I recently spoke with the CDE who is going to train us on the pump. He's a legend of sorts around here. He's now married with kids, but apparently when he was a younger, rather rambunctious boy.....he had a pump that he would swing around like a weapon! Needless to say, Matthew cannot wait to meet him!
Anyway, I know very few adults with Type 1, so talking with him on the phone recently was quite enlightening.
He said the hardest part of Type 1 is that it never ends.
He's a grown man, working to support his family....but he still has to check his sugar. Count his carbs. Calculate the appropriate insulin dosage.
He loves to watch his kids play sports! But even then, he's not 100% focused on his kids because the diabetes lurks in the back of his mind.
Vacations are never really vacations. Not for him. He still has to count his carbs. Check his sugar. Calculate the insulin.
You get the drill.
I don't let my mind go down this road very often, because it breaks my heart. It makes me so sad to think that Matthew will never get a break from diabetes.
Every single day.
Every single meal.
For the rest of his life.
He will be thinking about CARBS. And BLOOD SUGAR. And RATIOS. And ISF. And SITE CHANGES. And HIGHS. And LOWS. And A1C numbers.
He will never get a break.
Let's all pray for a cure. (Before the college years would be great!)
3 comments:
I love talking to those who have lived what our children are living right now. It is VERY enlightening! Good luck at the pump classes!
PS My boys honestly used to twirl their pumps around like a lasso. No kidding. :)
Gosh Tracy, I was hoping for a closed loop system for the college years...or smart insulin. You dream BIG girl!!! I like that.
P.S. I love your new blog design...gorgeous.
There may not be a true cure. But I know there will be therapies available to make life with D easier. I believe there will be a non-invasive continuous monitor within ten years. There will be islet transplants without immunosuppression drugs or with minimal safe immunosuppresants. There will be an AP type of pump.... at least one that will turn off for lows and possibly give insulin when BS rises above a certain target, minimizing highs. There may be Smart Insulin or much better insulins. And, maybe, just maybe.... one of the cures being investigated will pan out sooner rather than later. But the main thing is: I believe at least the very young ones, will have a lot of the burden lifted from them with these better tools.
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