It wasn’t like I was caught by surprise. Every woman on both sides of my family have Type 2 Diabetes. The two male cousins that have it were diagnosed in their youth – one at 14, one at 3. I am just tired of all the pills I take and now I’ll not only have to take more, but probably monitor blood sugar and all that fol-de-rol.
My great grandfather, my mother’s birth father, had Type 2 Diabetes. He was a brilliant scholarly man, but the Diabetes just defeated him. His death was considered natural with complications due to his Diabetes. My mother, her brother and sister, never believed that. Their father, who was never without his “emergency” hard candy in his pocket, had locked himself in his study where after several hours he succumbed to a Diabetic Coma. His wife, my mother’s mother, later found his hard candy in his pockets.
My mother and her sister, though, have fared much better with their Diabetes. Aunt Eleanor was diagnosed back in her 40s. My mother was in her 60s. Neither take insulin shots. My mother is very good about monitoring her blood sugar, whereas my aunt has gotten away with never having monitored hers. She has always eaten well and at almost 90, still takes her daily walk.
I am not worried, though I wonder if I shouldn’t be. I am apathetic about the possible diagnosis. The thing is, going to the doctor is not an hour lost from a busy day. It’s a fight. I am always having to fight with my doctors over what treatments I need and I’m getting tired of it. This is what the limitations of Medicare put me through. That, and sometimes my doctors just don’t believe me, or they don’t listen. I feel as though I ought to let them keep dosing me up until my cabinet is so full of drugs that I can’t close its door.
I’m just… tired.
However, on the 16th when I go to the Diabetic clinic I will listen and find out what’s next. And, I’ll probably fight again.
Tags: Health
lol – nurses have, in the last fifteen years it seems to me, been more perceptive about what goes on with their patients than the doctor does. I love nurses!
When a doctor doesn’t even look up from your file to give you a new pill, it kinda gets the ire up. We’ll see at this appointment what’s up.
I dread the fights as well and I am a nurse who works with them.
Sometimes I wonder about all the pills that are given. There are people trying to fight ageing and pill popping because half the time as your aunt is a great example they don’t need it. If they don’t have side effect from high blood pressure, sugar level, etc why stuff pills down their throats? Give them the option to cover your ass not just say “you have to take *insert pill*.”
Ageing is what we do and our physical bodies don’t last forever. You know I say this without my licence right? lol