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clairescott

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My husband has recently been diagnosed Type 2. He has not taken the news well. His Mother and Grandfather have/had type 2 and he just moans that he doesn't want his life "controlled like that"
I am a nurse, so I have a nursing knowledge of it. I have altered our home diet by stating we need to "eat healthily now we are over 40 (42 and 45)" I have used Diabetes UK recipes for alot of the change in diet.
My husband likes cycling and has dusted off his bike and is cycling to work 3 times a week. At our second HBa1c test at the GP, 3 months after diagnosis GP said we are controlling it well and to carry on with what we were doing, which we are. Luckily he is diet controlled so far.
I am just asking did anybody else go in denial like my husband? I feel a bit alone trying to ensure his diet is ok but keeping "normal " treats in so he doesn't feel "controlled". How has other wives/partners coped with the life changing - but trying not to let it affect your lifestyle diagnosis?
One positive thing, I have discovered that i enjoy cooking
 
Hello Claire, welcome. Your story is not unique - many of us T2s spend a long time in denial! It's a shame your hubby isn't ready to join the forum himself to find out how much control he can take. It's his health, after all. He's VERY lucky to have you! 🙂

Here's an example of denial for you: when first diagnosed, I took it very seriously, lost loads of weight and got good blood results. I remained on diet/exercise for about 8 years but stopped really paying attention and started shovelling in loads of sugary/fatty treats. I gained back half of the weight and had to start metformin last year. That scared me into going back to Slimming World, and I've lost shedloads again. Back in control!
 
Hi Claire, welcome to the forum 🙂 It's very common to react as your husband has done. There are a lot of misconceptions about diabetes, often based on people's experiences of relatives, but what is often forgotten is how much knowledge, care and treatments have moved on (for the better!) since one or two generations ago, so past experiences are not a good guide for people being diagnosed now.

It's great that you have discovered a love of cooking, and that he is enjoying his cycling - both these things are excellent in helping (both of you!) to keep blood sugar levels well-controlled 🙂 I would suggest looking at the GL diet for some good ideas of how to prepare meals that are suitable for keeping good control, whilst retaining flexibility in food choices - The GL Diet for Dummies is an excellent introduction.

Whilst it might require some extra effort in planning meals and a little more care in food choices, diabetes these days does not need to be a burden. A healthy diet and lifestyle for diabetics is suitable for everyone, diabetic or not, and the benefits it brings in terms of feeling better,happier and with more energy far outweigh the extra effort. Worth bearing in mind also the saying 'Well-controlled diabetes is the cause of...absolutely nothing!'. Instead of worrying and moaning, which takes far more out of you, just doing the necessary and getting on with your life is the best approach. There will always be times when it gets you down, but then that happens to everyone and not necessarily due to diabetes - that's life!

Please feel free to ask any questions you may have - everyone is really friendly and there are no silly questions! 🙂
 
Hi Claire, its not uncommon to go into a denial stage, as it can be a big shock, even though there can be a history of diabetes in the family. I am the odd ball in my family being the only one to have diabetes.

What is hard, is where the family don't give a jot to ones condition (my case), at least he has you who shows care and concern about the diabetes. 🙂.

Even after 13 years of being diabetic, through lack of support from family and total lack of support from the GP's practice. It looks like I let things slide, until I got a wake up call at Xmas / New year, and started getting back on track, I was in the 20's on the meter readings :(

It then took a lot of work, pressure on the doctors (even a nurse said the doctors need to do something to help) to start acting as they should do, (my docs were ok with readings in the 20's).

Getting a glucose meter can help you with the management of foods, as you can identify which foods affect him and in what way. Getting hold of a meter is not normally a problem as most suppliers on the Likes of Bayer, Accu Check, Abbott Medisense, will send you one free. The problem is getting your GP or DN to prescribe test strips, unfortunately this is a postcode lottery. If you have to self fund strips then the SD code free is cheap on strips, along with a couple of others..
 
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