Diabetes

[Poli3]

My sister age 64 has just been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.She has high blood pressure,mainly systolic that is hard to get under control,but she is trying different drugs.She also had an ekg that said she had LVh.Also is on thyroxine for thyroid.Also,she has one healthy kidney.Her doctor said that with diabetes,her LVH will advance more quickly into heart failure in 3 years.Now she has sunk into a dep depression because she feels she has no hope of anything .Could you give us some help on what we might do next.We appreciate this forum and the doctors time.I realize that this is for juvenile diabetes but thought maybe you might have some insight into what we could do. Thank you.

[JDRF-Team-jhg]

Hello Poli3 ~ thanks for coming to our site in search of information to help your sister deal with her recent diagnosis.  This site is "manned" by a team of volunteers who are themselves type 1 or parents of type 1's.  None of us, however, are medical professionals and I am not personally familiar with the medical issues you discuss.  I hope your sister has a good team of doctors who can discuss all of the issues she's dealing with and make sure that all the doctors are "on the same page."

I do agree with LRS that your sister and the family would benefit from counseling ~ I see that you posted again and mentioned your 16 year old granddaughter also has diabetes. This is a difficult age to have to deal with a chronic illness.  Along with posting questions at this website, I would like to suggest your family checks out www.jdrf.org  and go to the JDRF Kids online section . . . there is always lots of great information there.  Also, www.childrenwithdiabetes.com   is another great site complete with chat rooms for parents and teens and much, much more!

Please come back and let us know how both your sister and grand daughter are doing . . . all the best!  JHG

[Poli3]

Thank you so much for your advice and compassion in answering my post.
You brought up some things I had never thought of and we will pursue them.
I am sure the picture is not all as bleak as it seems now.
We have also just found out that my 16 yaer old grandaughter has diabetes,so I am glad I found this forum.
Bless you for your time and work you do.

[JDRF-Team-LRS]

Poli,
So sorry to read about your sister's troubles.  It is not uncommon for folks with chronic illnesses to also slip into depression, for exactly the reasons you mention.

While none of us here are physicians, I encourage you continue to "be there" to listen and encourage your sister thru all this.  In addition, since depression is a serious medical condition that can often be treated, see if you can encourage her to seek treatment for that.  With a combination of therapy, meds, and strong family support, she may well learn how to cope with the enormous health burdens she's living with.

You and others in the family might benefit from some good counseling as well -- and you might find that in the medical community or in your church/temple, where there are folks with both skill & compassion to help us thru life's rough spots.

On the emotional side, I think that Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are very similar.  Both come along with complications or risks of them, and with psychological & emotional pressures, worries, feeling guilty, feeling angry, feeling despair.  Folks with either type of diabetes can also enjoy all the good emotions: hope, contentment, happiness, love, compassion.