My father, Roger Kriedeman, had juvenile onset at the age of 12. But later they believed he should've been diagnosed at the age of 2. They did not know as much then as they do now, he was not taken care of as diligently as he should've been. Partly because lack of information/help and partly due to his family thinking they knew more than doctors and that they were "quacks." At age 35, my dad had lost one foot and his other leg to the knee. He was mostly blind and actually had dialysis in his home. He became a peritinial diabetic by this time as well. When it got to this point, my dad finally realized that he needed to listen to the doctors to the letter, but by then the damage was already to far gone be controlled. He couldn't leave his house for longer than a few hours at most a day unless it was for doctors appts. He died at the age of 44 on April 9th, 2005. This was one week before his 10 year wedding anniversary with my stepmother and 3 weeks before his 45 birthday. He did live long enough to see his only grandson born.
No matter what stage you are in, no matter what type you have, you must always make sure you know whats going on with your body and how to control and maintain it as much as you can. Dont ever feel alone in this. Many people, even strangers, are here for you as a support team. Dont let pride stop you from asking for help or you might end up like my dad did, realizing his mistakes when it was too late to fix them. This is my dad's and my story, this is one way I help to raise better awareness; by telling others what could happen if you dont take care of yourself or if you dont let others help you when need it.There is no such thing as asking to many questions or getting as much research and information as you can.
Janesville, WI
