[andypoo]

I've got a brother who really doesn't take care of his diabetes or himself in general. He constantly has insulin reactions,he constantly goes to the E.R. He is practically on the streets. He lives in a house that is shared by several men,he does get assistance from the state,he also gets his insulin paid by the state. He is jobless,penniless,he is so far behind on his child support that every 6 months he is arrested and jailed.The last time he was jailed he almost died there. If it hadn't been for my mother paying for his bail,which then was applied to his child support,he would've died,because the jail he was in is notorious for just that very thing.He has applied for disability but has been turned down,he needs help. He has just given up on taking care of himself. Before my beloved mother died,she made it her lifes work to send him money all the time to live on. Unfortunately he used to be a drug addict and he milked her and my dad for every penny they had. They should've paid his children instead there child support,,but they didn't want to accept the fact that he was using. anyway,supposedly he has found God and has "quit" using,but I have my suspicions. Just recently he claimed that the little bit of cash he had been saving to see his children(he takes a train),had been stolen from him,while he was having ANOTHER insulin reaction. My brother send shim 75 dollars a month just to keep him barely afloat. Anyway, I'm thinking he's just iusing his "D" to get sympathy. I think he needs an intervention. You thoughts,please.

[networkguy]

Wow.

Well. If he is also battling addiction, you will need professional help. I can tell you in most fairly large cities there are clinics that deal with this. Best advice I can give is see if you can find a drug counselor to make an appt with and talk with him on how to go about doing it. There may be legal ways to do it. Right now my family and I are going through this right now with my brother who is an addict and a type 1 and trying to get the courts to force him into treatment. Unfortunately his addiction > diabetes at this point, and until his addiction is dealt with, nothing else will get solved.

Good luck...

[andypoo]

Originally Posted by networkguy

Wow.

Well. If he is also battling addiction, you will need professional help. I can tell you in most fairly large cities there are clinics that deal with this. Best advice I can give is see if you can find a drug counselor to make an appt with and talk with him on how to go about doing it. There may be legal ways to do it. Right now my family and I are going through this right now with my brother who is an addict and a type 1 and trying to get the courts to force him into treatment. Unfortunately his addiction > diabetes at this point, and until his addiction is dealt with, nothing else will get solved.

Good luck...

Thanks for response,much appreciated. He says he hasn't used in about a year now. The person who "stole" his money,however lives in the same house as him,and my brother says that that guy is a drug and alcohol abuser. I don't know it sure sounds suspicious to me. I don't know what to believe anymore. Again,thanks

[lorilei]

Hi Andy,
from the description you have given us, i would say that you are very wise to not trust his sudden turn around, nor the seemingly (in) convenient disappearance of his savings....just wondering which road you can possibly tunr down because it seems as though he has tried several...i hope some one comes along and provides you with some direction and that you find the faith to be strong through all of this turmoil...

[andypoo]

Originally Posted by lorilei

Hi Andy,
from the description you have given us, i would say that you are very wise to not trust his sudden turn around, nor the seemingly (in) convenient disappearance of his savings....just wondering which road you can possibly tunr down because it seems as though he has tried several...i hope some one comes along and provides you with some direction and that you find the faith to be strong through all of this turmoil...

Thank-you lorilei for your response . When my mom was alive we (me and my siblings) would tell her not to trust him,because we knew at that time he was using) and she was in total denial,but now he is sort of feeding me this stuff about how broke he is,and how he gets robbed and how he had"another" insulin reaction,(the same way he did my mother)to the point of emergency interventions ,( I think he's trying to replace me with my mom to take on "his" responsibility or should I say "hers"?. And before she died she always would say "please take care of your brother"" be sure and make sure your dad sends him money every month.
I mean it happens at least 2 to three times a week. He's had it happen in a train station , in a grocery store , on the street ,all the time to the point of becoming "lost" and people surrounding him and calling 911. and being taken by ambulance to the hospital,he's totally out of control with these "insulin reactions". He doesn't check his bgs and so he doesn't know how much insulin to take. He obviously takes too much I'll figure out what to do,between me and my other siblings we'll work something out. Thanks again for your feedback!

[patricia52]

I am sure that you know that a person suffering from high bg may appear to be intoxicated. Their breath has a sweet smell like a person on drugs. If he is homeless and unemployed then just buying insulin and strips to check his bg can be very expensive. My test strips cost approx $1.00 each. Since he is on insulin he would need to check his bg 6-10 times per day. He may be have to choose between eating and taking care of his health. It is a sad situation. I wish I had a good answer for you. You might check with some of the local charities like Red Cross to see if they have an intervention program to help in cases like this. Some churches also offer intervention program. Sorry, but I don't have any great ideas, but your brother does need your (and his families) love and support to get through this. I will keep you in my thoughts and prays. Maybe some of the others have better ideas.

[andypoo]

Originally Posted by patricia52

I am sure that you know that a person suffering from high bg may appear to be intoxicated. Their breath has a sweet smell like a person on drugs. If he is homeless and unemployed then just buying insulin and strips to check his bg can be very expensive. My test strips cost approx $1.00 each. Since he is on insulin he would need to check his bg 6-10 times per day. He may be have to choose between eating and taking care of his health. It is a sad situation. I wish I had a good answer for you. You might check with some of the local charities like Red Cross to see if they have an intervention program to help in cases like this. Some churches also offer intervention program. Sorry, but I don't have any great ideas, but your brother does need your (and his families) love and support to get through this. I will keep you in my thoughts and prays. Maybe some of the others have better ideas.

Yes, I do belive he really is actually having insulin reactions,I really do,and he has been given several monitors at various times. I and my mother,another brother,who is also diabetic,have given him test strips, lancets,etc. .And now I believe along with the state paying for his insulin,I believe they'd also furnish all the necessities that go along with the diabetes. But, with his diet and nutrition that he probably is not getting,it probably just leaves him constantly feeling like ****. I know he has a struggle every day with his circumstances. One thing that kind of makes me think he's on the straight and narrow is that he has been going to church and tells me he's made friends with the pastor there. He's even been asked to join the church band. You see,he is also an extremely talented guitarist,harmonica player. He still manages to play in his band for maybe a fifty to a hundred dollars every once in a great while. He also plays for charities to help others. He is a very good hearted human being,which only makes this a sadder situation. He loves his children,also and trys to see them when he can pay for a train ticket ,or hitch a ride. ( he definetly relies on the kindness and compassion of others)because everyone loves him and feel sorry for him. Thank goodness his ex,who has the kids ,still lets him see and spend time in her home to visit. His children love and need him also. He is one of those lets just say"if it weren't for bad luck,he'd have no luck at all" kind of people. All of us .me and my brothers and sisters love him beyond words. My beloved mother ,who loved her chidren, was dedicated to her children, taught us compassion for one another and for all of the people in this world. With your prayers and others prayers , know he will make it through. Thanks for your response so much.