I bring this up here because from what I have read, Stiff-Person’s Syndrome is related to diabetes. Yet when I ask him if he has been diagnosed with diabetes or if it has been ruled out, he says no. My friend is not the sharpest knife in the drawer. He has been in and out of the hospital three times since early September and each stay was for a week or more with him being moved for another week or two to rehab centers. They have done lots of test, but they are primarily neurological in nature as his current physician is a neurologist who seems most interested in research, I fear she is treating the neurological symptoms when the root cause of those neurological problems maybe are being ignored…. if you are a hammer every solution to a problem looks like a nail, and all that.
The problem is I can just about guarantee he is diabetic. He was diagnosed with diabetic neuropathy about a month ago, he was put on a “diabetic diet” while in the hospital the 2nd time in mid October, and this last hospital stay in early December they were giving him insulin injections!!!!! Yet he is dismissed once again without any direction other than take a bunch of pain pills, tranquilizers, neurological meds similar to seizure medications, and oh yeah, watch the fats and cholesterol. So my assumption is he has been living, and continues to live, as an untreated diabetic suffering from diabetes complications.
I spent the better part of an hour one on one with him explain why I suspect he is an untreated diabetic and what all that means. Another mutual friend and I asked him if he would like for us to prepare a list of questions to take to his primary care physician. He said he would really appreciate that. My friend is not the sharpest knife in the drawer and under the circumstances I wonder about his wife too. I asked him as subtly as I could if his wife was always present when he talks to his doctors. She is. I am afraid that in an odd sort of way that might be a problem. I fear she knows he is diabetic and isn’t telling him. You would assume that is ridiculous but our mutual friend who is a health professional with numerous connections (he is a PhD but not a M.D) is just as suspicious as I am. We will know more about that when we deliver the questions and see if she is willing to ask them and get real answers.
If any of you have experience with Stiff-Man’s Syndrome I would appreciate your advice.
All the best
Ed B