I have recently returned from a mini-vacation with my 62 year old father, who I haven’t seen for about 3 years, and who has a history of chronic depression, high blood pressure, and has been diagnosed as being a type 2 diabete for about 15 years. His mother, my grandmother, died of diabetes related complications shortly after I was born. My mother’s sister, died in hospital after a minor fall, and unfairly, in 2007, because of a neglect on the side of medical staff, to administer her insulin medication.
On the day that I met my father for our recent reunion (lets call him George for future reference), he just returned from a visit to the doctor, who gave him the news that his blood sugar levels were abnormally high. He was tired, and obviously stressed out, but determined not to inhibit our plans for the days ahead. During these days I made an effort to prepare foods which I deemed to be appropriate, considering the circumstances, and 10 days after this, on a subsequent visit to the doctor, his blood sugar levels had dropped significantly.
Now I do know how to eat healthy, I consider myself an enthusiastic student and teacher of healthy living and eating. But being 36, and having paid my own dues in walking the path to renewed health, I have never considered the possibility of myself being diagnosed as being diabetic. I still have the chance to minimize that prospect, while my father has a scheduled appointment with his own doctor, where the possibility that he may be diagnosed as being a type 1 diabete, is pretty good.
I have made a promise to George, to help him as far as I can, and this is the main reason for starting this blog. I believe that even given his current state of health, he could just realise that his best years still lay ahead of him.
It will not be easy, he is totally left behind when it comes to internet technology, and his command of the English language is also not one of his strong points. He lives 800 miles from me. During the little vacation we had we were in the African bush, and far from any internet connection, otherwise I could have at least helped him then to set up an internet account, and familiarize him with it.
But here starts the journey, and my research into the subject of diabetes, and the possibilities, not the restrictions, that come with it.
Filed under: diabetes diagnosis, george's journey | Tagged: diabetes care, diabetes diet, diabetes treatment
