The Condition I Tried to Avoid

Growing up, some in the medical community treated young diabetics with a balance of rudimentary medicine mixed with a healthy dose of scare tactics.

“Listen to me or you’ll be limbless or dead by 20.”

“If your blood sugar is out of control your vision will be the first thing to go.”

Not exactly inspirational leadership.

I established a positive life-altering partnership with a doctor at Georgetown University when I was 22.

That means I had 11 years of a few decent doctors; yet most were of the thought I needed to be scared into proactive diabetes management.

I developed a sizable fear of losing my vision. In my late teens, I made a mental list of diabetes complication choices. Meaning I hoped to lose a limb or two first; last on my list was vision. I’m not sure why, but that’s how I moved through life. Maybe it motivated me?

Take my legs; not my vision.

Last week I was diagnosed with glaucoma. The condition and word I tried to avoid. Thankfully, due to my wild list of medical issues I’m heavily monitored and it was caught before unrepairable damage.

We (my support system) have a great overall handle on my diabetes. My A1C rarely goes above 7 and the doctor does not believe the diagnosis is related to diabetes. Yet it still hurts; a lot.

We have an excellent plan moving forward that I feel great about. I have confidence in my medical team and believe I continue to do everything in my power to remain healthy. As we continue to expand our support within the diabetes community, it’s heartwarming to hear the scare tactics of my youth are mostly a thing of the past. However, it’s still a scary disease that can have a negative impact on even the most conscientious patient and care team.

We are building a mesh of support around those impacted by chronic illness as well as caregivers.

Send us a message here or on our social media channels. We’re ready to team up for some adventures.