Life as a Type 1 Diabetic

When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, I was prescribed 4 to 6 insulin shots a day of short and long range insulin.

While insulin allows a person with type 1 diabetes to stay alive, it does not cure the disease, nor does it prevent the development of serious complications, which can be many and varied. High blood sugar levels eventually damage blood vessels, nerves, and all organ systems in the body.

What can I say. ~ It's been hell.

When my sugar is high, I'm way too emotional.

When it's too low, It causes me to be weak, shakey and depressed. At times I've passed out.

After injections for years, my endocrinologist switched me to insulin pens.

More convenient than carrying around syringes, they are less embarrassing to pull out in public.

After a couple of years I got the nerve to try an insulin pump. My first one was pink, pretty and primitive. Just a reservoir and a battery powered piston to squeeze insulin into the tubing that connected subcutaneously to my abdomen.

Insulin pumps constantly infuse a "basal" insulin. (almost like a normal person). At meals I would tell the pump how many carbohydrates I was eating and the pump would bolus the corresponding amount of insulin.

Now I use a Medtronic 670g insulin pump. It's more like a mini computer and it's changed my life.

It works in concert with a Continuous Glucose Monitor that checks my sugar every five minutes.

The thing that makes this pump revolutionary is the "Auto-Mode" feature. It automatically adjusted my basal insulin. If my sugar goes up a little, it infuses more insulin and if it goes down it reduces or stops the infusion. Because of this feature my Ha1c has been cut in half.

I've grown weary of hoping for a cure for diabetes and honestly believe it will never happen.

Big pharma is makeing too much money from diabetic drugs, insulin, pumps, treating complications etc...

I'm just thankful that the technology is at least getting better.