Diabetes SUCKS!

As many of you know, our son and brother, Travis Osborne, has been a Type I Diabetic since he was two years old. In just a few weeks, he will be 50. Living 48 years with this disease has been debilitating, to say the least. Due to this disease, he has lived and continues to live with complications of painful psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, detached retinas in both eyes, double bypass heart surgery, Charcot foot, taking several medications, testing blood sugar and taking insulin injections multiple times a day. These things only crack the surface of everything he has to live with and endure. Unfortunately, living with this disease is all he has ever known.

Three years ago, Travis developed a rare condition called “Charcot foot”, which is a progressive, degenerative condition that results in weakening of bones and soft tissues of the foot or ankle. The foot will be numb, thus the symptoms will not be noticeable in the beginning. This progresses to painful sores, bone breaks and deterioration of bone and/or dislocation and changes the shape of the foot. Travis first experienced this in his right foot. This was beginning to heal, when he developed it in his left foot and several breaks were involved. Due to the peripheral neuropathy (lack of sensation/feeling) and MAJOR lack of correct diagnosis and follow up, it went untreated for a significant amount of time. Last week, he was rushed to the ER with low blood pressure caused by sepsis from the infection in the foot/ankle and is now hospitalized with a VERY long road ahead of him.

In the next couple of days, Travis will undergo an amputation of his left limb. He will spend additional weeks in the hospital and then continue his healing from home, but he will not be able to work. Living with this disease by itself is a lot...adding everyday “adult” worries like bills, groceries, kids, etc., is an added stress. Eventually, he will need a prosthetic so he can continue living with a somewhat normal and positive quality of life. As you can imagine, this news is devastating and not something that anyone should have to go through...especially someone who has already had to deal with and lost so much. He should be preparing to simply celebrate a milestone 50th birthday...not dealing with all of this.

We would like to alleviate as much worry and stress for Travis as we possibly can so he can concentrate on doing what is necessary to heal and move forward. Those of you who know Travis, know how proud he is. Proud of his family and how he has taken care of them and provided for them over the years. Asking and accepting help, is something he is not used to doing. Travis and our family appreciate ANY help you can give...calling and sharing a laugh, to lift his spirits, kind words, thoughts, and prayers.