My 83 year old father has had type 2 diabetes treated with glyburide for three months as a result of cancer (not terminal) and needs to regain 30 pounds. However, we are confused about how to manage his diet and weight gain. He has been advised to eat several small meals a day (because of the surgery), but a simple meal plan for getting the calories in and staying within a diabetic meal plan is not clear.

This is a challenge but can be accomplished by more frequent smaller meals and possibly supplementing meals with a lower carbohydrate supplement drink like Glucerna or Carnation Instant Breakfast made with whole milk. These ideas will provide much needed calories for his body to fight the cancer but not aggravate his diabetes control. Sometimes with respect to nutritional needs, it is necessary to set priorities — weight maintenance or weight gain is probably more of a priority than ideal blood sugar control.

JMS

[Editor’s comment: I completely agree with Mike — nutrition, and the sense of well-being from being allowed to eat, is more important than tight control of diabetes (that’s usually aimed at preventing complications many years later) in this situation. My advice: ask him what he likes (milkshakes? tacos? ice cream? whatever…) and let him have it, and let him enjoy it! The dose of glyburide (or other medications for diabetes) can be adjusted if the trend shows increasing blood sugar — and it probably will if he does gain weight — so the dose is not a big deal — but his quality of life is!

WWQ]