Diabetes, Not a Disease to Take Lightly

Unlike the villains in my mystery/suspense stories that I write, Diabetes is a monster that readily shows itself whenever and wherever it pleases.

I have no doubt that my mother’s last years would have been completely different if she had ate healthier and above all else, if she would have seen a doctor once a year for a routine examination. My mom did neither of these.

The day we found out that diabetes was robbing my mother’s eyesight was surreal to me. I guess the most frustrating thing to me was that I was helpless to get her sight back.

In my mom’s specific case, diabetes did more than rob her of her eyesight, through a series of unfortunate events it caused her to suffer tremendously through her last few years on earth.

In the beginning she refused to let her handicap slow her down so she did volunteer work at a senior citizens home, but one day the traffic light had broken and she attempted to cross the street and was hit by an automobile. She had to learn to walk again, but the diabetes and the car accident had weakened her heart and she went through a triple bypass.  I know this sounds like a story of fiction, but my mom had to live through it. Our family had to live through it.

As I mentioned before, Diabetes is a monster, one we cannot take lightly.

For more information about diabetes, living with diabetes, and what you can do to help, see this website from the American Diabetes Association.

 

 

 

The Story of “Lonely Deceptions”

Funny, when I was growing up I never had aspirations of becoming a writer or a chocolatier.  On the contrary, an accountant was what I thought I’d end up being. Now I make chocolate and I have my first mystery/suspense book published, Lonely Deceptions.

It all began with the sound of a drinking glass crashing onto the floor. My mom had knocked the glass down with her hand because—we would learn later that day—her eyesight was quickly being robbed by diabetes.

She eventually became legally blind and could no longer read, something a volunteer librarian loved to do. I soon came up with an idea that I would write short stories for her. And after I wrote one I would read it aloud to her, trying my best to give each character his or her own distinctive voice (an actor I’m not).

My mom enjoyed them and often said I should become a writer. I would just laugh in response. But little did I realize I was falling in love with writing.  Soon stories would pop into my head and I couldn’t wait to get them on paper.

I still can’t believe I have a book published…my mom would have been very proud.