Our Meeting with Jerry's Son

We were happy to meet Jerry's son. We were surprised by his questions, as he seemed more knowledgeable about diabetes than we had expected. He let us be surprised until he told us that his wife had type 2 diabetes and that both of her parents had type 2 diabetes.

He said that he was eating better on the food plan that his wife was eating and he described it as low carb. He said they have about 5 to 10 percent carbs, 50 to 75 percent fat, and approximately 20 to 50 percent protein. He and his wife vary the food plan on a daily basis but try to maintain less that 60 grams of carbohydrates every day. He said they also have a food scale and use it all the time. He admitted that on days they when they can exercise together, they do allow up to 80 grams of carbohydrates for treats, especially some fruits.

He added that her parents use a similar food plan and that both of them are using insulin. Her dad is a retired veteran, her mother is a retired nurse, and they have a house on one level and use an electric chair lift to use the basement. He said that his wife had diabetes before either of her parents and her dad was the last to develop diabetes.

We then asked him who had developed the food plan and he said her mother was the one that had encouraged the food plan as the hospital she worked for was having success with the food plan. She knew that the nutritionist they had was promoting it, even with a dietitian on staff who was promoting high carb with whole grains. When the food plan by the nutritionist worked so well for those with diabetes, they let the dietitian go.

Jerry said that was why his son wanted to talk to him about the food plan until he found out that he was already on a similar food plan and was so far along with learning to cook. Jerry's son asked who had supplied the cookbooks with the nutritional information. Jerry said I had and he wondered where he could find them and his son would get them for him.

I told them that it might be difficult as I have been looking for them and have not seen any after the edition I have. I added that I have not contacted the publisher and it might be wise to photocopy the address and phone number, if any. We looked, but found nothing of use and I asked what bookstores were available to them. He rattled off three of which I knew about two and I suggested that he look in the stores for the loose-leaf cookbooks. Because they would be cellophane sealed and he would need to tell them why he wanted the seal broken. If they break the seal, then they will reseal it if it does not contain the information you are looking for.

I then asked for the email address for Jerry's son and Jerry said he would send it to me later. I said I have one or two more cookbooks with nutritional information and would send his son the titles. Jerry asked if he could look at them first. I took my leave, went home to get them, and brought them back. Jerry and his son looked both over and Jerry said not one of them, but definitely the other one. His son continued looking at the one Jerry had rejected and said he wanted to have his wife look at it in the bookstore. They went to Jerry's printer, made copies of several pages, and gave me back the two books. Jerry asked to keep the two cookbooks he had been using until he knew they were or were not available. I agreed and we went back to other discussions.

Jerry's son thanked all of us for supporting his father when he needed it. He said his mother had talked to his wife and said she knew people were working to separate them, but she had foiled them to that point, but she could not know when they might succeed. Jerry said that when A.J approached him, he was finally convinced he needed help and cooperated with him.

Jerry said his talk with Dr. Tom was hard to swallow, but he knew Dr. Tom was telling him the truth and like it or not, he needed to make some changes if he wanted to manage his diabetes and not die from the complications if his A1c continued upward.

At that point, Barry asked why he had not believed him. Jerry said he had created some doubts and until A.J approached him and knew he should leave then. Jerry told Barry it was his creating doubt that meant they were successful, and for the right reason.

At that point, Tim and I said good night and left.