My DH had type 2 for years . He ( we!) reversed it!! No sugar , no rice , no potatoes, he loved the baked potatoes but only ate the skin, no pasta. Minimal fruit. Reversing it took a few years but was successful. His blood sugar levels have been in the normal range for a very long time. He now has a fairly normal diet, will have cake occasionally, back on carbs too - within reason. It was well worth the effort. Your DH and you must be determined and relentless in your endeavours to beat this. Remember too that even small amounts of alcohol are high in sugar.
Type 1 on the other hand is a very different story , as my 10 year old grandchild would tell you, diognosed at 3 years of age. Of course will be insulin dependant for the rest of life and sadly irreversible. No sign of a cute yet , it is a 24 hour job monitoring sugar levels. Blood sugar either too high or too low , either way demands intervention. Type 2 must be taken seriously but with perseverance it can be managed , and with good management, exercise and no alcohol reversed!! I wish your DH well and sincerely hope he is willing to make sacrifices to help himself, the long term effects of type 2 can be serious. Good luck , be determined and don't give up - may take a very long time but in many cases it can be overcome.