[DocWhitley]

After i installed a Boiler today I was asked by my brother to go help a guy Re-wire a Boiler because he could not read the schematic. I guess i should add that i really have never liked the guy because (and I am probably about to get yelled at) he uses his diabetes as an "I cant excuse"... You know the ones:
I cant Work today because my sugar is high
I cant Work today because my sugar is low
I cant work tonight because I need to eat and I forgot my money

So I get there and he said "I am so glad you are here because you are fast and my blood Sugars are high" hmmmm He said this as He was eating a whopper and drinking a MT Dew! Over the next hour he explained how my brother does not understand how difficult this desease is to control... I then said I need to take a break (My back was killing me!!!!!) grabbed a chair to sit on and tested my BG in front of him... He could not believe i was Diabetic. He then said "I guess since you are testing you must be having a hard time also and that is when I had enough and said NO, I BELIVE THAT IF I AN GOING TO KILL MYSELF A BULLET WILL BE A LOT QUICKER AND LESS PAINFUL THEN THE WHOPPER, FRIES AND MT DEW YOU ARE DRINKING!" I then showed him a Bg of 92 and offered to test his. He turned me down. He said I do not understand how hard it is to be Diagnosed later in life like he was. He is 26... I am 38! Yeah Ok! When we left we both pulled into 7-11. I grabbed a Powerade Zero... Him a Gatorade... I told him that is he put it back I would buy him a Powerade Zero... He said there is no difference... So I showed 0 carbs and he said fine.

Sorry just needed to vent because 6 hours later I still can not believe that a person Diagnosed a year ago does not take care of himself.

 

[diabetes86]

All I can say is

 

[DocWhitley]

If he was type 1

I would not be able to imagine how to manage it and would not even try to. I feel from what I have learned that they are 2 completely different diseases, but this young guy is going to be put on insulin because he can not stay away from Carbs! It has made me angry every time I have thought about it. Maybe one day he will grow up. I just hope it is before he does irreversible damage. I thought about him as I was having egg white, pepperoni and a Rice cake for breakfast... Just thought he was probably having Donuts

 

[Shanny]

Amazing that he can be in such denial about eating the proper foods, and yet use his diabetes as an excuse to get out of work! Kinda makes one wonder if it isn't deliberate . . . if he controlled his diabetes, then he'd have to do a little WORK!

 

[onaughmae]

It is really hard to watch someone engage in behaviours that you *know* are causing them harm...and then have them whine about how sick they are. I have found that unless they ask, or unless I am seeing them in a professional sense, it is rarely worth my time to offer them advice. Especially if I offer some advice and they have an excuse why they can not do what they should, or they repeatedly talk about how hard it is to cope. At that point in their lives that person is just not ready to deal with it. Unfortunately, people like that often end up with some complication before they finally "get it". Sometimes all you can do is just tell them that you are diabetic too and this (whatever it is) is what works for you. All you can really do is offer what works for you. Sounds more to me that he is just using his "sugar" as an excuse more than anything else.

 

[DocWhitley]

Yeah I stopped working in July because my back is so screwed up right now and he started right after I left. My brother likes to bring me in on days when he is short and pays me on the side but, he also likes for me to verify is opinions of people. As i said my brother and i installed a Boiler together yesterday and we were finished before he could get his out. Today he called out because his "Blood Sugar" was 500 and he could not work so I was asked to come work again today. My brother is about to have the "Do you like your Job Speech tomorrow". It is a shame that he is not able to cope and get his crap together. Oh well I guess it just means more $$ for me : ) and I never argue about working. Apparently his statement to the guy this morning was"No problem, I will call Will because Diabetes and getting ready for Back Surgery... I know I can still count on him to work."

 

[Strawberry]

If we try hard enough, many of us people with Diabetes can think of someone just like the fellow you've described. I have been out to lunch several times with a younger lady who was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes earlier this year. She told me that her doctor put her on Humalog and Lantus but that the insulin is only temporary. When I asked her why was it temporary, she told me that the doctor said she would be cured if she could lose weight.

Ok??? When we went to lunch with other people, I watched what she ate and boy was I shocked. White potatoes, 2 dinner rolls, a huge steak and a slice of pie with ice cream for dessert. Meanwhile she did not inject any insulin either before or after the meal. I seriously doubt whether she will lose weight eating like that.

Keep up the good work Will and Best Wishes to you for trying so hard.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Good Man Doc!

its one thing when "healthy" people are ignorant when it comes to massive eating (i was there back in the day) but when we see someone with "D" do it, its even more painful to see.

it also works the other way, imo. my roommate doesnt understand how i dont "just eat more carbs" because its known that i have to gain weight.

 

[DocWhitley]

When I was diagnosed it was a complete turn on what I ate and drank and I thought it would be hard but surprisingly since I do the cooking it is not hard. Tonight I had Meatloaf and the side war a Mozzarella, spinach and tomato roll... Had a guest and EVERYONE loved the dinner. This is about the third time we have had a guest at dinner and not one has noticed that dinner has been low carb.

I think if the guy would have gone to the clinic I went to where I think they had the worst of the worst cases he would have learned the dangers of not taking care of himself. One of the patients looked me in the face and said he wished he would have listened and not to make the same mistakes he did. I guess that is one of the reasons I come here everyday... To be around people that decided they will beat Diabetes and not let Diabetes beat them... It helps

 

[Philly Bud]

I can't understand some people ...

Good post, Doc.

Hmmm ... I never thought you can use diabetes as an excuse to get out of work. Actually I discovered I can control my BG better on work days than on weekends! I tend to eat healthier on weekdays, and if I happen to cheat it's usually on the weekend ... in a restaurant!!!

In any case, I do NOT want to start getting complications resulting from uncontrolled diabetes - sorry - but I value my sight, my foot, and not having neuropathy, a stroke, or a heart attack too much to be in denial.

 

[Shanny]

As I said to my doc today . . . cataract surgery & IOC lens implants restored to me vision I had not had for 60 years. I am not just ABOUT to let diabetes take it away again!

 

[DocWhitley]

Philly I agree... I have been laid up so long I can not wait to be "healthy" again. I would not think an honest person would consider using it as an excuse to get out of work. I find when I work that I have a hard time remembering to eat. I can go till 4 on a hard job and not have lunch (Wife yells at me when I get home) but, I would do that before i was diagnosed. Yesterday I set my phone to notify me wen it was time to do everything so for now on i will get a reminder so I will be on a strict schedule. I already have had the numbness in the leg because of the nerves being pinched... I DO NOT WANT IT! So I watch my Diet. Even my brother has decided that to be carful he will be checking hi BG now and then, will be loosing weight and watching what he eats. So if me having this can keep him around a little longer later in life... then I wont complain

 

[ThoseBackPages]

i have to remember to eat three times a day. its very easy for me to forget to eat a meal now.