In 1998 I noticed a blind spot in my L eye.  Not very big. But noticeable. I mentioned it to my Endocrinologist who gave me a referal to a retinologist.  The retinologist Dx'd it as a Cotton Wool spot, AKA a blood clot in my retina that had denied blood flow to a group of rods and cones which killed those cells leaving the blind spot.  It has improved over the years from a single noticeable sized blind spot breaking up into three very small spots as it healed.

During one of the appointments the retinologist was talking about his wife who at the time was writing her dissertation for her PhD in nutrition. Her dissertation was on the Paleo Diet and the impact on normalizing blood glucose in diabetics.  One of her research sources was a book about normalizing blood glucose in diabetics (T-1 and T-2).  He recommended that I get a copy of that book.

Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution: The Complete Guide to Achieving Normal Blood Sugars Richard K. Bernstein M.D.

That book and the methodologies Dr. B presents in it have been critical to my living a complete life while effectively managing my disease.

One of Dr. Bs tools is the Glucograf BG tracking and analysis sheets.  When I was Dx'd at 16, in 1980 my engineer dad did not like the logging system that was used for journaling, documenting, and tracking testing. I was Dx'd before the advent of personal BG testers.  In those days we used urine tests. i carried around a small chemistry set in a plastic case.  Two test tubes, a dropper, reagent tablets, and ketone testing tablets. I also carried a urine specimen cup.  Put a number of drops of urine, and a number of drops of water in the test tube, drop in a reagent tab, watch it bubble and smoke for a bit, then compare the color to a chart.  That told you what your urine glucose is.  Urine shows up in urine 5hrs after it was blood glucose.

Dad designed and printed a glucose tracking sheet for me.  When I was introduced to Dr. B's methods I saw his GlucoGraf tracking sheet. The one dad designed was nearly identical to Dr. B's GlucoGraf.  Engineer brains analyzing and solving problems.

I learned of Dr. Bernstein's passing during my April appointment with my Endocrinologist.  My Endo is also a T-1 diabetic. The only Endo I have ever had who also lives this disease.  She is amazing.  Working with an Endo who also has my disease has been a major step up in what I get out of working with an Endo.

Dr B was a few months short of his 91st birthday.  He was Dx'd at 12yo.  Only 13yrs before Dr. B was born and 25yrs prior to his Dx insulin was discovered.  Making 90yo is extremely rare for a diabetic Dxd as a child.

His story is incredible.  Dx'd at 12yo.  He followed the recommendation of following a high carb diet to avoid heart disease and strokes that are highly prevalent in diabetics.  Due to uncontrolled diabetes he suffered from stunted growth, peripheral neuropathy, could not put on muscle though worked out avidly as an adult.  He completed his Engineering degree and had a successful career in medical device design and manufacturing where he worked as an executive.  

When the first "portable" blood testers were developed for emergency rooms to test suspected unconscious drunks to determine if they were instead unconscious diabetics due to either hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.  Those portable testers were the size of a medium suitcase and weighed close to 100Lbs.  He attempted to purchase a tester.  The device company would not sell him a tester because he was not a doctor.  His DW was a doctor and he asked her to order one for him.  He then did 4yrs of extensive engineering studies on his own BG based on what he was eating, activity, etc...  He found that high carb foods resulted in dangerously elevated BG while proteins and fats did not impact BG significantly. He then did extensive self testing on various high carb foods and determined that complex high fiber CHO foods had far less impact of elevating BG.

He reversed all but two of the consequences of long term poorly controlled di abetes.  The two that he did not reverse were fatty deposits in his eye lids and hair loss on his lower legs.  I do not have the fatty deposits but my legs are hairless.  Even being diligent in managing the disease, for the most part, there are some consequences.

After his 4yr BG engineering study on himself he attempted to publish his findings. None of the professional publications would touch his paper on the topic because he was not an MD.  So he self published. He did get a few MDs who were supportive of his findings and methodologies.

Though he was an executive in the medical technology industry he could not get traction for what he had proven through countless 100s of thousands of BG tests correlated to foods, portions, etc... his findings fell on deaf ears.

When he was 42 he walked in the door of his home after work one day, informed his DW that he had quit his job, and was starting Med school on Monday.  For his 4yrs of med school he continued his self study, refined his methodology, re-proved his findings, etc....  On the day he graduated from Med school as an MD he submitted his updated and revised paper to the medical journals. He was broadly published and the journals and medical industry hailed his work as the first major improvement in diabetes management in decades.

He had his own diabetes focused practice his entire career as an MD.

I was sad to hear that Dr. B. had passed while overjoyed for what he has done for himself and the rest of us sweet kids/people.

If you or someone you know has this disease and are/is struggling with understanding it and managing, I highly recommend Dr. Bernstein's example and methods.  I have purchased more than a dozen copies of his book over the ~27yrs I have been using his methods and have given them away to people who are struggling. Friends and family included. Though mostly strangers that I meet in life.

I never met him personally though I did speak with him a number of times on teleconferences through his Diabetes Book website.

Thank you Dr. Bernstein.

My apologies for my O/T dissertation.