I'm both eager and nervous as I walk through the office doors to my optometrist. I'm kiddishly excited because I'm getting a new pair of frames, which will replace last year's already well used and scuffed glasses. But, I'm also anxious because I will have to face the results of a difficult year in diabetes management.

The first 10 minutes of the appointment were standard eye sight tests; checking for color blindness, eye pressure (high pressure increases risk for glaucoma), and proper eye muscle reactions. As anticipated, all was good with me on those counts. But, since my last visit, my A1c climbed a whole percent--not for lack of trying. I also had a temporary vision loss that lasted for about two hours in the fall of 2012, which I tried to pretend never happened. It was time to face the outcome of a disappointing and emotionally taxing health year.