American Diabetes Association: Diabetes and My Family

Diabetes and My Family
Sunday, January 6, 2008
By: Joyce Hoffman

Diabetes and My Family

My Beautiful Mom lost her life to Diabetes

My mom passed away in 1998 at the age of 64. She was diagnosed with Diabetes and took oral medications for about 7 years before taking insulin. She struggled to save her leg when the arteries collapsed in her leg and she needed a bypass. She had a long opening running down her leg for a full year before it finally closed. Shortly after we lost her, I was diagnosed with Diabetes. I took oral medication for about six years and began taking insulin three years ago. I am 52. My nephew lost his big toe, then his middle toe and a bone in his foot, and finally around Thanksgiving this year, they removed half of his foot. He has been on insulin for several years as well. Right now as I type this my sister is in the hospital fighting to keep her foot. She had a sore on the bottom of her foot. She was seeing a wound specialist and they thought it was under control. She felt ill last week and thought she had the flu. When she checked her foot, it was red and swollen. She was hospitalized with a horrible infection in her left foot. They did surgery to drain the pus from her foot, and left the opening at the top of her foot. You can now see through the top of her foot, out the hole on the bottom of her foot. A couple of days ago, they discovered that the infection is Mersa! We're not sure what will happen, but we are praying she will be able to keep her foot. This disease has affected so many in my family, and I'm sure will affect more. My sisters insurance will only cover a one time (life time) amount of $500 for diabetic related treatment, so this long stay in the hospital will cost her dearly. Something needs to be done to prevent families from going bankrupt because of a disease!