Newly Diagnosed Diabetic

My husband was admitted to the hospital on Mothers' Day as he wasn't feeling well and after running a battery of tests we found out that he was diabetic.  His A1C Levels are above 12.  His blood sugar at the time of admisstion was almost 500 !!

Since I never had diabetes prior to surgery (thank God) I am at a loss on how to take care of him and what he can and can not eat. I made an appointment with the diabetic nutritionalist at the hospital but the appointment isn't tell next week. I have tons of questions. Can anyone help me....

1.) Can he still eat eggs for breakfast?
2.)  Is gound turkey okay to eat, he doesn't eat red meat but wondering if the turkey, chicken, fish, shellfish, and pork was still okay to eat??

Thanks, these are the specific questions we had to far because he loves eggs and I didn't want to do something bad and feed him something he wasn't supposed to have!

Sugars are down, but man not that much.

Everything you listed - eggs and meats - are fine. What he needs to limit is his carb intake, especially processed carbs like pasta, white bread, refined sugar/sweets, etc. Depending on the individual, he may even do better by avoiding ALL carbs, even whole grains and fruits. The only way to know for sure is to test 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after eating something to see how it affects the individual.

Pre-op, i controlled my type 2 diabetes best by eating low carb, high protein, unrestricted fat. BTW, this is all assuming he is a type 2.

For the most part, the food you eat for the RNY is good for a diabetic.  It's also good for him to eat frequent meals to keep his blood sugar level.  I'm glad they caught it.  I hope he can get it under control soon and feel better.

Hi Amy, I see Garth Davis did your surgery?  He is on my short list.  Not happy he moved over to Memoral City Hospital but he will go to Methodisat if patient requests this.  Were you a type2 diabetic pre-surgery? If so, how are you now with the RYN. He has recommended this.  I am 201 lbs...BMI of 40..5'0" tall.  I fear I may be a lightweight and lose too much.  Love to hear from you.

Patients with diabetes should be careful when it comes to diet. Alcohol, high fat content, refined food (ie white bread, pasta, white rice) it can cause high sugar levels. Fatty foods can also harm the liver and the heart.

Recent research shows that fat is only hamful to the body when eaten WITH carbs. Fat is not the devil some would try to make you believe it is, and fat does not cause glucose spikes. In fact, dietary fat helps to slow the absorption of carbs, lessening the severity of post-prandial glucose spikes.

Wow this same thing just happened to us!!! Thats actually why I was on this board instead of my normal VSG forum...My husband had labs drawn at the dr. cuz he wasnt feeling very well and his fasting sugar was 294 and A1c was 11.7...we just found out yesterday. I too am looking for good resources because I haven't had to deal with this either. Good luck with this and let me know if you find any resources.

Its such a huge lifestyle change & he's not the one who has been planning that but I have surgery July 12 so no time like the present for us to change as a family.


Kellee

This is the BEST book:

The First Year: Type II Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Gretchen Becker.

I was able to check this out from my library.  It is worth buying.  It talks about how the diabetes happened, how different types of meds work, diet, lab testing, and somehow she does it in a way
that doesn't overwhelm you.  I can't recommend this book enough.

Also, I found that many dieticians use very outdated ADA diet guidelines.  A low carb diet along with regular exercise seems to be key.  Excercise is dramatic and long lasting on blood sugar levels.

Yes, he can have all of those things. He will want to watch his sugar intake obviously. He should try to stay away from a lot of fried foods, pasta, sodas, and some juices. I learned to look at labels. If he has a sweet tooth, you can always buy sugar free cookies and snacks.

Tell him to ask his doc about the new drug Victoza, I started it about 3 weeks ago and lost 9 lbs so far and great blood sugar control. Weight loss is a side effect but its great.  Tell him to stay under 60 carbs a day and that will help him weather he goes on victoza or not. Thanks Judy