My mother in law is telling my husband she is always dying. She is always suffering from something, last year she was walking down the street and her lung collapsed and she went into the doctors office and he reinflated her lung. (please as if), however, she came over this past weekend and is saying she has diabetes. I know a little about diabetes but definitely not everything.
Sat morn we ate at Denny's-My mother in law ate a sausage, bacon, cheese omlet with rye toast/butter. Later for dinner we ate Mexican food.
Sun morning we ate at Bob Evans-again my mother in law had a cheese omlet with bacon, rye toast/butter. Later that same day a chocolate Ice cream cone from dairy queen. Dinner, she had salad with dressing and a couple of chicken strips.
My question is even in the rarest forms can someone with diabetes eat all of this and never once testing their blood levels? My mother in law said she takes one pill in the morning and that is when she tests her sugar levels but doesn't have to any other times?
Does this sound true or correct?
Thanks in advance-I just hate my husband always feeling guilty. Several of the responses so far have no idea what they are talking about.
Here is some things to consider:
Given her age she is probably type 2 so yes all of the above issues can be true. A lot of doctors do not recomend testing more than once a day for patients that have diabetes that can be controlled with oral medications. There are several oral medications that are extended release so only one pill a day is needed.
As far as eating all that and not checking her blood glucose, yes that does not sound uncommon, she probably is not controlling her diabetes properly but inless her numbers are over 300 there is not alot of noticeable symptoms but there is long term damage being done to her nerves, kidneys, heart, eyes and feet. Also a lot of diabetics have the mistaken mindset "If I take a pill it will take care of it" and do not grasp the fact that to control diabetes requires a lifestyle change. The real scarry thing is there are a lot of MD's who feel the same! If you were to total up the carb content of all of her meals and the ice cream cone she is over eating and it is not good for her. As a type 2 diabetic I could easily eat those breakfasts, Mexican for dinner is ok as long as I watch how much rice I eat, chicken strip salad with dressing would be ok, but again I would not eat the crutons and would goe for the oil/vinagar dressing. I eat ice cream a couple times a month but make sure I consider the carbs and balance my intake. There is nothing your husband has to feel guilty about, he did not cause her to get diabetes, infact if she is truely diabetic she has passed those genes down to him and he sould have a full blood panel done the next time he goes in for a check up. For more information you can got to the American Diabetes Assocation website.
There are a lot of people with type 2 diabetes that control it with diet and exercise only.
Also there are between 40 and 50 different forms of diabetes and they all react differently to medication so treatment can not be a cookie cutter style. The short answer is yes, you can eat all those things.
Type 2 diabetes, the body produces some insulin that is either not enough or not well absorbed. Some meds help the body use the insulin. It is recommended that the person test at least in the morning, but other times as well, but, well, many don't. In some "mild" cases, the diabetes can be controlled by the meds alone.
But still, it would be better if your mother-in-law tried to watch the carbs she ate, lose weight, and exercise.
Ok she probably has type 2 diabetes and that means that she only has to take 2 pills a day and only has to check her a few times a day. Also an omlete, cheese, bacon, eggs, sausage, ect... doesn't have any carbs so she can eat that. Actually she can eat all that stuff withought it really doing anything to her. So I wouldn't really worry about her. I have type 1 diabetes so I have really researched and stuff. well my step grandma has diabetes she has to check every morning. Really if anything though a diabetic can eat eggs there is nothing wrong with then eating because it gives them more protein, and they can eat mexican food too. They only thing they can not have to much of is the ice cream, because of all the sugar that is in the ice cream. I don't even think that there is a pill that will help diabetes. She would have to take insulin every morning to really help her out. Yes, you could. There is no law about testing sugar, but it is beneficial to do so. Her diet would probably leave her with high glucose readings after eating ice cream. I would ask her want the name of her medication is, her brand of monitor, and what numbers she is having when she tests. Your question is a fair one.
Your MIL's poor habit of testing along with your limited information of diabetes can be confusing.
It doesn't sound as if she is seeing an endocrinologist. Diabetes is not a job for your GP.
The endo can help her test more often and send her to a dietitian to learn to count carbs.This is the Gold standard in diabetes care.
The foods such as eggs, cheese and sausage have no carbohydrates.They are protein and fat.
She can eat those forever.It is worth noting that they are high in fat.The toast seems to be the only carbs in that meal.
I love mexican food.I just have to count carbs in the tortillas and the beans and rice.
You didn't mention her age.In older people the sugar levels do not have to be kept so tight.
She may not live 30 more years for any bad effects of diabetes to get to her.
If she is indeed elderly, let her eat and enjoy.It's just not fair to ask older folks to limit what they like most.Perhaps a smaller slice of cake or one less tortilla ? This is her decision.
Good luck. I hope that helped.
People with diabetes can eat any kind of food in moderate amounts. The omelette and rye toast is actually a good choice provided she isn't very overweight. That meal is moderate in carb and high in fiber, but also high in calories. The ice cream cone is fine as long as it's a small one. The chicken strips and salad also sound like a decent choice. Ideally Type 2's should test 3x a day, but many docs only expect their patients to do it once a day, which is unfortunate.
His mom has probably always been this way and your husband will likely feel guilty about things she says for the rest of her life. Not much you can do to change that. But you can try to have a better relationship with her which will help alleviate some of the resentment and frustration you feel with her. I like Gary B's answer. The food you are describing doesn't sound all that high in carbohydrates, but it does sound exceptionally unhealthy for someone with diabetes. All of that sausage, bacon, cheese and butter is guaranteed to raise your mother-in-law's cholesterol and contribute to the extremely high risk of heart disease or stroke that is one of the primary complications from diabetes.
I also don't care for your mother-in-law's strategy for monitoring her blood glucose. I also only take a reading once per day, but I alternate before and after every meal. The schedule that my nutritionist recommended is the following. Adhering to this type of schedule will help your mother-in-law get a sense of how her blood glucose fluctuates throughout the day and in response to various types of food.
Sunday - before breakfast
Monday - after breakfast
Tuesday - before lunch
Wednesday - after lunch
Thursday - before dinner
Friday - after dinner
Saturday - at bedtime I am 43 yrs old with Type 2 Diabetes. I eat almost everything but I stay away from a lot of carbohydrates, sweet pastries and fats. I test 2x everyday, one in the morning and one before going to bed. I have to eat a lot of veggies, in salads or cooked with my meal. However, I have to make sure that have little snacks of fruits or nuts as I need my blood levels to be consistently leveled.
If I eat a lot or if I eat too little, I find myself grumpy, weak or shaky.
Both my parents were diabetic and now 4 of us five siblings are...but we still manage.
With exercise and the right food, you'll make it work. Diabetics almost always ALSO have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The three diseases are inextriacbly linked. Diabetes is the underlying disease, causing high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Therefore, eggs MUST be limited, becasdue of both their cholesterol level and because the yolk -- the yellow part -- is almost about 75%fat, which is not good for either the cholesterol problem or the high blood pressure. So limit the eggs and egg products (including yellow egg buns . . .) to no more than 3 servings (3 eggs) a week.
The food at Denny's is know to be high in sodium (salt), so this, too, is bad for the high blood pressure. This is ESECIALLY true of sausage, which is also high in fat. Double-bad whammy!
Cheese is another high-fat item, and most cheeses are salted -- Double whammy again! Damn!
And of course ice cream is a definate no-no for diabetics. While Soft-Serve (like dairy Queen) is relatively low in fat, it IS high in SUGAR -- which is the underlying cause of the diabetes.
Rice is a source of concentrated starches, and so is almost as bad as sugar for the diabetic. But in Mexican (and Chinese) restaurants -- just don't order rice. Substitute beans -- lots of fiber! But the cheeses and sauces in Mexican food are high in fat, so stay away from things like Cheese Enchiliadas with Mole Sauce. Salsa is good, but the chips are deep-fried in FAT . . . .
A diabetic MUST test their blood sugar levels 3-4 times a day. Most diabetics follow an alternating schedule -- on day the check the reading just BEFORE measl and just before bed. on the next day they check 1 hour AFTER meals, and when the get up in the morning (if that's not breakfast time . . .)
You also keep a diary of these measurement and WHAT you eat, and how much you exercise. but that is from a GOOD diabetic. Sounds like mom-in-law is not a good patient.
So, the best for YOU is to learn to cook at home. Go to the bookstore, get a Diabetci Cookbook, and find some decent receipes. Then, whenever your mother in law comes for a visit YOU cook at home -- no more Dennys, Mexican, and Dairy Queen when she visits.
But ultimately SHE is responsible for the control of her disease. And if she doesn't she is facing:
Heart Disease, stroke, hardening of the artieries, high blood pressure, blindness, Alzheimers, neuropathy (dead nerves), gangrene of fingers and toes, amputations of feet. legs,. hands, and arms. Kidney disease, dialysis, digestion problems (diarhea and/or constipation), and lack of sexual pleasure.
ALL of these are caused by or aggravated by uncontrolled diabetes.
UNCONTROLLED diabetes is a death sentence. It WILL kill you, and proably sooner rather than later. However, you die from from heart disease, stroke, infection or kidney disease -- all of which are ultimate slow and painful deaths.
But a CONTROLLED diabaetic (watching diet, taking meds, taking blood readings 3-4 times a day, getting exercise) can live as long and as trouble free as a "normal" person.
EDIT: There is no "rare form" of diabetes. There are TWO forms: Type1 (children are born with the inability to produce insulin) and Type 2 (Adults lose the ability to produce enough insulin).
Either you have it, or you don't. Once you have it, there is no cure. You can only CONTROL it by watching diet, getting exercise, and following doctors orders exactly.
Child or adult, UNCONTROLELD diabetes is a death sentence. Your mother in law is asking for trouble. She may be in denial of her disease. Yes, you can eat these foods, but in very small portions. No more than 45 gram of carbs at one meal, and it sounds like she is WAY over that. She should be testing her blood sugars, in the morning when she gets up, before and after each meal, and before she goes to bed. Someone needs to sit her down and have a good talk with her. I think she should also have her doctor talk to her and she needs to attend some diabetic educational classes to learn about her disease and what can happen if she does not control it. She should also see a dietitian or a nutritionist.
Now...if this woman does not have diabetes and is just saying all of this to hurt your husband some how, she has a real problem elsewhere. I would make an appointment with her doctor and take her with you, sit down with him and have a long talk. This is the only way you will find out if she is really diabetic. There are people that do this for some reason to get attention from their family. It started to sound a little "iffy" when you said her lung collapsed and she went to the drs office and had it "re inflated". |
