Dad and the Agent
So I talked to my Dad today. I ask him how he's doing.
"I'm doing okay," he says. But he says it with that tone that implies that there's something going on and he's doing okay in spite of everything.
"What's going on?" I respond. But I say it with that tone that implies that although it's a question and you have the option of not telling me, I'm really leaving you choice. That, and he wouldn't have had his tone if he really didn't want to tell me.
So he tells me, "Well, honey, I've been diagnosed......" *extremely long pause*
"Diagnosed? With what?"
"Oh, I can't remember the type."
Oh my God, I think. He has cancer. His dad died of cancer. Thus my heart stops beating momentarily. Then he says, "It's the second type."
"Second type of what Dad?" You need to remember that I can't hear what's in your head. This is the reason you're telling me. Now turn off the damn television and focus here!
"The doctor has diagnosed me with diabetes."
Oh, for the love of... "Okaaay, we knew this was going to happen. The doctor has been saying for years that you're well on your way to becoming diabetic, ever since your second heart attack (flutter, technically)." Why do you sound as if this is the end of your world, Mr. Drama King?
"I know, but I've been doing what the doctor told me to do to make it better or slow it down and it's only gotten worse."
So it turns out that the reason he's upset about it, the reason the doctor believes it's progressed, is because of the years he spent in Vietnam when he was "volunteered." Apparently, the doc believes that this is caused by exposure to Agent Orange. Shit. Dad was lucky; the area he was in wasn't sprayed with Agent Orange while he was there. But it had been sprayed and cleared before he got there, and that shit was so strong, it left some major residual effects.
Now to me, this sounds hokey. Agent Orange causing diabetes? I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he's overwieght and doesn't know how to balance out his meals, thus not keeping his blood levels steady. They've been spiking and crashing for years; ever since I was a kid. But I did some research, and sure enough, they have found connections of Agent Orange with diabetes. Apparently, AO causes people to become insulin resistant. But they don't know they are, since they have no history of diabetes in the family. So it goes untreated and progressively gets worse, until it becomes type 2 diabetes.
So now my concern is; if this is showing up from AO 40 years after it all, what else is going on that we don't know about? What else is going to rear it's ugly head?
"I'm doing okay," he says. But he says it with that tone that implies that there's something going on and he's doing okay in spite of everything.
"What's going on?" I respond. But I say it with that tone that implies that although it's a question and you have the option of not telling me, I'm really leaving you choice. That, and he wouldn't have had his tone if he really didn't want to tell me.
So he tells me, "Well, honey, I've been diagnosed......" *extremely long pause*
"Diagnosed? With what?"
"Oh, I can't remember the type."
Oh my God, I think. He has cancer. His dad died of cancer. Thus my heart stops beating momentarily. Then he says, "It's the second type."
"Second type of what Dad?" You need to remember that I can't hear what's in your head. This is the reason you're telling me. Now turn off the damn television and focus here!
"The doctor has diagnosed me with diabetes."
Oh, for the love of... "Okaaay, we knew this was going to happen. The doctor has been saying for years that you're well on your way to becoming diabetic, ever since your second heart attack (flutter, technically)." Why do you sound as if this is the end of your world, Mr. Drama King?
"I know, but I've been doing what the doctor told me to do to make it better or slow it down and it's only gotten worse."
So it turns out that the reason he's upset about it, the reason the doctor believes it's progressed, is because of the years he spent in Vietnam when he was "volunteered." Apparently, the doc believes that this is caused by exposure to Agent Orange. Shit. Dad was lucky; the area he was in wasn't sprayed with Agent Orange while he was there. But it had been sprayed and cleared before he got there, and that shit was so strong, it left some major residual effects.
Now to me, this sounds hokey. Agent Orange causing diabetes? I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that he's overwieght and doesn't know how to balance out his meals, thus not keeping his blood levels steady. They've been spiking and crashing for years; ever since I was a kid. But I did some research, and sure enough, they have found connections of Agent Orange with diabetes. Apparently, AO causes people to become insulin resistant. But they don't know they are, since they have no history of diabetes in the family. So it goes untreated and progressively gets worse, until it becomes type 2 diabetes.
So now my concern is; if this is showing up from AO 40 years after it all, what else is going on that we don't know about? What else is going to rear it's ugly head?