New Found Hope:

Strelitz Diabetes Institutes Changes a Life

Alise Shemesh has been struggling with diabetes since she was a child and only since coming to the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes, does she feel like she is winning the battle.

Considering what the struggle with diabetes has meant to her life, Alise says "Insulin is a minor part of diabetes. It's the complications that cause the real struggle. When I was a kid I didn't do anything to take care of myself - I wanted to be a normal teenager. In fact I used to manipulate situations because of the disease - getting out of tests was easy."

But ten years ago when Alise was in college, her diabetes started to cause debilitating problems. "It started with my eyes, and I needed two laser surgeries for retinopathy. Then, over time, neuropathy set in. It was slow coming on, then it hit full force. There was searing pain in my legs and my stomach that began giving me problems."

"The pain was so bad that I didn't want to get out of bed. It was a deep pain, like walking over hot coals and ice, or walking over glass. I couldn't sleep for more than a couple hours at night with my legs propped up against the wall."

To get through the constant struggle Alise relied on the love and support of family. "My family would do anything for me, stay up with me at night, take me everywhere for treatment. But the doctors told me that all this was part of the disease. I would have to manage it with medication, diet and exercise. How could I exercise, I couldn't even wear shoes!"

Then Alise, who lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, learned about the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes through longtime DIF supporter, Clyde Duneier. She came to the Institutes for her first appointment in September of 1997. Dr. Aaron Vinik, started treatment immediately.

"I felt much better in only 12 hours. My stomach problems started to get better right away, and gradually the pain in my legs and feet has lessened. In the six months of treatment, I would say I feel 70% better. I don't know if I'll ever be 100%, but it doesn't matter, the Institutes has given me hope."

A year ago, Alise could barely work, she couldn't travel, and every day was a struggle. Her wedding even had to be delayed because she had fractured her ankle and didn't know it until complications started. Today, Alise just returned from a trip to London where she walked for hours and was thrilled that she could feel the blister on her foot. She is getting ready for a trip to Israel. She is wearing high heels.

"It's all about what you want - do you want to get better? There are wonderful people at the Strelitz Diabetes Institutes who can help you. You have to want to live."

"You know, when I was in my 20's, I thought I would be happy just to live to my 30th birthday. Now, in my 30's, I am happy to get out of bed. It's a whole new world."

"People from the New York area look at me kind of funny when I tell them that my doctor is in Norfolk, Virginia. But that's how it is. The doctors and the staff are always available. For me, the drive to Virginia is nothing. The Diabetes Institutes have given me a reason to hope, something I never had before."