This evening my 21 year old son was taken to the ER by ambulance. This will be his 8th time in the hospital with ketoacidosis. Two of those times he was on life support. He refuses to take proper care of himself. He never tests his blood sugar, does not eat the right foods and drinks as much pop/soda as he can get his hands on ( I swear I think the pop is an addiction) . He cares about nothing. He has lived with me multiple times while I tried to help him get his life together , such as getting a job. Never happens always an excuse why he cant get one or find one. He finally did get into job Corp. I was so excited, but he has since been let go from Job Corp because they were constantly having to take him to the er because he was not taking care of his diabetes. Heās killing his self. I had to put me foot down and tell him he was not allowed to come back to live with me . He went to live with grandmother, who is the one who just had to call the ambulance.
His grandmother is now not allowing him to come back to live with her because he will not take care of his diabetes and is still full of excuses why he can not get a job.
Side note my son has a 1 1/2 year old little girl that lives with her mother and I help take care of. My son is killing himself and I feel there is nothing else I can do. I have had him admitted to a mental hospital but he told them what they wanted to hear and was out in two weeks.
During my many years of practice (as a neuropsychologist) I would sometimes encounter situations like you have described. I donāt know you or your son, so I canāt make comments specific to his/your situation. But I will offer this - there are some situations that are just to difficult for family members to have any impact. This is often the case with people who are addicted to alcohol and/or drugs, people who have gambling problems, as well as people who simply will not take care of a chronic illness.
Then what do family members do? The best they can do is to āinsulateā themselves from the negative effects of the chronically-ill personās behavior. Family members are better off if they continue to insist that the affected person work with her/his treatment team and then limit their contact with the affected person. Let the treatment team āown the battle.ā
If the affected person is ever able to turn things around, then the family can cautiously āre-engageā with the person. But until that day comes (if it does) the family members are better off to āinsulateā themselves from the āchaos.ā
I feel certain you have heard this before. Sorry I donāt have anything better to offer.
I greatly appreciate your response. To an extent, yes Iāve heard this before, but I appreciate your detail. I just need to know that Iāve left no stone unturned, so to speak. The hardest thing Iāve ever done is to watch my child as he slowly kills himself. In a sense I guess Iām trying to prepare myself as I pray everyday that God can help him turn it all around. Thanks again.
hi @Walke29 Melissa, if it is any consolation at all. I ignored and did the minimum possible with diabetes for 20 years, until I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I put family and friends through very bad times. It wasnāt anything that anyone did or said that made me change, it was my own acceptance. 20 years worth of ākilling myselfā didnāt actually kill me.
please take care of yourself and your self-esteem in these difficult times. Your son is an adult; you didnāt cause this, you canāt cure it, and you canāt control it in him.
Than you so much for your response. Iām happy you were finally able to things around. Itās been very hard for me to step back and to stop making sure his dr appointments are made , making sure he doesnāt run out of insulinā¦etc. Not allowing him to live with me has been difficult because He has run out of places to live. Bouncing from one house to another and now no place to go when he leaves the hospital. We are trying to get a social worker involved before he leaves the hospital in hopes they can offer suggestions for living arrangements among other things. I will continue to keep health insurance on him so he can get his insulin & go to his doctor appointments. Past that Iāve realized I canāt keep going through the heart ache. Iām stepping back and he will now have to be responsible for his life. I pray his mind set changes and he will make the decision to care. Thank you for your story and insight, it means a lot.
Hi Melissa @Walke29, I know you are going through a rough time with worries, but as two very aware and knowledgeable gentle men have said that the decision is with your son. As a parent and grandparent Iāve gone out of my way to ābe thereā and assist and 55 or so years ago I completely disregarded my diabetes until something happened and I snapped out of it. Yes, I always took an injection of crude insulin every morning just because I felt very crappy on the few days I missed, but I went several years without seeing a doctor and never had a blood sugar test - in those days BS testing was done only in hospital labs. Yes, the light went on in my head and for the last 50 years I cared!
As for your son not having a place to live, suggest that he could return to your home as long as he followed āthe rulesā - first failure on his part he gets thrown out. āThe Rulesā, your rules and the doctorās orders PLUS he must read, study and learn.
Thank you so much for your response. Sadly, that was the deal I made with my son the last two times heās moved in with me. Also, the same deal his grandmother made with him when he moved in with her 2 weeks ago. He was there one week before she had to call an ambulance. Unfortunately he tells you what you want to hear to let him back in and then continues this destructive behavior. He has agreed to talk with a psychiatrist while heās in the hospital, I hope speaking with a psychiatrist is something he will continue to do.
I am sharing my exsperience because the feeling of no hope did me in. I would do everything the Dr would give me for about 3 weeks then realize this isnāt doing what they said it will do. I always had unexplained high and lows even on stricked diets in the hospital. I was one that didnāt sit still I was always on the move. The problem was I couldnāt predick if my bg would go high or low. I tried diets I tried different meds. They finally came out with lantus and that changed my whole life. So I they put me on lantus and novolog. And I could get my a1c down to a 9 if I gave up my life and sat around and did hardly anything. I went from monthly ER visits to going about once a year. Until I finally stopped having them except when I was sick. About 5 years ago I started having heart attacks and strokes.
Anxiety
behavior change similar to being drunk
blurred vision
cold sweats
confusion
depression
difficulty with thinking
dizziness or lightheadedness
drowsiness
excessive hunger
fast heartbeat
headache
irritability or abnormal behavior
restless sleep
seizures
shakiness
slurred speech
tingling in the hands, feet, lips, or tongue
dryness of the mouth
fast or weak pulse
increased thirst
irregular heartbeat
loss of appetite
mood or mental changes
muscle cramps or pain
nausea
skin rash or itching over the whole body
sweating
trouble breathing
unusual tiredness or weakness
vomiting
The Dr just blamed it on my non control of diabetes. I have been taking novolog for 20 years and I would of never noticed the side effects if it wasnāt for my family telling me how I was acting. I had to do the research and figure it on my own. Since I have got off novolog I only have a hand full of those symptoms and my bg is way more tighter I am currently on humilin R threw 670g insulin pump.maybe my story will give your son the hope he might need.
You are living one of my biggest fears, my 6yo was just diagnosed and I worry about the future all the time, weāre lucky to be on Medicaid now but I worry about as an adult him not taking care of himself or being one of the many stuck where they canāt afford insurance but make too much for Medicaid. Do you mind if I ask what age he was diagnosed? I feel for u I live in anxiety of the day Iām in your shoes I hope things get better. I have a 21 Yo too and he doesnāt have t1d but heās difficult Im not looking forward too the teens and adult years.
Iāve been diabetic for 21 years now I was diagnosed when I was only 8 back in the 90s . He is the only one that has the will power to change having this disease isnt easy one bit itās very even for those that do have it under control I went thro that stage of not caring and did what I want when I was in my teens always being high did and ate what I wanted rarely ever checked my sugars. But at one point I snapped and started to care again for what he is doing can lead to long term problems that will put him more in a situation he doesnāt want to be in because it can cause him his life sadly he needs your support more then every and stand behind him he may he want to go to support groups for diabetes
Hi @Walke29. I was diagnosed at 3 years old in 19 62 and am doing well. I saw you had gotten some input from a professional so this is coming from āDr. Philā (no offense intended to the man). Iāve seen that some people with diabetes donāt want others to see them doing the things we need to do to care for ourselves: fingersticks, injections or pump boluses, calculating carbs when we eat, stopping for a snack, etcā¦ Some people simply donāt want others to know they are diabetic (or have diabetes, if you prefer that term). Unfortunately the drama that results from not caring for themselves is more than would be caused by going through those steps. If thatās the case is illogical and irrational - no offense to your son, Iām speaking very broadly.
Another thought is that he is depressed: emotionally due to having the condition, or perhaps he is suffering from clinical depression which, at age 21, he must be willing to address himself, with love and sort from family and friends. But if he is emotionally depressed due to the diagnosis it might help him to know that while he does have a lifelong disease (do far) that can have complications, he may be walking amongst them without realizing it because they are managing the condition and living fulfilling lives. There are diabetics in music and professional and otherwise competitive athletics (including some Olympic participants); ones who have figured out how to manage their sugars so they can engage in mountain climbing and other feats of endurance; parents (which perhaps should be in the endurance category); and simply live from day to day enjoying what they like to do. Perhaps sharing that may make a dent. If he has hobbies and interests maybe those can be an incentive for him to take care of himself with the idea in mind that yes, although he does have diabetes, it dues not necessarily have to stop him from doing the things he loves, if he is willing to put in the work. I know this may sound massive but you never knew what might hit home. Wishing you the best.
Hi @Tpluff88 welcome to TypeOneNation. This conversation is very old and the original post author hasnāt been back. Maybe you can describe what is going on and maybe we can offer some new advice from living with T1.
I appreciate you reaching out Iām not sure if I can just reply to this email or not my son is 26 he was diagnosed with type one while he was in rehab a month into rehab last year. He is just had a lot come at him at once. Heās living with me right now and not very motivated to do anything Iām trying to encourage him the best I can he has bailed out on the last three endocrinologist appointment that he had one was yesterday I canāt stress to him and how important it is to take better care of himself sugar is high all the time he knows what he needs to do he tells me I just donāt know you know how to help. Just love and Lee encouraging him I guess?
Hi @Tpluff88. Iām glad you wrote. It struck me that you said your son was diagnosed while in rehab not too long ago - starting two huge things at one time, and ongoing.
There are resources for families of people in recovery that may be able to help you support yourself as well as him, and of course I hope he comes to the point where he decides to take advantage of local support options as well.
Iāve found people on the forum are more than willing to share how they have handled shared experiences: if you start a thread asking about diabetes and addiction you may find parents who have been in your position, as well as individuals who are fighting their own addictions and may be willing to connect with your son. Private messaging is an option on the forum.
I hope both of you find the help you need.
I am so very concerned to hear this story. Diabetes is difficult - it is a full time job to stay on top of it all the time. However, new advances like the Dexcom sensors and more advanced insulin pumps have been of great benefit. Nevertheless, it can still be incredibly difficult to deal with even with such advances. I think the best way to deal with this issue is for your son to join this group or some comparable group and share the things he is feeling and the difficulties he is encountering. Perhaps it would help. They say that people who do not want to be helped cannot be helped until they hit rock bottom and realize they must do something different. That is a sad reality because no one wants to witness that downward path for a loved-one. Is there anyone in the family to whom he would listen and who could talk to him about what they are seeing and help him to ge the help he needs?
Hi @Tpluff88 yes you can reply by email. Dealing with rehab and diabetes is a lot. Itās more than a lot. If you want to elaborate on the things he is struggling with weāre all here to help. Please do not forget to take care of yourself.
Hmmm, young people often resist taking advice from their parents. This might be an evolutionary process, where to have a greater chance of survival (success) in an ever changing environment the offspring needs to attain diverse adaptations (rather than adaptations just being copied from one generation to the other with little or no change) by ignoring advice from their relatives and copying non-related individuals. My suggestion is to encourage your son to attend meetings with people of similar age to him where he can learn about the disease (how to manage it better, and why it is important). It can be a powerful motivator to a young person when he is criticized or encouraged to behave a certain way by people who are not biologically related, are of a similar age and especially of interest to him (e.g., share similar hobbies, are respected by him due to their knowledge about a topic of interest, are sexually attractive, or some other point of interest)