For this assignment, I referred to a family member of mine who has diabetes. I wouldn't put him under the category of "dying", however diabetes is a condition that requires constant attention, and can be fatal if it isn't monitored correctly. I thought back to before he was diagnosed with diabetes, to after his diagnosis, and it is very apparent that the condition has made him much more cautious. Prior to the diagnosis he had an attitude as if he was indestructible, I would rarely hear him talk about a medical problem or an issue he was concerned about, in my eyes he was as healthy as he thought he was.
However, the time following the diagnosis of diabetes changed his entire way of thinking. I took notice of the slight signs of concern he had, such as the fact that he now brings sweet, sugar filled candies with him in the car just in case his blood-sugar level fell dangerously low. Amongst these small subtle changes of routine for him, were the more apparent changes in his daily life; he than needed to test his blood sugar levels using a small tester that would give him a small poke on his finger and test his blood.
The period of time right after his diagnosis was the time that made me most connect to "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom. Prior to Morrie's diagnosis, he was a man with a very strong persona and was not dependent of anyone for his health until he needed the help of the people around him to maintain his health. In my family member's case, he also became more dependent on people around him such as his wife to give him the blood sugar test. He also gave his sons, along with me a brief plan of what to do in case he passes out from having a low blood sugar level. The dependency shown by him was very similar to that of Morrie in my opinion, especially since it was such a large change in such a short amount of time.
Of course with him being my family member, I needed no "visit", instead I used my normal weekend stays at his house (Including this Christmas and new years eve/day) and combined them in to my interpretation of his situation. Ultimately, I can safely say his condition does not threaten any of our family because we know how to treat it and handle it, however there are the changes that we must all adapt to in order to help him cope with diabetes.
I like how you said that this person needs to have jars of candy in his car.
ReplyDeleteI like that part because it shows me how dangerous diabetes is-"younger cousin"
In my opinion the best part of the story is that as strong as both men are it came a time when they needed the help of others. The reason I chose this insight is because we tend to think we don't need help & there will always come a time in our lives when we will need to rely on a helping hand or when we will need to help someone out...
ReplyDelete-Aunt
Jayson,
ReplyDeleteI think that this was actually a really good post. You demonstrated a deep acceptance of a disease that affects millions of people and really can effect their lives. I also have a friend who has diabetes and it is true that it really had a significant impact on him. You did a really good job of relating it back to your book Tuesdays With Morrie, I was not fortunate enough to read yet, but i can understand how a man who is suddenly realizing that he may need others support to live can be similar to a person who just found out they had diabetes. It really is life altering stuff. Good job
I enjoyed reading your post Jayson. I thought it was interesting how you used someone that is diagnosed with a deadly disease which i believe can be just as bad or worst then being a patient in the hospital. I felt that it was also engaging that you stated that your family member acted as if nothing was wrong. That seems very common in our society, majority of people are wishing for that miracle and believing that they are invincible. Overall it was a great post Jayson.
ReplyDeleteJayson, i can relate because my dad has type 2 diabetes. He has to watch everything he eats and keeps a blood sugar diary and takes his blood sugar everyday with the blood glucose monitor system. We now need to buy all sugar free foods. Overall i liked your post.
ReplyDelete