American Diabetes Association: Dad's 40 Years of Diabetes

Dad's 40 Years of Diabetes
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
By: Maria Menounos

Dad's 40 Years of Diabetes

This year we CELEBRATE my father's fortieth anniversary as a person with Type One Diabetes.

Throughout the past 39 years, the disease crippled us into a perpetual state of chaos, stress, and fear. My mother and I never slept.

Several times my father was pronounced dead. Two years ago, my mother called me after discovering his body on the floor. I was in LA, helpless, as I heard her say: "Oh my God, your father is dead."

Luckily, my childhood friend, Alyssa, has a nurse aunt who revived him upon my calling. But I had had enough; I decided to attack. I began questioning other sufferers and discovered the book Conquering Diabetes by Dr. Anne Peters and conquer we did. We learned that my father had been treating his diabetes through methods proposed to him 40 years ago: avoiding carbohydrates and counting calories. We learned about "the Pump" and that each diabetic needs to be treated individually. Next my business partner and I took an intervention approach to get my Mom and Dad to trust these new techniques.

One year later, my father is not merely "healthy for a diabetic," he is healthier than most thirty year olds - showing no signs of diabetic decay. I can finally envision my dad growing old, and my poor mother is finally able to consider having a hobby (imagine 39 years of waking up every two hours each night to check someone's sugar just ONE of tasks she performed to keep him alive.)

You can live well WITH the disease. The main thing is taking a pro-active approach to fighting Diabetes. Don't let the disease rule you. My father was a stubborn, sixty-year-old immigrant who never used a computer. He is LIVING proof that anyone can battle this disease!