What Can We Do?

In the last blog, we found ourselves dealing with two individuals not wanting to share information about their diabetes. A couple of days later Brenda asked us to meet again. She said the woman was in the hospital and she was not sure what had happened. The hospital had called her and she would be the one picking up the woman's two children as she would be still be in the hospital. The hospital had called the school and a teacher would bring out the children after the buses had pulled away. She would know the car to look for and had the license number.

We said that was good and she and Sue would need to attempt to find out the cause for the hospital admission. Was it for hypoglycemia, possibly for hyperglycemia, or another cause? Brenda said that is the plan. Brenda needed to leave then and Sue said she would meet her at the hospital and report back later.

Jason said that he and Ben had another meeting with the other fellow, but did not have any more information. He refuses to discuss anything about diabetes. I suggested bringing another member and pushing him a little. Ben was hesitant, but said it may drive him away completely. Jason agreed, but felt that it would be better to drive him completely away than not talk to us. We need to convince him that talking would be a benefit to him and management of his diabetes. I suggested taking Allen with them and Jason said good.

Two days later, Brenda had us together again and said that a lot of progress was made with the woman. Sue had talked with her doctor and he agreed with her need to educated the eldest daughter and said he would lead the discussion. Yes, it was an episode of hypoglycemia that had put her in the hospital and the doctor really emphasized to the patient for not educating the oldest child and teaching her what to do when an episode of hypoglycemia happens.

This time she was fortunate that the oldest daughter called 911 and the ambulance crew thought to check her blood glucose. The woman said she did not want her children to know about her diabetes. The doctor asked if she wanted to die and the children blaming themselves for not knowing what to do. Brenda said the woman still refused to tell her children. The doctor then asked her if her youngest daughter developed cancer, should that be withheld from her. With that, the woman blew and said that was very different. The doctor said it was still family and being an adult or a child was a small difference.

The woman asked Brenda what she would do. Brenda said she would tell her children which is what she had done as soon as she went on insulin and never thought twice about this. Brenda said she felt better, when the family knew and what to do in cases she could not act. She then told the woman that she had obeyed her wishes when they asked what was wrong with their mother. This shows they are concerned and want to know. If the doctor had not called her and instead called a neighbor, what would they have said if they had heard the ambulance people talking about her blood glucose levels.

The woman said she would have to think about this as she had not even told her parents. She said her husband knew, but outside of her doctor and the hospital doctor, she was not aware of anyone else but the two of them. Her doctor said that she should consider talking to her children as they would ask more questions of her and then more probing questions of their dad and her repeatedly. They know something is wrong and they will want to know more now that you have been in the hospital.