Hello. I'm a 21 year old female, and I've been a type 1 diabetic for 15 years. I think that all of the tests the doctor wants to run are normal. For myself personally, I have my HA1c done every 3 months. In addition, at least once a year my doctor checks for hypo and hyper-thyroidism, as well as checking my triglycerides and my good and bad cholesterol. He also orders all kinds of stuff to be checked in my urine. Diabetics are susceptible to heart disease, kidney problems, and other complications. These tests are simply precautions to make sure that nothing else is going on, and if something is found, it's hopefully caught early enough to be treated without major repurcussions.
Sleeping late could be making your husband feel sick, or to have high blood sugars, if an of his insulin/oral medications have worn off and he needs more. I am a type 1 diabetic and I know that if I don't wake up and give myself my long acting insulin by a certain time in the morning, I am nauseous half the day. Everyone is different and needs to work with their own bodies to find what works best for them.
Hi! I'm not a medical professional, just the parent of a kid with diabetes, and the volunteers that staff this forum try to help everyone.
The best diet for a diabetic is quite similar to one for a non-diabetic. A well balanced diet will keep anyone healthy. The best foods for him are the same foods that are good for you. However, lower carb foods can help prevent highs.
What a diabetic needs to understand about food is that to accurately count the carbohydrates in the food is essential. If you need help figuring out carbs, Calorie King has an excellent book which lists carbs for most foods and restaurants.
http://www.calorieking.com/shop/11-The-CalorieKing-Pocket-Calorie-Fat-Carbohydrate-Counter-2007-Edition.html
They have a free lookup on their web site, as well as a free toolbar for your browser, where you can look up just about any food.
As you cook your own food at home, you can get more accurate readings if you use a scale to weigh out foods. On nutrition labels, there are two serving size values, by weight and by count, such as 15 chips for 20 grams or 1 oz for 20 grams. The gram measure will be more accurate, as the size of the chip can vary, but it's weight never does.
To better deal with high blood sugars, besides accurately counting carbs, another thing to do is tweak the carb ratios to zero in on the right units of insulin needed to dose. If he currently takes 5 units of fast acting insulin to cover 40 grams of carbs, and his blood sugar rises too fast and stays high, the number of units needed to cover that food is likely too low. Work out any changes through your endocrinologist, to make sure that they agree. Exercise also helps lower blood sugar. Muscles need glucose in order to function, and the two things which deliver that glucose are insulin and adrenaline, and adrenaline is released during exercise.
As for sleeping late, that shouldn't have any direct effect on blood sugars. Getting a good night's sleep can make you feel better overall, though, and that positive influence can improve your mood, which can actually lower you blood sugars after you wake up. Simply feeling good and being well rested reduced the stress on your body which have previously caused blood sugars to go high.
Blood sugar levels are a strange thing, impossible to predict and difficult to manage. Exercise, proper insulin dosed, and accurate carb counting are all essential to manage it. Good luck!