Program Success Christian Reader September 2007 | Page 28

28 The Christian Reader September 2007 DIABETES continued from page 27 After a while, she did have some serious medical problems. But, you know, age alone causes thing to happen. She did start to lose her sight and eventually started to lose her kidneys.” And when Elizabeth went on dialysis, she faced that challenge the same wa6y that she’d faced her diabetes for most of her life: head-on. “She didn’t want to go to the center all the time, getting her blood filtered,” Says Gladys. “She opted to do peritoneal dialysis, where they put a catheter in the abdomen and you dialyze three or four times a day. My mom made us go to school to learn how to do this, but after we lived through all that, she Elizabeth Knight wouldn’t let us do it. She had to make sure that everything was sanitary, and she did it perfectly. When she passed, her doctors told us they’d never had a person on home dialysis that never had an infection, until my mom. That was Mom” Attitude Adjustment “when they get the diagnosis, so many people think, Well that’s it, my life is over,’ and that’s not true,” stresses Gladys. “It’s like anything else- you have to be determined not to let it get you down. “I believe we’re helping people understand that being diagnosed with type 2 doesn’t have to be an end all situations. If you get an education about it and know how to take care of yourself-well, you can live a good life. Mom showed us that every day. “But we knew that outside of telling folks about type 2 diabetes, we ne3eded to do some research about this. So the Elizabeth Knight Fund is dedicated to education and research.” Contributions are managed by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). If you would like to support the Elizabeth Knight Fund, you can write the ADA at the National Call Center, 1701 North Beauregard Street. Alexandria, VA 22311. You can also call 800-DIABETES or visit www.diabetes.org. Ira Riley, Jr. RPh Yolanda Rivers, RPh Al Williams, GM 1190 W. Edgewood Ave. Suite B Jacksonville,Florida 32208 [phone] * Dental [email protected]