my mum is type 1 - i need advice??

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jenjake

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Hi, my mum has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for 25 years. Over the past couple of years her health has slowly began to deteriorate. She has suffered with kidney failure, retinothopy and neuropothy. She attends regular health checks. I do not feel she tells me the truth about her condition. She feels really low in mood at the moment. She feels 'diabetes is killing her'. (sorry for the depressing thread ...!)

how can I help and support her/motivate her??
 
Welcome Jenjake.

Your situation is tough, and it's great you want to help. Advice about action depends so much on personal circumstances eg how often you see each other / how you communicate, relative ages of your mother and you etc. Could you fill us in with a few more details - no need to give names or anything, of course. Even courses and treatments available vary a bit depending on what part of the UK you live - I'm making the assumption you and your mother both live in UK?
 
Hi, my mum is 55 we are very close and see eachother almost everyday (if not we speak or text everyday). I'm 31, I live a 10 min walk from my mum at most in West Yorkshire, England. I would do anything for my mum. She feels upset about no longer picking up my son from school but she was too ill to continue, and at the time she was collecting him she would be exhausted everyday when I got home from work and asleep and clearly not feeling well (this was the time when she was ill with kidney failure). I think she doesn't feel needed anymore and feels she is becoming more house bound. She has suffered with terrible pains in her feet which prevent her from walking very far, however she still goes out. She falls regularly whilst walking and recently torn the tendons in her foot as a result. She is feeling frustrated, upset, scared about her future, and annoyed with herself for the constant state of worry she finds herself in.....
 
She has told me she is no longer receiving treatment for kidney failure and her kidneys are now functioning normally. However she does not allow any support when she visits the GP/specialist, not sure if I believe her. She isn't one to feel sorry herself, her personaility is usually to get on with it and not moan, she is frustrated she is feeling sorry for herself and annoyed that all conversations always appear to be about her health.
 
I really do sympathize with you on this, it must be really hard trying to help your mum when she is down..........

the hard part is that the only help you can give is by being there and I suppose nagging her to take control, no one else can do it apart from her unfortunately...........:(

How often does she test her blood sugar levels?

Do you know what insulin she is on?

Does she ever miss injections?

I hope the forum can help you and your mum............
 
Well if she's had all these things go wrong, then sorry to say, it is quite probably because she hasn't had optimal blood sugars for a LOT of the time she's been diabetic.

Ask her if she wants your support? - if she does then ask her to tell you truthfully what's going on. You know, bargaining? You can have my support if you give me this ...
 
OK, that makes it easier to make suggestions. Sorry to hear about your situation and your Mum and how it's affecting you all.

Is she getting specialist treatment for her kidney failure and diabetes? From doctors and specialist nurses for both conditions, perhaps in a combined centre / clinic? If not, she should ask her GP to refer her.

If she's falling regularly, she should ask GP for referral to a falls team - these consist of doctors, nurses, physios, occupational therapists etc; treatment includes aspects such as reviewing medication, adjustng if necessary, recommending changes such as improved lighting on stairs, use of walking aids etc; depending on her housing situation, adjustments might be made for her. Even if there's no falls team, is she getting specalist care from surgeon and hysio for her torn tendons?

As she's obviously getting frustrated, perhaps even clinically depressed by her change of circumstances, and especially as waiting lists are long, she could also ask GP about referral for counselling.

As you say she gets frustrated that all conversations are about her health, then you'll have to provide some non medical chats - almost certainly, she wants to be a mother / grandmother first and have diabetes second, and I can understand that. I find I can help my family more by giving practical help, sometimes even distractions, when they have health problems, and they know better than to hassle me about my health!

If her health situation is long standing (for at least 3 months already and likely to last for at least 6 months longer) and she needs help from another person and / or has difficulty getting around, then she could apply for Disability Living Allowance, both care and mobility components. It's well worth getting advice from CAB or local welfare rights centre, as forms are very complex and the general public, for obvious reasons, doesn't know what details are important.
 
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Hi jenjake, welcome to the forum 🙂 I am about the same age as your mum and we come from the same area (I am originally from Brighouse!). I'm also Type 1 but was only diagnosed 3 years ago.

I'm very sorry to hear about the problems your mum has experienced, and how she is feeling. I can appreciate that all these major health problems have hit her hard - something like that is bound to have a huge impact on her moods and outlook. I wonder if it would be possible for you to have a discussion with her nurse of doctor? Obviously not about confidential issues, but about possible help that may be available that might help her get back her optimistic spirit and start fighting again? Or perhaps she can use her experiences in some positive way, to help raise money for diabetes charities (or any others close to her heart). She could choose something challenging, but achievable and I'm sure people would recognise that it can take a lot of guts to do something for others when you have had so much to contend with yourself. I've always found it easier to do things for others than myself, but am rewarded by a good feeling of self-worth, and it sounds like your mum is questioning hers currently (incorrectly, of course!).

It can be helpful to talk to other people with diabetes too - there may be a voluntary group in your area. Often, people with diabetes can feel very isolated, particularly Type 1 and when diagnosed a long time. Now your mum is probably feeling even more isolated because of her mobility problems. She would be more than welcome to come on here herself and chat anytime, doesn't have to be about diabetes!

If there is anything that you think we may be able to help with, please let us know and we'll try our best to help 🙂
 
Hi, my mum has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for 25 years. Over the past couple of years her health has slowly began to deteriorate. She has suffered with kidney failure, retinothopy and neuropothy. She attends regular health checks. I do not feel she tells me the truth about her condition. She feels really low in mood at the moment. She feels 'diabetes is killing her'. (sorry for the depressing thread ...!)

how can I help and support her/motivate her??

Dear jenjake Welcome to the forum and I'm sorry to hear about your mum. I have had type 1 for 22 years in August so , just 3 short of your mum.
It's understandable when things start to go wrong that it would make some one feel very low. I have not had experience of major Kidney problems, but recently I have had medical problems regarding a possible stroke, going to Guys Hospital in London for my problem teeth/gums/and bone structure and I have an appointment coming soon with a Neurology doctor ( plus my 2 1/2 yr old grandaughter was diagnosed with Type 1 on the 1st June, very upsetting and stressful)
It does take it out of you sometimes and you think OMG why? but these things happen unfortunately so just be yourself, a very loving and supportive person to your mum.
Please give her my best wishes
Sheena
 
Hi novorapid, my mum is on novorapid, she never misses injections, and tests her sugar levels numerously throughout the day. I think at some point she didn't test sugar as regilarly as she should as she said she new signs when her sugar was low/high but on her regular check up with her consultant she was told she had to do it anyway and record it. She is about to join the DAFNE progaramme soon.
 
Hi novorapid, my mum is on novorapid, she never misses injections, and tests her sugar levels numerously throughout the day. I think at some point she didn't test sugar as regilarly as she should as she said she new signs when her sugar was low/high but on her regular check up with her consultant she was told she had to do it anyway and record it. She is about to join the DAFNE progaramme soon.

I think the consultant is right - I often think I know when I am low or high, but a test shows differently! It's easy to get into the habit of assuming how you are feeling at any one time is down to what your blood sugar levels are like when in fact there could be an entirely different reason. Also, I imagine the consultant would like to know just how low or high she is when she feels like that.

The DAFNE course is often a real boost to people's motivation, so I hope it proves to be so for your mum 🙂
 
Hi novorapid, my mum is on novorapid, she never misses injections, and tests her sugar levels numerously throughout the day. I think at some point she didn't test sugar as regilarly as she should as she said she new signs when her sugar was low/high but on her regular check up with her consultant she was told she had to do it anyway and record it. She is about to join the DAFNE progaramme soon.

Thats good news about DAFNE, it might seem a lot at the start as your mum will be required to test before every meal, and then record it on paper, this way she can look and spot patterns enabling her to adjust the dose much more accurately........

Obviously damage has been done over the years, no doubt I have done some damage in my teenage days, but things can get better......

I wish her luck in the DAFNE class and hope to maybe see her on here asking lots of questions and telling her story..........
 
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