Shout Out to Myself: 63 YEARS INSULIN DEPENDENT TYPE 1 DX'ED AGE 9

Yep, 63 year in May! I’m still here and doing quite well. I enjoy and learn a great deal from this forum, but I rarely post because all topics and concerns are always covered so well by others. Also, I’m very private and only family and several close friends know I’m diabetic. So I thought all you forum members might like to know that you have a follower/member that’s made the 63 year milestone. Trust me on this: it was not easy until the glucose monitor became available and more affordable in the 80’s. I owe my diabetes longevity to technology and plain ole perseverance. I remember thinking as a kid that if I did not take my shot and eat how and what I was suppose to I wouldn’t feel well enough to go out and play. I still live by that belief.

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Congratulations and blessings! My 50th year since diagnosis is in August. Onward we go!

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Congratulations!!! Very impressive and a great thing to let everyone know. Because technology was awful years ago, so if you can live with diabetes for 63 years then with the better knowledge nowadays we all have a chance!

It’s always nice to know about the long termers!

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Well done @Kathlyn1 … as the kids say, you’ve now reached Level63, a significant achievement for anyone who was using stone-aged tools when they were diagnosed.

I hope you took a well deserved bow :100:

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Congratulations. I am just a young guy with 46 years of diabetes.

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I’m a “old timer” of 56 years. I’ve also experienced how far the technology has come to made it so much easier to control our Diabetes.

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I have a few less years than you, but totally agree. Things changed so slowly in those early years, and without modern resources, we pretty much just followed doctors orders, or made up our own routine.
I’m curious… when I was diagnosed, I didn’t meet another young diabetic until college (other than much older Type 2s at ADA events. ) What was your experience?

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Congratulations, I look at technology and type 2’s as “ you refer to in the early years “ . As we are denied technology by insurance companies and Medicare. Enjoy every day you have, life is good. Nancy50

Congrats!
I am 78, 50 years T1D since I was 28. Wow ! 63 years is impressive.
Amazed I managed to survived all this time but I think pumping for 33 years has made a big difference.
Using a Tandem for the past year and CGM for the first time. A life changer! Keeps my A1C at 5.9 as long as I stay on diet and exercise regimen.

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A few more years than you, diagnosed in 1961 just before my 18th birthday. Great birthday present! I’d never heard of diabetes so I had no idea what awaited me.

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Congrats! It’s been 55 years for me as of last February. I agree that it is technology that helped me get through, especially the introduction of home blood glucose testing in the 80s. What a boon that was! I have a question: Do you use a CGM? If so, how did you manage to get it on Medicare? I know they’re supposed to be covering Dexcom, however, I’ve been waiting in limbo for over one year trying to get approval. Thanks.

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I began using the Dexcom G5 in Sept. 2016 and earlier this year upgraded to the G6. Sorry to say, but I have no idea the process the MD and his staff went through to obtain one for me. I told him I wanted one, gave him the Dexcom info. and it arrived in the mail a few months later. It may have been a situation where Medicare did not cover the cost then, but forwarded it on to my secondary insurance who covers !00% of everything Medicare does not cover.

G5 has been covered for awhile, and now G6 is covered. You can contact Dexcom Customer support for help.

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Job well done Kathlyn, 58 years this fall and also diagnosed at age 9. You have beat the beast!

I have a Kaiser Medicare advantage plan & they cover CGM. In fact they switched me to the g6 when it came out.

FYI… If interested, Joslin and Lilly recognize those with diabetes anniversaries.

Check Joslin website

And Lilly

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I am very much aware that these companies recognize long term diabetics, but I’ve never been interested. However, I’ve been interviewed a no. of times for several diabetic magazines and that was rewarding.

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Kathlyn,
Nice to see you are becoming a old timer of Diabetes and able to share with others, oh ment to tell you I have been type 1 for (70) years, got it when I was a 4 year old., have seen some great changes. Still have everything and still injecting plus walking up to a year ago. Had both hips replaced and it did not workout Iam now working with the Mobility Scooer group, a great group of people, we travel all over.
There is so much to talk about,

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As a mother of an 11 yr old TID diagnosed at 6 yrs old, it’s so encouraging to read your comments! I often wonder/worry about what my son’s life will be like as he grows up. I am encouraged to hear so many of you are plugging away with a positive attitude!

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