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Two T2 diabetes have dinner

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Grogg1

Grogg1

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
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Yesterday I was out with a group of friends for dinner and drinks. Two of us are T2. We were in an Italian so I tried to make my order as low carb as possible given the menu options. So I went for garlic mushrooms followed by meatballs and ice-cream. My fellow T2 went for bruschetta, carbonara and brownie. We both drunk wine.

Later in the evening we moved on shorts so Bacardi and diet coke for me and Jack and coke (not diet) for her.

I tested 2 hours after eating food 7.6 and then 3 hours after food 6.6. She doesn't test and told me I was wasting my time testing as her DN had told her T2 don't need to test and she had been T2 for 8 years and her hb1ac was only 53 and her DN was really pleased with her and that if it went higher they could give her more meds to help. She is on max dose of metformin.

I tried to explain without being patronising and over bearing why I watched what I ate, tested etc. but she was very dismissive of me, told me she eats what she wants and has a bar of chocolate everyday etc. so I shut up. After she left to visit Ty bach others at the table who had family with diabetes were very supportive of me and told me I was doing the right thing and that they were concerned that she wasn't taking her diabetes seriously.as some had previously noticed but never spoken up about how she just ate anything and relied on medication.

Now this morning I do feel I should have been held my ground more in why I test, watch what I eat and not just shut up in case I was boring others at it turns out they totally got what I was doing.

I am not a saint; I eat crisps, chocolate etc. but in moderation as I cannot have total disregarded for my diabetes. Sometimes I would love a bag of chips but they send my blood glucose sky high so I just don't do it and tbh I've got used to that denial - I'll just ask my OH to leave me a few - luckily he rarely has chips and is happy to share.
 
Grogg1 said:
Yesterday I was out with a group of friends for dinner and drinks. Two of us are T2. We were in an Italian so I tried to make my order as low carb as possible given the menu options. So I went for garlic mushrooms followed by meatballs and ice-cream. My fellow T2 went for bruschetta, carbonara and brownie. We both drunk wine.

Later in the evening we moved on shorts so Bacardi and diet coke for me and Jack and coke (not diet) for her.

I tested 2 hours after eating food 7.6 and then 3 hours after food 6.6. She doesn't test and told me I was wasting my time testing as her DN had told her T2 don't need to test and she had been T2 for 8 years and her hb1ac was only 53 and her DN was really pleased with her and that if it went higher they could give her more meds to help. She is on max dose of metformin.

I tried to explain without being patronising and over bearing why I watched what I ate, tested etc. but she was very dismissive of me, told me she eats what she wants and has a bar of chocolate everyday etc. so I shut up. After she left to visit Ty bach others at the table who had family with diabetes were very supportive of me and told me I was doing the right thing and that they were concerned that she wasn't taking her diabetes seriously.as some had previously noticed but never spoken up about how she just ate anything and relied on medication.

Now this morning I do feel I should have been held my ground more in why I test, watch what I eat and not just shut up in case I was boring others at it turns out they totally got what I was doing.

I am not a saint; I eat crisps, chocolate etc. but in moderation as I cannot have total disregarded for my diabetes. Sometimes I would love a bag of chips but they send my blood glucose sky high so I just don't do it and tbh I've got used to that denial - I'll just ask my OH to leave me a few - luckily he rarely has chips and is happy to share.
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You gave her excelent, solid advice @Grogg1
That is all you can do, people make their own choice to either listen or not.
My first ex-wife is the same, she is Type 1 and refuses to listen but then again she never listened to anything.
Some people just fail to recognise the ramifications of not heeding experience, eat what I want and take the pills seems to the the ethos and it is sad.
My D consultant told me quite clearly many people do not take thier condition seriously enough and it is concerning.
Don't reproach yourself
 
You did exactly the right thing actually - made your point without going into rant mode and the others in the group thinking you'd turned into a 'carb evangelist' - you know like some saintly people do when they've managed to give up something else - alcohol and tobacco being the main culprits.

You can lead a horse to water .......
 
I agree with the others - you said what you needed to and that was good.

A similar story: we were invited to my brother-in-law's surprise birthday party last week at a hotel restaurant. I tried to pick the lowest carb food and my numbers were pretty good afterwards. However, my brother-in-law (who is type 2 and on medication of some sort tho I'm not sure what) ate what he apparently normally eats as he and his wife go there a lot - the menu was full of delicious-sounding mashed potato, pasta, rice, heavy sauces etc etc. I didn't feel it an appropriate occasion to say much as there were quite a few friends & family there, but he did say that his GP moans at him... :(

Don't feel guilty, Grogg1, some people will listen and some won't. You are looking after yourself well, that's the main thing 🙂
 
It's like my Brother (type 2 for 15 years) who eats what he likes & thinks i'm being stupid, despite what I have done to control my diabetes. He was recently complaining about pain in his feet. He just said 'that's what happen with diabetes. You will get it too'.🙄
 
I agree that you did the right thing @Grogg1. 🙂 A few wise words are better than a great big rant IMHO.

The impression I get from T2 comments (especially from newbies) is that GPs don’t know how to educate people to take their condition seriously...I hope your friend wises up before getting any complications.
 
Don't worry Grogg, your main concern is you. I know a good handful of people who I've discovered since my diagnosis are also diabetic, but I would never have guessed from their diet. Speaking to one, she laughed it off saying she was diabetic too but she never did anything about it and couldn't be bothered. Totally blew my mind, with all the complications I couldn't understand why you wouldn't try! I like my feet and my sight.

You just do what's working for you and it's going well 🙂
 
Beck S said:
Don't worry Grogg, your main concern is you. I know a good handful of people who I've discovered since my diagnosis are also diabetic, but I would never have guessed from their diet. Speaking to one, she laughed it off saying she was diabetic too but she never did anything about it and couldn't be bothered. Totally blew my mind, with all the complications I couldn't understand why you wouldn't try! I like my feet and my sight.

You just do what's working for you and it's going well 🙂
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"Cannot happen to me" attitude. Totally shocks me to be honest, like playing Russian Roulette with your life
 
Well done for gently educating Grogg and knowig when to stop.

I think you are much more likely to have been persuasive by leaving it where you did, if you try to convince people they are 'wrong' I think you are bound to build up resistance to the idea in them. You simply told them what you did, why you thought it was important and how it helped you. Those messages can just sit quietly in the background now, until the other person is ready for them.
 
Vince_UK said:
"Cannot happen to me" attitude. Totally shocks me to be honest, like playing Russian Roulette with your life
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I just don't get it. Still, it doesn't stop me from doing the best I can do for my health.
 
My experience with health care professionals is that I should do nothing, know nothing and not be involved at all. Changing diet for our diabetes is unnecessary and unimportant, carbohydrates should not be managed and I've definitely to eat them all the time with no regard to how much.
It does make be wonder when people, away from the medical people, seem to completely buy into they've to completely ignore their condition.
 
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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
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