbs.

I have, for now reversed my pre-diabetes because I did what was taught in the class.

I have had two doctors tell me to walk 30 minutes a day in addition to the diabetes nutrition instructor. If you can't do this, find a way related to your physical abilities to move your body.
If you lose even 10 pounds, that will positively affect your blood sugar even if you are not really that much over weight. The movement is not just to lose weight. It is for your overall health.

As for the meal plan, this is what I was given. I can choose what to use to fulfill these requirements, so you do have to know how many carbs. Yes, there may be only 30 carbs in some bananas, but there are various sizes, various degrees of ripeness, and the riper they are, the higher they are in sugar content. I choose not to eat bananas now because it has to be one that is not really ripe, and I can only have 1/4.

The meals are laid out like this:

Breakfast 45 carbs
15 in a cereal or bread (not white bread)(starch).
15 in fruit (choose the smaller)
15 in a dairy product.
2-3 ounces of protein
(You can have eggs, but you can only have 1 per week)

Lunch 55 carbs
15 fruit
15 starch
15 protein
10 dairy product

Dinner/supper 55
same as lunch in no. of carbs in those categories

night snack 15 which is to keep your blood sugar from dropping too low during the night. Always check it first in AM

This does give you enough to eat especially if you like vegetables that are low in carbs.

If you intend to not take pasta dishes out of your healthy eating plan, please know what all pastas I have seen (and I have read a lot of boxes) all had 42 carbs in one serving. So, yes, you can have it, but you only want to have probably 1/4 of a serving because you have to consider the carbs in the sauce. Not much to eat, so this is where you need to just adjust, so you can have more to eat, by holding steadfast to cutting out the high carb meals. However, if you can "fall off of the plan" for only a couple of meals a month, that's okay as long as it does not leave your blood sugar spiked.

Ang, if you plan these simple meals in advance, know what you are going to eat, even if you repeat the same thing daily, you can take care of yourself so you will be able to care for your husband. It is a proven fact that the caregiver more often than not declines faster than the one being cared for. I found that out when I was trying to take care of my father. So, I can empathize with you. I loved my father, but I do not want to be the only caregiver again.

Another thing, do you have anyone that can give you some time away during the day a couple of times a week? This is not just affecting your diabetes as far as your health is concerned. You are probably deficient in Vitamin D and if you are not eating, you may become anemic, and if you are eating fattening meals because you cook for your husband, then you are also making things worse if you are gaining or have gained.

I wish you the best. I understand you didn't ask for a "how to", but I had to share what have learned in the event you did not have nutrition education that my mother also did not receive.

Thanks, this is very helpful.

sara thanks so much. this is really helpful. i was always counting sugar and not really paying much attention to the carbs. this answers alot of questions. thanks again. and please send any more info you may have this way (smiles0

MARY

Ang. please do get back to the doctor.i to as well when taking care of my mother that was dying of cancer let myself go.at that time i was type 2 . after she passed and i did go back to the dr. i was a full type 1 having to take 2 shots aday and oral meds as well. i think in my subconcious i was wanting to just die with her it hurt so much, but i./ we all have so much to live for and please do this for yourself and your husband.it is not too late, but it can reallly take a serious life threatening turn for the worse. god bless you and your family. you are in my prayers.


mary

Ang, I salute your spirit of sacrifice and the care that you have for your husband. I feel I may sound a lot different from the other people who have commented for you and I respect every person and comment over here.

However, I have a simple but very effective understanding of diabetes. It really helps to uncomplicate the condition to manage it optimally. Diabetes is not a disease but a disorder. It is when the body system fails to manage the sugar (energy) levels, and it requires us to manage it consiously rather than 'sub-consiously' in people who do not have diabetes.

Roughly, Diabetes Management (100 %) = Diet (30%) Exercise (30%) Medicine (40%). If you had an extra snack and you took an extra walk, you get even. If you missed out on your medicine but compensated in the form of extra physical activity, it still is good enough. I guess that this is what happened and allowed you to ignore your DM - Type 2 while you focussed on your husband's health. If your blood sugar was uncontrolled, you would obviously experience discomforting symptoms due to fluctuating sugar levels.

My grandmother was diagnosed for diabetes about 36 years ago, she is given medication and remembers to control her diet on all days except sundays, when she just eats like she is normal. She is 87 now, and quite healthy for her age. I feel that you should just get yourself tested while fasting and PPBS, and an HBA1C test done to figure out where you stand for now, and then discuss the results with your doctor, who can decide on the medication.

I am from India, sometimes known as the diabetes capital of the world. This condition is very often diagnosed late, and it is common for people to have suffered this condition for a few years before they are diagnosed and take medicine. You don't have to feel guilty about missing out on your medication for all these days, and I don't think that will matter to your health in the long run. Oh! yes, the mental stress does have a bad impact on your health and can play around with the way your body manages itself sub-consciously. It is best to stop looking at the road travelled and look forward for the road that you need to travel ahead.

I wish you and your family very good health. Take care!

Ang37, I salute your spirit of sacrifice and the care that you have for your husband. I feel I may sound a lot different from the other people who have commented for you and I respect every person and comment over here.

However, I have a simple but very effective understanding of diabetes. It really helps to uncomplicate the condition to manage it optimally. Diabetes is not a disease but a disorder. It is when the body system fails to manage the sugar (energy) levels, and it requires us to manage it consiously rather than 'sub-consiously' in people who do not have diabetes.

Roughly, Diabetes Management (100 %) = Diet (30%) Exercise (30%) Medicine (40%). If you had an extra snack and you took an extra walk, you get even. If you missed out on your medicine but compensated in the form of extra physical activity, it still is good enough. I guess that this is what happened and allowed you to ignore your DM - Type 2 while you focussed on your husband's health. If your blood sugar was uncontrolled, you would obviously experience discomforting symptoms due to fluctuating sugar levels.

My grandmother was diagnosed for diabetes about 36 years ago, she is given medication and remembers to control her diet on all days except sundays, when she just eats like she is normal. She is 87 now, and quite healthy for her age. I feel that you should just get yourself tested while fasting and PPBS, and an HBA1C test done to figure out where you stand for now, and then discuss the results with your doctor, who can decide on the medication.

I am from India, sometimes known as the diabetes capital of the world. This condition is very often diagnosed late, and it is common for people to have suffered this condition for a few years before they are diagnosed and take medicine. You don't have to feel guilty about missing out on your medication for all these days, and I don't think that will matter to your health in the long run. Oh! yes, the mental stress does have a bad impact on your health and can play around with the way your body manages itself sub-consciously. It is best to stop looking at the road travelled and look forward for the road that you need to travel ahead.

I wish you and your family very good health. Take care!