Hello fudiabetes community, thanks for the invite from Harold!
I’m Todd and I was diagnosed with type 1 in 1985 at age 7. I read some of the stories on here and how traumatic it was to get the diagnoses, I suppose I was young and naive enough that it just didn’t phase me much. Hearing from parents on this forum like Harold has made me appreciate what my parents must have been feeling! Apart from one incident in the first year, I’ve had no major incidents with my diabetes and feel it is just a part of my daily life. I don’t mean to minimize diabetes, but I approach it simply as an inconvenience rather than something that controls my life. I recognize this is because I’ve been blessed with good control and no complications yet (knock on wood!). I’d say I was caring for myself independent of my parents by about age 12 (although I appreciated their continued concern and reminders).
After 10 years on between 1-4 daily injections, I was put on my first insulin pump at age 18. The pump has been the greatest help in managing my diabetes. Now with the CGM added to that, I feel so grateful for the advancements that enable good control. My greatest frustration is that managing diabetes is not an exact science. Sometimes it behaves inexplicably and you just have to do the best you can.
I used Medtronic pumps for 20 years and tried their CGM several years ago. When I found the Dexcom CGM to be far superior (in my experience), I switched to the Animas pumps so the pump and CGM could be paired. With the recent announcement that Animas will no longer be producing pumps, I’d love input on what you all recommend as a replacement. To be honest, I was very happy with Medtronic pumps and customer support and haven’t loved the interface of the Animas pump. I’ve heard good things about the T-slim. But I digress, I’m sure there are some threads with these types of discussions.
[ADMIN NOTE] Split thread for Animas pump replacement topic: Replacement for my Animas pump?
After finding (and loving!) Dexcom (I use the G4), I created DexTape to help keep it adhered to my skin after trying several other products. I typically wear a sensor for three weeks to save cost and inconvenience of switching out sensors. My A1Cs are generally between 6.5 - 7.2, which I’m happy about but always looking to improve and appreciate the opportunity to learn from many of you!
For me, the pump, CGM, healthy diet habits, and regular exercise create the best formula for good management. I appreciate all of you who give time and effort to educate, support, and discuss the issues we face as diabetics and family members!
Todd