Dying Old Man

Nobody could possibly know the answer, but if he lives long
enough without taking any kind of care of himself, many of
those things could happen, including amputation. BTW, 62 is
not really an "old" man. He has lots of good years left, so
try to encourage him to start taking care of himself. It's
never too late to start. Good luck.

--
Cheri
Type 2, no meds for now.

RachelHaverhill wrote in message <20040613125226.15909.00000833@mb-
m16.wmconnect.com>...

Quoted message said:

Here is the reason for my posting. I want to be blunt and ask for very

blunt

Quoted message said:

answers. How will my dad die and about when? Will he die in his sleep

from high

Quoted message said:

or from low sugar? Will he have a stroke? Will he have to lose limbs

thru

Quoted message said:

amputation first, do you think? I don't really want "sympathy"

responses and

Quoted message said:

please don't email me. Just let me know how and when you think this

will all

Quoted message said:

sort out?

RachelHaverhill wrote in message <20040613125226.15909.00000833@mb-
m16.wmconnect.com>...

Quoted message said:

My dad is 62 and has diabetes. He never watches his weight,
has got so he

never

Quoted message said:

checks his blood sugar, just goes on "how he thinks he
feels". A couple

months

Quoted message said:

ago, he collapsed on his porch. I brought him back inside
and he recovered,

but

Quoted message said:

I thought he was dead. He weighs about 220, a lot of fat.

In talking to him, day to day, I can tell when his blood
sugar is messed

up.

Quoted message said:

And, when his sugar is off, he acts mildly drunk and his
judgment is very

poor.

Quoted message said:

He takes (or is supposed to take) is it...Glucoside pills
each day. He

drinks

Quoted message said:

milk and eats cheetos. Bad diet. Will not learn.

Here is the reason for my posting. I want to be blunt and
ask for very

blunt

Quoted message said:

answers. How will my dad die and about when? Will he die in
his sleep from

high

Quoted message said:

or from low sugar? Will he have a stroke? Will he have to
lose limbs thru amputation first, do you think? I don't
really want "sympathy" responses

and

Quoted message said:

please don't email me. Just let me know how and when you
think this will

all

Quoted message said:

sort out?

The high-probability death for a Type 2 diabetic who
doesn't take care of himself, or use optimum medications
is death by heart attack. That's a statistical prediction
based on death rates. No theory, just raw data.

However, if you're interested as to why: (hint, see below,
you should be interested)

1. He is not taking an anti-Insulin Resistance med.
Therefore, he has high levels of circulating insulin
which damage the endothelial layers of his arteries
and encourage blood pressure increases and clotting.

2. He is not controlling his blood sugars. Thus, he is
damaging his arteries by the formation of Advanced
Glycosylation End Products, ie. he is converting his
arteries into shoe leather.

3. He is not controlling his carb intake or taking an anti-
Insulin Resistance med. Therefore, his triglycerides
are probably very high and his LDL forms as very small
globules in his blood. The small globules migrate into
the lining of his arteries, oxidize, and generate clot
formation sites.

4. He is not controlling his blood sugar levels.
Therefore, his blood is more likely to clot. That
amplifies the effects of all the damage he is doing to
his arteries. There is also a correlation with high
blood sugar and Coronary Heart Disease but I'm not
certain if items 1 -3 above "cover" that correlation.

You should be interested in all this; perhaps even
memorize it.

The reason I listed those things, in all their gory details,
is because Type 2 diabetes is a genetic disease. Sorry, the
odds are that you have the genes and it is waiting to ambush
you and your children. (High odds but not 100%)

Read that list and know how Type 2 diabetes (T2) is trying
to ambush you and your children:

5. Watch your blood pressure. Developing T2 often causes
a steady creep upwards

6. Watch your triglycerides. Developing T2 often causes
a steady rise, over the 150 mg/dL cut-off

7. Ration your carbohydrate intake. If you have the T2
genes, rationing carb now can delay the onset

8. Watch your HDL, LDL and total cholesterol. Developing
T2 often shows itself with a steady increase in "bad"
cholesterol

9. Stay skinny, exercise every day.

10. If T2 does succeed in ambushing you, then:

a. Consider anti-Insulin Resistance meds (metformin,
Actos, Avandia)
b. Control your blood pressure using any and all means
necessary. ACE, ARB inhibitors
c. Knock down wild cholesterol levels using any and
all means necessary
d. Ration your carb, get a home blood testing meter and
test, test, test. "Eat to the meter"
e. Your blood sugar targets:

f. 125 mg/dL fasting in the morning ii 140
mg/dL at 2 hours after eating iii HbA1c
of 6.5% or less

7. Finally, keep coming back. We have "been there,
done that".

Regards
Old Al

Dear Rachel, I've been there.........not through diabetes,
but watching both of my parents pass away. It really isn't
an easy process, but one that I guess nearly everybody has
to go through at some stage in their lives. You'll try to
convince your dad that he is going about things the wrong
way and you'll constantly examine yourself........am I doing
/ saying the right thing. If your like me, you'll be asking
the same things years later. Take my advice:- Do your best,
but try to enjoy every moment that you have with your dad.
Secondly, don't neglect yourself either........take time to
be yourself too......or you both crack up.
Third..........probably most important. Talk to friends
about your problem. Problem shared is a problem halved.

Look after yourself. Phil

"RachelHaverhill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My dad is 62 and has diabetes. He never watches his
weight, has got so he

never

Quoted message said:

checks his blood sugar, just goes on "how he thinks he
feels". A couple

months

Quoted message said:

ago, he collapsed on his porch. I brought him back
inside and he

recovered, but

Quoted message said:

I thought he was dead. He weighs about 220, a lot of fat.

In talking to him, day to day, I can tell when his blood
sugar is messed

up.

Quoted message said:

And, when his sugar is off, he acts mildly drunk and his
judgment is very

poor.

Quoted message said:

He takes (or is supposed to take) is it...Glucoside pills
each day. He

drinks

Quoted message said:

milk and eats cheetos. Bad diet. Will not learn.

Here is the reason for my posting. I want to be blunt and
ask for very

blunt

Quoted message said:

answers. How will my dad die and about when? Will he die
in his sleep from

high

Quoted message said:

or from low sugar? Will he have a stroke? Will he have to
lose limbs thru amputation first, do you think? I don't
really want "sympathy" responses

and

Quoted message said:

please don't email me. Just let me know how and when you
think this will

all

Quoted message said:

sort out?

My opinion is based on experience with my friends and
acquaintances. It is nowehere near as thorough as the very
well researched advice from OldAl.

If your dad is lucky, he could get a massive heart attack or
stroke and go quickly. On the other hand, he could die a
slow lingering death, going blind, having his toes
amputated, having his kidneys stop functioning, have minor
strokes and other ailments before death puts a merciful end
to the suffering - both his and yours.

Or alternatively, he could say "Right! Let's get stuck into
managing this diabetes thing! What can I do? I can diet,
lose weight; excercise, medicate, check all the things that
can go wrong with me; keep tabs on my blood glucose levels,
cholesterol levels, triglycerides, etc.

It's not too late. Get your dad motivated. If you dad
thinks, "what the heck, if you gotta go you gotta go..."
it's not that simple. He may not necessarily "just go" but
rather subject himself to a lot of suffering in the
process. And not just to him, but to you, as he'll need a
lot of looking after when he becomes incapacitated. Maybe
your dad will consider your well-being if he doesn't care
about his own.

My message to your dad - "Look after yourself, mate. You
have a long life still ahead of you. You don't wanna be
nursed by your daughter and other people just yet..."

Henry Australia

"RachelHaverhill" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My dad is 62 and has diabetes. He never watches his
weight, has got so he

never

Quoted message said:

checks his blood sugar, just goes on "how he thinks he
feels". A couple

months

Quoted message said:

ago, he collapsed on his porch. I brought him back
inside and he

recovered, but

Quoted message said:

I thought he was dead. He weighs about 220, a lot of fat.

In talking to him, day to day, I can tell when his blood
sugar is messed

up.

Quoted message said:

And, when his sugar is off, he acts mildly drunk and his
judgment is very

poor.

Quoted message said:

He takes (or is supposed to take) is it...Glucoside pills
each day. He

drinks

Quoted message said:

milk and eats cheetos. Bad diet. Will not learn.

Here is the reason for my posting. I want to be blunt and
ask for very

blunt

Quoted message said:

answers. How will my dad die and about when? Will he die
in his sleep from

high

Quoted message said:

or from low sugar? Will he have a stroke? Will he have to
lose limbs thru amputation first, do you think? I don't
really want "sympathy" responses

and

Quoted message said:

please don't email me. Just let me know how and when you
think this will

all

Quoted message said:

sort out?

Your dad seems to be attaching about as much importance to
his diabetes as my cousin did. He became diabetic, knew
about it and what he SHOULD do if he wanted to live a long
and healthy life, but did what your dad's doing. Nothing.
Within 5 years of diagnosis he was blind and within 7 years
he was dead.

He died of kidney failure, which is a common "thing" to go
wrong with diabetics who run sugar levels far higher than
the norm for a long period of time. That's just ONE way he
could go. The most common however is heart attack and/or
stroke, but ALL can be delayed with a little discipline and
re-thinking.

62 doesn't put him in the "old man" category, so he SHOULD
have years left in him, but if he chooses not to "straighten
up and fly right" he won't make it into that category and he
could make life VERY difficult for you if you're the one
looking after him.

Beav

On 13 Jun 2004 16:52:26 GMT, [email hidden]

(RachelHaverhill) said:

My dad is 62 and has diabetes. He never watches his
weight, has got so he never checks his blood sugar, just
goes on "how he thinks he feels". A couple months ago, he
collapsed on his porch. I brought him back inside and he
recovered, but I thought he was dead. He weighs about 220,
a lot of fat.

In talking to him, day to day, I can tell when his blood
sugar is messed up. And, when his sugar is off, he acts
mildly drunk and his judgment is very poor. He takes (or is
supposed to take) is it...Glucoside pills each day. He
drinks milk and eats cheetos. Bad diet. Will not learn.

Here is the reason for my posting. I want to be blunt and
ask for very blunt answers. How will my dad die and about
when? Will he die in his sleep from high or from low sugar?
Will he have a stroke? Will he have to lose limbs thru
amputation first, do you think? I don't really want
"sympathy" responses and please don't email me. Just let me
know how and when you think this will all sort out?

there is no way to predict what or when this will happen.

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