Continue reading »]]> Now when I stared at the little calendar on the wall it was no longer blurry, but it looked like something in a jigsaw puzzle.   I could not read anything.   I was told they were going to try laser. What a relief.   They were finally going to do something instead of letting me lie there and wonder if I would regain my sight or not.

As I was wheeled down the long, dark and drafty hallway, it felt like I was being led to the death chamber. I finally reached the laser room.   I was given 3,000electric zaps in each eye.  Needless to say, it did nothing.  I said to myself “this is an awful nightmare and I will wake up and everything will be normal.”

Wrong answer.  I never woke up!

I was taken back to my room where I had nothing but time to reflect on what a mess I had made of my life. I thought I had died and gone down stairs to meet the devil

Moral of story:  You don’t miss the water until the well dries up. . *Remember, diabetes respects no one if not respected*   Stayed tuned for part four

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Continue reading »]]> As I laid there in my hospital bed, begging and bargaining with God,  ”If I started following my diet, and taking medication as directed would he please return my sight”.   But my doctor’s words came back to haunt me   “How you take care of your Diabetes for the next 10 years will determine the quality of your life.”

It did not take ten years, but twelve.  I knew deep down in my soul I would never see again.  My mother always said “for every decision we make in life there are consequences rather right or wrong”.  So I just kept on trying to read that little calendar on the wall.

Moral of story:  ”A hard head makes a soft AZZ”.

Remember if diabetes is not respected, diabetes will not respect you.

Stay tuned for part three.

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Continue reading »]]> When we are young, we think we are invincible. Wrong answer.

Everyone told me to check on my eyes, I ignored them. My attitude was nothing will ever happen to me nor my sight.  I was on the freeway driving from Red lobster.  My right eye went totally dark and my left eye became very blurry.   I literally drove by memory.  I was absolutely horrified.   But I kept my composure.

I was supposed to pick my Mother up from the airport, but I had to make other plans.  So with God as my co-pilot,  we  made it to my mother’s house and her tenant  drove me to pick her up.  We then drove straight to the hospital.  Needless to say they made me stay.   I kept asking whether my sight would retur.  And the doctors replied that they did not know.

Just imagine, having sight one minute and gone the next, not knowing if it will return or not.  I will never forget the little calendar on my hospital wall.  That calendar became my life line between sanity and losing my mind.  Every day I would try to read the calendar through my blurry eye and every day it became harder and harder.

Stay tuned and remember Diabetes respects no one if not respected.

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Continue reading »]]> One of the symptoms of diabetes is frequent urination.  So before I was diagnosed with Diabetes,  I weeweed in the bed.

My sister and I shared a bed.  Now being the smart AZZ diabetic I was,  when I weeweed, I would roll my sister onto the wet part of the bed, shower and change my pajamas and make her think she had weeweed.

But I made one grave mistake: I did not wash my pjs.  So when my mother would find them, she knew my little scheme, and we won’t speak on how my sister felt.

Tip of the day if you’re going to be a smart AZZ Diabetic, at least think your plan through.

**Remember if diabetes is not respected, diabetes will not respect you**.

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Continue reading »]]> Both mother and I loved green grapes, but there was one little problem. There were only enough grapes for one person, and you know who would get them!

My Mother’s last words to me before she left,  ”I better not eat her grapes”.

However being the Smart AZZ diabetic I was, those words went straight out the window and I ate all the grapes any way.  And I replaced them with dusty hard and sour grapes that were growing on a vine in our back yard.  Heck, I didn’t even take the time to wash the replaced grapes off. The grapes I ate were delicious,  and was it worth it!

When my mother came through the door the first thing she did was reach for her grapes.  You can imagine what came next.  She took one bite of the hard and sour grapes, and spit them out immediately, and threw pots and pans at me.

Tip of the day: if you are going to eat your mother’s sweet and plump grapes at least tell her the dog ate them.

If diabetes is not respected, diabetes will not respect you!

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Continue reading »]]> I was 13 years of age, my brother and sister and I sold fund-raiser candy bars for our schools. I asked my mother If I could just have a small piece of one, she told me, flat out no.  Being the little smart AZZ I was, I decided to wait until everyone was asleep, and crept into the basement like I was on a secret mission, where the candy bars were kept.

I did not eat a small piece, but ate a whole case, which consisted of 48 bars. I became sick as a dog.  I managed to make it to the main floor and collapsed. Oh I did forget to mention one little thing, my Mother had just had a complete knee replacement and had to use crutches?

Snow was up to the wazoo. So she rushed me to the hospital.  Once the emergency room had me stabilized, Mother told the doctors she was leaving, and the doctor said in a very calm voice. “Wait a minute, your daughter is under the age of 18.  You cannot leave until she has a room. My mother told me at that time she felt like taking her crutches and hitting me upside my head.

Remember Diabetes respects no one if not respected, we are our own enemies!

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Continue reading »]]> When my mother would go to the grocery store, she would ask me what kind of diet soda and cookies I would like. And I would reply, with my nose pointed to the ceiling, in a very snooty voice ” I do not drink soda nor eat junk food”. So she would continue her shopping, buying sodas, Captain Crunch cereal, and all kind of goodies for my brother and sister. However being the smart AZZ diabetic I was, when everyone was asleep, I would drink all the soda, milk and leave an itsy bit for the coloring, replace it with water, and eat my entire sister’s and brother’s goodies. So, when they woke up in the morning Mother would not have any milk for her coffee, and my sister and brother would have nothing. Heck, I felt if I could not have regular goodies neither should they….

Therefore, my mother concluded I had to be crazy, so she took me to see a psychiatrist, but guess what he was a diabetic too. And we all know what happened with that little trip, not a darn thing. Needless to say, that was a wasted trip.

Moral of the story: if you plan to take your child who has Diabetes to see a psychiatrist, please make sure he does not have diabetes.

Remember Diabetes respects no one if not respected.

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Continue reading »]]> When I was awakened this morning by the beautiful sounds of chirping birds. I knew it was going to be a super fantastic day, so I planted my feet firm on the floor and sprung up like a spring chicken. However as I started out of my bedroom, I softly said to myself, “wow, it is very dark in here. I better cut on a light, but as I reached for the switch, I suddenly remembered dummy you are blind that is why it is dark”. For every decision we make there are consequences, and diabetes respects know one if not respected.

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Continue reading »]]> When I was first diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of twelve, because of my lack of maturity and knowledge I took my diabetes for granted.

38 years ago, you had to monitor your glucose level by checking urine. So one day I had an appointment with my Indo physician, and I knew my glucose was sky high. So being the smart little Azz I was, a light bulb went off in my head. I decided to substitute my urine for water, cold water with yellow food coloring at that. You know what happened next, the doctor came to me and place his arms around my shoulder and with words of love and kindness calmly said “Sweetie, if you do not have to go to the bathroom just tell us, you don’t have to put water in the cup.” And needless to say, when they got the correct sample my glucose was through the roof! My mother just looked at me with those piercing eyes, and said in a stern but angry voice, “you are not fooling me!” Therefore, when we think we are being smart with those stupid tricks, we are only slowly destroying our bodies.

Remember if you do not respect Diabetes, it will not respect you

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Continue reading »]]> In additon to promoting my book, I’ve begun another journey…motivational speaking.  Click the tab up there for all the details if you’d like.

It appears my greatest gift may turn out to be my ability to share my story and provide a living, breathing example of what can happen to a human being if they defy the orders of their doctors and thumb their nose at diabetes.  If I can prevent what happened to me from happening to even a single person, it will make all I’ve suffered worthwhile.

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