Of all the things I talk about online, Type 1 Diabetes isn’t typically one of them yet it has affected my everyday life since I was diagnosed in January 2004. Diabetes doesn’t affect me the same way each day, but it’s an ever-present detail of my life. 

I’ve used an insulin pump since 2011. At the time, my doctor was right when he said I would regret not doing it sooner. Technology has changed a lot since then, which has been good for my diabetes management. 

Just a couple of weeks ago, I switched to a Tandem Mobi, which is the smallest pump I’ve used. It’s controlled with an app on my iPhone, so the actual pump basically just holds the insulin. I previously used a Tandem t:slim X2 insulin pump, which I loved. But this Mobi is even better – and easier to have on me. You can see in the picture the size difference! That’s the Mobi sitting on top of my phone and the X2 beside it. I also use a Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor, which communicates my blood sugar numbers to my pump, which adjusts insulin delivery accordingly, thus mimicking a pancreas.

Technology has come so far since I was diagnosed, and I’m so grateful!

November is National Diabetes Month, so I wanted to share about my experience. National Diabetes Month is to raise awareness about diabetes and to encourage people to take action to prevent diabetes-related health issues. 

Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or can’t use insulin properly. This results in too much sugar in the bloodstream, which leads to various health issues, such as eye problems, nerve issues, and kidney failure. 

National Diabetes Month is in November to honor the birthday of Dr. Frederick Banting, who discovered insulin in 1921. Banting’s discovery was truly life-saving for diabetics. Diabetes doesn’t run in my family, but at some point a virus likely caused my insulin-producing cells to stop producing, therefore my pancreas doesn’t make insulin. I need synthetic insulin to mimic a working pancreas to manage this endocrine disorder. 

Type 1 Diabetes used to be called Juvenile Diabetes, but it’s when someone’s body doesn’t make insulin, like me. Type 2 Diabetes is when a body doesn’t properly use the insulin it makes. (Learn more at the National Institutes of Health.)

Obviously, this isn’t a month to celebrate a disease but rather a time to be aware of how far we’ve come in managing this chronic condition. 

*****

I’ve written about my diabetes journey a little bit in the past :

• Living with Diabetes
• A Decade of Diabetes
• Jan. 28, 2004