Description
My Wonderful Life with Diabetes by Rick Mystrom is an Inspiring and empowering story of living healthy, living active, and living well with diabetes—a “must-read” for Type 1 diabetics, Type 2 diabetics, or parents and loved ones of young Type 1 diabetics.
Rick Mystrom was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1964 while attending the University of Colorado at Boulder. Soon after the diagnosis, he committed himself to live a healthy, bold, and active life with diabetes and promised himself he would never complain about having diabetes. He has kept these commitments.
Now at 78 years of age and a diabetic for 50 years, Rick is a paragon of good health. He credits his good health to a positive attitude, good eating habits, an active lifestyle, and an understanding of diabetes.
In 1972 Rick and his young family moved to Alaska, where he started and operated two successful businesses. In 1981, at 37 years of age, he was named Alaska’s Small Business Person of the Year and one of America’s top three Small Businessmen.
He served two terms as mayor of Anchorage. As mayor, he was elected chairman of the Alaska Conference of Mayors and was selected twice as Alaska’s Elected Official of the Year. He founded the Anchorage Olympic Winter Games Bid Committee and served as chairman of America’s Olympic Bid Committee for the 1992 and 1994 Olympic Winter Games.
Rick has three children, who are all living productive and fulfilling lives of their own.
Rick has indeed lived a healthy, active life with diabetes. So can you.
Dr. Griff Steiner MD –
“As an ophthalmologist, I have never seen any diabetic without any evidence of eye damage after a few decades, let alone 50 years after diagnosis. Rick’s story is an example for anyone, diabetic or not, to take charge of their challenges in life rather than letting them take charge of you.”
-Dr. Griff Steiner MD
Jeanne R. Bonar MD –
“Rick Mystrom never let diabetes prevent him from accomplishing everything he wanted in life: good health, success in business, community service, family, and politics. Rick Mystrom knew that understanding his disease was crucial to his health. He has become the most knowledgeable person living with diabetes in my extensive practice and frequently serves as a role model and authoritative resource for others.”
-Jeanne R. Bonar MD, FACP, FACE
Endocrinology, Internal Medicine
Thomas Nighswander MD –
“It is the patient, not the doctor, who manages diabetes. Rick Mystrom is the gold medal winner for controlling his diabetes. He has become so skilled that he can predict and adjust his insulin level just by looking at the meal he is going to eat. His results: no complications from his long history of the disease. He is the expert. I am the learner.”
Thomas Nighswander MD MPH