Spock! FANTASTIC achievement! I have 3 years to go. Congratulations!!!
What an accomplishment -- Congratulations!
Way to go Spock. Congratulations on an excellent achievement. This 30 year type 2 honors you and wishes you continued best health!
Woohoo! Conrats, that is a lot of hard work.
Congratulations on the receipt of your 50 year medal. I've 10 months to go in order to reach that estimable achievement myself. I agree that it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to live with Diabetes for 50 years. A tip o' the hat to you, my friend. Again, a hearty congratulations for your accomplishment. Daniel.
Congratulations! I was diagnosed at 57 so unless I make it to a very over ripe old age, I'm not medalist material. You and other veterans here are a great inspiration. To have managed in the bad old days must have taken incredible grit.
Take care,
Maurie
That is a fantastic accomplishment!!! 50 years, I can't even imagine that... you need to have a big celebration! Congrats :)
Awesome! As crazy as it sounds I understand your joy in this accomplishment. I celebrated 41 years of living with Type 1 myself today. Every day is a blessing. While I would not wish diabetes on anyone it has helped me to become the person I am today. It has given me drive and determination that I might not have otherwise have had. Congratulations and God bless you!
Wow! That's amazing. Well done!!!
CONGRATULATIONS SPOCK!! I am so happy for you!! I am also a Joslin patient barely hanging in with 48 years.
Keep up the good work!
All best,
Linda
Congratulations Spock! Here's to many more years.
Congratulations Spock
Those of us who haven’t lived roughly half of our diabetic life without any method of checking our glucose really don’t understand what it used to be like. Personally I have been on insulin for 59 years (since age 4). Funny thing is I don’t hav a Joslin 50 Year Award. I went to the Joslin in 1955 when it was a doctors clinic in a Brownstone House. I received a Joslin 25 year medal (an actuall medal, not the paper certificate of today) back when you had to go 25 years wtih no complications (today it is not a requirement to not have complications) When I applied for my 50 year medal 9 years ago, I was turned down saying that I had to submit proof. I guess the fact that I was a Joslin patient and also had the 25 year award did not count! Well here’s to getting the 75 year medal for both of us. Andy
Contratulations Spock! The Joslin Medalists have a facebook based group site for Medalists if you aren't already a part of it. Either myself or Richard can help you with request to join if you are interested. Again...... way to go!
Andy, Richard157 really helped me with this. Contact Joslin about the "proof." I have no family left who could attest to my diagnosis; the hospital no longer had records; I even tried a connection on my high school Facebook page for someone who remembered.
I got into contact with Joslin. I was told that current medical records at my current PCP which state the year of diagnosis (which I supplied on the medical history) was sufficient as "proof." I was told that they never feel anyone would lie about a diagnosis date; the proof is basically for research.
Don't give up!
Already a member, but thanks so much, Linda.
Congrats, Spock! Anyone who has lived with D can truly appreciate the "blood, sweat and tears" it takes to successfully do what you've done. Learning to pace yourself, never give up, and always get up when D knocks you down are all what gets you to 50 years. Thank you for the inspiration.
Diabetes doesn't define us, but our response to it does!
Wow. My experience was very different. I would suggest that maybe there has been a "change of the guards" or a new thought process put into place. Call and talk to them before submission.
Wow, that really is awesome! Congrats...
congratulations. I have had type 1 44 years, and would like to know how you went about applying..
Ame
I contacted Joslin through their website. Sara Turek is in charge of the medalist program. Her email is sara.turek@joslin.harvard.edu There is an application form you must complete.
You must provide some type of proof of your diagnosis date, which can be tough. The hospital no longer kept my records, my folks are both gone.... If you have relatives who remember your diagnosis, ask them to write a letter about it for you. I even posted on the Facebook page of the high school I attended to see if anyone remembered (from gradeschool, no less)without any luck.
However they did accept paperwork from my current daughter that included my diagnosis year, which was accepted.
I recommend that anyone who want to become a medalist get your proof while you can. After 50 years, people were gone, doctors have retired and moved away, etc.