This is the story of a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. His words. His experiences. And they are amazing!
“I joined this group (a FB group) to help my mother who is 69 years old, has had type 2 diabetes for about twenty years now and has developed many complications although none of them are quite life threatening YET. She also has Alzheimer’s which makes it very difficult. She had followed the ADA guidelines yet she got progressively worse and now needs insulin. With her Alzheimer’s the doctor put her on a pump. Either one of my sisters, myself, or a visiting nurse checks on her twice a day to make sure she is under control. Recently one of my sisters or myself have been staying with her. She will go to the kitchen and eat huge bowls of cereal with skim milk or anything sweet or carby that is in the refrigerator so her levels have sky rocketed. My sisters have said its okay.
About a year ago I noticed a woman at my gym who I see periodically and has been losing a lot of weight. Then a few months ago I overheard her talking to some other people about her keto diet. I finally talked to her and she told me about her diabetes, she told me about this group, and she suggested ways to get my mother on it but my sisters did not agree at all and it has created a lot of fighting with them. I will admit that they do much more of her monitoring then I do but about three weeks ago I convinced them to take a break and I have been living with her 24/7. I know this woman Karen at the gym is not a health care professional but I hired her to come to the house to help get rid of the foods that are not on the diet and to stock the refrigerator with good foods. I was very afraid that my mother would start complaining about what I fed her especially because she was always complaining that we were trying to starve her even though she’s over a hundred pounds overweight and was eating three or four meals a day plus snacks. I should add that she has neuropathy and because of her Alzheimer’s she forgets to use her walker and so she also falls.
Karen went way beyond the time I paid her for and cooked some meals and visited with my mother. We never told her that we were changing her diet. After a few days she stopped complaining about being hungry even though she was already eating a lot less. Her blood sugar used to be from 60 to 350 and sometimes over 400. Now it has never gone above 172 and is usually under 140.
I cannot believe it in three weeks. She has also lost 18 pounds and is not falling. The biggest surprise to me is that she is not as confused and her memory is so much better that I can not believe it.
My sisters had been out of town but they came back and saw my mother one yesterday and the other two days ago. I showed them her insulin use which is less than half what it has been and her blood sugar levels. But they both cried when my mother started asking them questions about their trips and acted like a completely different person. She remembered their names and when my one sister said she was visiting her son my mother asked what college he was in. Well, she used to ask when he was going to graduate from high school. When my mother told her it was Lehigh she apologized and said oh yes, I’m sorry I forgot what is he studying? She said engineering and my mother was happy and said oh, just like his grandfather he would have been so proud.
We both cried again because my mother used to ask where he was and why he hasn’t come home yet. The other sister has a house down the shore and my mother asked her if that is where she was on her vacation. She never once yelled at them for not visiting her which she used to do even when they would come every day. And she is remembering to use her walker every single time now so she is not falling.
My sisters are now onboard. I have invited one to the group and the other promises to follow whatever I say. We have not seen her doctor yet but she has an appointment in a few weeks.
I have also been eating this way because that is what I have been feeding her and even though I don’t have diabetes I feel a hole lot better.
I want to thank everyone in this group. I have not said anything before because I’m not like that but I had to speak up now and thank every one. I also have to thank Karen V. for introducing me to this. She never asked for money but I had to pay her for some of her time. I’m sure she would have come out for free because she is so into this diet and promotes it at the gym all the time. I honestly thought at first that she must be selling something but I was surprised that no one here is selling anything accept getting healthy.
And one more thing. My mother has stopped asking for more of her Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal or hot chocolate and now asks for more of the yummy bullet proof coffee which I sometimes make with tea instead.”
—Anonymous
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