I got an unexpected gift for my 21st birthday in 1986... I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The doctor asked me how I was walking around when by all rights I should have been in a coma. We started out with diabetes pills and it has been a struggle to getting it controlled and for me to lose weight.
Through the last 27 years of this constant fight to gain the upper hand, I have been down in the 50s and way up in the 600s or even higher. I've battled cataracts in both eyes at age 35. I've had my eyes zapped with lasers to keep the retinopathy at bay and I've even had to get a shot in each eye (recently) to battle the retinopathy. I've gone through so much but it has allowed me to gain confidence and strength. I have become stronger and was able to carry a child to full term finally after 3 miscarriages. My son will be 13 in October and even though he tests my patience daily, he is my greatest accomplishment.
We have finally found the right mix of medicines and my blood sugars have been in the 100s to high 200s but so much better controlled than in recent years. I'm hoping they find a cure for diabetes in the next few years; but, for now, I will keep fighting the good fight and pray my son is spared this disease.
Louisville, KY
