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Permalink Reply by Lynn Chandler on June 25, 2009 at 4:43pm

It scares me, and the more I read about it, the more scared I get. Especially stories about hypoglycemic shock and seizures, although my husband is doing pretty well at the moment (just diagnosed in April). But I can't make his disease go away, so it makes me feel powerless. I guess I can be a bit of a control freak, but I think acting out can increase his stress, so I try not to challenge him too much (like when he tells me his blood sugar is elevated and I say "What did you eat that you shouldn't have?" like it's his fault. I'm learning that sometimes blood sugar goes up for no apparent reason, and not to assume that any of this is his fault.

I'm exploring the site tcoyd.org (Take Care Of Your Diabetes.org), and have found some very helpful information there. I recommend it for newbie Type 3s!

Lynn

Permalink Reply by Ashley W on August 8, 2009 at 11:00am

Hi Lynn,
I just wanted to quickly respond, because I know how hard those initial months can be after your husband's diagnosis... (My husband was diagnosed 12 years ago with type 1 - in his early 30s). You sound right on though, it is true that blood sugars can rise/fall for no apparent reason and it is good that you understand that it is often no-one's "fault". Learning how to take insulin to compensate for highs and to bolus for what you're going to eat (on top of knowing how much exercise you've had / stress you're under / old insulin is in your system) is quite the science project! It takes time, but it sounds like you (and he) are doing all the right things.

I am here in San Diego and know the folks over at TCOYD very well. They do great conferences every year, and if you have a chance to get to one you should do it. It is a very empowering and informative day. I also wanted to point you towards another group down here called The Behavioral Diabetes Institute (www.behavioraldiabetes.org ) ... they are a group of diabetes psychologists who deal with the emotional/behavioral side of diabetes, and their stuff is fantastic. I actually work with them (I'm the VP of the board of directors), and so I can vouch for how great their work is. So much of good diabetes management is psychological and behavioral! I hope you check it out.

Good luck Lynn - feel free to reach out to me if I can help you in any way as you move down this path. I've been going down this road now for a while, and if there's one thing I get , it's the challenge we have as spouses to balance our fear/inclination to control the situation with our partner's ability to manage their own diabetes. Figuring out our role is some of the hardest stuff at first.

Take care -
Ashley