Managing Type 2 Diabetes
Rebecca’s husband was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1984, early their marriage. Managing the disease had always been a challenge for Rebecca since the responsibility of her husband’s diet seemed to fall completely on her. For the first few years though, her husband, Robert, was on board and willing to modify his diet to eliminate foods high in sugar. As their family grew, it became a little more challenging with young children, Rebecca remembers, but it also gave Rebecca more of a reason to avoid candy and unhealthy foods for her family. But as the children grew up and began moving away to college.
Robert would sneak around and eat sugary foods behind our backs all the time, and we’d be left with the consequences to deal with on our own
Rebecca recalls. Towards the end, these consequences were major and involved calls to 911 and even hospitalization. At the time, the possibility of Robert suffering from depression never occurred to Rebecca, but hindsight is 20/20, she says.
Rebecca became frustrated and resentful of Robert’s lack of cooperation, indifferent attitude, and deceitfulness. It was an afternoon in May when Rebecca returned from work when she found her husband unconscious in their living room. He had suffered from extremely high blood sugar and fallen against the corner of their coffee table resulting in a loss of a great deal of blood. Unfortunately, this would be her last and futile attempt to help Robert. Not only was Rebecca left with the physical mess to recover from in her home as Robert had lost control of bodily functions and suffered blood loss, but she now had to deal with outrageous hospital bills and planning Robert’s untimely funeral. At 55 years old, Robert lost his life to a manageable disease but his depression flew under the radar of his family and doctors.
Type 3 Diabetes
In the wake of her husband’s death, Rebecca learned a lot about the progression of type 2 diabetes and the relationship between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease and even depression. She learned that her husband was likely suffering from what is becoming known as type 3 diabetes and what some doctors believe is actually Alzheimer’s disease. Her husband’s death and her drive to learn more about why he came to such a tragic end transformed into an unexpected gift for her family, specifically through her daughter Sarah, and many families in the future.
Rebecca reached out to Advanced Bio Treatment for help in recovering from the physical dilemma she was left to deal with in her home. She shared her story with us last year when we met, but we were grateful to hear from again last spring when she informed us that her youngest daughter Sarah had chosen to go to nursing school and focus on diabetes management. Sarah will graduate next fall and strive to help families supporting a loved with diabetes recognize signs of depression before it’s too late.
Signs & Symptoms of Diabetes
What are the signs and symptoms of diabetes?
We at Advanced Bio Treatment encourage you to discuss with your doctor any of the following which may be signs or symptoms of diabetes:
- Excessive thirst
- Blurry vision
- Increased need to urinate
- Fatigue
- Wounds that don’t seem to heal, itchy skin, tingling arms and legs (all due to damaged or compromised circulation)
- Excessive hunger and unusual weight loss (due to your body’s inability to access and use the glucose from the food you eat)
In honor of Sarah and in memory of Robert, please seek help if you of anyone you know demonstrates signs or symptoms of depression. The follow is an incomplete, non-comprehensive list to consider:
- Overwhelming feelings of sadness or hopelessness
- Loss of appetite
- Social isolation
- Sudden weight loss/gain
It is very important that you discuss any medical concerns you have with your doctor.
For more information on diabetes awareness, see: Diabetes.Org
