• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Shoot the cook!

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
P

pippin

Well-Known Member
After several weeks of good BG readings for dad I felt so annoyed to find two meals which I had cooked respecting all the rules turned out the opposite for dad. I have only relaxed about last night's one now (there was tears and I was anxious)

It looks like dad doesn't cope with pasta or rice so well (or I think maybe it's the quantity he needs to satisfy him) as much as a normal potato, meat and veg dinner.

On several occasions when I made pasta for him (wholewheat) he has been higher x2hrs after although still within range 7.8 (this is higher than a normal dinner reading)*

Yesterday I made fresh minestrone soup (out of a diabetes recipe book) mainly veg with some bacon chopped in it. He had been very active in the garden so I served a large bowl with bread as it would be his main meal. Oh dear I was really disappointed after 2hrs his reading had gone up from 5.8 - 8.9! it had never been this high at night before :( I took another reading an 1hr later it was 7.5 still not as good as what he has been x2hrs after dinner.

I am guessing the portion size with the bread is why the reading went up so much. I know others have high readings from time to time I just felt so guilty although a good walk with dad today has cleared my mind and typing this post will help as I really thought it was my fault especially as I had followed a recipe thinking it would give really good levels without such a spike.

Dad wants to test the soup again but as a lunch with less of it I was about to throw it out! He had less bread today with his lunch (salmon salad) and we went out walking up and down hills have. BG x2hrs 5.8 will test just before dinner (roast beef normal dinner tonight) and afterwards hoping to get his levels even again.

Sorry about is post as I know everyone here suffers this daily and I am only logging results. Just felt down when trying so hard to find varying types of meals isn't as easy & understanding carbs/exercise is still a minefield.

Everyone deserves medals who cope with this and juggle so much. I have SO much more to learn. Sounds stupid for me to be down about it but it's true
 
Pippin, an 8.9 - although above the ideal target range - is not something you should be overly concerned about, especially if it is an occasional thing which I suspect it probably is as it struck you as being very unusually high. You certainly shouldn't feel that you have somehow failed to take proper care of your father because of it. I guess in some ways it is much more difficult for the carer because you feel a responsibility towards someone else, whereas with the person with diabetes it is personal choice to accept such results or not.

Thanks to your excellent efforts your father is able to manage his diabetes extremely well, but these blips are inevitable from time to time so we have to look at the bigger picture. By all means look into ways you might modify the meal, or perhaps try it again to see what effect it has under similar circumstances - it is very difficult to make a clear judgement on one or two examples unless the results are extreme.

Be a little easier on yourself, you are doing a great job! 🙂
 
Thank you for understanding, I really felt so guilty. One good thing is dad is willing to modify/test & consider what he eats although tonight's dinner is disappearing as it's his favourite one!

We will keep a close eye & hope this isn't repeated tonight plus test the soup again. Trying to work out if dad is best to have his portion size meals dinner includes potatoes & lunch normally has bread or eat smaller meals (less carbs) but more often. He has always been x3 meals a day with no snacks or night time eating.

It's raining now, I hope it clears up so dad can get his walk after dinner. If it's too wet he will do x70 laps of the bungalow! Really hope his reading doesn't jump just so much tonight although I now understand sometimes this happens.

Thank you yet again Northerner especially for not dismissing my worry about this.
 
Relieved 🙂 5.8 before dinner roast beef, new potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts
Natural yoghurt, blueberries, a few walnuts x2hrs 5.9 both smiling and dad full up!
 
pippin said:
Relieved 🙂 5.8 before dinner roast beef, new potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts
Natural yoghurt, blueberries, a few walnuts x2hrs 5.9 both smiling and dad full up!
Click to expand...

I think that's brilliant. The thing is don't beat yourself up when you get the odd bad result. It's all information for you and your Dad to use later (yoo hoo medical types! This is why we need to test!).

Andy 🙂

p.s. I don't think an 8.9 is necessarily that bad though. There are some who would kill for a number like that 2hrs after eating.
 
pippin said:
Relieved 🙂 5.8 before dinner roast beef, new potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts
Natural yoghurt, blueberries, a few walnuts x2hrs 5.9 both smiling and dad full up!
Click to expand...

You may not realise just how terrific that is! 🙂
 
Can only echo what's been said. You should be proud of what you've acheived together. You'll make yourself ill if you punish yourself eveyr time his BGs are out of range.
Sarah is a bit like it with mine, but fortunately I'm so rubbish at looking after myself that it's usually simple to trace fault back to me :D

Pat yourself on the back and relax a little. If his BGs are up and stay up, then you may need to review things but those are by no means poor readings.

Look at the average breakfast BGs thread and compare. Most people's are all over the place and often without much explanation. It's the nature of the beast.🙄

Rob
 
Thanks to each of you for your encouragement. I slept a lot better last night!
Just need to remind myself readings can go up at times and try to cope much better than I did. I tend to be a perfectionist which isn't the best when coping with an irregular pattern which diabetes is prone to set. Feeling safer with traditional meals out of my head rather than diversing into alternatives meals atm just glad traditional dinners are what dad enjoys the most. Keeping the GI book with me at all times! Your support means so much thank you
 
Pippin, by the sounds of things you are doing brilliantly and should be congratulated.

As has been said, try not to get disheartened by results outside of your 'target' range. There are no 'bad results' only more information. You won't get it absolutely right all the time. I don't think any diabetic ever has, or ever will - there are just too many variables involved.

Beware of implicitly trusting everything in a 'diabetic' cookbook. Everyone is different and there is no 'one size fits all' approach only basic guidelines. Essentially any carbs need to be watched and carefully considered. Many so-called 'Diabetic' cook books contain very diabetic-unfriendly recipes.
 
Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
Back
Top