Imagine becoming legally blind while working at becoming a renowned architectural designer. You have an 18.4% mortgage on a building you’ve just started renovating; rent is due for your office; and employees must be paid. What would you do? Or picture yourself with kidney disease which ultimately requires a transplant. Then at the age of 30, you are diagnosed with heart disease requiring two medicated stents. How would you cope? And, what if you fought cellulitis and osteomyelitis with IV antibiotics for 20 years but finally had to have your leg amputated? Might you have the energy needed to keep on fighting?
These are just several of the amazing questions resolved in The Candy in My Pocket, John Robert Wiltgen’s absorbing memoir. He battled many debilitating complications of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) while creating a prestigious design firm with projects across America, Canada, Mexico–even Africa.
With unwavering honesty, Wiltgen chronicles the immense challenges he faced in his relentless struggle against this silent killer while determined to preserve his identity and keep close those he held dear. This captivating narrative reveals Wiltgen’s relentless pursuit of a life of purpose while remaining optimistic amidst overwhelming adversity.
As an award-winning international designer commissioned by celebrities, world leaders, and other luminaries his memoir includes larger-than life tales that are extremely entertaining. It includes exciting celebrity cameos with stars such as Jane Seymour, Timothy Hutton, Angelina Jolie, Sean and Robyn Wright Penn, Steve Harvey, John Cusack, the former Governor of Lagos State, Nigeria (who is now President of that country) and Jesus.
By sharing the lesser-known symptoms and consequences of diabetes, Wiltgen also endeavors to raise awareness about this deadly disease which killed 6.7 million people around the globe in 2021. Through his memoir, he discloses the profound realities of living with this debilitating disease, urging readers to recognize the importance of early detection and informed decision-making. With compassion, wisdom and his irreverent sense of humor John inspires individuals of all beliefs and backgrounds to embrace optimism even in the darkest of times.
John Robert Wiltgen’s narrative intertwines moments of adventure, laughter, and even fear, whisking readers away from their own lives and immersing them in a world brimming with hope and possibility.
A PORTION OF THE PROFITS RESULTING FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK WILL BE DONATED TO THE JUVENILE DIABETES RESEARCH FOUNDATION.
