Dear Kelly,

My hubby is a diabetic and the food at the truck stops is just grease and gravy. Any suggestions?

Feeding my Man

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Dear Feeding my Man,

If you don’t have one already, invest in a small refrigerator and a warmer of some kind for the truck.

Crock pots, steamers, microwaves and other small appliances are all available for travellers.

Get a couple of good cookbooks for diabetic cooking. It is very important for a diabetic to eat right at home and while he is away on the road.

Cook as many meals as you can and place them on plates, or package food individually.

Send healthy snacks as well.

Carrots, apples and oat bran, among other things, are considered especially helpful for people with diabetes.

If there is somewhere to park the truck and shop at a supermarket for food instead of eating at a restaurant, he’ll be doing himself and his wallet a favour – encourage him to do so!

Some fruit, vegetables, a loaf of bread and some lunch meat will be significantly healthier and less costly.

When the need is there to eat at a truck stop or a restaurant, he should be aware of what he orders. Many places do have healthy menu choices.

A fresh salad with broiled chicken and a plain baked potato are a much healthier choice than a fried steak and French fries.

Visit the Canadian Diabetes Association’s Web site if you have online access (www.diabetes.ca).

They have a lot of useful information on nutrition, eating out, health, exercise, and other great reading.

They also list contact numbers that you can call all over the country.

Their national office can be reached at a toll free number, 1-800-226-8464.

Diabetes requires a healthy lifestyle change, do as much research as you can to learn about it.

Kelly

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Dear Kelly,

First of all, I am the trucker. I have been driving for many, many years and was when I met my wife.

I have a really hard time knowing what to do or say when she is crying when I leave or when I call her on the phone from the road. I love her with all my heart, but she knew what I was when she met and married me.

This is tearing me in two.

I don’t know what to say to her or how to make things easier.

When I hear her getting sadder on the phone, I just end up telling her that I’ll give her a call tomorrow, like nothing is wrong and ending the call before she starts to cry.

When I am home, she doesn’t tell me how she feels, and when I ask her how things went, she doesn’t say anything.

I don’t know what to do anymore. Can you help me to help her?

The Other Half

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Dear Other Half,

Let me say, it is really nice to hear from a trucker husband. I love hearing how the other half thinks.

Your wife probably didn’t think it would be this hard on her. A trucker’s wife’s life can even sound exotic at times.

Having a husband that travels across the country and knowing that everything we use is transported on a truck at some stage; these things make a person proud to support a trucker.

However, when you are left at home… alone… again, it isn’t always easy to remember why you shouldn’t feel sad.

Be as open as you can with her. Instead of just asking her how things went while you were away, ask her more specifically, “How were you?” Let her know that you hear the sadness in her voice and that you want to make things easier.

If she isn’t working or keeping otherwise busy, ask and encourage her to do things that she would like to do; like maybe go back to school, start a walking routine with a friend or volunteer where she can help out.

I have said this before and will say it many more times, but keeping busy and getting interested in something is the best therapy for loneliness.

Having a husband who is really interested in how things go at home is really special, so keep that up.

It is so easy for the trucker to get wrapped up in ‘trucking’ while the wife is wrapped up in what’s going on at home.

Do the best you can to talk openly and share your lives with each other when you can, and I am sure that things will get better in time.

Kelly

– I encourage you to send in your questions, comments or topic ideas. I will try to address as many letters and questions as I can in my column.

Feel free to direct your letters to me at column@atruckerswife.com