Sugar is sweet and so are you...

I have been engaged in a continual "debate" with my mother about food. Her dementia is increasing, but her memory is not deteriorating as quickly as I had feared. On top of her dementia, she has really brittle diabetes. When she moved in with me, she gave me the task of planning her meals and monitoring her blood sugars. The numbers in her head "don't work" anymore and she was having a really difficult time doing it herself. I had no idea how difficult that would be. This has been challenging indeed. Mom isn't exactly cooperative. She is a very picky eater with a bizzare palate and has a voracious sweet tooth. There are simply only so many liverwurst on raisin bread with tomato and Miracle Whip sandwiches a person should eat a week in my opinion! My refusal to give her daily donuts and ice cream sundaes has met with much resistance.
When mom's sugars are off she is coo-coo. After she has been on a roller coaster with her sugar, highs and lows that are typical for her, she comes out "less". My heavy hand on her diet in spite of her protests has stabilized her numbers. I am her food bully now.

When I saw this article in the Cherokee Phoenix about unstable diabetes and dementia being linked I felt affirmed. It has given me the perseverance to continue to "bully" her into good eating. Meals have become a very unpleasant activity. I know I am not alone in finding the role reversal of caregiving a failing parent challenging. But honestly, tuna fish with nuts, apples, craisins and sweet pickles, mixed with miracle whip and spread on crackers? EWW and ICK.

If nothing better comes of this than that I control my own sugar, it will be worth it. But I admit, I hope by controlling hers I can slow down the progress of this disease that is eventually taking her.

Grimelda;
Help me find better places to hide the emergency candies and the sugar packets. Keep me from purchasing donuts by the dozen even if it is cheaper. Grant us all the ability to be satisfied with "mildly sweet" and the fortitude to stick to it under duress and massive guilt tripping. Let me once again take a lesson from the earth. Raisins and prunes are both sweeter than the grapes and plums they come from, but just look at them! May we all settle for sweet enough.
Amen

Persistant irregular blood sugars increase dementia chances - Cherokee Phoenix