Three generations of women join forces over a common diagnosis of diabetes

In many families across the country, moms and daughters, grandmothers and their grandchildren are close to one another and have many traditions. They share secrets about many “new products” and pass on recipes and family heirlooms. The grandmother, daughter and granddaughter trio of Lilian Harvey, Ylonda Tomlinson and Lexie Peterson have all this and more. All three women suffer from diabetes.

Lexie Peterson, now 28, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 10. “I just remember being picked up from school and going to the doctor,” Peterson said. “I remember looking at my mother’s face because I didn’t know what diabetes meant when the doctor told me I had type 1. She looked scared and shocked. It scared me because I had never seen my mother scared before.”

Ylonda Tomlinson, Peterson’s mother, is a registered nurse and recognized the symptoms – though she hoped she was mistaken. “I think I was more in shock and denial because it was very hard for me to accept it. There was no one in my family on either side of me that I knew of that had juvenile diabetes,” Tomlinson explained. A 49-year-old woman was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on the age of 47. It was detected during preoperative tests before the planned procedure. The diagnosis wasn’t surprising because she developed gestational diabetes in each pregnancies. Lilian Harvey (65) discovered she had type 2 diabetes after a stroke.

According to American Diabetes Association (ADA)the prevalence of diabetes amongst non-Hispanic blacks is 12.1% in comparison with only 6.9% amongst non-Hispanic whites. Diabetes is common within the Black community related to our genesbut while genetics does play a role in predisposing people to diabetes, it is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.

C. C. Weaver, DO IHL concluded that it is crucial to know the connection between genetic aspects, environmental influences, and lifestyle to effectively prevent and treat type 2 diabetes. “Those who have a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes are themselves at increased risk due to shared genetic factors,” Weaver explains. “Several genetic variants have been associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and these variants may affect insulin production, insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, and other biological processes associated with the development of diabetes.”

Amber Robins, MD, MBA, certified family physician and lifestyle medicine physician, stated that certain foods consumed in excessive amounts can bring us closer to diabetes. “Eating more processed foods, especially those high in carbohydrates, can lead to high blood sugar and insulin levels,” explains Robins. “Ultimately, if the body is unable to process sugars properly, it can lead to diabetes.”

Peterson remembers her mother talking to her very directly about the implications of not taking a Type 1 diabetes diagnosis seriously. Her mother even filmed her own version of “Scared Straight,” she says, taking her to a dialysis clinic to see individuals with advanced kidney disease and have lost limbs, because they couldn’t address diabetes. When Peterson was first diagnosed, Tomlinson was very strict because she was so afraid. Over the years, she has relaxed and allowed her daughter more freedom to teach herself and make her own selections regarding her diagnosis.

Harvey was also an integral part of Peterson’s support team when she was first diagnosed with the disease. When she was along with her, she watched her like a hawk, afraid that something would go mistaken. Harvey’s husband and Peterson’s grandfather took over catering duties for his granddaughter. He adapted all of the recipes in order that she could eat what was prepared of their home. Ultimately, this also improved his health as he began to eat higher. For family holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, all of the recipes are modified to suit the needs of all three women, and on Valentine’s Day she makes diabetic candy for “her girls.”

The grandmother, mother and daughter have all the time been close, but they admit that sharing their diabetes diagnosis added one other dimension to their relationship. They talk an increasing number of openly about their health. “Let me tell you, I went to the doctor and here are my lab results. This is how I’ve been feeling lately. We all ask each other these kinds of questions,” Peterson explains.

She specifically serves as a link to their diabetes well-being, as she has lived with the disease for many of her life. “I’m always the one with the questions,” admits Harvey. “Just like once I began using the Freestyle monitor, this thing would come on at night. I didn’t know what was happening because nobody explained it to me. Peterson says he not only helps find answers to those questions, but additionally contacts the grandmother to easily ask if she’s been on a walk recently and to seek out out about her eating regimen.

For Tomlinson, her daughter became a responsible partner. Peterson emphasizes that as an adult, she respects her mother’s decisions, but tries to support her with honesty. Tomlinson recalls when she was eating a bag of candy and Peterson walked in. “He’ll come and say, ‘Mom, what do you think that you are doing?’ Do you think that you need to eat this candy now? What is your blood sugar level? Show me your Libre app in your phone,” he says.

As evidenced by the lives of the women on this family, Robins says a diagnosis of diabetes can actually result in a healthier lifestyle. “We often don’t learn which foods will help and which may harm us. Living with diabetes means you possibly can pay more attention to what fuels your body,” he says.

Tomlinson agrees. If you suffer from diabetes, moderation is vital. You can still eat and live a good life, but every thing have to be sparsely. “It’s never too late to prioritize your health,” she says. “You may have had prediabetes or type 1 or type 2 diabetes for many years and then pushed it aside or not taken care of yourself. But you can start taking care of yourself today. You can improve your quality of life for the rest of your life.”