[stylist] Please read my new blog

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Chris,

Thanks.  I try to be honest about my experiences, and I hope others can
relate on some level.

I actually didn't lose my vision from diabetes, or at least not
directly.  A viral infection on top of pneumonia and uraceptis shut my
body down and started to complicate my diabetes.  At one point, none of
the antibiotics were working.  The doctors told my parents they better
make arrangements for the worse case scenario.

I had to drop out of school; I missed an entire year of my early
twenties, which I never really made up for; I ended up alive and
eventually healthy, but not before some complications became
non-reversible.  Obviously I lost my vision during the process, but I
also gained an elevated heart rate (though, thank the heavens it has
been pretty well regulated the last few years) and my already low blood
pressure now can drop to danger lows, though, again, for the most part,
with medication, it has been a little better, and I developed mild
neuropathy.  All by the age of 23.

So even though my blindness was caused by my health, it is the last
thing that has affected my life.  My blood sugars are under the best
control I've ever had, and all my organs function at normal levels- no
damage to speak of at this point.  And my general health is good.  But
as many diabetics know, even the best management can result in bad
things.  The better management you have, the better chances you have,
but it does feel like Russian roulette at times.

I've been diabetic since I was four-years-old, which means I've been
living with this for 26 years.  I have the rest of my life to live with
this (however long that may be) and even though science is making leaps
and bounds, I get discouraged at times.

It's good to know others, like yourself, who understand the struggles
and trials of diabetes.  Support is always helpful, and just knowing I'm
not alone does much to lighten my mood.

I'm not generally a pessimist, though I do consider myself a realist!
*smile*  But that negative mindset does creep in at times.

Bridgit
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 7 Jul 2011 19:34:21 -0400
From: "Chris Kuell" <ckuell at comcast.net>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Please read my newest blog
Message-ID: <D9724634768040A59B5A517A3D54F5F0 at ChrisPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
	reply-type=original

Bridgit,

I agree with Donna--this is a particularly good blog post. I don't know
if 
Joe Public can relate, but I can, and I'm with you on which cure I'd
rather 
have. And, your link worked fine for me.

chris