Welcome to Diabetes Stories

Family Members

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Interview (random selection)

Rachel
Born in 1964.
Overview: In 1996, Rachel volunteered to work on a diabetes helpline, because she felt she`d learnt so much about diabetes from her family. Her older brother, Tom, and younger sister, Anna, were both diagnosed in their teens. Her parents were less traumatised by the second diagnosis and Rachel wonders if this explains the different ways in which her siblings have managed their diabetes. She has also observed how her brother has handled his own son`s diabetes; how a close friend coped with her child`s diagnosis; and how her mother-in-law struggled with Type 2 diabetes in her later years.

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Family Members

Here you can listen to 25 family members of people with diabetes, including parents, children, siblings and spouses. They range from those who have had an official full-time role, with a Carerï¿½s Allowance, to those who feel that their involvement with diabetes has been marginal.

The idea of interviewing family members came from people with diabetes recorded for this website who said they ï¿½could not have survivedï¿½ without the help of a relative. In some cases, they were referring to rescue from unconsciousness and in others to moral support with diet or exercise. In all these cases, they felt that the role of the family should form an important part of the history of diabetes care.

We have used the term ï¿½family memberï¿½ rather than ï¿½carerï¿½, partly because a few of the interviewees have not been much involved in practical care and partly because some of those who have been greatly involved did not wish to be regarded as the ï¿½carerï¿½ of someone they loved.

In addition to 22 interviews that are mainly about the experience of being a family member, we have included in this section 1 interview with a healthcare professional and 2 with people with diabetes who have also been involved in looking after members of their family.

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