My dad was just diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – what do you wish you knew at the beginning?

My dad was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and I’m trying to learn as much as possible so I can understand what he’s dealing with and support him properly.

Until now, I honestly knew very little about diabetes beyond the basics. I’ve been reading about insulin resistance, HbA1c, blood sugar, diet, exercise, medication, etc., but there’s a lot of information to take in at once.

I’d really like to hear from people who actually live with type 2 diabetes, or have close family members who do.

What do you wish you had known when you were first diagnosed?

Things I’m especially curious about:

- What changes actually made the biggest difference to your blood sugar/HbA1c?

- What foods turned out to affect your blood sugar more or less than you expected?

- How important is exercise, and what kind worked best for you?

- Is checking blood sugar at home useful if you’re not on insulin?

- What should we know about medications such as metformin?

- Are there any symptoms, complications or warning signs that are easy to overlook?

- What can family members do that is genuinely helpful without becoming annoying or constantly commenting on food?

- Is there anything doctors often don’t explain very well at the beginning?

I’m not looking for medical advice to replace his doctor. I’m mainly trying to understand the practical, everyday side of living with type 2 diabetes and what we should pay attention to going forward.

Any advice or experiences would be really appreciated.