Most people miss the point
I’ve been diabetic a long time. 32 years in fact. Way back then, juvenile diabetes wasn’t called type 1. I was four, and very very lucky. My mum recognised what was wrong with me: the thirst, the pain in my long muscles when I tried to walk, the fatigue. She took me to the doctor, who tested me and found I needed insulin replacement therapy.
Being diagnosed was great, insulin made the pain go away. 32 years later, I still feel that way. Insulin works: it lowers my blood sugar and enables me to use my food. Insulin is marvellous.
Insulin has problems though. It’s not smart, it has no way of knowing how much I need.
Hypo heat rash
Having high blood sugar hurts, having low blood sugar hurts. The photo is the rash I often get when my blood sugar is low (I am told this is quite unusual, normally half an hour after my levels rise the rash will ease).
My insulin pump is a glorified syringe, it’s not much more, but it means no high lasts more than 8 hours and likewise with a low. The pump doesn’t stop the variance, it just helps to control it.
Yet most people think the injections (and the pump) are the problem, because it’s needles and must hurt. The fact that my injections really don’t isn’t considered by most people. I have to say, needle technology has come a long way. 🙂
So the needle going through the skin is not the issue. It’s the fact the insulin is dumb is the issue.
Posted: November 13th, 2009 under 42.