Coffee's Ready, Come and Sit on the Porch

[FarmerJamie]

Diabetes is nothing to fool around with! I've learned more about this disease than I ever wanted to in the last 20+ years. About a million years ago when my new boyfriend (DH now) told me he was diabetic I thought "ok, take a pill or a shot and you're fine." Not!

You can think things are under control - until they aren't. And when they aren't - the outcome isn't pretty. If you (or your loved one) ever experiences Diabetic Keto Acidosis and you hear the doctor tell you that his test results are incompatible with life, it will jar you to your core. When the kidneys start showing damage...when the neuropathy in the feet gets so bad that your feet feel like they're on fire constantly...I could go on and on. I honestly don't know how DH deals with his health issues sometimes. But, he's gone from being a non-compliant, head in the sand diabetic, to one who is now on top of his health issues and being a responsible, take charge diabetic.

Word. It's not just sugar, but carby things are just as bad, if not worse, IMO.

I have found plenty of low carb dessert options that taste ALMOST as good, including cinnamon rolls. Not going to apologize for being preachy.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm pretty much the sweet-a-holic around here - but all things in moderation. I am down 20lbs from my high last year so I'm at least making progress, lol.

Back to the diabetic issues. How could I leave out the eye problems?

"The damage to your eyes starts when sugar blocks the tiny blood vessels that go to your retina, causing them to leak fluid or bleed. To make up for these blocked blood vessels, your eyes then grow new blood vessels that don't work well. These new blood vessels can leak or bleed easily."

That is exactly what happened to DH. He ended up needing to have the vitreous fluid in both eyes vacuumed out. Then comes the cataract surgery. Then more bleeds and more laser surgery. He reached the point where his retina specialist told him he'd done all that could be done for him.

I'm not trying to preach, but I think when you understand the dangers it helps. I know a lot of ya'll remember DH's saga with his vision. He had numerous bleeds inside his eyes which lead to numerous eye surgeries - four on one eye and two on the other. Not fun - and all TOTALLY from having high blood sugar.

DH can leave the sugar alone - but he's a carboholic nonetheless. He could sit down and eat an entire bag of chips/dips or a whole tube of crackers and cheese. He doesn't do that anymore - but previously that was his normal.

That concludes todays session of "Diabetes 101."

 

[frustratedearthmother]

@FarmerJamie - I'm laughing because we posted at the same time and both gave basically the same warnings. Great minds, lol!

 

[Mini Horses]

I'm so glad you chimed in @frustratedearthmother ! Kinda thought you would as your DH not only has the disease and was non compliant a long time...he's a RN and knew better. Played the cards until his hand wasn't 4aces. Now he's a believer. It's a horrific disease for everyone around to have or witness.

Please reel him in for your sake and his @Country homesteader ... Start quietly and work up to more food intake control. show your love for him! Keep him healthy.

 

[tortoise]

... Start quietly and work up to more food intake control. show your love for him! Keep him healthy.

I agree. I changed how I shopped over 5 years (and continuing).I stopped buying one junk food. After we adapted, then another. I focus on what I can control - that is all. I can control what I buy and what I eat. Nothing more.

My family used to eat frozen pizzas 5 days a week, pancakes with way too much syrup, soda, fruit juice, gallons of milk, desserts and donuts, and an unbelievable amount of doritos. McDonald's and Culvers a few times a week too.

Now half of our food is fresh produce. I eat 6 cups of veggies and 3 cups of fruit per day. We cut dairy consumption by 75-80%. When we travel we get foods like eggs, avocado, bananas, berries, pickles, etc instead of McDonald's.

Just one sustainable change at a time! My most recent change is I stopped buying anything fried and anything with vegetable oil in it. I had cut back on these dramatically over the years, but now I'm done. DS7 hasn't adapted yet. DH hasn't noticed yet.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm so glad you chimed in @frustratedearthmother !

Had to! Knowledge is power!

We've gotta take care of each other around here!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

One more thing while I'm thinking about it.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring System. Game changer and I highly recommend it!

 

[CrealCritter]

Revival has started at Texas A&M and.many other college campuses across the USA \o/.

Brave Search

Search the web privately ...

search.brave.com

Jesus is Lord and Christ

 

[baymule]

I’m not diabetic, but trying to cut back on sugar and carbs. It’s so hard! Especially since I like to bake. Somehow pie-ANY pie versus ummmm…… baked cauliflower with cheese, well, that pie is gonna WIN!
Had granddaughters for the week. We baked 2 pies. We had spaghetti and Mac n cheese. I introduced them to pound cake-eating all the batter we could and baking what was left over. LOL I totaled derailed and went off track.

After t handed them back to their parents, I stopped at ALDIs in Kingwood and loaded up on fresh vegetables. Back to meat and vegetables.

Diabetes runs in my family, but doesn’t hit us until we’re in our 80’s. Then doctors and nursing homes take everything away from their victims in the name of healthy food and serve up bland, tasteless food with no salt or any other seasoning. Yuck.

 

[baymule]

@baymule take option 2, afternoon off. You've had a busy week. Mentally reset back to farmwork.