An Eye Wide Open

The need to make ends meet has taken center stage in my life ever since I became Joani's guardian. Upon her diagnosis, I was pressed to concentrate more effort to making money, just so that I can answer for her treatments, diabetes supplies, and other medical needs. What was once an already hectic schedule spent mostly at work became a maddening world of corporate demands left and right. Although I was fully practising my skills and training as a creative, my innate love for carefree expression was forced to take the backseat. I hardly had the time to paint or write freely as I used to. 

While cleaning my little studio during those rare weekends that I'm home, I chanced upon this ink painting of mine dating three years back. Done during lunch breaks at the office,  it was a mini-masterpiece of its own. As is my typical style, I had used an open eye as the central subject. At first glance, the whole composition had an unmistakable eerie atmosphere. I remember hearing people comment that it looked like the eye of someone or something  from another dimension looking directly at you. 

Nope, it's not the eye of some imaginary mythological creature that inspired me to paint this. Though done in my distinctive style, my love for painting open eyes or an open eye symbolizes the abstract nature underlying my creative prowess: the ability to see, understand, and portray ideas beyond physical appearances.

"D" Beginning

Joani was barely 9 when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. Also referred to as juvenile diabetes, it is hereditary based on the various readings I have done online. In our case, I have known for a fact that diabetes runs in our family. My grandmother came down with Type 2 diabetes in her 40's if I am not mistaken. Also, I recall hearing from Mama that her cousin, Aunt Lila, has been diabetic since childhood. After I ballooned, I was afraid that it would only be a matter of time before I too would be diagnosed as diabetic. Fortunately, the disease skipped me. But to my dismay, it had struck Joani.

I could clearly recall how Joani had started exhibiting the tell-tale symptoms hinting at this dreaded illness. Upon consultation with her endocrinologist, I learned the reasons behind two common symptoms' occurrence.

• Peeing often
  I remember being told by a college friend before, that the time interval between pees should be at least two hours. I am not sure if this is scientifically confirmed though. From experience, however, whenever I drank too much or the temperature dips radically, I tend to run to the loo often. But I was already nearing my 20's when peeing started to become an unwanted habit. With Joani, however, it bothered me that she urinated almost every hour—sometimes even several times in an hour. According to her doctor, her frequent urination is how her body gets rid of the blood sugar surplus in the form of urine. 
  
   
• Drinking often
  To compensate for the amount of water lost during urination, it comes as no surprise that Joani was likewise often thirsty. At first I thought that although uncommon, drinking more than the recommended eight glasses daily was more of a benefit for her than it was a health threat. Only after a week did it occur to me that it could be indicative of something more, something that should be feared—and I was right.

Joani had also exhibited these other changes indicative of juvenile diabetes:

• Increased appetite
• Weight loss
• Feeling tired almost all the time