familyhistory

Create a new post for topic
Join the Conversation on
109 people
0 stories
12 posts
Explore Our Newsletters
What's New in
All
Stories
Posts
Videos
Latest
Trending
Post
See full photo

Wellness Wednesday: Family History & Diabetes

Do you have a family history of diabetes?

Personally, I have a deep family history of diabetes on both sides of my family. On my mother’s side, our history of diabetes went as far as my great-great grandmother dying at a very young age of 17 of a complication related to diabetes. My great grandmother also had diabetes and passed away from complications at age 54. Both of my paternal grandmothers had diabetes. Then my dad, my late oldest sister and I. However, I am the only one with a slow form of type 1 diabetes that we know of. I would have never known about my type 2 misdiagnosis if it wasn’t for the medical advancements and services that we have available today.

Unfortunately, my great and great-great grandmothers did not have access to proper medical care.

There were no endocrinologists, diabetes educators or diabetes-related nonprofit organizations accessible nor affordable. During those times, my family had limited income and large families. My family members were doing all they could to survive and take care of their families. Even though we have a long way to go, there’s no doubt in my mind that the advancements that we have now would have kept both of my family members alive!

My colleague, Diane shares some of her family history and and recounts stories on how diabetes care was different, especially during the 1970’s:

Family History and Diabetes: We've Come a Long Way, Baby:
type2diabetes.com/living/progress-family-history

❓Do you have a similar story?
❓If so, what differences have you noticed about diabetes care between that time and now?

Share your experiences in the comments 👇🏾

#Diabetes #DiabetesType1 #DiabetesType2 #Diabetestype3 #lada #mody #prediabetes #GestationalDiabetes #JuvenileDiabetesType1 #ChronicIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #Lifestyle #familyhistory #Health #HealthCare #Support #SupportGroups #MightyTogether

Family History & Diabetes: We've Come a Long Way, Baby

An advocate reflects on her family members who developed type 2 diabetes.
9 comments
Post

No, I’m not Ok…

I’ve been putting on a brave face for the last few hours, but yeah, I’m not ok. On Sunday, I was in Victorville visiting my grandma that I haven’t seen in four years. She’s been mentally ill for as long as I could remember, but I found out that she is in stage 4 renal failure and possibly severe COPD. Because of those factors, her mental capacity is gradually declining. She didn’t even know who I was. Along with her history of undiagnosed paranoia schizophrenia, it has been a lot to process. I think I might have a headache for the next few days behind this. Gradually, I’ve become both sad and angry. I’m sad because of all that is happened and I know that at some point I’m going to be overwhelmed by this. I feel more inclusive to not talk to my friends about this because I believe that this is a level of grief that I am experiencing that I don’t think they will understand. The anger is pretty much from the same place. I’m angry about my current and past relationships with people. One of my long time friends can be emotionally draining to be around and I’ve had to put up boundaries. In hindsight, I’ve realized that a number of my friends in the past have put me in uncomfortable situations and I protected them every time. The last guy that I really liked busted my abandonment wound wide open over a year ago. I do feel pretty empty inside. I felt that since I’m some form of a “ warrior “, I’m supposed to survive no matter what and that I’m not supposed to be tired. Or that since some people see me as a “healer”, my empathy towards others is needed. I’ve had enough! I want to push everyone away at this point. This loneliness that I’m feeling feels permanent and the weight of it all is just too much. #MentalHealth #Depression #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder #Loneliness #familyhistory #toomuch

11 comments
Post
See full photo

Healing

How does one let go of the mistakes of the past? Who would I be if not for the choices I’ve made and the illnesses I inherited and had brought out through trauma? Do you ever wonder that?
#Depression #Trauma #Anxiety #familyhistory #BipolarDisorder #Breakthecycle #SuicideSurvivor

9 comments
Post

#Anxiety from the secrets and mysteries of my #familyhistory

MORE MYSTERY! So my predicted family tree finally loads.... Apparently I could have a 1st cousin once removed on my biological grandfather's side.... I honestly don't know much about his family or even him. I wish I could hire or find someone to help me uncover all these mysteries in my family but that's alot of money... I'm going to try to do some research maybe be able to connect with my apparent cousin but honestly I have been looking for years and I still don't have much information. Plus that's just part of my family not all other parts that are a mystery as well.

Post

Help Me To Understand...

The last few days were a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings about myself. The way that I see myself (or my self image) literally changes whenever I hear a song or find a new interest in something, sometimes it can go to the right or to the left, good or bad. Then I was thinking about how I handle things from an emotional standpoint. I’ve been described as an “empath”, a “healer”, and that this is my “gift”. I’ve been told that I’m gifted all of my life, and with all honesty, I feel like this was something I didn’t ask for. Being sensitive in this way hurts. It actually does feel like a curse to feel this way. Some may look at this and say the opposite. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always felt different, I’ve always felt that I didn’t belong with my peers (and I don’t mean that I’m special in any way). I’ve felt that something was wrong with me in a way that I couldn’t put into words. I’ve never opened up about any of my feelings mainly because I feel like no one would really believe all of what goes on in my head. I will laugh and joke with you on the outside, but on the inside, things are dark. I make a lot of self deprecating comments about myself at times. I’ve always appreciate a level of darkness, but sometimes that same darkness can be a bad place to be in. In all of this, I know where a lot of things went wrong, especially in my childhood. Then there are also holes in my memory, but for the things I do remember, they are vivid. There are good things in the mix of this. There are people in my life that tried to raise me the best that they could with their bad background, and as I look back at my life as an adult, I feel like in some way I was ruined behind certain choices that were made, words that were said, and actions made. I love them still and I hold nothing against them. I’ve come to realize that I’ve grown into a complicated adult, trying to grasp why I feel the way that I do. #MentalHealth #Depression #Emotions #familyhistory #Gifted #darkthoughts #darkness #Selfimage #complicated #Thoughts #empath

3 comments
Post

I Knew It Was High, But Not That High...

I finally had my doctors appointment this morning. I decided before hand to be plain and honest about my mental health and said that I felt that I needed to be evaluated again. So I took the questionnaire they had, and well... I scored a low number for anxiety, and scored really high for depression. I knew I was depressed, but I didn’t think that it was really, really severe. I think it’s because I will just push myself through it even if things get really bad. After having a discussion about that and my family history with mental disorders with my doctor, I’m now going to see a psychologist and will be taking SSRIs. I now feel like my life has took a turn, and I’m not saying that it’s a negative thing, but I found myself thinking about my future. I started wondering that now I’ll be put on medication, will I be on it for years to come? Will I get off them? Then there’s the area of my social life. I’m not an open book by nature and by no means do I feel that my mental health should be kept a secret, but it’s about having to open about it and not feeling like someone is going to look at me a certain way because I’ve told them that I’m severely depressed even though I don’t look like it, or that I take medication, or that every once in a while I think about dying. Like I said, this day has opened up a door to healing, a level of fear, and a lot of questions, but I guess I have to start somewhere. #Depression #MentalHealth #psychologist #SSRI #familyhistory #severedepression #Medication #questions #Anxiety

Post

Maybe There’s More To The Story...

After coming to realize that I do have abandonment issues, I feel that maybe there is a little bit more under the surface of why I do the things I do and why I feel the way that I feel. I did see a professional doctor for my mental health before, but I feel like I may need to get myself checked again. There is a history of mental illness on my mother’s side of the family and I’ve always felt that there was a possibility that I would end up with some form of mental illness. I do experience depression, but I do feel a need to dig deeper because I think that there’s more to it than that. #Depression #MentalHealth #familyhistory #mentalillnesses #mentalhealthcheck #FearOfAbandonment

1 comment
Post
See full photo

A Crushing Response #MentalHealth #GeneticDisorders #PTSD #familyhistory

Basically, I finally got in contact with someone who knows my biological dad. This person says my dad told him to disregard me/my messages. I guess he was ignoring my letter/calls, after all. And here I was worried that he was dead....
I just don’t understand it. I thought he still had some level of concern or love for me, but maybe it died with my mom. I can feel her rolling in her grave as I contemplate the matter. I knew it was a possibility, but I didn’t think it would hurt so much.
Yes, I was born out of an affair. I’m the adopted love child, of a love child, of an adopted child. The fact of my existence is an embarrassment to some, but is that really worth more than my life? Have I done something wrong here, or am I simply being punished for my mother’s sins?
All I need is history/information to fulfill my insurances prior authorization criteria, but I guess that’s too much to ask. There is a lot going on with that side of my familial medical history, but I’m not legally related anymore, so I’m legally unable to obtain any knowledge, I’m told. This was my last ditch effort. Now I’ll just have to wait until I have enough money to pay for genetic testing. That won’t be for a while.
Sometimes it seems like my whole life has been a nightmare.

4 comments
Post

backwards

Well, I made it throught the week. I don't post on here very often.  I'd had a check in with my psych on Thursday, and I  mentioned I'm not sleeping well because I have nerve pain in my right arm that I'm getting PT for. He asks if I'm taking a whole tablet of ambien, and I was only taking half.  Makes sense to do more if I'm in pain.  (DUH) Last night, I took the whole tablet, and I got 11 hours of deeper sleep!   No waking up at all.  Yay!  I was getting ready to go knit with a group, and when I got in the shower, I just started crying - ugly crying, as they say.  I stayed in and let the hot water soothe me, yet, now I'm not going to go knitting.  I don'tknow why things just burst then, and I don't need to know why.  Life can  be hard, and sometimes it catches up with me.  I still can't help wondering what the trigger was.  I feel like I'm now rendered usless for the day - with my teenagers, etc.  I feel so fragile now that something started to come out.  I know I had a talk with my 23 yr old last night, about how he feels about grandma/my mom.  He's not interested in a relationship with her and I can't blame him.  I understand how he views her efforts don't seem very genuine in getting to know him.  MOre of just what 'should' happen in family relationships.  So, as I do think he put things very well, and honestly.  It still hurts me, and I don't know if I quite feel 'responsible' or if it's part of letting go that makes me hurt, or jealousy that he gets it, and  isn't going to do anything with her because he doesn't want to waste the effort.  (such intelligence and insight)  I feel stuck because she is my mom, and I've chosen to have a relationship with her, with many boundaries, even though I usually am confused or disappointed after being with her.  I wish I didn't want her affection.  IT's difficult.  
So, with all the news we've gotten this week, teen situations, and decisions I've made.  I guess it sounds like a lot.  
Now I want to think of a way tosoothe myself that won't allow guilt to take over for not being very active with the kids. I'm grateful for my husband and I still hate this. #Anxiety #emotionalstress #ChronicPain
#CheckInWithMe #familyhistory

3 comments