It is now January 2020 at the time of writing this so I will update you on my current situation.
Diabetes, or, to be more precise, my actions, have taken so much from me:
- Career
- Refereeing
- Driving
- Eyesight
- Erections
- Feeling in feet
- Much more…..
And yet, I feel generally better than at any time since my teens!
My mental health and general outlook is superb. I don’t feel that there is a black dog on my shoulder at all.
My relationship with T1D is completely changed, I no longer resent it, it is a part of me and we share a cooperative coexistence. My relationship with food is functional, my diet is normal and probably, just on the right side of the balanced line. As I write this, my right eye is almost normal vision.
Since 2018, my eyesight has seen the biggest journey. Upon the rapid HBa1c improvement, my eyes actually went worse and I went more or less blind at the start of that year.
This was treated with vitrectomies which were totally successful in my right eye, but not so much in my left, My right eye does still haemorrhage periodically, but these clear up within about 10 days without needing surgery. I believe this is the advantage of stable targeted Hba1c, the eyes recover their natural self-healing properties.
My left eye, however, went completely in the other direction. In August 2018, I had a further vitrectomy in this eye. This one got infected and at one point it was touch and go about whether it could stay in-situe. Thankfully, medication was successful in making the eye pain free and stable to remain.
However, it is now completely black blind and it will never recover. Since then, my right eye has had 10 day blindnesses on 3 occasions, Obviously, at these times, I am totally blind. However, with careful planning and adaptation, I am still able to stay entertained and productive at these times, so I don’t fear them! I describe my single eye eyesight as “90%, 90% of the time” and I’m perfectly ok with that.
Medically, I am on statins and cholesterol is fine, thyroid medication is doing its job as it should. I have a tiny leak of protein from my kidneys into my urine, signifying the start of kidney damage. I have very high blood pressure. I have started on a course of blood pressure tablets which also benefit my kidneys.
Professionally, although, I do know that with my improved diabetic health and subsequent energy, I would perform as a teacher much, much better, that chapter is now closed.
I feel that my experience and knowledge in T1D has given me a new purpose in life, to help others. For that reason, last September, I went back to university and started doing a masters… MSc Diabetes, so that I can take my advocacy to the next level!
Thank you for reading this Biography section. The next section will be on Mental Health issues,