Question for those with diabetes, family with it, or work in the field

[Freejack2]

My mother has Type 2 diabetes and has been for several months now been rejecting insulin. Now she's in the hospital because her kidneys are shutting down and I'm not sure how much longer she has to live.
I've started to do some research on the net and found out a little bit about Islet Transplants.
What is your opinion on Islet Transplants? Is this something I should convince my mother to look into?
Also are there other options for her?
She went out to the Diabetes clinic out in Boston a couple of months ago and they weren't any real help. I'm wondering if there are any experimental procedures out there that she can try. I want to take this information to her and see what she says. I figure trying even something experimental has to be better than her dying.
Thanks.

 

[djheater]

Why is she rejecting Insulin... that's a death sentence

 

[MrBond]

Originally posted by: djheater
Why is she rejecting Insulin... that's a death sentence

I'm guessing she's not rejecting it on purpose, maybe her body is rejecting it? I dunno though...

Sorry I've got no info, hopefully you'll find something

 

[Freejack2]

She is not on purpose rejecting it. Her body is rejecting it. That's why she went out to the clinic in Boston a couple of months ago. They were unfortunately of no help.

 

[djheater]

Sorry... that was a stupid question....

 

[fatbaby]

well my grandmother is on insulin, but i have no idea about the islet transplant

But if your mom is terminal, I highly suggest looking into it if it'll save her life (as a last resort?)

 

[Freejack2]

Originally posted by: fatbaby
well my grandmother is on insulin, but i have no idea about the islet transplant

But if your mom is terminal, I highly suggest looking into it if it'll save her life (as a last resort?)

It's strange, my grandmother who is 90 has been on insulin for many many years without a problem, yet my mother is rejecting it.


djheater: tis ok.

 

[Azraele]

Sorry to hear about your mom.

Have you talked to her doctors about her options? Or is there a hospital she could go to better suited to handle her case? Do the doctors know whay she's rejecting insulin? Without knowing all the details, it's hard to recommend anything for your mom.

 

[bjc112]

Sorry to hear about the bad news...

I don't know much about diabetes, except that my boss (who is female)

And just the other week she had to get her Big Toe cut off..

Her feet would always swell and she went to the doctor, but they barely got it in time...Almost had to have her leg cut off...

Good Luck with your mom...

Hope she does alright...

 

[Freejack2]

Originally posted by: Azraele
Sorry to hear about your mom.

Have you talked to her doctors about her options? Or is there a hospital she could go to better suited to handle her case? Do the doctors know whay she's rejecting insulin? Without knowing all the details, it's hard to recommend anything for your mom.

She is currently at Albany Med which is probably the best hospital between Syracuse and NYC. I've heard there is a good diabetes hospital in NYC, Mt Sinai I think it is.
She used to work for the state so I think she has decent medical insurance but I don't know if they'd cover her going to a hospital out of the area that she lives in. I know she had to pay a lot out of her pocket just to go to the clinic in Boston.
Apparently the doctors don't know why she is rejecting insulin. I haven't talked to my mom in a few days but we're driving to Albany today to go visit her and will try to find out more.

 

[SmackdownHotel]

Just curious...is your mom overweight or obese?

Usually with Type II the body makes insulin in normal amounts, it's just that the body's receptors to insulin don't work properly, and therefore you lack a response to insulin. I'm not sure what these "Islet transplants" are, but I'm guessing they have something to do with the Islets of Langerhans, which are clusters of pancreatic cells responsible for secreting insulin and glucagon. But I don't see why your mom would have a problem with those cells if she's a type II....maybe something I'm missing here.

Anyhow, best of luck to your mom dude. I hope that you guys find something to help her.

 

[Stallion]

my dad got adult onset about 5 years ago. He does not exersise or watch his diet at all. He also complains about his feet yet does not want to do anything about it. He'll be 76 pretty soon. I have never heard of islet transplant. sorry...

 

[Pliablemoose]

As far as I know the islet cell transplants are experimental yet.

Sorry to hear about your mom.

Hemodialysis isn't an option @ this point?

 

[Entity]

Islets cell transplants are currently experimental, and have only been undergone in a few cases - 4 in Seattle that I know of, and I believe 33 in Canada (with a 90% success rate). They are still a few years away, at best.

Generally type II diabetics don't have a problem with insulin creation; consequently, I'm not sure that an islet transplant would actually help that much. The islets of Langerhorn are responsible for production of insulin. I'm speaking from the perspective of a Type-I diabetic (insulin-dependent) here, and not from a medical opinion, so I'm not sure how much this helps.

How much work has your mom done in terms of getting into shape, watching her diet, etc? Generally Type-II can be treated, though it occasionally warrants use of drugs that help "coax" the body into accepting its insulin, such as Glucophase.

http://www.diabetes.org/main/application/commercewf;JSESSIONID_WLCS_DEFAULT=PWgvXR1apsnGXy96rh2d0ln8vKvHFbtgaU53tAZwDqu7AqC46rO4!-365344551206389990!1064251618!7501!7502?origin=*.jsp&event=link(D)

I know that's a long link, but check it out - it should give you a good idea of what your mom has, and how it can be treated.

If you have the money, I'd also see if you can fly her out to Seattle to meet with Dr. Irl Hirsch of the University of Washington Diabetes Care Center. He's renowned as being one of the better doctor's in the medical field, and is a Type-I diabetic himself.

PM me if you have any other questions; I'd be glad to help.

Rob

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
As far as I know the islet cell transplants are experimental yet.

Sorry to hear about your mom.

Hemodialysis isn't an option @ this point?

A guy work's wife had islet cell transplants when she had her pancreas removed. As I understand these cells are the part of the pancreas that do the work and by transplanting them in her case it allowed another organ to take over the work of the pancreas.

This operation I believe was experimental, she had to fly out of Detroit here and have it done at the Mayo clinic in Minnesota.

As far as I know the operation was a success.