My friend John has just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Any leads to good websites? - not so much medical sites as ones ones where people share their experiences.
He almost lives on junk food, drinks two or three cans of coca-cola per day (and HATES the diet coke) and I think he’s going to have a difficult time coming to terms with the changes to his way of life this is going to involve.
He is practically an Internet virgin, so lacks the skills to find these kinds of sites. I can help him with the medical stuff.
It sounds like his diet is a contributer to his problem. He may not like to hear this but the Atkins diet has been known to totally control diabeties (meaning no injetions).
The Atkins diet can have too much protein for some diabetics, and can damage kidneys already weakened by diabetes. Your friend should work with his doctor and diabetic teaching nurse to find an appropriate treatment plan and diabetic diet.
I’d suggest starting with the American Diabetes Association’s own website, www.diabetes.org
If he is not comfortable with the internet, then he may be better off with a more one-on-one teaching. Our hospital has diabetic workshops almost daily. The nutritionist and the nurse can give pointers on how to tailor his diet to his specific lifestyle and that’s what will keep his bloodsugars in control—a change of lifestyle. And change can be very hard…thinking about food and exercise in a new way, having to test yourself, taking meds, feeling ‘betrayed’ by your body…he might benefit from counseling more than reading other people’s experiences.