Shawndra Ashen

I was eight years old when my mom got the news that I had diabetes. We lived in a small town and there were no specialists to help us. Those were the days of urine testing and 1 shot per day. Diabetes management has come so far! My teens and early twenties were a wild ride and I did some damage resulting in high blood pressure and some retinopathy. I had laser surgery more than 20 years ago and it’s still holding well; I was put on blood pressure meds at 23. Because of the blood pressure, toxemia was almost guaranteed so pregnancy was not an option.

I’d always wanted to be a mom so I brought my family together through adoption. I have four beautiful children.

I’m so grateful for the research and technology that have been developed over the last 50 years. I’m grateful for the health that I have and do my best to manage my diabetes.