Hello! I am a parent of a type 1 child and I spend a lot of my time counting carbs for my son and trying to make sure his insulin doses match what he's eating. My Dad has had type 2 for about 25 years. When he was diagnosed, he was simply told to 'avoid sugar'. His diabetes was never a big issue for him or anyone else. Sadly, after years of what I now know is mismanagement, he has terrible foot problems and is partially sighted. Putting so much effort into looking after my son has opened my eyes to the way Dad manages himself. He doesn't count carbs. He eats whatever he likes. He checks his blood and seems happy if it's around 15mmols. I have no idea how he works out his insulin. He appears to just twist the end of his pen randomly and pop it in. He looks with a disapproving eye at my son's pump and never wants to talk about managing diabetes. I know that type 2 is different, but how different is the management of type 2 to that of type 1? Do people with type 2 diabetes carb count too? Is the management of the condition similar to type 1? I would love to be able to help my Dad, but I do feel a bit ignorant. Any advice, please?
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Type 2 carb counting?
- Thread starter ageez
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Northerner
Admin (Retired)
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- Type 1
What insulin regime is he on ageez? If it's a mixed insulin or basal only then carb counting may not be possible. What he should be doing is testing to find out how his various meals affect him so he can get a better picture of how well, or otherwise, his insulin doses are working for him. If he is highly insulin-resistant then large insulin doses are less predictable as far as carb-counting goes, I believe. Might be difficult to get him to test efficiently though if he doesn't take much interest in his diabetes.
Hi Northerner. He is on Levemir and Novorapid. Unfortunately, he thinks he knows best about everything and doesn't like to talk about it. I think he is so used to being around 15mmols, he feels ill if he is anything less. I was just wondering if he were able to carb count, my Mum might be able to offer him more help with his food and doses etc and he could be a bit more precise with his treatment. Perhaps do some damage limitation with his eyes and feet. This may be a bit of a pipe dream, though. I have never known anyone more stubborn!
Copepod
Much missed Moderator
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Ageez - your dad is right, he would feel strange (hypo like symptoms) if he suddenly started experiencing much lower than the 15mmol/l levels to which he has been accustomed. However, if he could bring levels down gradually, eventually, his body would become used to normal levels and only feel hypo when he really is ie below 4 - 5 mmol/l.
The other aspect not yet mentioned, is the role of physical activity / exercise. As you say he already has foot and sight problems, his options are slightly limited, but walking, gardening etc are all options, assuming he can do these; swimming involves some financial investment (but often GPs can rfer to "exercise on prescription" type schemes) but is non weight bearing, so good on dodgy feet; some gyms have suitable machines and can also be "exercise on prescription".
It's tough for other family members to watch, but realistically, unless he wants to make changes, no-one can do it for him.
The other aspect not yet mentioned, is the role of physical activity / exercise. As you say he already has foot and sight problems, his options are slightly limited, but walking, gardening etc are all options, assuming he can do these; swimming involves some financial investment (but often GPs can rfer to "exercise on prescription" type schemes) but is non weight bearing, so good on dodgy feet; some gyms have suitable machines and can also be "exercise on prescription".
It's tough for other family members to watch, but realistically, unless he wants to make changes, no-one can do it for him.
Northerner
Admin (Retired)
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- Type 1
As he is on basal bolus then I would imagine he could certainly benefit from more accurate dosing - perhaps your mum could do the carb-counting for him? As I mentioned earlier, I think it is less precise when you are on larger doses, but the aim might be to carb count a frequently enjoyed meal and see the effect on his blood sugar levels. It's such a shame when people don't want to try just that little bit harder to understand how it all works and spare themselves unnecessary consequences. Have you seen the free downloadable guide to carb counting from Diabetes UK? This might help your Mum understand the concepts.
http://www.diabetes.org.uk//upload/H...Count-2012.pdf
I would also talk to him and let him know your concerns and how he can improve things so he gets to enjoy his family in better health. I remember DizzyDi managed to achieve a transformation in her Mum, so it's not impossible! 🙂
Thanks for the link, I hadn't seen that and I will recommend it to my Mum. I hope she can help him to make some changes. He is very defensive about his diabetes around me, so I'm not sure there is anything I can do directly. Perhaps educating Mum is the way to go!
Hi Copepod! You are right that only he can really make a change, but I'm hoping Mum can help. Perhaps if she can get him carb counting, his levels can come down gradually, as you say.
Unfortunately, exercise is out of the question. His foot has been in plaster for many a year now and he gets about on his mobility scooter.
SueinFrance
Member
Thanks for this reference-I"ve just read it and find it very well written. I'm not on insulin (yet 😉 ) but my Mum & brother are and I can see that one of them has taken on board all this and the other is just injecting blindly. It is very difficult trying to explain to some people who think they know it all but really don't understand
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