Editor’s Note:
Recently, Dr. Li Lin of Endocrinology Department encountered something that made him feel very sad and helpless.
He talked with Dr. Clove. Dr. Clove felt that through this incident, perhaps we can think more deeply about what’s responsibility for family and health.
During the ward rounds this morning, I met with a bad worry.
During the endocrinology ward rounds, the patient was not present and the patient’s mother was present.
I asked: Where is the patient?
The sick mother replied: I haven’t come from home yet.
I was about to see a patient in another bed when the patient’s mother suddenly came up and asked, “can diabetes be pregnant?”
I replied: Yes. I thought to myself that the old mother was also eager for the third generation and did not forget to let her daughter have children even when she was hospitalized.
What about type 1 diabetes?
Yes, too.
There are already diabetic kidney complications?
It is also possible to treat them well according to the doctor’s advice.
Unexpectedly, the affected mother asked again: What if there is no treatment? Can you conceive?
No treatment? I’m a little confused. Of course not.
The sick mother complained slightly: Then you started to say that diabetes can be pregnant!
I didn’t know how to answer the call at the moment.
Those unspoken words hide the truth.
There must be a reason for the mother’s unusual answer, otherwise she would not have been so roundabout with the doctor.
I left a mind’s eye, asked several questions, and probably understood the intention of the patient’s mother.
Let’s talk about the general situation of the patient first: female, 30 years old, type 1 diabetes, must rely on insulin treatment for a long time. She got married last year, but she hid her illness from her husband, who still does not know the situation.
Think about it, measure blood sugar and four insulin injections every day, and control diet. I don’t know whether the husband is too careless or the wife’s family is hiding too well.
However, this kind of concealed treatment is definitely subject to many restrictions. If you want to hide, there will inevitably be cases of not taking drugs on time.
Therefore, the patient’s blood sugar control is not good, and now diabetic nephropathy and a large amount of proteinuria have appeared.
This is also the reason why she was hospitalized this time.
By the way, the husband who was hospitalized this time did not know… so the patient was hospitalized during the day and returned home at night, and arrived at the hospital the next morning. At this time, I finally understood.
The mother took the risk of getting her sick daughter pregnant because…
It turns out that they want to make a [act first and act later]-if they hide it like this, the truth will come out one day. If they get pregnant first and then explain the truth, they can force the man to accept it at the expense of the child.
When I learned of this, I was shocked and urged.
I told the patient’s mother: given your daughter’s current condition, if she is pregnant, the risk is extremely high. Both pregnant women and the fetus may have big problems in the future.
I didn’t expect the affected mother to hesitate after hearing this, grind her teeth and say, “this matter can be spelled out!”
Can you spell it?
Later, when the patient came back, he was supposed to be on the phone with his husband. As he arrived at the unit, he held out a hand to let the nurse measure blood sugar.
Think carefully, shocked, sad, helpless…
Patients with type 1 diabetes have islet cell damage and insufficient insulin secretion, which requires long-term insulin dependence. Because most of them suffer from the disease before the age of 40 or even younger, they may face decades of treatment.
Having this disease is indeed a tragedy for individuals and families, but since it has become a fact, the key is to pick up confidence and face it scientifically.
Only by learning diabetes-related knowledge well and actively cooperating with blood sugar control can we live a better life.
However, unfortunately, in clinical work, I still see many misunderstandings or discrimination against the disease.
The mother and daughter mentioned in the article, including the patient’s husband, is one of the extreme situations.
What can be done to make things have a better result?
As a doctor, this is a problem I need to consider.
Let patients and their families understand the disease and follow-up treatment as comprehensively as possible, inform the possible risks, and help patients fight the disease. This is what I should do.
As family members, they have a clear idea of the treatment plan and cooperate with doctors to better control the disease condition. Patients and their families can also inform doctors of their worries about the disease and their thoughts on treatment.
Afraid, the patient and his family completely ignored the doctor’s professional advice and made good claims.
I am very reluctant to see this mother and daughter in such a situation. Outsiders are not in a position to disturb their family affairs. However, what I see in this matter is ignorance of diseases, disregard for the health of family members and disrespect for life.
Apart from repeatedly stressing the risks, I don’t know what what can do. Associated with the recent incident of pregnant women jumping off buildings, I am also worried.
Facing diseases with a rational attitude is the respect for life and the responsibility for the health of oneself and one’s family, so as to avoid tragedies.