62 Years of Type 1 Diabetes

I bow to you sir. You are an inspiration!

In reading your amazing story of LIVING postively for 62 years with DIABETES and it gives me added reasons to make people that are newly-diagnosed that LIFE is worth living and you CAN ACHEIVE,IF YOU BELEIVE. My introdution to happened in 1977, at 60 years of age. Preparing for our annual trip to CAPE COD visited my doctor and took the necessary tests, etc to enjoy our vacation.This happened on a friday and left that evening to drive to MONTREAL on our way to BOSTON. From here to MONTREAL,and the only driver,the trip was uneventful, but on our way to BOSTON was one of the worst time in my life. Usually I am tour guide driver pointing out interestings things along the way. I was silent,also a change of person, thirsty,going to the washroom often, arriving in the BOSTON area,driving with double vision. The LORD was guiding me to our destination. My wife LYNNE was so concerned about my behaviour, she called our doctor in TORONTO and said I was sleepy, and not the guy she married 30 years ago, he said is he concscious, get him to a hospital right away. At the hospital November 11 1977, when examined my sugar count was 880, the DR.CARL SILVER, said to my wife sign the papers because I was clinically dead. after doing their thing I was in the hospital for a week. Realizing I had a second chance, I promised, that I would help every
and be a ROLE MODEL to be the best they can. On returning home I embarked on a journey that has had me reached over 40.000 diabetics through health fairs, community cable health programs, 8 year member of AADE, Check out www.restorethebantinghomestead.com. www.DefeatDiabetes.org WAKE UP AND WALK TOUR, SEPTEMBER 2005, I am in company with MR.DIABETES, taken at BANTING HOMESTEAD in ALLISTON, BANTINGā€™S birthplace AMIGO clarence.haynes@sympatico.ca Keep in touch, TOGETHER, we will give hope to those who are scared.

Thanks for your message Clarence. I admire you for what you are doiig for our fellow diabetics!!! I am determined that when I die it will not be from anything related to diabetes. I may fall off a ladder or get hit by a car but my diabetes is not going to kill me. That kind of positive attitude is a large part of my reason for having diabetes so long and having no serious complications at all. I hope you live long and stay healthy!! Good luck to you!

Richard

How amazing! You are so inspiring! I have been type 1 for 24 years, I cant even imagine! Keep up the good work! You are a trooper, and are blessed!
~Carrie

Thanks Tony and Carrie!

Wow, I never knew this was even possible, I just assumed I would not go that long. I try to keep good control, which in the beginning was not the caseā€¦I am going on my 18th year and you story gives me hope that I can live a long happy life with my family. Thanks for sharing

62 years of diabetes! Wow! I was type I for six years until I got a new pancreas this past June. And Iā€™m 49 years old. Reading about how much trouble it was to take your blood sugar back in the day amazes me. I used to scream about having to stick my fingers! Good for you. It sounds as if youā€™ve taken excellent care of your health. You are a true inspiration to other diabetics! Colleen

Thanks Kelly and Colleen! I was pleased the ā€œDiabetes Forecastā€ included pics and an article about me in their Oct. issue this year.

What an inspiring story. Good genes or whatever the variables are, it is keeping you healthy. I am 38 and started insulin a couple of months ago, diagnosed 3yrs ago as a type 2 and finally diagnosed correctly as a 113 lb type 1 who was losing wt and starving all the time. I am an RN who works in critical care and there is no one rule for every diabetic, so many variances with responses to meds/etc. Most ptā€™s I see have neuropathy and need amputations at the time of there diagnoses. It is nice to see someone manage this for so long and still be healthy. By the way I am a very atheletic individual who has no plans on stopping physical activities. It will be easier once I get my pump. Thank you for sharing your story and inspiring me and I am sure otherā€™s as well. May God continue to bless you. Denise Doscher

Hi Richard: Your story gives me some hope. I have had diabetes for 42 of my 62 years and like you donā€™t have horrible complications. My doctor said those who make it past 40 years without bad complications arenā€™t going to get them. Its just good genetics if one can bring themselves to say that with this diagnosis. No one in my family has diabetes. I had chicken pox, measles but I had them as a young child. I have often wondered if my diabetes might have been caused by the nonspecific ā€œallergy shotsā€ I took throughout childhood for eczema. Jan

Colleen: How is the new pancreas working? Can you tell me about this - how and where you got it, if you had to have kidney failure to get it, what immunosuppressants you have to take? Jan

Jan, there is a thread here in the Type 1 forum asking What Caused Your Type 1. It has many replies. A common theme among the replies is that diseases like measles, mumps, etc caused the diabetes for so many Type 1ā€™s. It is kind of like the diabetes was artificially induced. It is my belief that if Type 1 is caused by diseases then complications later on in life are much less likely to occur. If Type 1 comes about with relatives also having it then the complications may be much more likely. I may be totally wrong on all this but this is my present theory. Of course ALL Type 1ā€™s can have complications if they do not maintain good control.

Richard-
You are an inspiration!

I read what you wrote in a reply to someone - that Diabetes is not going to be the cause of your death! Amen. I feel the exact same way. I was diagnosed May 21, 1972 at age 2 1/2. Itā€™s 36 and 1/2 years and Iā€™m still going strong! I have no complications. I pump. I test 8-10 times per day and I plan to be in the Guinness Book of World Records for living the longest with Type 1 Diabetes! Diabetes will not be the cause of my demise!

My brother is Type 1 as well. He is three years younger than me and was also diagnosed at age 2. He had a bad ear infection before the diabetes was ā€œfoundā€. I did not have any ailments. Weā€™ve always believed it was a genetic disorder. Honestly, I donā€™t spend too much time worrying about how I got it, or why I got it or how Iā€™ve done so well for so long. I know I do well because I take good care of myself!

Best to you and many happy years!

Erin

Beautiful story, thank you so very much for sharing!!! I wish you and yours a very happy and healthy Holiday season! huggles

Thank you for your story. I am a 22 year old type 1 and have been for about 7 years. I need to do less complaining and stop looking for the easy answer to diabetes. Thanks for sharing your own experiences. I need to buckle down before I start to show signs of complications.

thanks 4 sharing this great story xx

Richard your story touched my wife and I and truley gave us such hope for me and us to live a normal ā€œhealthyā€ life. THANK YOU!

Well I read the first chapter and Iā€™m intrigued. I canā€™t wait to share with my husband who fears he only has a few years to live after being diagnosed only 3 months ago. Thanks so much for sharing your story. It gives great hope! God bless!

Thanks for sharing your story Richard.
Itā€™s always encouraging and uplifting when I hear positive stories from diabetics. Reading this made be reminisce and find an old box in the basement with some memorabiliaā€¦
I was diagnosed in 75 and started using Toronto (Regular) and NPH insulin. When I left the hospital I was using disposable syringes, but, 3 years later I started university and could not afford the syringes and supplies, so, I bought a glass syringe and a package of 26 Ā½G needles that I would boil. My pharmacist would give me the sample packs of disposable syringes from time to time.
I found the syringe, some needles and a test tube, eyedropper , and a jar of CLINITEST, and ACETEST in the basement. These were used for testing the glucose and ketones in the urine. You probably remember the scale of 1 to 4 that we used with the colour charts.
Anyways, after 34 years, I am still healthy with the occasional diabetic hurdle, using a pump for a year and Ā½, testing by BS 10 - 15 times a day, and looking forward to the day that a cure is found.
I am hoping that we can find a and to start correcting this disease.

I am way behind in commenting on the replies made this year. Thanks to all of you!

Roland, I am glad you are pumping now. I have pumped for 27 months and am having the best control ever. Good luck to you!

Richard