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At the age of six, I knew something wasn’t quite right. I didn’t have the same energy as all the other kids did that I played with. My mom took me to the doctor and after running a few tests, the doctor says to my mom and me, “David has Type 1 Diabetes and won’t live past the age of 30”. We were devasted. Trying to comprehend and make sense of what my diagnosis actually meant at age 6 was impossible. There were no support systems in place back then. Not for me and not for my family.
It was 1960 and the management of T1D was in the “Stone Age”. I remember having to sharpen my own needles at home with a grinding stone, so I could inject myself with animal insulin that gave me horrible welts, it was extremely painful. To monitor my blood sugar, my mom would drive me to the hospital once a quarter to test through a urine sample.
Today, my blood is tested 288 times a day through a monitor. Those needles that I had to sharpen myself, have been replaced with an insulin pen. And, I proved those doctor’s wrong, I’m now in my 60’s, well past the age of 30. While recalling my journey with this disease, I realized that the time lapse between then and now is 50 years – an entire generation.
When I think about all of the advancements that have been made, how far we have come in 50 years, I’m amazed. In one generation, Genentech discovered how to synthesize human insulin. The accuracy of glucose testing has improved drastically. Blood glucose monitors now allow us to monitor at home. While researchers have not found a cure yet, in their search for one, they have found ways to improve the lives of those of us living with this extremely difficult disease and I for one, am forever grateful.
Imagine if today, the 1.3 million people affected by this disease were still having to inject themselves with animal insulin? This is why funding research is so important and why I founded the Diabetes Research Connection. To offer hope and advancements and one day, a cure.
Find out more about the Diabetes Research Connection (DRC) and how to support our efforts by visiting http://localhost/drc/join-us/
