Family Stories - Diabetes, Dementia, and Mom's Family

Family Stories

Diabetes, Dementia, and Mom's Family

   Type 2 diabetes is common in my mom's family.  Her dad (Vincent), and his grandmother both had it.  No surprise, since the disease in common in those of Irish descent.  Today I want to look at the disease and its side effects.  Diabetes in itself is not fatal, but it effect the rest of the body.  Here's how it effected mom's family.

Mom's Dad Vincent was diagnosed with type 2 in his 40s.  Due to the lack of modern drugs he was insulin dependent fairly quickly.  His health began to be effected.  In 1945 what was left of the family moved to CA because the doctors felt that one more New York winter would probably kill Vincent.  His health was still fragile and he soon had to retire from working.  Soon after his mind began to weaken.  He gradually became a ghost of man.  He seemed to live in a gray world, disconnected with this one.  He died of pneumonia in 1963 at the age of 79 years old.

Mom's mother, Ruth, was not diagnosed with diabetes until very late in her life.  Interestingly enough, her short term memory problems began before she was diagnosed.  The family began to notice it about the time Vincent died.  After she moved to San Diego with Ralph it became more pronounced.  So Ralph moved her in with Mrs. Reed.    Eventually her health erroded and she lived briefly in a convalescent hospital before dying also at age 79.

Mom's oldest sister, Alice, was the only sibling to not be diagnosed with diabetes.  She died at age 70 of cancer.  Both she and Louise had Ruth's physical type.

Ralph, like the rest of his brothers was diagnosed with type 2 when he was in his late 40's/early 50's.  He largely kept it under control, but he neglected his foot care and it became gangrenous, killing him at age 69.

Everett, once he was diagnosed, took his father's disease route.  He retreated further and further into a world of gray.  I remember mom and I visiting him late in his life and watching him fighting to remain in the present in order to talk to mom.  He slid away from us, just like his dad.  Everett's son Gary arranged his work schedule so that he was able to take care of his dad most of the time towards the end.

Del was largely a repeat of Everett, with his mental limitation added.  His family took amazing care of him.

Marion also developed the type two variant of the disease.   However, she missed the dementia.  In her the real damage was to her heart, which eventually killed her.

As of this writing, Louise is alive.  She was not diagnosed with the type 2 diabetes until a few years ago.  She's about 88 years old now and she is having a hard time with the disease.  She's had some heart issues, mostly blood pressure related.  A few years ago she dealt with throat issues, possibly cancer.  Her mind is still clear.

My mom, Joan, seems to be taking the route of her mother, Ruth.  Joan wasn't diagnosed with type 2 until she was 70 years old.  Her short term memory issues began to develop slowly then.  Her diabetes has stayed largely under control (she still doesn't use insulin), but the dementia, like with her mom, is the key thing.  At age 80 the diabetes related dementia accelerated.  

So far, the disease is not as prevalent with my cousins.  My cousin Carol was diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes early.  I believe it was a factor in the death of my cousin Pam.  I remember that my cousin Mary Margaret has it.  We shall see if the diseases continue to the next generation