Diabetes the slow killer
This story is about someone dear to my heart. I want to talk about my mother and her battle with diabetes. I want to take the time to tell a short story about her, I just hope that I can capture part of her essence in this work.
My mother was vibrant young woman, for what I remember. She was always on the go. She would not stop to take a break, she wouldn't rest until everything was done. But how could she, she was in charge of three young children, a husband and a house of chores. I was young, very young, just barely enough to comprehend what was going when my mother when she mentioned to all of us that she had diabetes. At that time I did not know what that was, none of us knew.
My mother was vibrant young woman, for what I remember. She was always on the go. She would not stop to take a break, she wouldn't rest until everything was done. But how could she, she was in charge of three young children, a husband and a house of chores. I was young, very young, just barely enough to comprehend what was going when my mother when she mentioned to all of us that she had diabetes. At that time I did not know what that was, none of us knew.
My mother must have been in her late 20s’ early 30s’ when she was first diagnosed. But that did not stop her. She continued to care for her family. She worked hard day in and day out. Her diabetes was thought to be the one that you can take care of with the proper diet. But in those days my family did not have the education or means to buy diabetic food, another drawback was that diabetic food was not available to anyone back in the late 70s’. Back then you were in charge of reducing your own sugar and sodium intake. Back then you had to buy everything fresh and cook it that day.
As the years past, her diabetes continued to get worst. Her sugar would drop and she would try to control it, but not by using medication but by trying some home remedies. She would use old wife’s tales of diets and medicaments to help her deal with it. She always hid any signs of diabetes. Only when it was very obvious that something was wrong and she could not hide it, she would leave us and go hide in her room.
More time had passed, the years continue to pile and the disease continued to erode her body. At this point she was having all sorts of health problems from high blood pressure, cholesterol problems, and liver problems to heart problems. By now my mother had already had diabetes for about 35 years and dealt with it with no medication. She had lost a lot of weight and continued to loose more, she was not eating properly or taking care of herself. A poor diet intake along with many years of no medication had taken a toll on her body. See, my parents did not have very much money and they were considered too old to work in their country. So they were relying on my father's pension.
After many visits to the doctor along with many tests the worst was confirmed, her body was worn out. Her liver still had some years left but no a lot. Her heart was just about done. Her kidneys did not work properly and she was under nourished. The doctors at the hospital where she was being taken care of put her on heart medication and blood pressure medication. But by now it was too late, the damage was already done. Diabetes had done its work. See diabetes if not treated will deteriorate you organs, little by little and silently.
After many visits to the doctor along with many tests the worst was confirmed, her body was worn out. Her liver still had some years left but no a lot. Her heart was just about done. Her kidneys did not work properly and she was under nourished. The doctors at the hospital where she was being taken care of put her on heart medication and blood pressure medication. But by now it was too late, the damage was already done. Diabetes had done its work. See diabetes if not treated will deteriorate you organs, little by little and silently.
For about five years my mother continued to have regular visits to the hospital, in and out in and out. Sometimes it would be because of her blood pressure was too high and the medication did not work. Other times her sugar was too low and she could not control it. And last there were those visits where she was having chest pains. She was having heart problems. The doctors at the hospital were trying anything to help her, but slowly like a low burning candle she was diminishing.
Until one day, in 2008, I received a phone call at work. It was my brother. He was crying. Something bad had happened. He mentioned that he was in the hospital and that I needed to come quickly. But it was not my mother, it was my father. My brother mentioned to me that my dad had suffered a stroke and that he was in critical condition, doctors did not feel he would make it. For he too had been battling with a disease. He was battling with kidney failure. His kidneys had shot down and the dialysis which had worked before and kept him a life for a while had stopped working. His body was shutting down! My mother had just had another one of her routine visits to the hospital, but this time doctors were worried because her heart could not take it anymore.
What had happened before my father collapsed was, he knew that his time was up. He was weak and could not walk very well. But he found strength from somewhere within him. He left my sister's house all by himself while my sister and nephews were at work. He took a cab to the hospital where my mother was being kept. After getting there he paid the cab driver and continued to walk towards my mother's room. My mother saw my dad come in and got very happy. My dad staid at the hospital with my mom for couple of hours before leaving her there. He told her that he had just came to check on her to make sure she was fine and to say goodbye. They said goodbye to each other, like they already knew. After leaving the hospital my father took a cab home. He opened the door and got inside, walked to his room and this is where he collapsed. He went into a coma. My older nephew was the first to find him and called the ambulance. My dad was taken to the same hospital were my mother was being kept.
Now because of my mother’s heart condition the doctors told my sister and brother that it would be best if they did not tell my mother what had just happened with my father. Doctors said it would be best to wait. After receiving the call from my brother I purchased two tickets for the earliest flight to Mexico. One for my wife and one for me. When we arrived it was late at night. I still remember it like it was yesterday. After flying all day from Tucson, USA to Mexico City and taking a three hour bus trip from Mexico City to Queretaro my wife and I finally arrived at 11:30 pm at night. At this point my dad had already passed away. The doctors broke this news to my mother, they felt it was better if they did it because it would not put so much stress on her heart. Consequently, we went straight from the bus stop to the morgue.
My uncle and a cousin picked us up from the bus stop and drove us to the morgue where my dads’ body was kept. Before entering the morgue my sister met me outside and told me to control my emotions, to not cry, weep, and hold myself together to help our mother in this difficult time. I walked in and saw her sitting like almost laying down next to my dad's coffin. She raised her head and saw me. Right away she began to cry and told me how happy she was that I was there. She mentioned she was sad that her partner had left her. I tried to make her feel better by telling her, that she needed to get better get pass this difficult time and come live with us.
But, she mentioned to me that she was done. She had lost the battle and she was tiered and ready to go. She continued;" I know is my time soon, I am just happy I got to see you here". We stopped talking and every one was sitting down. I got up to go to the bathroom when all of the sudden I see my sister running and the last I saw of my mother was my sister dragging her by one arm and my bother by the other arm. They were rushing to the car. My mom had suffered another heart attack. They told me to stay with my dad's body at the morgue.
About two hours later my bother came in, he said that our mother was stable but the doctors are keeping her in the hospital for a while. We all staid at the morgue all night with my dad’s body, after a long day all fell asleep around four am. About an hour and half later while I was in a deep sleep I felt a presence next to me. It was my sister standing right above me. She was crying; right away I knew what happened.
What had happened before my father collapsed was, he knew that his time was up. He was weak and could not walk very well. But he found strength from somewhere within him. He left my sister's house all by himself while my sister and nephews were at work. He took a cab to the hospital where my mother was being kept. After getting there he paid the cab driver and continued to walk towards my mother's room. My mother saw my dad come in and got very happy. My dad staid at the hospital with my mom for couple of hours before leaving her there. He told her that he had just came to check on her to make sure she was fine and to say goodbye. They said goodbye to each other, like they already knew. After leaving the hospital my father took a cab home. He opened the door and got inside, walked to his room and this is where he collapsed. He went into a coma. My older nephew was the first to find him and called the ambulance. My dad was taken to the same hospital were my mother was being kept.
Now because of my mother’s heart condition the doctors told my sister and brother that it would be best if they did not tell my mother what had just happened with my father. Doctors said it would be best to wait. After receiving the call from my brother I purchased two tickets for the earliest flight to Mexico. One for my wife and one for me. When we arrived it was late at night. I still remember it like it was yesterday. After flying all day from Tucson, USA to Mexico City and taking a three hour bus trip from Mexico City to Queretaro my wife and I finally arrived at 11:30 pm at night. At this point my dad had already passed away. The doctors broke this news to my mother, they felt it was better if they did it because it would not put so much stress on her heart. Consequently, we went straight from the bus stop to the morgue.
My uncle and a cousin picked us up from the bus stop and drove us to the morgue where my dads’ body was kept. Before entering the morgue my sister met me outside and told me to control my emotions, to not cry, weep, and hold myself together to help our mother in this difficult time. I walked in and saw her sitting like almost laying down next to my dad's coffin. She raised her head and saw me. Right away she began to cry and told me how happy she was that I was there. She mentioned she was sad that her partner had left her. I tried to make her feel better by telling her, that she needed to get better get pass this difficult time and come live with us.
But, she mentioned to me that she was done. She had lost the battle and she was tiered and ready to go. She continued;" I know is my time soon, I am just happy I got to see you here". We stopped talking and every one was sitting down. I got up to go to the bathroom when all of the sudden I see my sister running and the last I saw of my mother was my sister dragging her by one arm and my bother by the other arm. They were rushing to the car. My mom had suffered another heart attack. They told me to stay with my dad's body at the morgue.
About two hours later my bother came in, he said that our mother was stable but the doctors are keeping her in the hospital for a while. We all staid at the morgue all night with my dad’s body, after a long day all fell asleep around four am. About an hour and half later while I was in a deep sleep I felt a presence next to me. It was my sister standing right above me. She was crying; right away I knew what happened.
My mom had passed away at 4:50 am same day we were having the wake for my father. The next morning we prepared to have a double funeral.
Diabetes is a silent killer it will erode your body one organ at the time, I wish one day modern science finds a cure for it. Just like my mother many people have succumbed to the disease. And just like my father also many people have died of kidney failure.
Diabetes is a silent killer it will erode your body one organ at the time, I wish one day modern science finds a cure for it. Just like my mother many people have succumbed to the disease. And just like my father also many people have died of kidney failure.
A tribute to both of you. In loving memory to Ramon and Angeles.