I want to first thank you for allowing me to share a little about myself. My journey is long, but it is not finished yet.
I think I have a very special story to share with those who find themselves Alone in a world of darkness and feel like there is no hope or light at the End of that long, narrow tunnel. I’m here to let you know that there is life after becoming blind. With the proper training, faith, perseverance, and inner strength, you too can accomplish what’s in your heart and mind. It just takes some work, patience, determination, a lot of discipline, and a positive attitude.
My name is S. Sugar Lopez and I come from a Christian home, so my faith and belief in God is my strength. Without my faith, I believe I wouldn’t be alive today. At the age of 11, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I did everything I was told. Mama cooked and prepared my meals just like they said. In spite of this, my glucose levels were never below 700, and my A1C was all the way up to 18 for several years. I didn’t understand since I had been following all of the instructions given from my medical team. It wasn’t until after I changed hospitals that I realized that I had been given the wrong type of insulin for at least the first six years of being a brittle diabetic.
Later when I was 18 and still sighted and healthier, I went back and sued the hospital because it turned out I was being given the wrong type of insulin on purpose as it was cheaper for the hospital. It made me wonder how many other children they were doing this to in addition to myself. So, I took them to court and won my case. Several medical professionals had their medical licenses revoked due to my case. I was just relieved that there wouldn’t be more children who would be hurt.
Little did I know all the damage in my body had begun, like the many times I was taken by ambulance to the hospital with Ketoacidosis. It was difficult as the oldest out of four children and being the only one in my family who was a brittle diabetic. We were never given the education or resources like today’s newly diagnosed diabetics.
Life went on and I completed my education, still struggling with high glucose levels. But I was able to complete my education after I had to drop out of college due to elevated glucose levels.
My Parents are pastors, so we moved around. In one move, I met my husband, Daniel. We married in 1995. Growing up, my family never received the education, nor were we told about any complications with Diabetes, so you could imagine the shock we had when in 1997, only two years after being married, my sight was taken due to diabetic retinopathy. I was forced to stop working, and I had to learn to live differently. I attended a small support group and learned some Braille, took an independent living class, and learned basic computer skills. Through this, I remained positive and lived day by day. I had – and still have – a supportive family and a wonderful husband.
After being told that I would not be able to conceive, Daniel and I found ourselves pregnant in1998. I was just starting to learn a new way of living, totally blind and now having to care for a baby. Well, that was a challenge, but I was so grateful, and I was going to do all I could to make this work. Around the fifth or sixth month, I had to have an emergency Cesarean section due to CKD (chronic kidney disease). It was not a sure thing if baby boy or I would survive. Our baby boy stayed with us for six short hours. Then he went to heaven. My joy is that Baby Daniel Jr. was able to meet his daddy and grandparents.
On December 3, 2001, an uncle donated a kidney. On May 13, 2003, I was blessed with a new pancreas. I was no longer considered a diabetic. Both organs survived for 20 years. After that, I was back to being a Type 1 diabetic. In 2016, I was placed on the transplant list again and, in 2021, I started dialysis three times a week for 3.5 hours per treatment. After a long seven years of waiting for my second kidney, at last on July 31, 2024, I received my second kidney.
During this time, I have been active in the blind community, and I’ve advocated not only for myself but for other’s. I am currently Second Vice President of ACB Diabetics in Action and enjoy being our newsletter editor. I’ve sat on several boards of different organizations and I have learned so much. Professionally, I work from home as a counselor/therapist and enjoy encouraging others.
If I can shed some hope and some light into the world of darkness, if my life’s story can reach one person who may need to know that there is hope and that they are not alone, my life has been well worth the hardships I’ve had to endure. I say this because with God by my side, nothing is impossible.
I leave you with a word of encouragement: Stay true to yourself and never allow anyone to tell you what you can’t do. Work hard and have a good attitude about life, and your actions will reflect on others. Don’t give up!
In memory of Daniel E. Lopez Jr. – 1998.
NOTE: The author of this article, Sugar Lopez, can be reached via email at Sugarsyl71@sbcglobal.net.