I have had diabetes for forty years. During that time, I developed several problems related to the disease. I have neuropathy, which is pain and numbness of the legs and feet. I have had twenty-five laser surgeries on my eyes for damage caused by diabetes. In 1989, I endured almost three months of blindness due to bleeding in my eyes. I have had contacts and retinal detachment. High blood pressure and a slipped disc in my lower back round out my list of problems.
My blood sugar was high all the time. I had no energy and was in pain every waking moment. I am a professional seamstress, and for years I made sample clothing for top designers. But diabetes threatened my profession. I had been to doctors of all specialties looking for help, yet there seemed to be none.
My life began to change for the better in 1999. In December of that year, after much prayer and Bible study, I dedicated my life to God and was baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church. My spiritual life was rejuvenated, but physically I was going downhill. I had made some lifestyle changes, but my condition seemed to worsen anyway. I was injecting forty-five units of insulin every day and my diabetes control was still poor. My weight was up to 185 pounds, and I had so much pain that I could hardly walk. I even moved to a first floor apartment to avoid climbing stairs.
I’m not running yet, but I praise God that
I am well on my way!
A friend recommended that I go to one of the Adventist lifestyle centers. In December 2002, I began an 18-day program at Hartland Lifestyle Education Center in Virginia. I felt confident that God sent me there to get the help that I so desperately needed.
I arrived by wheelchair and with cane in hand. Hydrotherapy treatments began immediately, and I struggled to walk one mile each day. I had to use the elevator to reach my second floor room. For the first eight days, I was on a vegetable juice fast. Even though I was eating no solid food, I felt energetic. In one week, I was able to take the stairs to my room.
After the fast, I was on a diet that was low in fat and contained no animal products. I ate nothing after 6 PM and was drinking almost one gallon of water each day. All this was a change for me, but I thank God for the change! I left Hartland on just ten units of insulin and twenty-five pounds lighter.
That was ten months ago. I now weigh 140 pounds and take 5-10 units of insulin each day. I take a brisk walk every day. I have continued with the eating patterns I learned at Hartland and still drink almost one gallon of water each day. I have more energy than I could have imagined. I am very grateful to the staff at Hartland who have been very encouraging and who continue to call me about once a week. Most of all, I thank God for His mercy, His love and healing power.
When I left Hartland, I told the staff I would soon be running. I’m not there yet, but I praise God that I am well on my way.
