OK I guess it’s August and therefore my54 th diabetes anniversary. I’ve got the one Lilly necklace but I’m not sure if I’m missing any others?
It’s a long way from 11 years old 
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I got the 50 year Joslin medal, and the 50 year Children with Diabetes medal too.
(Since the “Children with Diabetes” one is also 50 years, I assume you don’t have to still be a child to get it. 
)
(The Joslin link above works. But the application link on that page does not work. But that page has an email address which you can use. Just email and ask for the application. The Joslin award is very nice, you should definitely get that one.)
I did not know Lilly had one. What does it look like? Should I get it?
I want to go to my next Dr’s appointment wearing all the 50-year bling hanging around my neck.
When they ask me a dumb question about my diabetes, I can say - Sorry, I couldn’t hear you. All of my 50 year diabetes medals were clanging around making too much noise!
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I looked and couldn’t find a Lilly award, but it looks like maybe that is the same one as the Children with Diabetes Award? Like they renamed it maybe? 
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Lilly ought to give awards for how much money you have spent on their products 
I might be a millionaire if it wasn’t for all my money going to them!
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Yes - April 15, 1971! So 53 yrs for me this year.
Haven’t received any kind of ‘awards’ for dealing with this for so that’s that!
Good for you - this has been quite the journey, hasn’t it!
Sheryl
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Medals marking 10, 25, 50, and 75 years of daily life with diabetes will serve as an inspiration to everyone in the type 1 community.
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I think I have two Lilly necklaces. What does Joslin do if you have no records fromthe original doctor except name?
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I had to move to Novolog. In fact my CDE got me approved as one of the first US patients to get it, due to Humalog allergy.
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Actually that’s interesting Laura. My first Doctor started me on Novolog. I now use humalog because I changed doctors. My experience has been good with both. But I think Novolog gave me better results. But my insurance won’t cover it so I will do what I must
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I had so much fun with that CDE. We had cookies while I injected the Novolog and watched to see if there was going to be a giant red ring rash around the site. Oh we had fun there! The Cozmo pump gave so many hours of training we spent half of it discussing her wedding. Lol…
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Joslin isn’t too strict. If you have anything like a diabetes camp brochure, or a picture of you in the hospital, or an old glucose logbook, they will accept it.
Email them at:
medals@joslin.harvard.edu
Just start the discussion with them and they will tell you what types of things they will accept.
Good luck!
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I just had my parents write a letter with date I was released and doctor and hospital. I was 5 1/2. Dx in 1964. When I applied for medal, found that hospital I was sent to was no longer there, replaced with a much newer one. They had no records, and Joslin accepted letter from my parents.
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I simply adore the fact that there’s now a 75 year award too :-).
The big anniversary used to be 25 years but that seems so passe anymore 
I’m only at 42 years but should start thinking about the paperwork for 50 years while some of the paper records mights still exist?
BTW: I still have a wooden case and glass syringe they gave me when discharging me from the hospital the first time. Never used anything but plastic syringes in real life so confused why they had to give me a glass syringe.
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Such interesting posts! September will mark 55 years for me with T1D. My parents were both docs - surgeon and GP, but hadn’t seen diabetes before so I wasn’t taken to hospital until in DKA and dad only twigged because of the nailpolish breath
Had a successful career in high tech and health sciences but got the renal failure and retinpathy complications. Will have had my Sydney the Kidney for 38 years this coming January and my ophthalmologist says it’s a miracle I can see, given the proliferative retinopathy; my brilliant retina doc lazered me.
Now an Omnipod pumper with Dexcom G7; A1C 5.6 (Canada) and Creatinine has been in the 50s and 60s since transplant. My mum didn’t think I’d live to see 30.
I have a wonderful support network of friends and family, am active with gym, walking and flyfishing (Atlantic Salmon - yay! Always catch and release!). Unfortunately had to hang up the downhill skis 3 years ago.
Can’t say that this nonsense doesn’t get me down sometimes, but it does come with the territory.
Thanks for letting me share.
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My parents are gone, the hospital is now a homeless facility and I don’t have any records. Maybe, but I don’t think so. Then again my mom saved everything as we found out when we sold her house.
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Congratulations! (I wish I coud see without needing cataract surgery !). I didn’t want it yet as my Mom had it at 80 something.
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Me too 55 years this year I have had type1
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I had my first cataract done in my late 'forties and the second in my late 'fifties, so don’t hesitate. You’ll not believe it when you see that white really is white! It was part of my long-term plan to become Bionic.
Congratz!!
Before I had my cataract surgeries I complained daily to my husband that we needed to paint the kitchen, because the walls were so yellow. After surgery, voila! They were white again.
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