I have been dealing with diabetes as a caretaker for my husband for the past 8 years, before that he did things his way and took advice from people he worked with. My advice would be: 1) See an endocrinologist as they specialize in metabolic disorders which is diabetes and get a good podiatrist. Feet are overlooked and neuropathy is a big danger with diabetes. My husband has had a partial toe amputation due to the fact that even without neuropathy diabetics do not heal well. 2) Have a cheat day. A cookie, piece of cake, something sweet that you miss. It actually helps with cravings and has helped my husband keep his sugars under control. His drs. all actually approved this as it keeps cravings under control. 3) Start seeing an eye dr. and getting checked for retinopathy. My husband ignored the warnings and is slowly going blind because the damage was too extensive when I found out about the referrals. Caught early it is easier to treat.
My one advice with meds - watch out for metformin and have kidney function blood work at least once a year. My husband is now in stage 3 kidney disease and his cardiologist took him off metformin. Kidney damage is a known side effect, my dad and my BIL both had kidney issues from metformin.
Diabetes is scary but can be managed with the proper medical intervention in place. Good luck
OP, You need to read and re-read this post. This is the reality of diabetes--the partial amputation, the kidney disease, the impending blindness. I would bet you anything that, if Tazdev3225 could turn back time, she would smack her husband upside the head (figuratively) 20 years ago, if she could. Now, she has to care for him while his body slowly fails. NOBODY WANTS THIS FOR YOU!
As to your meal, it's impossible for us to say definitively. Portion size is important--a serving of protein is 3 oz., or about the size of your fist. Not all salads are created equal. On and on--you need to learn for yourself how to gauge what you can have--it's trial and error, kind of like with the meds. Nobody on here is claiming to have a success-only journey in their approach to diabetes.
I was in the hospital for 2 weeks in November (not directly related to diabetes--I had 2 foot surgeries). I was on their "low carb" meal plan--I couldn't order meals with more than 4 1/2 of their point system. Every day at lunch and dinner, I had their vegetable soup--it was good, and I like soup; I also had sugar-free pudding as a dessert/treat. Because I chose those items, I could have a burger with all the toppings, but not the baked fries. I would have gone over my limit. But, to me, the soup and pudding were a better choice. Another patient could have made totally different choices, and that's fine (they weren't getting my pudding, though!). My point is, you need to learn to make the choices that work FOR YOU. I never felt hungry or deprived--well, except when my second surgery was delayed--twice--and on both those days, I couldn't have anything by mouth until the surgery was cancelled, late afternoon. But, the nurses set me up with tea and peanut butter and crackers, until they could get a real meal delivered.
