Ive mixed feelings about the article. On one side I think its amazing and hope that it leads to a suppressant of active SHP-1 which might lead to less complications and possibly ultimate control over D.
On the other hand, there wasnt much mention of the other folks like me who developed D retinopathy. I havent hit my 17 year mark yet either, but only 5 years to go! Sorta feel like were left holding the bag.
Well I never counted carbs, ate like an out of control hog, including tons of desserts/candy from 1959 until 2004, never checked my BGs (although I did pee on the test strips if I thought about it, sometimes a year or more in between) and had only 3 - A1Cs (the only one I remember was 9.8% and then the doc said it should be below 9 - times change) the entire time.
Why was I so foolish? Because I never had any diabetic issues and still don’t. Why did I start testing (now my BG about 6x per day) and getting A1Cs (6.3 three weeks ago) twice a year? Because I went on the pump and off of beef insulin.
In my warped little mind I really don’t believe it deals as much with care as it does with genetics. And I really don’t get that either since I have one brother who is much less healthy than me and another who is as healthy as I am, neither are diabetic. If it were total genetics it seems we would be equally good/bad. Our dad died at age 88 with lung disease from working in asbestos and my mom turned 97 this month and is still living on her own and in relatively good shape.
Now, since I’m pumping there is much more to keep track of and I eat between 150-180 carbs per day. I also don’t count fat, proteins, etc. Too much for me to worry about I think that the medical community now keeps us focused so much on numbers and balancing everything that many of us don’t enjoy life since we are always thinking about what we just put in our mouths, what did I eat yesterday, how much should I change my basal since I’m going for a run, etc. I think that significantly affects our quality and quantity of life too.
As I’ve said before the doctors told my parents when I was four that I would probably be dead by age 6, so right now I’ve outlived their prediction by 49 years through nothing I’ve done. Maybe God isn’t finished with me yet?
I also have a couple of tattoos (got them before pumping so I have no idea how my BG was) and have smoked pipes and cigars for the past 35 years (unlike Clinton I really don’t inhale). 
By-the-way, I DO NOT in any way promote taking care of yourself the way I did, but I survived…so far. I was younger and foolisher than I am now (that’s scary) and made it but all of our mileage may vary.
I developed retinopathy 50+ years after diagnosis, but I tightened my control by using a pump in 2007. That eliminated my problem. Complications can usually be reversed if caught soon enough.
Ron, when participating in the Medalist Study in 2009, the Study coordinator told me that there had been several participants who admitted they had not taken care of themselves for the 50+ years of type 1, but they did not have complications. These individuals, like you, are exceptions to the rule. The majority of type 1 diabetics must have good control to avoid complications.
There is another possible explanation that I emphasized in my book. The pork/beef insulin we used for so long after diagnosis contained C-peptide. All humans and animals who produce their own insulin, also produce C-peptide. If you research C-peptide you will find it protects against diabetes related complications. I had high blood sugar, like you, for more than 50 years while on beef/pork insulin, but i had no complications. After changing to the synthetic insulins in the 1990s, I began having some retinopathy and neuropathy. The synthetic insulins do NOT contain C-peptide. I had to really tighten my control to eliminate my complications.
Richard, do you think age could have had anything to do with the onset of retinopathy? Im glad to hear it was eliminated.
My retinopathy developed 12-13 years post DX. That was about 12-13 years ago. So the nice part according to that article is if Ive had retinopathy for 13 years now, only 4 more years and it should stable out. Mind you I just brought my BGs to a meter/CGM average of 120 and am shooting for 85-90. Im thinking a few years or these tight BGs should halt my retinopathy and possibly reverse some of it.
Yes, I still rely on my symptoms of a low rather than testing. I have discovered that you can run around with sugars in the 400 and your body gets “used to it”. Then when you give extra insulin and it starts coming down, you can feel all of the symptoms and if you check it says 200 !! So technically with the test results you shouldn’t have all the hypoglycemic symptoms but unfortunately you do…so you have to bring it down slowly. What happened when we couldn’t test ??? for so many years we had to rely on symptoms and I still do, even with the pump. I have used a CGM and seen the BG fall from 400 to 90 in under half an hour…and yes you do get the symptoms. Technically you should be OK at 90. But you are NOT. I try very hard not to test so much because it can drive you crazy.
I have also discovered the A1c is not a reliable indicator of the average BG results for three months, or even 1 month, because if you have a lot of “lows” right before the test, that number will automatically come down.
I agree so much with the low carb and the eating the same thing everyday. The more carbs you eat, the more insulin you need and the more body weight you will put on. I have always listened to my doctor, and then gone home and done my own thing !!!. Yes I am still around, after 56 years of D…and I look forward to turning 60 next year !!!
Sheila
I don’t think age caused the retiopathy. Higher BG for a long period, possibly accompanied by many highs and lows…a roller coaster kind of pattern…that is what causes D related complications. Your control is obviously improving, so your retinopathy should improve too, unless it is too far advanced. I have read about diabetics who had ratyher serious retinopathy, and they improved their control very much. The retinopathy stabilized but did not improve for quite some time. It was a very slow progression for those individuals.
OMG, how disheartening to learn this! I read, can’t remember where, about C-peptide being added back in. Maybe it was a hopeful dream.
Only way to get animal insulin in the US is from Canada & very expensive without insurance coverage.
Hmm, I don’t know whether the statement that animal insulin contains c-peptide is true. Animal insulin is highly purified to get all the non-insulin junk out of it. And I believe this junk includes c-peptide.
If animal insulin contained c-peptide, then the c-peptide test developed in the 1960’s to distinguish T1 and T2 diabetics would not have worked since both T1 and T2 would have c-peptide from the injected animal insulin. I remember hearing about the c-peptide test back in the 80’s back when everyone was using animal insulin but I never took the test since there was never any doubt that I had T1.
Now it is true that insulin purity was greatly improved over the years from the time of its discovery. So maybe some of the early preparations of insulin contained c-peptide. But I would need a reference before I’de believe that the high purity insulins being sold from at least the 1970s up to the present have c-peptide in them.
Do you have a reference to support this belief of your, that bottled animal insulin contain c-peptide? Do you have a package insert that mentions it?
As I’ve said before the doctors told my parents when I was four that I would probably be dead by age 6, so right now I’ve outlived their prediction by 49 years through nothing I’ve done. Maybe God isn’t finished with me yet? wrote Ron…
You hit the nail on the head. I have had type one for 43 years, minimal complicaions, no retinopathy at all. never have had any symptoms, kidney funcition is superb as sof last testing in Mid-July ( some other health stuff, most not d-related ,nor life’threatenng ) And whatever ailments I have,HE strengthens me and pulls me through… I do not do low low carb, about 100-125 gms a day, more if I exercise a lot: a LOT less during times I am sick from infections, physiological stress (like right now when I am post injected steroid insulin resisant).
My a1c’s from the time I have been consistently taking Blood Sugars( Hey I am old school!! (LOL)Use of glucometers and multiple daily blood glucose testing are “relatively” new to us Type one old-timers ) say late 1990’s;have hovered around 6.1 to 7.6, a big range, but it depends on my schedule, a lot of factors.
I am glad to be alive and getting up each morning
God Bless,
Brunetta
Jag, I am not sure that the animal insulins being sold currently contain C-peptide. A member on another D site says it has been removed from today’s animal insulins. I could not find that information when I Googled to research it, so I do not know that if is true.
There is information online that states that the animal insulin sold years ago, prior to the modern day synthetic insulins, did contain C-peptide, but I don’t remember any particular dates being included in the article that I read. I did find that on Google last year.
Don, How interesting… I am having some body wide pain now that multiple doctors and specialists really cannot diagnosis specifically, nor explain, nor effectively treat for the long-term .I have had many of the symptoms You described above. The doctors frankly DO NOT think it is from diabetes., as though I have symptoms, all my lab work and nerve conduction testing turns up NORMAL ( except for a tricky litlle Arterio Vascular Malformation- genetic) Could I have Psuedo-neuropathy induced by the current treatment of diabetes: i,e analog , synthetic insulins?) I I consistently used beef and pork insulins until 1991; around 23 years after diagnosis. And Inever really had any problems at all with N and regular. I just had to make sure I had to have a mid- afernoon snack for the Peak!!! But I was not hypo-unaware, so I generally could treat it. since I now have a CGMS, I think it would be great for me to go back to the beef and pork insulins… Now Don, Do you use them through a pump/? I cannot imagine going back to MDI, I thought current insulins pump’s technologies have been designed to be used with soley with synthetic, analog ninsulins, am I mistaken?.
God bless,
Brunetta
Gerri, Eli Lily, many years ago did consider adding C-peptide to synthetic insulins. The work they were doing was discontinued, without an explanation. I found an article on Google about that.
Jennifer, I screwed up. I went to look up the year I had laser surgery for retinopathy after I saw OneSaints post. It was over 20 years for neuropathy but not for reitnopathy. I guess I better get in the line for those calculators that Danny will be handing out!
There was another discussion going on about C-peptide and I think it was BSC that posted a link to Jenny Ruhl’s blog about that. I can’t find the thread that was in but just looked on her blog. She cites some studies in this article about the benefits of C-peptide, but she also states that it is no longer in any of the current animal insulins.
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/2008/08/c-peptide-and-your-nerves.html
Pro-insulin was present in the old animal insulins but the process of purifying those animal insulins which was necessary to eliminate substances that caused serious allergic reactions in some people also eliminated the C-peptide, so you will not find C-peptide in any animal insulins sold today as they too contain only the actual insulin molecule.
Fascinating discussion, Kelly… Things that definitely make you go HMMM>?
God Bless,
Brunetta
Yes Kelly, I just found a discussion on Google that makes it very clear. Modern day animal insulins do not contain C-peptide. The quote below states that old animal insulins contained C-peptide (in the Pro-insulin) but it is not contained in the current animal insulins.
"Pro-insulin was present in the old animal insulins but the process of purifying those animal insulins which was necessary to eliminate substances that caused serious allergic reactions in some people also eliminated the C-peptide, so you will not find C-peptide in any animal insulins sold today as they too contain only the actual insulin molecule."
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/2008/08/c-peptide-and-your-nerve…
I was ready to run out and buy some if it would make the neuropathy go away!
It was a good thought though!