In 1993 I started to date this young fellow name Johnson. Johnson and his brother Ian, were heavily into health and bodybuilding at the time. I was invited over to their apartment on several occasions, and once while I went to get a drink from the refrigerator, I saw a few syringes and viles of drugs. I didn’t know what they were for, and thought that perhaps they were steroids, since the boys were into big muscles at the time. I never questioned it, but I had my concerns.

Then three months into our dating of one another, seeing that this could be a serious thing, Johnson said he needed to sit me down and discuss something important. I was worried…what could it be? He then proceeded to confess like it was some deep dark secret, that he had diabetes, and had been on insulin for many years. When I asked why it took him so long to tell me, he basically said he was concerned that once I found out, I may not want to be with him anymore.

That was my first introduction into the world of a diabetic. I, along with many others thought that since Johnson was able to control his blood sugars with insulin, that this would be all he needed to do for the rest of his life. Boy was I mistaken. I was ignorant to the complications that could arise with him being a diabetic.

Johnson had been carefully watched under the watchful eye of his physician in Ottawa. His name was Doctor Stulberg. Johnson had been prescribed a medication to which he was suppose to take once per day, and did, until the untimely death of this young Dr. Eric Stulberg, who died of cancer at the early age of 44 in 1996.

So here was Johnson with no doctor for almost 2 years, and now unable to have prescriptions refilled etc. Just after Johnson and I were married, I begged my family doctor to please take Johnson as a new patient. She was unable to, but did pass Johnson onto her partner at the time. Dr. Burt. So we made an appointment with Dr. Burt, and explained that Johnson was diabetic, and that he had no doctor due to the death of Dr. Stulberg. So Dr. Burt ran all the necessary tests, and called Johnson and I back to his office for review.

Now Dr. Burt… didn’t sugar coat things for Johnson. His prognosis was NOT good at all. He had very high blood pressure, which Johnson didn’t know he had. Apparently his last doctor did, and had started Johnson on medication for it. Not knowing why he was taking this medication, or the repercussions of not taking it, he was unable to get a doctor to tell him why to continue taking the medication, so Johnson stopped. So here we were. We didn’t know what having high blood pressure undetected for a long period of time could do. Well, we do now. Johnson’s kidneys were failing. He was in renal failure. His lungs were not functioning very well, and he had damaged his eyes as well.

Now we are newly weds, and scared to death! We were at the General Hospital every week for one year, with a team of 7 doctors seeing us on a regular basis. We were preparing for dialysis, which we were told was to happen quickly and that we needed to get prepared for it. Johnson underwent a surgery to have a catheter put into his tummy so that, should we need dialysis, the tubing would already be in place. This would avoid emergency dialysis, in which if they had to, they would have had to do so through a vein in his neck, the chances of infection were quite high. He was in a lot of pain that day returning home. It was hard to watch.

After a year of trying all types of drugs for high blood pressure, we were able to come up with the right combination of drugs which Johnson reacted well to. You see…it is a guessing game, try this, see what complications may arise, then try another etc. We now had the right combination to control his blood pressure. The kidneys were responding well to the medications, I mean…they’d never get any better, but they weren’t getting any worse. This was great news.

Then came a series of laser eye surgeries to prevent Johnson from going blind. I never knew I was squeamish until that first day of surgery, where I was in the office watching as they injected a dye into Johnson’s bloodstream in order to view his eye’s blood vessels in more detail. I almost passed out! Ewe!! I waited outside during all his other laser eye surgeries, which would leave Johnson with excruciating pain for the remainder of the day. Apparently we didn’t know until I asked after 3 surgeries, if he could be given any pain medication prior to the laser surgery. They were quite shocked that Johnson hadn’t been given or been told to take 2 Tylenol 3’s before and after the surgery. Ooops they forgot! What a trooper my Johnson was!

Now the team of doctors who have followed Johnson every three months now for the past 8 years, are telling us it is time. Dialysis is imminent with the next few months. Johnson’s kidneys are no longer maintaining their functioning levels, and have been failing consistently for the past year. Johnson’s body is robbing nutrients now from other organs and this is not good. His kidneys are unable to remove the waste products from his blood anymore, and these waste products are now continuing to circulate and build up in his bloodstream. At the same time he has become less efficient at producing red blood cells, so he has developed anemia. This means that he is experiencing such symptoms such as weakness, breathlessness and reduced energy. I know this, cause he can’t even clean the house anymore. (ha ha ha)

This has been a very gradual process, and Johnson really doesn’t even think he has been affected much by all these symptoms at all. But I know better. He thinks he acts and feels normal. I know he doesn’t… he is not the same…I remember a more energetic fellow, one who didn’t get so tired so quickly. I’d like that guy back again someday, and through dialysis and/or a future kidney transplant, and by the grace of GOD I will have him back again. This is what our future has in store for us.

I heard an announcement on the radio a few weeks past. They were asking for people to run this marathon in Iceland for Team Diabetes. So I looked into it. This is something I really wanted to do for Johnson. Sometimes I feel so helpless, sometimes, I too forget he has this disease because of his positive attitude. I complain like many other spouses that he could help out more…he should help out more and sometimes I get angry. Then I have to remind myself…hey…he is tired…his is diabetic…he has kidney failure. Would I be as positive? I don’t know. I CAN run, I CAN run for him, I CAN raise awareness for diabetes, I CAN raise funds, and I CAN do this for Johnson because I love him.

So I am asking that you not only give generously, but that you ask others to give generously too! You’d be amazed at how many people in your social circle have or know of someone who has diabetes. Please ask them to help out our cause too! All donations over $15 are entitled to a tax receipt. Do you know of some corporation that would be willing to donate to our cause, as well as receive the tax credit? If so, please help Johnson and I, and tell our story in the hopes that they too will make a donation.

Johnson and I wish to thank you in advance for all your love and support! THANK YOU!

Sincerely,

Kendra John
Team Diabetes Honolulu 2006