Crisanda's Diabetic Retinopathy and FMLA Leave
Donation protected
Dear Friends and Family,
As many of you know, back in 1999, at the age of 11, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. This completely flipped my world upside and, to be honest, I don't feel like I've ever gained control over it this part of my life. The past 20 years have been a daily struggle, more so than I've ever admitted to most of you. Most days I don't feel very good, I struggle to keep my blood sugar in control, struggle to figure out how many carbs are in every single thing I eat, struggle to find the willpower to continually prick and poke myself with multiple insulin shots and blood sugar checks each day. On top of that, it's emotionally and mentally exhausting as well. I feel like I'm holding up more than I was ever meant to. It's too much. It's always been too much. And then, last year, during a routine eye exam, I found out that I have diabetic retinopathy. This is a condition that affects the blood vessels in the back of the eye. These vessels are very small and fragile and years of uncontrolled blood sugar weaken them and cause them to leak blood into the eye. Without treatment, the eye will fill with blood and I will go blind. And according to the doctor, even with treatment, I could still go blind. To try to prevent this, last year, I started getting a series of laser eye treatments, which are meant to close the leaks in both of my eyes. When this began, my eyesight had not yet been affected. Since then, however, things have changed. The laser treatments were not able to stop the bleeding and I have developed a large bleed in my left eye. My vision in my left eye is blurry and slightly darker than my right. Because of this, a couple of weeks ago now, I started receiving injections in my left eye with a medication that is meant to clear the blood out. This is something that has to happen continually, though, every 4 weeks, for an undetermined amount of time because the medicine wears off and the vessels will continue to bleed. The doctor said I could need them for up to 5 years. I'm asking for your help because I'm just so overwhelmed and worried and scared and exhausted. It's difficult for me to work right now. I'm going to the eye doctor every couple of weeks, at least, as well as other endocrinology appointments, working 40+ hours a week, and trying to do my best to take care of my diabetes each day with my diet and exercise. Then, of course, there's life on top of that: washing dishes, doing laundry, walking the dog, vacuuming. I feel like I really need to take some time off of work to adjust to everything that's happening, to take care of myself, and heal, and while I qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act, I can't afford to not work for the 12 weeks of unpaid leave I'm allowed to take under this law. I would so appreciate any amount that you would be willing to donate so that I can take that time to begin to recover and prepare for what's to come on this journey for me. I haven't taken the decision to start this campaign lightly, and please know that I wouldn't be asking if I didn't really need your help. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have or chat with any of you as I know hearing about my retinopathy is new information for many of you. Thank you for reading and for caring.
all the best, Crisanda
As many of you know, back in 1999, at the age of 11, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. This completely flipped my world upside and, to be honest, I don't feel like I've ever gained control over it this part of my life. The past 20 years have been a daily struggle, more so than I've ever admitted to most of you. Most days I don't feel very good, I struggle to keep my blood sugar in control, struggle to figure out how many carbs are in every single thing I eat, struggle to find the willpower to continually prick and poke myself with multiple insulin shots and blood sugar checks each day. On top of that, it's emotionally and mentally exhausting as well. I feel like I'm holding up more than I was ever meant to. It's too much. It's always been too much. And then, last year, during a routine eye exam, I found out that I have diabetic retinopathy. This is a condition that affects the blood vessels in the back of the eye. These vessels are very small and fragile and years of uncontrolled blood sugar weaken them and cause them to leak blood into the eye. Without treatment, the eye will fill with blood and I will go blind. And according to the doctor, even with treatment, I could still go blind. To try to prevent this, last year, I started getting a series of laser eye treatments, which are meant to close the leaks in both of my eyes. When this began, my eyesight had not yet been affected. Since then, however, things have changed. The laser treatments were not able to stop the bleeding and I have developed a large bleed in my left eye. My vision in my left eye is blurry and slightly darker than my right. Because of this, a couple of weeks ago now, I started receiving injections in my left eye with a medication that is meant to clear the blood out. This is something that has to happen continually, though, every 4 weeks, for an undetermined amount of time because the medicine wears off and the vessels will continue to bleed. The doctor said I could need them for up to 5 years. I'm asking for your help because I'm just so overwhelmed and worried and scared and exhausted. It's difficult for me to work right now. I'm going to the eye doctor every couple of weeks, at least, as well as other endocrinology appointments, working 40+ hours a week, and trying to do my best to take care of my diabetes each day with my diet and exercise. Then, of course, there's life on top of that: washing dishes, doing laundry, walking the dog, vacuuming. I feel like I really need to take some time off of work to adjust to everything that's happening, to take care of myself, and heal, and while I qualify for the Family and Medical Leave Act, I can't afford to not work for the 12 weeks of unpaid leave I'm allowed to take under this law. I would so appreciate any amount that you would be willing to donate so that I can take that time to begin to recover and prepare for what's to come on this journey for me. I haven't taken the decision to start this campaign lightly, and please know that I wouldn't be asking if I didn't really need your help. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have or chat with any of you as I know hearing about my retinopathy is new information for many of you. Thank you for reading and for caring.
all the best, Crisanda
Organizer
Crisanda Benson-Davis
Organizer
Evanston, IL