I was never told that my life would be shortened (my father was a doctor so I think he would have not accepted it), but I remember the doctor saying “some doctors recommend that diabetics do not do sports.” My father thought it was absurd because doing sports lowered my blood sugar and that was the goal. I always wonder how different my life would have been if my parents listened to their recommendations.
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That was great!
I was diagnosed at age 5, and lived in a small town. Went to the “city” 10 miles away, and was treated by pediatrician, who had an interest, and some training with diabetes. Unfortunately he wasn’t keeping up with latest treatments, and I used single injection Lente for 15 years, then switched to NPH+REG for next 15 years before starting pump.
When I hit 50 years with T1D, I searched to find that pediatrician (to check for proof of my diagnosis date). Found his obit, which said he was most known for his work with kids with autism. If he was alive, I was going to send him a letter, but missed him by a few years.
I was 20 years old the first time I met another Type 1 diabetic! I thought it was a really rare condition.
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@Hleyton: That’s sad about the doctor not recommending diabetics to participate in sports (not counting your father, of course - good for him!). But I do understand. I played tennis in high school and I remember losing at least one set due only to blood sugars - but since there were not home glucometers in those days, I have no idea why I was feeling so poorly, only guesses. But that was back in the days when you had to guess your blood sugars, and never adjust your insulin or your meals. Things have definitely changed for the better for us. 
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@MM2 - Congratulations on reaching 50 years! I’m looking forward to doing the same in a few years.
Yes, it seems to be hard to find other T1s, especially those who have had it as long as I/we have had. I did meet one almost 20 years ago - in Nicaragua, of all places. My family was on a month-long trip there, and he was there for a week or so.
Aren’t we grateful for all the improvements in insulin! I also used the NPH+Reg regime, and was thrilled when faster insulins and better long-acting insulins came along. I have been to enough developing countries to know that not every person diagnosed with T1 diabetes has such great care as I have received.
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@Carol Not to be morbid, but maybe because there are not many who make it so long.
I have often wondered what has made me so lucky to not have had any complications on my 47 year stint. It certainly can’t be great control, I would be embarrassed to reveal my numbers from the first 30 years if I knew them.
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@docslotnick: I think you are right - but it’s been that way my entire life, even when I hadn’t had it for very long. I’ve spent more time with newly diagnosed Type1 youth who need encouragement and a face of someone who has survived than I have with people who have had diabetes as long as I have.
Like you, I don’t know why. I also had terrible numbers for many years - but back then no one knew. Or if they knew, they weren’t telling me. Another unspoken message I heard when I was first diagnosed was that they were more worried about low blood sugars than high blood sugars. And checking…! It’s not always easy to tell the difference between a high and a low - at least for me. Maybe you remember those little tablets you dropped in and tried to determine the color in a certain amount of time, and the color changed quickly. And that was at least 2 hours behind as far as what blood sugars actually were. Of course, the strips came out soon, so I didn’t use the tablets for long, but the strips were still lagging 2 hours. When the glucometers first came out, about 10 years after I was diagnosed, I paid a lot of $ (at least to me) to purchase one. If I remember correctly, insurance would not help. Strips were expensive, so I didn’t check super often - I was a poor college student and was not completely aware of how important it could be. What changed things for me was after college when I was married and became pregnant. That was shortly after the big study that proved that tight glucose mattered and I had an excellent doctor who worked with the obstetrician. It was a tough pregnancy - but we (baby and I) got through ok. Second pregnancy was easier. Eventually I switched from Reg+NPH to a pump with Humalog and it made a huge difference. I would never want to go back. So, all of this to say that I understand what you are saying. My glucoses haven’t been stellar by any means, though they are much better these days than they were in the early days. I do what I can to prevent any problems as I don’t have any yet and I would like to stay that way. When people ask my husband how long we plan to be in PNG, he just points to me and says that we’ll be here as long as Carol’s health allows. Sorry - didn’t mean to write so much! But it’s nice to talk to someone(s) who remember the way things were. And who understands why I don’t complain about getting older -
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You may be interested in Richard’s story
He also posted a graph of A1Cs, which was similar to mine, and showed significant improvements made over time, as blood testing, pumps and CGMS became available. I will try to find it and post.
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Thanks, @MM2! I appreciate your pointing it out to me. I did enjoy Richard’s story and am encouraged.
T1 for 48 years. I’m 64. I’ve been pumping since 1988 so close to 30 years. I started using Dexcom 3 years ago. WAY too late as it’s made a huge difference in many ways. I have significant neurological complications. I was told I would only live 20-25 years past onset and not to have children. Well, I’m way past that and have 3 healthy kids who are treasures in my life. Being told I would only live to be 40 years old seriously impacted my life and decisions I made along the way. I am glad that things have changed so much since then especially for the young kids and newly diagnosed as their lives will be greatly impacted in so many ways with all of the new advancements in treatment and the tools we have now. I must say though. There should have been a CURE long ago.
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@Jattzl, what an inspiring story, thanks so much for sharing it!
The stories that you all tell who have so much more experience than us are amazing, and also a great source of optimism for our T1D kids.
Welcome to the forum. I really look forward to your posts!
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