I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic when I was nine years old. I guess that would have been in 1975. I never was very good at taking care of myself properly. My Dad was a doctor, My mom was a nurse so I didn't actually go to the doctor that often. You didn't need prescriptions for Insulin and syringes back then and there wasn't any way to test blood sugar at home. I followed the same regiment two shots a day, cheating on my diet and I'm sure swinging from wild high blood sugar to extreme low blood sugar everyday. Maybe as this Blog continues I'll tell some stories of almost killing myself through the years.
In the past 12 years I've been on several different insulin pumps and still had trouble taking the disease seriously. Last year I got the talking too from my Doctor. He said, "Your problem is that you don't feel sick, but if you continue the way you're going you are headed for nothing good." I had been running with A1c's between 8.3 and 8.7. Cholesteral was high and I wasn't trying really hard. Since that talk though I've begun really working to control this disease and I've already learned a lot about how things work and don't work for me.
I thought I'd share some of my journey some of my thoughts and some of my struggles. I've now used 4 different insulin pumps. Originally the MiniMed 500 series, Then Medtronic's paradigm 700 series. I used the OmniPod for a year or so until Insurance changed and made pods hard to purchase. Now I'm using the TSlim. In the next few days/weeks I think I'll take some time and explain thoughts and review each of the newer pumps.
I'm also using the Dexcom CGM. I love this technology and will tell you all about that too, if you want to follow me or continue reading.
The only complication I've experienced so far is Diabetic Retinopothy. This was scary and I still have a few floating reminders of blood leaking into my eye. I often wonder if those are new leaks or the same old stuff. I'll tell that story too someday.
I gess that's enough for a first post. Tomorrow the OmniPod, what I thought and why I wish I could continue to use it.
My Life, Diabetic. Thoughts on the technology I've used, the struggles I've had and what it is to live this life with broken Beta Cells.
Hello Tim, I hope you will not only control the diabetes but one day you will get rid of it. Yes you can. There are so many researches going on which says diabetes cure is possible. That day is not far when people can get rid of all the known diseases once and for all.
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Charlie