I hope every one had a wonderful Christmas. I know we did! What a crazy past four days though. Diets, meal plans, diabetes...who has time for that around the holidays? I guess that was hubby's thought exactly. Saturday we ate out twice, which would not have been too bad if hubby had some self control! He went wayyyyyy over on the carbs. His sugar was still high in the morning. Then sunday he went to Buffalo to watch the Bills play the Giants. Hubby likes the Giants so he was happy to be celebrating a win that gaurenteed a place in the play offs at Buffalo's stadium, even if he was cold and wet! He did not eat much and drank about four beers. The same was true on Christmas eve. So on Christmas he was sick to his stomach. I told him he over did it this weekend and he has to be better about what he puts in his body. It is ok to have bad days once in a while, but it is not good to have a bad four days in a row. It took a toll on him.
The good news is that hubby can enjoy pasta again!!! Not just pasta but good authentic pasta! How you ask? "Dreamfields" makes a very authentic tasting pasta that only has 5 grams of digestable carbs. What that means is that less of the carbs effect your blood sugar! Plus it has double the fiber of regular pasta and it has a special fiber called inulin not insulin that helps with digestive health and calcium absorbtion. Long story short hubby's sugar after a big plate of lasagna...105!!! That was fabulous! To find a store where they sell dreamfields visit their website www.dreamfieldsfoods.com This pasta is soooo good. I am Italian and this is the best pasta I have ever had! Hubby is not a huge fan of pasta but he loves this one! We are hooked! :)
The kids had a wonderful Christmas, Santa brought them everything that they asked for. It was soo nice to see them so happy! Santa was good to me too. I got new pj's, slippers and a bath robe. I also got hubby some new pj's and "The Simpson Movie" that he wanted.
We went over to my mother in laws for dinner and desert. It was nice to see everyone. After eating most everyone played "pitch" with the exception of three of us that did not know how to play. Yes I am included in that three. I sat there and watched for awhile. Hubby's aunt said, "boy you two are all lovey lately" she could not get over how happy we seem together. My mother in law thinks this means she is getting another grandchild. I would love for that to happen, but hubby does not want another child. I told her not to get her hopes up!
All in all it was a great day! I hope hubby has learned his lesson about eating right and not over doing it with the beer!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
Diabetes education
So we met with the diabetes educator yesterday. She was very knowledgeable and easy to talk with. This appointment went so much better than the dietitian!! At least the educator realizes that hubby is young, fit, works a hard labor intesive job and that he needs to put a few pounds back on. She agreed that hubby should be eating a 2400 calorie diet and he should be eating a few more carbs during the day.
She agree's with me that she believe's hubby is not a type 2 diabetic. She is recommending that the doctor do some specific blood test that will help in determining what type of diabetes he has. She said that is cholesterol for the most part was good. It was a little out of wack but she said that was only because his sugar was sooo high when they did the test. He does not have hight blood pressure and he is not over-weight and that is why she thinks there is something more going on with him than type 2. We spoke brievely about type 1.5, this type of diabetes is similar to type 1 with the exception that if they are put on certian meds that increase insulin production and slow the release of sugar from the liver, the person's sugar will go down and the meds will help for a few years until the body eventually destroyes the remaining beta cells. Drugs used to help with insulin resistance will not work, because there is no insulin resistance. Judging by what she has told us and what the doctor has told us, my own research and hubby's cousin that is a doctor is telling us, it sure sounds like the type 1.5 is what is going on here. I guess only time will tell. She also is recommending that the doctor allow him to start exercising. He really wants to get started and so do I. It will help with controlling his blood sugar.
She also mentioned that hubby's bad teeth and other dental problems are affecting his sugar. They will make it high. So the sooner we get those teeth pulled and get his gums better the better!!!! So I will be on the phone with the dentist today to see what the hold up is.
She is very impressed with how well we are handling things. His sugars are very close to his target range and we are making smart decisions with the food that he eats. She also agreed that he needed to be eating a 2400 calorie diet, so he can eat more than what the dietitian first told him.
She also gave him a new monitor that works better than the one we have. It is really not the monitor but the lancing device that does not work well. We cant seem to get enough blood. But now we have to use up the stuff we have with our current monitor before we can get a script for the new stuff to go with our new meter. That will probably take about two more months. I have 200 strips at home to use up!
Hubby was funny. She was showing us how to use the new monitor and how to make getting the blood easier, so she had hubby test his sugar and he would not do it. I thought for sure that he would be too embarressed to have me do it in front of her like that, but no he don't care, he will NOT test his own sugar!
She was very helpfull and I think the appointment went great! We learned a lot! She even gave me some advise on different things I can do for lunches for hubby. That's what I really need. I am not creative with food and I double guess myself all the time. I always wonder if I am giving him enough food, the right combinations of food etc. She said she was prob creating more work for me. I had to chuckle, all of this has been more work for me. It doesn't matter if it is that much more work for me. This is the hand we have been dealt and we have to make the best of it. If that meens that I have to spend more time in the kitchen then that is what I will do. I only want what is best for him and for him to be happy. Don't get me wrong we both have our moments when we don't want to deal with this, when we feel depressed about all of this. But I think the majority of the time we are handling things head on. We are not going to let diabetes get the best of us! And together we can accomplish GREAT things!
She agree's with me that she believe's hubby is not a type 2 diabetic. She is recommending that the doctor do some specific blood test that will help in determining what type of diabetes he has. She said that is cholesterol for the most part was good. It was a little out of wack but she said that was only because his sugar was sooo high when they did the test. He does not have hight blood pressure and he is not over-weight and that is why she thinks there is something more going on with him than type 2. We spoke brievely about type 1.5, this type of diabetes is similar to type 1 with the exception that if they are put on certian meds that increase insulin production and slow the release of sugar from the liver, the person's sugar will go down and the meds will help for a few years until the body eventually destroyes the remaining beta cells. Drugs used to help with insulin resistance will not work, because there is no insulin resistance. Judging by what she has told us and what the doctor has told us, my own research and hubby's cousin that is a doctor is telling us, it sure sounds like the type 1.5 is what is going on here. I guess only time will tell. She also is recommending that the doctor allow him to start exercising. He really wants to get started and so do I. It will help with controlling his blood sugar.
She also mentioned that hubby's bad teeth and other dental problems are affecting his sugar. They will make it high. So the sooner we get those teeth pulled and get his gums better the better!!!! So I will be on the phone with the dentist today to see what the hold up is.
She is very impressed with how well we are handling things. His sugars are very close to his target range and we are making smart decisions with the food that he eats. She also agreed that he needed to be eating a 2400 calorie diet, so he can eat more than what the dietitian first told him.
She also gave him a new monitor that works better than the one we have. It is really not the monitor but the lancing device that does not work well. We cant seem to get enough blood. But now we have to use up the stuff we have with our current monitor before we can get a script for the new stuff to go with our new meter. That will probably take about two more months. I have 200 strips at home to use up!
Hubby was funny. She was showing us how to use the new monitor and how to make getting the blood easier, so she had hubby test his sugar and he would not do it. I thought for sure that he would be too embarressed to have me do it in front of her like that, but no he don't care, he will NOT test his own sugar!
She was very helpfull and I think the appointment went great! We learned a lot! She even gave me some advise on different things I can do for lunches for hubby. That's what I really need. I am not creative with food and I double guess myself all the time. I always wonder if I am giving him enough food, the right combinations of food etc. She said she was prob creating more work for me. I had to chuckle, all of this has been more work for me. It doesn't matter if it is that much more work for me. This is the hand we have been dealt and we have to make the best of it. If that meens that I have to spend more time in the kitchen then that is what I will do. I only want what is best for him and for him to be happy. Don't get me wrong we both have our moments when we don't want to deal with this, when we feel depressed about all of this. But I think the majority of the time we are handling things head on. We are not going to let diabetes get the best of us! And together we can accomplish GREAT things!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Dietitian
So we had our appointment with the dietitian yesterday. That was a complete waste of time. They told us stuff we already know. I know how much a serving is, I know how to read how many carbs are in a serving and to subtract the fiber from that amount. I thought it would be more along the lines of helping you figure out how to keep the foods he loves in his diet. How to do the meal plans that I read about everywhere. None of that happened.
But I do have good news to report. After dinner last night hubby's sugar was only 118!!!!! I couldn't be happier that the stronger meds are working!!!!! There is light at the end of the tunel. His sugars have been consistantly under 200!! We are making progress.
Today is his birthday. He wants pizza and wings for dinner tonight. So I am going to pizza hut to get dinner after work and to pick up his no sugar added ice cream cake from Carvel's. His mom, step dad and grandma are coming over for dinner and cake too. So it should be a good night! Two more days til the BIG party that he knows nothing about. I am so excited. I can not wait to see the look on his face. I hope it makes him happy! :)
But I do have good news to report. After dinner last night hubby's sugar was only 118!!!!! I couldn't be happier that the stronger meds are working!!!!! There is light at the end of the tunel. His sugars have been consistantly under 200!! We are making progress.
Today is his birthday. He wants pizza and wings for dinner tonight. So I am going to pizza hut to get dinner after work and to pick up his no sugar added ice cream cake from Carvel's. His mom, step dad and grandma are coming over for dinner and cake too. So it should be a good night! Two more days til the BIG party that he knows nothing about. I am so excited. I can not wait to see the look on his face. I hope it makes him happy! :)
Why Him??? That seems to be the question on his mind. I must say that I couldn't agree more. Hubby has been working the night shift this week and he was taking a quick nap before work. I had to wake him up so he could take his medicine and test his sugar before work. As he woke up he said "why bother living?" Wow, I know this is hard but I did not understand that comment. I said to him what do you mean? He said " I can't eat, I can't drink, I go to work and I am so tired I sleep during my breaks, that's why I am not eating at work. I come home and I sleep and I am still tired."
I have to say that this devastated me. I guess I just feel like the kids and I are not enough reason for him to want to be here on this earth and that really hurts. It seems like the booze is more important to him then us. I feel awful for him. I do not want to see him going through this. It is so hard on all of us. I can not even imagine what he is going through.
I have often times wondered what has kept the two of us together. To put it nicely we had a rough relationship. There were many times that I thought about calling it quits and just walking out the door. But something kept me there, something beyond my control. As time as gone on things between us have gotten better. Strangely enough things now are the best they have ever been between us. I believe that we choose the life we are going to live before we are born and that we carry the experiences of past lives with us to help us through the tough times in our current life. I believe that our soul needs this to grow spiritually. Could it be that the reason I never left was because, this is what I chose? A lesson I needed to learn? A lesson I needed to help him learn? Maybe this is all happening to us for a good reason. To help us grow spiritually and to help us become a better couple, better parents and better people; healthier people! He was headed down a bad road with all of his drinking and the live style he was living. Maybe this is for the best. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.
I love this man soooo much and I just want to take his pain away and make everything better again! But I can't do that! It hurts me so much to watch this bring him down. But this is not the end of our life, this is the beginning of a new life, a healthier way to live and to bring up our children, so hopefully they never have to deal with this disease. We need to learn how to control the diabetes and not let the diabetes control us!
I have to say that this devastated me. I guess I just feel like the kids and I are not enough reason for him to want to be here on this earth and that really hurts. It seems like the booze is more important to him then us. I feel awful for him. I do not want to see him going through this. It is so hard on all of us. I can not even imagine what he is going through.
I have often times wondered what has kept the two of us together. To put it nicely we had a rough relationship. There were many times that I thought about calling it quits and just walking out the door. But something kept me there, something beyond my control. As time as gone on things between us have gotten better. Strangely enough things now are the best they have ever been between us. I believe that we choose the life we are going to live before we are born and that we carry the experiences of past lives with us to help us through the tough times in our current life. I believe that our soul needs this to grow spiritually. Could it be that the reason I never left was because, this is what I chose? A lesson I needed to learn? A lesson I needed to help him learn? Maybe this is all happening to us for a good reason. To help us grow spiritually and to help us become a better couple, better parents and better people; healthier people! He was headed down a bad road with all of his drinking and the live style he was living. Maybe this is for the best. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise.
I love this man soooo much and I just want to take his pain away and make everything better again! But I can't do that! It hurts me so much to watch this bring him down. But this is not the end of our life, this is the beginning of a new life, a healthier way to live and to bring up our children, so hopefully they never have to deal with this disease. We need to learn how to control the diabetes and not let the diabetes control us!
Dr. Appointment
Hubby woke up this morning with bad muscle cramps in his calves. He had the day off today so I called and got him in to see the doctor today instead of waiting until Monday. If the medicine has not worked yet it will not start working over the weekend! So he went and the doctor doubled his medicine and he does not seem worried, he thinks things look good. I don't know how since his numbers are the same as they have been since the last visit, but who am I and what do I know? He also explained that the muscle cramps are just because his body is going through a lot right now and that his potassium levels are fine so it is not that.
My husband works crazy hours and work swing shifts from time to time. This seems to have an effect on his sugar, because when he does not have to be up at 3:30 in the morning his sugar is much lower. So the doctor said he will keep that in mind while adjusting his meds. We don't want him to bottom out. So all in all not a bad visit, I just hope that the medicine will work. He does not go back for a month. That seems so far away. But hopefully a lot changes between now and then! In the mean time I do need to set up appointments with the foot doctor and eye doctor. So we will def be busy with appointmens!
My husband works crazy hours and work swing shifts from time to time. This seems to have an effect on his sugar, because when he does not have to be up at 3:30 in the morning his sugar is much lower. So the doctor said he will keep that in mind while adjusting his meds. We don't want him to bottom out. So all in all not a bad visit, I just hope that the medicine will work. He does not go back for a month. That seems so far away. But hopefully a lot changes between now and then! In the mean time I do need to set up appointments with the foot doctor and eye doctor. So we will def be busy with appointmens!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
It is the simple things in life that make me happy!
So my hubby will be the BIG 30 in one week. Now I have been planning a surprise party for him since his last birthday. Ok, maybe not planning but it has always been my intent to throw him a big bash for this special occasion. Everything was going along so smoothly until we found out about the diabetes. Like I said before he loves to drink. I was planning on having a surprise party with lots of beer and pizza, wings, soda. As part of the party I am planning a poker tournament because he loves to play texas hold em. Now I have been questioning everything about the party. As it is I am not buying ANY beer. If people feel they need it, they were told to bring there own. So I have found that the Carvel's near my house is very accommodating and willing to make a sheet cake that is 1/4 no sugar added and the other 3/4 a regular cake. I am so excited about this. I also just found out that Wegman's has a wheat dough for the pizza! I was so happy that I had to share this news with my best friend. She emailed me back with a "it doesn't take much these days, does it!" How right is she? It does not take much to make me happy anymore, just the simple things in life, like living a long happy life with the love of my life!
A whole new world to us
Diabetes is a whole new world to me and my husband. My husband was just diagnosed with diabetes two weeks ago. I am already feeling the roller coaster ride of emotions and this is just the beginning. I wanted to start this blog so that I would have someplace to put down my feelings about this awful disease.
My husband is 29 and I am 26, we have been married for only 2 1/2 years and we have two beautiful children, a girl that is 8 who is my daughter from a previous relationship and we have a son together that is 3. Like I said already he was just diagnosed with diabetes. At this point we have NO clue what is going on. There are lots of theories but no answers! They believe that his diabetes is the result of a cold, but we do not know yet. Because of his age and that he does not fit the "normal" profile of a type 2 they will not call it type 2 and because he does not fit the "normal" profile of a type 1 they (they being the doctors) will not call it type 1. So we really have no idea what is in store for us yet!
Right now they are trying pills to get his sugar down, but it is still high, mostly in the 200's with some over 300 and some just under 200(rare) The doctors give you this diagnosis and send you home with a meter and "don't eat too much carbs" order and think that you can just figure this stuff out on your own. We still have another week to go until we see the dietitian. I am trying my best to make healthy foods for him and I have rid my house of "junk food" He seems to be handling it ok! But he is always hungry!
This came to us as such a surprise. He had gotten a cold about two months ago and started drinking a lot of water. We thought it was just because he was sick. Then when it continued and he was using the bathroom ALL the time I started to get concerned. Then he started getting muscle cramps in the middle of night. That is when I made an appointment for him to see the doctor. I thought he might have diabetes, but I didn't REALLY think it. I guess I was hoping he would just come home and say it was nothing! Denial I guess!
What an adjustment, and I feel like "mother hen"! LOL!! He will not test his sugar so I get up with him every morning at 3:30 to test his fasting sugar before he goes to work and make him breakfast, otherwise he wont eat! I come home at night and cook dinner and make lunches for the next day and test his sugar again before bed. Everything I do is centered around this disease! It is awful! I hate to see the man I love going through this! I just hope that we can get things under control soon and maybe I am being naive but I hope that things will get easier for us. It is hard for me to think that the man I just married is not going to be the same again and that I am caring for him already!
The one good thing that is coming from this, NO MORE BEER!!! :) He loves to drink, too much! And that was a source of problems in our relationship. I just hope he can stay away from the beer. That and watching his carbs are going to be the hardest adjustments for him to make right now.
My husband is 29 and I am 26, we have been married for only 2 1/2 years and we have two beautiful children, a girl that is 8 who is my daughter from a previous relationship and we have a son together that is 3. Like I said already he was just diagnosed with diabetes. At this point we have NO clue what is going on. There are lots of theories but no answers! They believe that his diabetes is the result of a cold, but we do not know yet. Because of his age and that he does not fit the "normal" profile of a type 2 they will not call it type 2 and because he does not fit the "normal" profile of a type 1 they (they being the doctors) will not call it type 1. So we really have no idea what is in store for us yet!
Right now they are trying pills to get his sugar down, but it is still high, mostly in the 200's with some over 300 and some just under 200(rare) The doctors give you this diagnosis and send you home with a meter and "don't eat too much carbs" order and think that you can just figure this stuff out on your own. We still have another week to go until we see the dietitian. I am trying my best to make healthy foods for him and I have rid my house of "junk food" He seems to be handling it ok! But he is always hungry!
This came to us as such a surprise. He had gotten a cold about two months ago and started drinking a lot of water. We thought it was just because he was sick. Then when it continued and he was using the bathroom ALL the time I started to get concerned. Then he started getting muscle cramps in the middle of night. That is when I made an appointment for him to see the doctor. I thought he might have diabetes, but I didn't REALLY think it. I guess I was hoping he would just come home and say it was nothing! Denial I guess!
What an adjustment, and I feel like "mother hen"! LOL!! He will not test his sugar so I get up with him every morning at 3:30 to test his fasting sugar before he goes to work and make him breakfast, otherwise he wont eat! I come home at night and cook dinner and make lunches for the next day and test his sugar again before bed. Everything I do is centered around this disease! It is awful! I hate to see the man I love going through this! I just hope that we can get things under control soon and maybe I am being naive but I hope that things will get easier for us. It is hard for me to think that the man I just married is not going to be the same again and that I am caring for him already!
The one good thing that is coming from this, NO MORE BEER!!! :) He loves to drink, too much! And that was a source of problems in our relationship. I just hope he can stay away from the beer. That and watching his carbs are going to be the hardest adjustments for him to make right now.
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