hi everyone

well my dad was diagnosed with type 1 diabeties a few years ago. he was 38. my dads uncle also died from it when he was 10 because they didnt know what it was. i just have a few questions.

how likely is it that i or any of my sisters ( i have two, and a baby on the way but not sure if its a boy or girl yet) will become type one diabetics? is it hereditary? does it only transfer down the males side in this case? what if the new baby is a boy? will he get it possible? what are the chances?

also what health implications are involved? my dad doesnt want to talk about it because hes in denial and wont accept that there are some.. but i want to know so i can be prepared. apparently his blood tests werent too good last time. and i also hear that amputations and loss of site are just some? also how long does it take for these things to start having an effect usually?

if you can answer any of these i would be so thankful.

talk soon :)

love tiff xox

sorry i dont get what you mean by taking action? how is it preventable etc? as far as i was aware people get type 1 for no reason, but type 2 is usually dietry related. my dad was healthy and none of our family are over weight, sugar addicts etc. argh too many questions lol
thankyou so much for your reply.

Tiff,
Type 1 diabetes can be caused by a virus that destroys the part of the pancreas that produces insulin. In that case, members of the same family may get it because they all get the virus. On the surface it may look hereditary but it's really from a disease they all caught.

You can do lots of things to keep healthy by eating 'closer to nature' foods and exercising regularly. By close to nature I mean buying fresh or frozen veggies and fruits, incorporating whole grains such as barley and brown rice instead of pasta in your diet, poaching and broiling meats instead of frying... that kind of stuff. If you look at pasta as a sort of 'predigested' starch (it's not really predigested) but it's stripped of all seed coats, ground and made totally ready for the intestines to disolve and get at each bit of carbohydrate and compare that to barley that is essentially a seed you can see what I mean. Your body takes a while to get to the carbs inside a seed so it slows your sugar spikes in your body.

You can take preventative action by informing your doctor of your dad's diabetes and having a glycohemoglobin test done at least once a year. This test will show what your blood sugar averages have been for the last few months and indicate to your doctor if you are having a problem handling blood glucose.

Diabetics can help prevent diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, kidney disease and peripheral vascular disease by exercising regularly, keeping their blood glucose below 150, getting annual full dialation eye exams and following a diet that keeps their blood sugars level. The secret to working with diabetes is learning to stay with the program even when you goof up or go off your diet. Every meal is a new choice to keep your sight, your feet and living longer.

Your dad may need more classes to help him with food choices and lifestyle changes. He may still be mourning the loss of his old way of life. Speak to him gently about his disease. Tell him you want him to see your kids graduate from college. Tell him you need him and that you want to help him learn how to take better care of himself. Talk to your mom about learning better food choices for the family still at home. The whole family can follow a diabetic diet and not even know that they are doing it. It just seems like healthy food. There are lots of books at your library and your local health department may have free classes also. The more you learn about your enemy (diabetes) the easier it will be to fight it.

Good luck.