My dad is in denial about his diabetes

[Anonymous]

Reap what you sow.

[Anonymous]

Sigh. My dad and sister both have diabetes. It has been even more tragic watching my 30 something sister, diagnosed in her 20s, completely live in denial. She chugs Diet Coke all day (literally, she went thru a 12 pack at my home in less than 2 days), drinks hard liquor when she goes out and orders the absolute worst entrees when we go out to dinner (if it is Italian, she is having the Alfredo, for example). She eats nonstop. It is painful to watch, and I tried saying things in the past, but I just bite my tongue now. Every once in a while she will get excited about meeting with a treatment team, but nothing changes. I know it is hard to make huge lifestyle changes, but this is killing her and she is just letting it happen. And she is trying to conceive. I hope if she has a baby that that will be the catalyst for change. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

These stories irritate the shit out of me. Everyone mentioned here has the ability to NOT HAVE DIABETES. I know it's not totally on topic but try having Type I diabetes. There's no controlling it with diet or the ability to be in denial. Pisses me off.

[Anonymous]

As the daughter of a lifelong type 1 diabetic who did not give a shit, good luck. My dad took his insulin but didn't test often enough "because it hurt" and now: has totaled two cars during low blood sugar episodes and had his license revoked, had major retinopathy and can only read with a magnifying glass, and had a kidney and pancreas transplant 18 months ago. Well, he didn't do what needed to do with that and now both his kidneys, including the transplanted one, are gone. He'll be on dialysis for the rest of his life. He has no energy and does not have any quality of life. The stress on my mom is unbelievable. It's horrible to see this happen to a parent. I wish things could change but if they're not willing, you can't change it for them.

[Anonymous]

I am 41 and a diabetic for about seven or eight years (don't remember when I was diagnosed). My most recent A1C was 6.3. I am about eighty pounds overweight. He needs his A1C checked and keep it under 7 to avoid complications.

[Anonymous]

We have the same issue with my mother and it's really catching up to her. She has no feeling in her feet or legs and falls a lot as a result. She developed cellulitis from one fall and nearly died from the infection. She had another fall where she broke both her arms and most recently she fell into a port-a-potty. Her doctor told her that she needed a cane but she wasn't going to ever get one for herself because she didn't want to admit to the fact that she's old and her body is falling apart. I mailed her two canes and told her she needed to use them. I'm sure she will because she doesn't have an excuse not to.

[Anonymous]

For the people who are saying "Take him to a dialysis unit" or "Take him to a nursing home" -- such places are not the zoo, and do not allow open admission for the education and shock/horror of outsiders. I realize you are well-intentioned, but people living/receiving treatment in facilities such as this have a right to privacy and dignity and do not need to put on a morality play for the benefit of "scaring straight" OP's father.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the people who are saying "Take him to a dialysis unit" or "Take him to a nursing home" -- such places are not the zoo, and do not allow open admission for the education and shock/horror of outsiders. I realize you are well-intentioned, but people living/receiving treatment in facilities such as this have a right to privacy and dignity and do not need to put on a morality play for the benefit of "scaring straight" OP's father.

Agree.

And can I say, as a diabetic, a lot of this really, really making me angry. Guess what, ladies, you can guzzle sugar all day and long if you don't have the genetic predisposition to be diabetic, your pancreas will just fine. Also, being a diabetic does not mean you can never have, OMG, a cookie and if you do you are a complete piece of shit who deserves to have your feet chopped off. I am a Type 2 diabetic, controlled without medication, and I drink diet soda, enjoy a cocktail, have dessert, and my last A1C was 5.2, so MYOB. Unless you've seen the labs, you have NO IDEA the status of their health. Furthermore, diabetes affects the entire body in many ways and even if you do strictly control your blood sugar, you can (and likely will) have health effects. Not every diabetic with vision loss, neuropathy or kidney disease was a lazy piece of shit who was in denial about the disease. A lot of them DID keep it controlled.

Get educated about this or just STFU and leave your poor relatives alone.