True Champions Diabetes: Manny's Story
In this episode of True Champions, Manny Hernandez shares his personal experience of his diabetes diagnosis and living with diabetes.
In this episode of True Champions, Manny Hernandez shares his personal experience of his diabetes diagnosis and living with diabetes. Hernandez discusses the importance of having a good support system when you are living with a chronic condition like diabetes.
Duration: 3:16. Last Updated On: Dec. 13, 2017, 4:30 p.m.
- 00:00 [MUSIC]
- 00:15 My name is Manny Hernandez.
- 00:16 I originally come from Venezuela.
- 00:18 I was born in Caracas.
- 00:20 I have been living with my family in the US since 2000 and
- 00:25 now live and work out of Berkeley, California.
- 00:28 I had lived my entire life hearing about diabetes in my family.
- 00:33 My dad had pre diabetes, my dad's side of the family, almost every uncle or
- 00:38 aunt had either type two or type one, my grandparents.
- 00:41 So it was there.
- 00:43 So it wasn't a removed concept.
- 00:46 But all the time you think it's not gonna happen to you.
- 00:50 I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 30, in the year 2002.
- 00:55 So I did not grow up with it.
- 00:58 And so it, it did hit me.
- 01:00 I went home with my treatment.
- 01:02 For several months we struggled.
- 01:04 When I was first diagnosed I did feel alone.
- 01:07 But when I was told I had to start taking insulin shots, that was hard.
- 01:12 It felt a little isolating, it took a while, to come to terms with it.
- 01:18 My family has been so supportive I cannot be thankful enough.
- 01:24 My wife has been you know, my biggest and most incredible you know,
- 01:29 support at all times.
- 01:31 I mean she help me then, she helps me every time I feel low,
- 01:34 I feel high she has learn to read me, very well.
- 01:38 [LAUGH] So much so that you know, she might know when I'm low or
- 01:43 high from seeing how I react.
- 01:46 My son is an incredible source of support, as well.
- 01:49 As a matter of fact, you know, one day,
- 01:50 I told him like I call him Papi, you know, daddy, like, Papi I'm not feeling okay.
- 01:55 And he said like oh, I'll go ahead and bring you your needle.
- 01:58 I mean, I wasn't actually feeling sick, I had a cold, but you know,
- 02:01 he kind of made the connection.
- 02:02 I thought it was super cute and he, he, he totally gets it,
- 02:05 he totally understands what his dad is living with.
- 02:09 No matter how supportive your caregivers, your partners, your peers, your friends,
- 02:14 your spouse, your sister, your brother may be.
- 02:17 The fact is that if they don't have diabetes,
- 02:20 there are certain things that they cannot physically feel as to what it's like.
- 02:26 Getting support from other people like yourself is,
- 02:30 is fundamental when you're living with a chronic condition.
- 02:36 I participated in a support group for insulin pump users.
- 02:40 That was a major influence to inspire us to start TuDiabetes the following year.
- 02:47 We welcome people who live with diabetes, their caregivers,
- 02:51 you know medical professionals if they choose to join as well.
- 02:55 We're an open community in that respect and for people with type one or type two,
- 02:59 just they should know [INAUDIBLE] because you know there is power in numbers.
- 03:03 And if we use that voice that we have as patients, as,
- 03:07 as empowered patients, we can accomplish a lot.
- 03:10 If we stay quiet, you know, not much change is gonna come out of that.
- 03:13 [MUSIC]
