A Patient Story: Fighting Diabetes and Protecting Her Vision
Living with Diabetes: Karen’s Story of Courage and Vision Care
November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and we are honored to share a powerful story from our patient, Karen. Her journey with diabetes is both deeply personal and inspiring, and she hopes that sharing it can help others take their eye health seriously.
Karen has been battling diabetes since 2006. “Most of that time, my A1C was extremely high, my weight high, and I just felt poorly. An A1C of 13 was a norm for me. My then-doctor couldn’t understand why my heart and kidneys weren’t affected.”
Her overall health improved over time, but her eyes had silently suffered. A routine eye visit led to a referral to Tennessee Retina and Dr. Reichstein. “After all the scans and tests, the news wasn’t good. Although my heart and kidneys had not been affected, my eyes had been severely damaged, especially the left one. I was so disillusioned. Nothing is more scary than thinking you may go blind, and my only option to keep my vision was monthly eye injections. My first thought was NO. The idea of a needle going into my eye made me cringe. But after much consideration, I changed my mind. I chose to fight to keep my sight.”
Her mother had also been diabetic and lost much of her vision by the end of her life. This motivated Karen to take action. “I stopped feeling sorry for myself. I stopped being scared of the unknown and I trusted God. All paths led me straight to Dr. Reichstein and Tennessee Retina.”
At her first visit, Karen was encouraged by stories from other patients. She was inspired to see that Dr. Reichstein’s care went beyond just treating eyes—he impacted lives.
Under Dr. Reichstein’s guidance, Karen’s vision improved, and her visits became less frequent. “My eyes are better. I used to have appointments every 4 weeks. Now they are 6 weeks apart. Dr. Reichstein REALLY cares. I see it in his eyes when he’s looking at my scans and even when my eyes weren’t doing what he wanted them to do. He went above and beyond to get my eyes where they needed to be. I trust him 100%. There’s no telling where my vision would be without encountering Tennessee Retina. My only regret is that this office and technology weren’t available for my sweet mother when she was alive because she could have benefited greatly.”
Nothing is more scary than thinking you may go blind, but all paths led me straight to Dr. Reichstein and Tennessee Retina. He truly cares and went above and beyond to get my eyes where they needed to be.
Karen looks forward to a future where she can continue enjoying life: “I look forward to having grandchildren and being able to drive them around and read them books.”
She hopes her story will encourage others with diabetes to take their eye health seriously: “If you’re diabetic, and you think your eyes have been affected, please RUN—don’t walk—to get them checked. The longer you wait, the worse it gets. Also, the thought of the injection is far worse than the actual injection itself. At my first injection appointment, I didn’t even realize he had already given it to me. He just smirked and went out the door as if to say I told you so. I truly hope this helps someone that may find themselves in this situation. Trust God. He anoints these professionals and puts them in our lives for a reason—the true hands and feet of Jesus.”
Karen’s story is a moving reminder that diabetes can silently affect the eyes, even when other health markers seem normal. Early detection, regular eye exams, and compassionate care can make a life-changing difference.
Learn about diabetic eye disease and how it can impact your sight HERE
