Terri Becker

"I am a patient of Dr. Horacio Rilo and an islet cell transplant recipient.  My life used to include a ‘monster in the closet’ that would come out on a whim.  That ‘monster’ was my diabetes.  I would have horrible hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episodes every week.  In my struggle to manage my diabetes and minimize the potential side effects of diabetes such as blindness and kidney failure, it was easy for me to use more energy that I had anticipated and then become confused, incoherent and lose many hours lying on the couch in a stupor.  My family would give me orange juice or soda pop and it would slowly become better.  My young children were afraid to be alone with me.  I had a few minor fender benders and near misses.  Life was out of control.

"This is when I decided to take a risk with Dr. Rilo and an islet cell transplant.  I had three transplants back in 2001. (They’ve gotten immensely better techniques since then!)  I did not get entirely off of insulin however my amounts of insulin needed went down tremendously.  What has this given me?  The huge gift of control of my diabetes.  The ‘monster in the closet’ no longer comes to visit me making my quality of life 1000 times better.  If my blood sugar does start decreasing, it comes on slow enough for me to recognize it and manage it long before it becomes an issue for me.  I am no longer spending so much of my life having my diabetes manage me instead of me managing my diabetes.

"I can’t thank Dr. Rilo enough for giving me the opportunity to share in more normalcy.  His care and treatment has turned my life around."


-Terri Becker 
January 11, 2009