Good for him.
Diet and excercise took mine from 280plus to normal (don't have the test result in front of me).
I do take herbs for pain and some other health care needs.
I was diagnosed Diabetes and that is what got me on the stick. My first A1C test came back non diabetes at 6% and so goes the need to live life accordingly. I do not want to stroke out I have a quad son who is so medically involved he would lose his freedom to be active and healthy if I screw up my health.
I promised God 26yrs ago if he would not take my baby I would clean sewers to not lose him. Careful what you Pray for or even more so promise.
If everybody ate a "diabetic" diet, we'd all be the better for it.
I had to go from a grains/seeds/milk/cheese sort of vegetarian thing to mostly protein due to carb intolerance brought on by peri.
I had no idea how much carbs had affected me all those years.
My best wishes to you for your health, your son and the loss of your dog.