My husband has type 1 diabetes..looking for tips

Hey there!

You've come to the right place!! There are lots of folks here to exchange ideas and tips with, listen when you've had a hard day and offer comfort and advice when you need a listening ear.

I am not a type 1 but a type 2, so I have myself and genetics to blame. There are many days when I get depressed because I feel like I have been good and then my A1C comes in higher than last time and let's face it, sticking isn't fun. But I have learned a lot in my time here on HealthCentral and there are lots of folks here who write about their lives, whether they care for a child, or adult with diabetes or they live with it themselves. The first and most part of that is that we are living humans who just happen to have diabetes.

Here are some links to some informative and interesting resources here online.

For information about Type 1 Diabetes you can click on this link to go to the about database. Here you can also learn about symptoms, when to know something is a typical syptom and when something is atypical. Then there are resident experts online. I have been reading David Mendosa's postings for years and was happy to find him here when I first came to Health Central. Dave is well known for his glycemic index of foods and he is a wealth of information when it comes to diabetes in the news. Dr Bill Quick is the author (with his wife) of one of the oldest Diabetes resource websites online. You can read his profile and postings here. Mary Kate Cary is a mom living with her Daughter's diabetes. I can't imagine anyone more like a husband than a child who is dealing (wink) just kidding. Her posts are interesting though. You can read them here.  

Most of all, just knowing you love him and are interested in finding out how you can help your Husband will mean a lot to him. Perhaps you can read some of this together and then be well prepared with questions when it's time to see the Doctor.

Please stay in touch and let us know how you all are doing. And by all means, if you have a rough day or you have a really good day, let us hear about that as well!!

Take care!

Vicki M

Hi Cat,

I'm the spouse of a man who has had Type 1 since he was 7 also. He also wears a pump.  I was clueless about Type 1 when we first met, but we've been together about 10 years now.  He's generally in good control, but I occasionally need to step in and help when his blood sugar gets too low (he's not as good at telling this as I am...I see the signs before he does).  I also try to watch the glycemic index of our meals so as not to throw him off too much one way or the other.  I'm not a regular member here, I just came across this website tonight because it was an unusually rough day and I was looking for a support board for spouses of Type 1 diabetics.

Hi Cat, I am a type 1 (42 yrs, pumping the last 4). I am married to my best support system I could ever find. I find one of the best things he does (besides being the 1st to notice I'm low) is attending my visits to the endo. I noticed he's the 1st to ask questions- such a help. I have been in the hospital (in 42 yrs., only 2 times diabetes related)- the best thing he does is show up early in the morning- when most dr's. make their rounds- so Ray's there when the dr. comes in. When I'm high- I do ask him not to provoke my anger (good thing Ray is very mild tempered). A great site to get lots of support is www.childrenwithdiabetes.com - terrific parents room offering TONS of support with lots of answers. Take care of both yourself and your husband. I always tell my husband "only one of us can spend money on medications- and that one is me- so stay healthy! LOL

Hi Cat,

My daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 2 years ago in April. It is a 24/7 condition, but they live a normal life, doing anything they want to do. As a family, we all eat the same food, do not start until my daughter's BG is checked, and the pump is set. We do all this because we respect each other. Creating a positive environment means a lot. Learning to count the carbs may take some of the load off your husband. It takes practice, but you get the hang of it after awhile. You can use www.calorieking.com for carb amounts. Make sure you deduct the fiber amounts. During lows or highs, staying up with him, or even checking his BG while he is sleeping may be helpful to yur husband.

Good luck to you and your husband. Pump does make one's life easier. By the way, we have a party for my daughter being healthy on the anniversary of the diagnosis. We also use the party as a fundraiser for JDRF. We  focus on the positive aspect. Setting the tone right also helps the fourth leg of Type 1 - food, insulin, exercise AND morale.

Take care,

Z