Ebbs and Flow of Diabetes Management

I was diagnosed with Type 1 38 years ago at age 19. Some days I get fed up with dealing with the dedication it requires to maintain a healthy life. I have been using a pump for 17 years and have maintained my A1C between 6.0-7.0 the entire time. I do not use a CGM and I do not have complications. I do get tired of messing with everything though and would like a break somedays. It has been important to me to have good control but the older I get the more frustrated I get with it all. I guess I am just venting because today I wish I did not have diabetes. I want a true cure, not more treatments!!!

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I feel the same way Lisa. I’ve had it practically 49 years, and my story is like yours! I’ve had my pump over 25 years, and usually am in the 6s w the a1c without a cgm.

what seems to help me the most is to hang out here where everyone gets it.

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Thanks Marie.

In moments like these i just wish Ed Damiano or the other Bionic Pancreas People could hurry up a bit more :joy:

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I suppose if he can get it down to a less cumbersome amount of equipment it would be something. However, I want a cure, not a smart pump or TWO. I have watched videos of the guy creating a patch that normalizes blood sugar/liver function. Sounds like a much better treatment with less bulk and waste, and perhaps, cost for the user.

of course, i just believe the Bionic pancreas guys are closer to a working thing atm.

Hope still gets me through most of my days, and whilst i have maintained my motivation so far, i have no idea how long that will last. So props to you for doing it 38 years! You are awesome! Feeling down sometimes is ok, and we are here to pick you up!!! :muscle:

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@Lisa_Craig – You’ve had diabetes a long time. Have you ever done the math for the hours you’ve had diabetes? It really casts a scale so you can appreciate how persistent and durable this extra job is.

There are 8760 hours in a year. I’ve been diagnosed with diabetes for 32.25 years. That’s 8760 x 32.25 years = 282,510 hours. That’s a much bigger number than the hourly requirement to become a doctor. It’s no wonder that you can become weary from time to time.

Malcolm Gladwell wrote Outliers. In it, he raises the concept that it takes about 10,000 hour of devotion to a topic to become proficient. He cites the Beatles and Bill Gates as prime examples of all the prep time it took wildly successful people to succeed.

I have 28 of those blocks of 10,000 hours, surely an advance degree of some accomplishment. You and @MarieB both have much more time in than me!

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Thank you!

That is great Terry! Will have to copy this and keep it someplace to go back to…especially when a medical professional discounts my knowledge of diabetes and my ability to understand my body better than they do.

Thanks for sharing, I feel so alone in my thoughts and am sick and tired of this disease (type 1 for 26 years) . Your post made me feel less “alone”. Blessings