Testimonials

I had the pleasure and the privilege of meeting John Bennett on August 3, 2000. He had decided to change his method of treating his Diabetes from multiple daily injections to using an Insulin Pump. I found John to be a very disciplined, organized person who was very knowledgeable about Diabetes and truly tried to have the very best control. He was eager to learn all that he could about this new way of treating Diabetes, however I think that he had his doubts as to whether he could improve on what he felt was good control. It wasn't long when he called me and said, " I no longer have the lows that were causing me so much trouble." His Insulin Pump improved John's world. John never complained about his world as a person with Diabetes and he has a very active lifestyle. He never let Diabetes restrict his activities. He is an avid kayaker, loves the outdoors, and gives freely of his time to help others. His volunteer work at Joslin Camp is very close to his heart. He has told me about his time at Joslin as a youngster and although he has fond memories, he wants to make it better for other children living with Diabetes. I felt very fortunate to be the educator to assist him with his Insulin Pump training.

John also extended himself when he learned that I coordinate a support group for pump patients in our practice. He has established a web page for our group, northshorepumpers.com as a service to our patients. It has meant a great deal to new patients who are contemplating pump therapy. John's upbeat, positive attitude has seen him through some difficult times. John's cup is never half empty, it is always half full.

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It wasn't an uncommon sight to see John checking his blood sugar level and giving himself an injection. He was always very diligent with his injections, exercise, and diet. He knew the portions of food he could safely eat and lead a vigorous and active life style. If you didn't know him, you would never have suspected that he had diabetes.

John is also a man with a tremendous work ethic. Occasionally, his work ethic would get in the way of his insulin injections and hypoglycemia would result. It was a scary situation to witness but quickly overcome with the ingestion of a little sugar.

Diabetes has many side effects. One of the most serious effects the capillaries in the back of the eye. On at least two occasions, John underwent laser eye surgery to correct this condition.

A deeply spiritual man, John has always been upbeat about his condition. He is also very pro-active in helping others learn and cope with the disease. He regularly volunteers his time in the summer at the Joslin Camp in Massachusetts to help others learn how to regulate their diabetes.

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In thinking about how to describe "John Bennett and his diabetes", it immediately became clear to me that this is not really about the diabetes... it’s about the person. In all the years I’ve known John, he never really has emphasized the diabetes and never complained about it. Diabetes never dominates the conversation, never is mentioned as a hardship, never used as excuse for avoiding something. The only memory that I have of John talking about diabetes, relative to himself, is a positive statement he made --many years ago -- that having diabetes actually gave him an advantage over other people! If I’m remembering correctly, John felt that he grew up understanding a lot more about food and nutrition than the ordinary person did! In learning to deal with his condition he also recognized and capitalized on the importance of physical exercise... and that aspect has always been important in carrying out his daily life.

John is one of the most energetic, enthusiastic, motivated people that I’ve ever known. This relates to his professional career as well as his personal life. At work, he requires and thrives on work overload, feeding on multiple project assignments in order to feel truly satisfied. Being asked to work unusual hours, late or early, was never a problem (although he easily could have used diabetes as an excuse). Outside of work, he’s always been moving in many directions at once -- whether it’s helping his family dig out a basement; working on a church project; cutting down trees full of ants with a power saw; plowing snow off driveways; driving to jury duty in Brooklyn from Long Island in a snow storm; cycling through mountains; racing his kayak; and the list goes on and on. Where does the diabetes enter in? When does he even have time to take/check his insulin? I have no idea, but again, this is not a major "bulletin" in John’s life.

This is not to say that he doesn’t understand the seriousness and potential complications of diabetes. He certainly does... and has had his share of problems, such as the visual complications of diabetic retinopathy. But even through that serious situation, after undergoing laser treatments that would have taken most people out of their normal life patterns for weeks (if not longer), John was back at work in record time. He dealt with the problem, and moved ahead, unconsciously setting a great example, becoming a true role for others that might be in a similar situation. The only time that diabetes gets a direct spotlight from John, is when he’s working in support of a specific event -- whether it’s volunteering to speak at a Diabetic camp, raising funds via a physical event (such as miles of walking, cycling, kayaking), or just talking informally to kids or other groups about his life experience with diabetes.

I remember giving a speech once, at a luncheon celebration of John’s 25 years (or so) at BNL, and describing him (using the Shakespeare line) as a person whose "candle" not only "burns at both ends", but also in the middle. Think about this analogy... it gives a really bright light... in all directions... but in his case, in spite of all the flame, it doesn’t look like its about to burn out for quite some time.