Tom’s diabetes followed by a diagnosis of proliferative diabetic retinopathy
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 9 years old, 42 years ago, and there wasn’t a lot of treatment available for the disease, which was basically “take one dose of insulin a day and hope for the best.” That’s how I managed my diabetes at that time.
I was a sophomore in college when home blood glucose meters came along. Of course, at 18, I didn’t think much of it, because at that age you think you’re invincible. At the time, I was a college athlete on a top sports team, under the care of a doctor, but not using a blood glucose meter.
Right after my junior year of soccer season, I started noticing subtle changes in my vision. Objects in front of my eyes were no longer as clear and distinct as they used to be.
I went home, and that’s when I was diagnosed with “proliferative diabetic retinopathy,” which is a more advanced term for a cluster of abnormal blood vessels in the back of my eye that shouldn’t be there, and which are at risk for leaking and bleeding. So I commuted for 6 months between college and home, and back home, I received laser treatment, which at first was very effective in delaying retinopathy.
Tom had retinal detachment in his left and right eyes and eventually went blind
I went to bed after typing my last paper of the semester and woke up on day 2 blind in my left eye. So I loaded my bags in the car, drove home, parked the car, and turned off the ignition, and that became my last driving experience.
On day 2, I went to a retina specialist who confirmed that the retina in my left eye had detached, which is basically like turning the lights off. And the retina in my right eye was in bad shape. When the retina finally detached in my right eye, I became completely blind. Since then, I’ve undergone several more surgeries, but never saw again. I’ll never forget that moment when the doctor said to me, “Tom, there’s nothing more I can do medically.”
It was exactly 1 year from the time I was diagnosed with retinopathy to this moment.
Tom became a development consultant for community services for the blind
At that time, I was confused about what the future would hold. But then I was recruited into a vision center where people could learn new skills for everyday life – cooking, cutting vegetables, doing laundry, walking, and so on. I also learned to read and write Braille. I was motivated to learn because I didn’t need to be cared for.
After completing my rehabilitation, I went back to college and became the only blind student on campus. After that, I finished my studies, returned to the vision center again as a volunteer, and was hired as a developer. Now, I am a development consultant serving the blind community. Today, I feel very fortunate. It’s incredible that my life is still full, independent, and that I’m able to give back to the community.”