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Taking Time To Heal
It has been a long time since I published a blog or posted artwork. Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn and a new journey begins.
It all started with a bump on my right calf in the fall of 2022. It was looked at by a physician’s assistant at a dermatology office three times before I insisted it come off, and I am glad it did. It turns out the bump was melanoma.
I had surgery in January but there were cancer cells found outside of the tumor and I was sent to an oncologist. The oncologist suggested PET and MRI scans and also 13 infusions of an immunotherapy drug that would help my immune system seek out rogue cancer cells and destroy them. This therapy is considered safe with few side effects but not in my case. After two infusions I was hospitalized with diabetic ketoacidosis. It took awhile to figure out what was going on but the end result is my pancreas was severely damaged and I am now a type 1 diabetic, dependent on insulin to stay alive.
Learning to manage my blood sugar became the focus of my life. I stopped Patreon, canceled in-person classes, turned down workshops and demos and spent little time in the studio. Most of the summer I worked in the garden and hung out with family and friends all the while learning as much as I could about type 1 diabetes. Previously I knew nothing of this condition. Now I can talk endlessly about bolus and basal doses, lowering highs and combating lows, CGMs and carb/insulin ratios.
There have been a lot of lifestyle changes and surprisingly my training as an artist was great preparation to learn these new skills. Identify what you want to learn, see what tools you have to work with, propose a solution, test, evaluate the results and decide if they were successful or not. This process is the same whether I am creating a painting or figuring out meals to keep my blood sugar in range.
Now with my diabetes somewhat under control and the weather turning cooler I am back in the studio. The break from the easel was necessary and I waited until I felt the call to create again. For all the challenges that diabetes has presented it has given me the gift of time. This winter, without teaching obligations, I will have time to work on a series of color videos. I will have time to work on my paintings and move deeper into watercolor. Sometimes the unexpected turns in life bring you where you did not know you needed to be.
I appreciate all of you for following and supporting my work throughout the years. I am not stopping. I am just changing direction after a much needed break. My goal is to continue to paint and share what I learn by creating a library of videos that can be downloaded. My pastel “Standing Strong” is the first painting I have finished since I became diabetic, the tree feels like an allegory for my new life.
Thank you again for all your support and please wear sunscreen.
Vianna
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