Type II Diabetes

Sorry about your mum, and good luck with your journey

My mum doesn't have diabetes, but most other people in my family do, and developing diabetes is one of my biggest health fears. I too could benefit from a healthier lifestyle. You aren't in this situation alone :flowerforyou:

I'm a T1.5 diabetic. I was diagnosed in 2002. Eventually it got out of control and I was put on insulin, and eventually an insulin pump. After I had my first child, I hit rock bottom and knew my life had to change. I was taking massive doses of insulin and metformin. Within a year I was completely drug free.
It can be done! I like to tell fellow diabetics that there IS a cure. It's them.

See if the hospital has nutrition services and set up an appointment with a dietician/nutritionist. Many insurances will help pay for it. Some hospitals also have diabetes education classes, you might check into those. Once she's out of the hospital she'll need to see a doctor regularly and they can recommend classes or nutritionists if you don't know where to start.

This... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I'm a T1.5 diabetic. I was diagnosed in 2002. Eventually it got out of control and I was put on insulin, and eventually an insulin pump. After I had my first child, I hit rock bottom and knew my life had to change. I was taking massive doses of insulin and metformin. Within a year I was completely drug free.
It can be done! I like to tell fellow diabetics that there IS a cure. It's them.

? What is a TY1.5 diabetic???

See if the hospital has nutrition services and set up an appointment with a dietician/nutritionist. Many insurances will help pay for it. Some hospitals also have diabetes education classes, you might check into those. Once she's out of the hospital she'll need to see a doctor regularly and they can recommend classes or nutritionists if you don't know where to start.

This... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Just be careful. If the nutritionist is encouraging diabetics to eat 60g carb per meal, and several snacks a day... RUN AWAY! I learned the hard way that a controlled carb diet is better than a high carb one.
Check out http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
I've learned so much about insulin and hormones just from living the Primal Blueprint.

ETA:
This one even more specifically:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/#axzz23AptoGAa

I second what the others have said, and I'd also like to add my personal experience. Not all bodies are alike, so not all diabetics are alike. I can eat fresh fruit all day and have perfect sugar readings, but others might have spikes from eating fruit. Listen to your body, experiment, and keep at it. It's worth the hard work to get your/your mother's numbers in line! I wish you the best

I'm a T1.5 diabetic. I was diagnosed in 2002. Eventually it got out of control and I was put on insulin, and eventually an insulin pump. After I had my first child, I hit rock bottom and knew my life had to change. I was taking massive doses of insulin and metformin. Within a year I was completely drug free.
It can be done! I like to tell fellow diabetics that there IS a cure. It's them.

True if you have type 2. Not true if you have type 1.

Diabetes is a tough disease. Some people tell you to stop eating fruit. I've always eaten fruit without a problem. In fact, I can eat cake, as long as I count the carbs. But juice, soda? Those things destroy me. Your mom will have low blood sugar for seemingly no reason and then high for seemingly no reason. It's a crazy life, but it's not impossible. Counting carbs is the most important thing a diabetic can do and get exercise. Type 2's can get off medication if they work hard.

See if the hospital has nutrition services and set up an appointment with a dietician/nutritionist. Many insurances will help pay for it. Some hospitals also have diabetes education classes, you might check into those. Once she's out of the hospital she'll need to see a doctor regularly and they can recommend classes or nutritionists if you don't know where to start.

This... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Just be careful. If the nutritionist is encouraging diabetics to eat 60g carb per meal, and several snacks a day... RUN AWAY! I learned the hard way that a controlled carb diet is better than a high carb one.
Check out http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
I've learned so much about insulin and hormones just from living the Primal Blueprint.

ETA:
This one even more specifically:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/#axzz23AptoGAa

^^^^ agreed. I eat paleo. My carbs come from fruit and the occosional baked tater. No soda. No bread. No pasta. No problems.

I sent you a couple emails
Definately see a nutrionist - it was the first thing they sent me too. I pretty much eat paleo and that has solved alot of problems for me.

And I found out I have sleep apnea. And the sleep doctor says every body that has diabetes has sleep apnea. And he's right - every diabetic I know has sleep apnea. Sleep affects how we metablize insulin and sugar. If I sleep badly, my blood sugar the next morning is a good 40-100 points higher then normal.

I do not have sleep apnea. Interestingly, none of the diabetics I know have sleep apnea. Your doctor needs to re-read his medical books.

Read this
http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20050301/sleep-apnea-treatment-may-improve-diabetes

I literally gasped when I read 600. Wow. Thank God she made it to the hospital and was diagnosed. She can absolutely beat this and your support will be vital on her new journey.

The rule I was given by my diabetic dietician that help me the most was never, EVER, put a carb in your mouth without a protein and/or fat. Follow this without fail. If she has crackers, have a little cheese or peanut butter with it. Fruit with the same or a few nuts. Cottage cheese with peaches. Fruit and yogurt. Whole grain bread with peanut butter. Research foods that combined, form a complete protein chain. Quinoa is wonderful as it's complete without the addition of anything else. You can even buy Quinoa flakes and use them in place of breading for crispy oven baked mock fried chicken. I'll message you with links to a few recipe sites I love.

When we become insulin resistant it's because our cells can no longer use insulin very well. Repeated spikes (high carb intake) is what causes it in most cases. Keeping her blood sugar as even as possible is key. She'll respond to certain foods well, certain foods poorly. It won't make sense and it's completely trial and error to figure them out. Rice for me is a no-go. Potatoes, no problem. Carrots send my numbers through the roof but strawberries don't. Makes no sense but each of us has our own list of these foods. She'll learn hers too over time.

The longer she can keep her numbers steady the more insulin sensitive she'll become. This is a lifetime of change. We can never be "cured" of Type 2 Diabetes. However, we can heal ourselves through diet, fat loss and being lightly active. A 20 minute walk 5 days a week is wonderful. There are also YouTube exercises she can do at home if getting outside isn't her cup of tea. Check out Leslie Sansone's walking videos for example.

I'm sending a friend request. I'll do anything I can to help and please let her know that the initial adjustment is the hardest part. It gets so much easier, testing becomes a normal habit and the food choices become second nature. Most of all, she will begin to feel like a new person with a renewed life.

I sent you a couple emails
Definately see a nutrionist - it was the first thing they sent me too. I pretty much eat paleo and that has solved alot of problems for me.

And I found out I have sleep apnea. And the sleep doctor says every body that has diabetes has sleep apnea. And he's right - every diabetic I know has sleep apnea. Sleep affects how we metablize insulin and sugar. If I sleep badly, my blood sugar the next morning is a good 40-100 points higher then normal.

I do not have sleep apnea. Interestingly, none of the diabetics I know have sleep apnea. Your doctor needs to re-read his medical books.

Or read this
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/sleep-apnea-diabetes-type-2-_n_1539933.html

Neither study says that every body that has diabetes has sleep apnea. And those studies discuss type 2 diabetes, not simply diabetes. According to those studies, sleep apnea only affects 4% of men and 2% of women. What about the rest of the diabetics? Your doctor was simply wrong.

There is a T2D group on MFP that might be helpful.

See if the hospital has nutrition services and set up an appointment with a dietician/nutritionist. Many insurances will help pay for it. Some hospitals also have diabetes education classes, you might check into those. Once she's out of the hospital she'll need to see a doctor regularly and they can recommend classes or nutritionists if you don't know where to start.

This... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Just be careful. If the nutritionist is encouraging diabetics to eat 60g carb per meal, and several snacks a day... RUN AWAY! I learned the hard way that a controlled carb diet is better than a high carb one.
Check out http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
I've learned so much about insulin and hormones just from living the Primal Blueprint.

ETA:
This one even more specifically:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/diabetes/#axzz23AptoGAa

Good point! All the experts say things a little differently. I would compare what the nutritionist says against the American Diabetic Association and see if they match up. And the point about watching carbs but eating too few calories, also spot on. I have a habit of this and have actually had to STOP counting carbs because I was getting ill from it. I'm still watching my carbs, just eating the right kind and watching portion sizes.

My Mother and Grandmother Both have this Im trying to lose weight and get in shape as fast as I can I can understand where you are coming from sorry for your mom I heard rumors about it being a cure around this decade I pray there is a cure.

I am a diabetic, have been since age 16. Make sure your mom is able to see a good diabetes educator if she has not already done so. Diabetes is serious, but also very manageable with the right diet changes and medications. Best of luck to her and feel free to add me if you like.