Don't recall who it was but was curious how he was making out?

 

You're probably thinking about "jamzwayne" -- it sounded like he was about to fall over dead about a month ago! Last I checked he was still living....

 

That is he but I haven't heard how he is making out. I know they put him on medicine and he felt like a new man.

 

Is "the" necessary here?

This seems like one of those grammar conventions that is idomatic to a particular area. Texas? Are you from Texas? Where are you from originally?

Not trying to make fun, I'm actually curious.

Here we'd say, "Who here had diabetes?". The subject is "who" (who it was that is here, hence the additon of "here") and not the disease. Regardless, it would seem to me that "diabetes" doesn't need the adjective to modify.

(This is what happens when I don't sleep much. Sorry.)