New partner has Type 2 diabetes, help.

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sue500100

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Hi there I am new to this forum and my new partner (of 6 months) is a type 2 diabetic. I have some experience with diabetes as my ex mum in law is a type 1 diabetic. I also used to be a veterinary nurse so I have some 'medical' experience all be it with animals!!!!🙂

Michael (my partner) has been diagnosed with type 2 for about 10 years, how ever he hasn't been good at treating his diabetes, at one point he stopped taking his meds completely!!! He is on metformin tablets, not sure of the size, 3 times a day, and also insulin injections, 35 units, twice a day. He is on all sorts of other meds as well for different conditions.

He is not trusted, or deemed able (not sure which) by his consultant to check his own blood sugar, he has a nurse to come every morning to check his b/s and make sure he has/ give him his insulin. His levels are around 12 each day. I have managed to get him to take all three of his metformin tablets and, therefore, have more regular meals which has resulted in a decrease in his insulin by 10 units down to the 35 he is on now.

He says that he can tell whether his b/s is high or low during the day but I'm not sure how good is he is at this. We are not currently living together and that makes me nervous when he is on his own at home especially when he is not feeling well. I am hoping that when we do manage to move in together, sometime in the summer, that we will be able to check his b/s ourselves as some sort of concrete proof would make me feel a lot happier.

I'm not sure what if any help or advice you will be able to give me, to be honest I'm not sure if I've asked any questions :confused: but any comments would be welcome.

Thanks
 
Hi Sue, welcome to the forum 🙂 It's great that you are trying to help your partner. What sort of food does her eat generally? Are the blood sugar readings taken before or after food i.e. are they his 'fasting' readings? It might help you to read up a bit about Type 2 so that you can understand areas where you might be able to improve his management of his diabetes without having to force any radical changes on him, which he may be reluctant to accept. To this end, I would recommend getting hold of a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, which is a great introduction to understanding the ins and outs.

If possible, it would be worth starting a food diary, recording in particular the carbohydrate content of his food so that you have a good picture of his overall carb intake during the day. It would then be useful to look at the food and look for places where a more diabetes-friendly substitution might be made e.g. fewer potatoes and more veg. A very flexible diet suitable for people with diabetes is the Glycaemic Load (GL) diet, which comprises food that releases energy slowly and steadily. A good introduction is The GL Diet for Dummies.

Finally, does he exercise much? Exercise will really improve his sensitivity to insulin and improve his overall blood sugar levels. Perhaps you could organise days out that involve some walking if he doesn't normally do much. If he already exercises, encourage him to do more! 🙂

Hope this helps a little. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have - nothing is 'silly'! - and we will do our best to answer them for you 🙂
 
Hi Sue and welcome aboard,

Great advice from Northerner there but would also like to add for you to encourage your partner a bit more into taking more responsibility in his own health care. Great you are there to help and by the looks you ae doing a fab job too, but feel it is always going to be your man's choice as to how well he manages the care of himself.
 
Good luck with efforts sue. You sound like you have a good possitive attitude to fight the big "D". Exersize is one of the best things even short walks etc & not much sitting around. 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum Sue 🙂
 
Sue hi from me to and a warm welcome to the forum.
 
Welcome sue500100, I'm new on here too and my partner has Type 1, its a relatively new relationship and situation for me too, so if you ever need an ear feel free to message me.

My partner is also coming out of not controlling his levels and health well, but the best thing i have found and been complimented on is firstly trying to understand as best you can his condition, not just on a global sense, but also personally. Soon you might start to notice subtle changes in either his appearance, behavior and personality that might highlight whether he's having a good or bad day. knowing this you can prepare yourself for what sort of day is going to follow and or what action needs to be taken.
(After a really bad spell my partner tends to sleep a day, so i pamper him and make sure he knows i will be checking in on him so he feels safe to just relax we call it "guardian angel days" as i leave him in peace but he knows Im not far.)
Most importantly you need to show him your support, that he is not alone and that he should never feel he needs to "protect you" from what he is going through. I think that no matter who you are, knowing there is someone who cares and loves you will help to boost your desire to be there for them health wise etc.
As im sure everyone on here will agree, lecturing him or nit picking will not get you far. Instead try subtly encouraging him to make positive changes. Like Northerners suggestion to go walking or exercising together.

i can understand that you worry, i do the same, and there isn't really much that you can do to help that, except trust that he will start to take positive actions now in his life for both of you. At the end of the day, you can show all the support that can it will always be his choice to act or not.

And lastly, make sure that you have someone for you, like on here to air your thoughts and worry's.

Don't know if any of that helped. But it sounds like you have a great attitude so far and hopefully it will rub on him.

Lottie x
 
Thanks for the welcome everyone and thanks for all the useful info!!!

I have since found out that Michael hasn't bothered to ask about a blood glucose machine since he stopped using his ages ago. Apparently he had a breakdown and stopped treating his diabetes completely shortly after him and his first wife split up.:( However he has an appt with the diabetic nurse today and with his consultant next week and he is planning to ask about getting one again so that is good :D.

I have a few months before we can move in together, I am about 2 months short of finishing my 3 year history degree and I don't want to move the kids before the end of the school term so I will be able to try and instigate a new eating plan in my house before we get together so that will make it easier to encourage his change of diet 😛

Having spoken to my Mum over the weekend (long story but we don't talk much!!!) I was reminded that she has type 2 and I also found out that her brother has type 2 as well. So I feel that it could be only a matter of time before I join the club for real not just a carer!!!! But maybe dietary changes to help Michael may make that day a bit further away.

Thanks again for your help and support


Suzanne.
 
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