March 29, 2004
Behavior, Type 2
Question from Berkley, Michigan, USA:
My mother-in-law has type 2. She is very careless and lazy about her health and others around her. She injects insulin before breakfast and dinner, that I know, if not more. When I looked to see how much she was taking it was between 40 and 50 1/2 cc. That seems horrible to me. I suggested the insulin pump to her and she said she will talk to the doctor in a nonchalant way. I have a one year old son, and when she injected herself right at the dining table, I found her needle on the floor with no cap. She obviously re-uses the needles. She had an infection in her arm and had to go to the hospital six month ago.
What do I do to help her? I’ve tried to tell her to go to a dietitian, like her doctor said, too. I just want to lead her in the right direction without offending her. She has five grandchildren and four sons. Out of her four sons, none of them will talk to her. They say she’s fine. But the other daughter-in-laws and I know she needs more help. It seems like she won’t live to many more years if she keeps this up. Also, let me add that every time she comes over she will find some sweets and eat some. I try to hide what and when I can.
Answer:
She either is in denial that she has a problem or is choosing not to deal with her diabetes. There is no excuse for poor handling of needles. That is a hazard anywhere and puts the young grandchildren at risk. Limiting your children’s time may force her to address this safety issue. With regard to her behaviors, she probably needs to be confronted with the diabetes. What are her indicators of glucose control? Does she monitor? Are her sugars in the target range? Does she know her target range? What is her hemoglobin A1c? If she has poor results, she probably needs to have her children step up and address this with her. If they don’t, and she hasn’t acted on her doctor’s guidance, who will? This may be stiff for some, but the complications of diabetes are real and they can be bad. I hope she can get this under better control.
JTL
