I think Humulin I is an intermediate insulin rather than a mixed
@Pumper_Sue - rather like an NPH I think? so not necessarily intended for 2x a day, but more of a basal insulin support.
So pleased you have found the forum
@Leesajo - having this dropped on you all of a sudden is bound to feel overwhelming. But try to relax... diabetes is generally a slow-moving foe, and you have plenty of time to make small adjustments to bring your Mum’s levels down gradually. This is actually much kinder on the body, so don’t worry of the process takes a number of weeks - it reduces the risk of causing problems from leaping from one extreme to another.
The insulin your Mum is on takes about 30-45 minutes after injecting to start working, then has a peak of activity for about 3-4 hours before gradually tailing off up to around 22 hours. It seems like the Drs think your Mum is still producing her own insulin, but perhaps not quite enough to fully meet the demands of the carbs in her diet.
We can’t really give much advice in terms of doses or insulin adjustments as we aren’t medically qualified... but it would be worth checking with your Mum’s DSN about how to adjust doses in time, and whether she (and you) might prefer a more flexible insulin regime. At the end of the day it has to suit you both.
As to dietary adjustments... I suppose it really depends on how much adjustment your mum wants to make, and how her BGs make her feel. I half think that when in you 80s this is more important than the risk of potential eye problems 25 years down the line. Also very important is keeping hypoglycaemia risk as low as possible.
As others have said, your Mum might choose to slightly reduce carbs in her diet, but would need to do that cautiously otherwise the injected insulin would have nothing to act upon.
Keep us posted with how you get on, and feel free to ask any questions as they arise.
