Today is my 45th aniversery of my diagnosis. This is the first time I’ve ever publicly acknowledged it. I’m sharing this here because only people who go through the daily trials and “endless wait” for something better and or new, know what I mean. To say I’m getting worn around the edges sounds right.
So every year on this day I think another year served, hopefully a parole on the horizon🎂
@pennylane42672, I hesitate to say “congratulations”, but 45 years of treating T1 is a testament to your commitment, your tenacity, your courage, your strength, your good nature, and your determination. I can only hope my strength holds out as long as yours has!
Hello @pennylane42672,
I offer you my congratulations on successfully achieving 45 years living with diabetes; looking at your brief profile here I see that you are living a full, and hopefully rewarding life. I too am “worn around the edges” but in spite of that I make an attempt to reach out to others and offer encouragement. In a way, because of the great leaps forward in insulin and tools, I feel my life has been partially freed from the diabetes prison.
Like you, I waited about 45 years before I went public about my life living with diabetes; until about 15 years ago I became motivated to share and encourage other PWD to live life fully and manage diabetes about individual lifestyles.
@Dennis…Thank you for your response, and my hat off to you for your longevity and attitude. As a CDE I’ve had the chance to reach out to patients and it feels great when they’ve told me I’ve been encouraging.
I’ve always lived by diabetes doesn’t control me, I control it, and I don’t call myself diabetic but I have diabetes.
I admit you’ve given me a boost knowing there are others who have been in the game longer then I have. Thank you for that.
Congrats on successfully living healthily for the past 45 years with T1D pennylane42672!
As well all know, it ain’t easy.
You give me a boost because you have been in the game longer than me. I’ll hit 40 in a few months but don’t remember the actual date, just in August not long after Elvis died is all I can remember now.
Keep up the good work!
I was diagnosed in 1950 and still hoping for a cure. Still physically well, however suffered from a retina blowout in one eye due to high blood pressure. (My own fault due to complacency.)Although fit and well, Keep BG between 4 and 7.5 (75 and 135).I do not know why the modern insulin makes me feel so terrible.When using the porcine insulin I felt on top of the world.Anyway good luck all of you and never give up.
@OShoot there are a few of us on here that remember pig and cow insulin. I recall reading that some people had reactions to human recombinant insulin and some even stockpiled the old formulations before it became unavailable.
I never noticed a difference, except when my blood sugar was dropping on pig/cow insulin I felt it more… or maybe i am getting old? I can’t tell. Anyway I hope you are ok.
Hi @OShoot,
Congratulations on reaching 67 years with diabetes; you’ve been trying to figure out this balance for 7 more years than I. I too developed retinal issues but much sooner than you, in fact I had my first laser burns in 1967 and the most recent about 16 months ago.
And like @Joe, the animal extract insulin caused me less difficulty with low BG except for the real difficulty in knowing how much of the stuff was building in my body. Back then, I could operate fine with low BG as opposed to currently when I start “feeling it” in the mid-80’s.
Carry on!!!
I definitely think congratulations are in order! And thank you all or sharing. It’s reassuring to encounter others who have done so well. You give me hope. I’m nearing my 24th anniversary. I don’t remember the exact day, just that it was in August, right before I started school and turned 7. Yeas later I was diagnosed with celiac disease about a month after my birthday. So it’s always a weird time of year for me; lots of mixed emotions. The thought of facing another “diaversary” always makes me sad, but we put a lot of effort into getting through the year and we deserve to celebrate a job well done!
Today starts Year 58 for me. I feel like I’ve way outkicked the coverage. 
And that, my friends, is a great feeling.
Hi Penny lane and great job living with T1D for so long!
Im right behind you at 42 years. It is not always easy, but I try my best to use acceptance in dealing with diabetes. I’ve never spent time “waiting for a cure or breakthrough.” These are the cards I was delt.
In many positive ways, diabetes has made me the person I am today, and for that I am grateful.
Congratulations and fabulous job my friend!
My birthday is December 9th, and I remember making a chocolate almond cheesecake that year (1990) because I was afraid that at my doctor’s appointment planned for the following week I would be told I had Diabetes. In those days I knew nothing about the disease, except my friend had told me I was very sick and had to get medical help. My eyes could barely focus, I was down to 97 pounds, I couldn’t think, I ate like an army but continued to lose weight, and no amount of water could quench my thirst. My recovery was amazingly fast as soon as I started taking insulin, and I was able to discipline myself with eating and exercise. I still enjoy basically good health, and hope to continue. It is encouraging to read about people who have endured this disease for much longer than I have. My youngest son was diagnosed with T1 at age 30, and I find we support each other on our frequent phone calls. He is still suffering from depression, and a sense that his joy in life is behind him, but I hope that with time he will find Joy is there when you look for it.
Getting close to 60 years type 1, not been a fun ride, I find just being blessed to be here one more day to see it is enough for me now and looking at all things as blessings, good or bad cause they are all gifts from whomever you believe in and again you get to see it, try to take time to see all the wonder around you, they sometimes are so small and fleeting that we miss them, diabetes is a 24/7 deal and it can get wearing on the mind, my prayers go out to you
Hi Joe
yes I am fine and very happy with life . Fortinatly I have a wonderful wife who has supported me all these years. If it wasnt for her constant correction,motivation and nagging, I do not know what would have happened.I know that my mother lived to 82 years and died from kidney failure.She was T1 for 47 years. She ended up severly depressed and just gave up.I do not want to follow the same route. It would appear that depression is a major factor in T1 and appears to originate from too many low BG’s. (This was my problem until it was corrected.) To all those half century and longer T1 and T2’s out there, keep well, remain motivated and never ever give up.
45 years is a great testament to your strength and obviously, good control.
I still have some way to go but I’ve now had T1D for just over 34 years and yes, we all get a case of the ‘why mes’ but you cannot let the disease own you. We all would love to see a cure or at least some sort of improvement in the ways we have to manage our control or insulin regimen.
I would suggest using your experience to help guide or support others who may be newly diagnosed and anxious or have concerns about how they are going to deal with their probable lifelong relationship with this ever increasing disease.
@nickadoc…Thank you for the nice response. The main reason I became a CDE was to help newly diagnosed children and expectant moms. Two situations I’m very familiar with. I’m also sure all of us who’ve lived with T1 for over a decade or more can feel weighed down at times, especially when you know you’re doing your best but still have a hard time maintaining control. I do think growing up with T1 has made me a stronger, more disciplined person. My personal mantra has always been I control It, It doesn’t control me. Something I was told early on and always pass on to newly diagnosed kids. My biggest hope is that you and others won’t have to make it to 45 years because we’ll all have that ever elusive cure.
@OShoot, Joe, Dennis…Just reading your posts re animal insulin. In 72 about 6mo after diagnosis, I developed abnorm high blood sugars and acetone. At one point my mom was told to give over 100u/day divided into several doses. I was constantly hospitalized for ketosis with dehydration. The final diagnosis made was an allergy to both beef and pork insulin. Our pharmacy had to order purified pork insulin which kept me barely controlled. A doctor told my mom that someday there would be “human” insulin which would give me at least a fighting chance. Since then I’ve learned I’d built up antibodies against animal insulin rendering it virtually useless for me. Because beef and pork are a thing of the past, I’m always interested when the topic comes up. For instance, one of you said you felt better on animal insulin vs DNA recombent. I’d really like hear more about your experiences. I’ve never run into another person who had my problem and would love to hear from others who used beef and pork insulin.
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for me - no allergic reactions the beef/pork worked OK. while I was on animal derived insulin, I thought I could “feel” my lows better - that’s all. I could use beef/pork and I made the switch to r-DNA quite easily.
a side note: there was a cryptic note sent to me from Lilly, regarding “Mad Cow” Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and the use of animal derived insulin - since they couldn’t trace all of the animals who would have died from mad cow, and they were making insulin from cow/pig extracts, there was a 1 in someodd zillion chance I was exposed! … what fun! well I am happy to say that was a long time ago and I have not died of that - so I conclude that nothing came of it… I do kind of like hamburger and ribs… a lot… though… coincidence? maybe
I’m new to the forum actually This is the first forum I’ve been on. I feel like a short timer compared to some of you. I’ve only been T1D for 50 years. Anybody remember urine testing and the gigantic drop of blood that you needed for the first blood tests? I’ve had my share of complications, I felt I was the only one getting these problems. One of the toughest ones that I’m dealing with is wearing bulky carbon fiber braces for Charcot joint in both feet, at least I have feet to complain about. Enough of my rambling. I found out that Lilly gives medals for 10, 25 and 50 and I believe 75 years. Good luck to all with T1D.
Certainly do remember the urine tests Jeff @50yearsT1D that would give us a WAG of what our blood sugar may have been 5 hours before and also when a blood sugar test in hospital took 2 days.
Ahhh, the first home BG checking with the piece of sharpened sheet metal to draw a flood of blood and collect a drop on a reaction strip, time exactly and try to match a shade of blue against a color chart. About as accurate as wetting my finger in my mouth and sticking it yp in the air to guess the wind speed. Yeah, the good old days when doctors gave us less than 10 years.
I do have the Lilly 50 year engraved "lifetime Achievement award. Joslin stopped the 25 year medal a few years back and now awards a 50 year Bronse, a 75 year Silver and an 80 year Gold - there have been a few of the 80+ awarded.
I’ve only got 60 years, but there is at least one guy on here with 75.