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AU secours !!!1

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regy54

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
hello every one, you will never guessed...
My partner GAZ 51 years old had a bike accident a couple of week ago (the car which get into his tail didn't see him stopped at a roundabout) with mild injury, few bruises, but because his blood pressure was a bit high (wonder why!!!) the hospital refer him to have complete check-up .

we had the result yesterday..... TYPE 2
GP recommendations : Loose weight, practise lots of sports and live with it !!!!
I am 😡😡😡😡 Is that all the support you get in England ( I am Belgian)

Gaz is completely overwhelmed, stunned, sick of the GP's attitude, discouraged, full of unanswered questions

He is just over 6ft tall, weight 114 kg (17 stones and 13.3 pounds). Not very sporty because of his driver work so it is -work- eat-sleep during the week and week end is cool relax no driving (so don't go anywhere.!!!)

HELP! we need HELP! I need HELP! he needs HELP! pleaaaaaaaaase
 
Welcome to the forum, regy54.

Sorry to hear about your partner's diagnosis. While the doctor could have explained things a bit better, it's right to say that diet and exercise are the first things to try after a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Some people find keeping active, eating well (usually means lower carbohydrate content of diet) that losing weight down to a healthy BMI (body mass index) of 20 - 25 means they regain normal blood glucose levels, which is not the same as a cure for type 2 diabetes.

Using the figures you gave on this calculator, http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyweightcalculator.aspx I got BMI of 34, which is in the obese category.

When you said bike accident, was this a motorbike or bicycle? If bicycle, that's a good start to get places and get some exercise at the same time. Exercise doesn't have to be sport or gym: walking, cycling, swimming, gardening, active DIY etc can all count. Most important thing is to find some activity you enjoy and can do lots.

I'm pretty sure that the GP will want to review how GAZ gets on with increasing exercise, reducing weight, eating well etc, and will probably prescribe blood pressure reducing medication (if they haven't already). It will take a while to get the right type / level of blood pressure medication and diabetes medication if needed.

One word of warning to GAZ - getting diabetes under control is vital, as if diet / exercise / weight control with/out oral medication (tablets) don't work sufficiently, then he might end up on insulin, which makes keeping a HGV licence impossible, and even LGV licence difficult. It's a callaboration between medical team and person with diabetes, but the vast majority of the work is done by the person with diabetes, who also gets the advantages if control is good.
 
hi thanks for welcoming.
Yes he is obese and like this since his second divorce 10 years ago.
We met 6-7 years ago while I was still living in Belgium and being lone mother of 3 girls we were more into a "vegetarian" diet than "meat and bread" .
Since we met, I have try to introduce Gaz to this healthier way of eating and after 3 years living full time together I have reach the point of him having 1 leave of lettuce in his doorstep sandwiches, 5 cherry tomatoes as a snack and 1 apple every other day.
and his main meal is still very "comfort food" He has the meat (redbeef, sausage,bacon )and carb and I have the vegetable and a little piece of chicken or egg.
It is not expensive meal hihihi it is one normal meal divided in two hihihhi
and on week end it is fry-up full breakfast, and Full Sunday Roast for him
I can assure you I am NOT JOCKING!!!!! he is hopeless but I love him. SO......
I really need help from you people to give me ideas to introduce him gently but definitively to his new way of life.
 
Hi regy54 welcome to the forum.

I am not surprised at the response by your GP, its quite common to get that attitude. You will get more answers on here, also its not just a question of cutting out sugary foods like sweats.

It may be helpful to make a food diary of what he eats, and work out the carbs in the food. Diabetes is an individual thing and some foods affect people in different ways.

Things like cereals, white bread and any thing made with white flour are my worst things as they will send my sugar levels sky high very quickly. What is better is foods that rise at a slower rate so ones body has the chance to process the food, thus reducing the rapid spikes. Fruit is an area to be careful with, things like grapes can cause a rapid rise in BS, bananas for some also cause problems especially very ripe ones. I tend to eat them just after they have started to turn yellow and can cope with them, with others bananas are off the menu.

This bit can vary to a great extent area to area and even doctor to doctor. Its worth getting hold of a meter, the big people in the market Like Bayer, Accu Chek, Lifescan will generally give you one free. The problem is getting test strips on prescription is a big issue for type 2's, as some docs won't provide them.

If you want to self fund the test strips about the cheapest option is the SD code free meter from Amazon and a few other places. With test strips around £7 per pot of 50, the big names can be £25 + per 50 strips.

If you are in the lucky few that can get test strips, my favourites are the Bayer next usb and the Accu Chek mobile meters. Though Some areas have made deals and will issue a meter of their choice as they have done a deal with the meter provider to cut the costs down.
 
Welcome to the Forum Regy54.

For gaz to lose weight you need to start small, as pav said keep a food diary and work out what he is eating. For his age, weight and height Gaz should be eating about 2600 cals per day to keep a steady weight, to lose some just drop that by 3-400 calories. Obviously everyone has different metabolic rates so you may need to adjust for personal preference.

Try swapping out white things for wholemeal. They even taste better in my opinion.

You need to let him know how serious having bad control can be, it can be very hard for him to understand this. It took me a little while to take being diabetic seriously.

You could start walking in the weekends or sign up to a health gym to start you both on a fitness drive. Be assertive and kick his ass when he needs it.

Anyway, good luck and ask any questions you may have here on this forum, lots of great folk here.
 
Welcome to the forum regy54 🙂
 
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