I was 15 and admitted to the hospital on November 22, 1962 to have my wisdom teeth extracted. My doctor came in and asked me for another urine sample. Something wasn’t right. My parents suddenly appeared, looking worried. What was wrong and why all the sad faces? Oops, here comes my doctor. Great, now there’s a party going on in my hospital room and instead of people wearing party hats, they’re all sporting somber faces. My doctor announced that my blood sugar was quite high. My mother worked for our family doctor and, after my wisdom teeth were extracted, my mother took me to work with her and I was given a glucose tolerance test. I was instructed to take Dymelor and was told that would make my pancreas produce insulin. When my urine sugars were still too high, I was put on another oral medication, Ornase. It soon became clear, oral medication was not helping and I started taking insulin shots. Here I am a budding teenager and I felt my life was over and I sank into a deep pre-adult depression. 51 years later, I am still on insulin however, the type and dosage of insulin is completely different from what it was when I first started. I test my blood sugars at least eight times a day, sometime more. Was I always careful about what I ate? Not as careful as I know I should have been but I was diligent about taking my insulin. I have diabetic retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy and I am a magnet for every microbial bacterium. However, I can see without glasses, walk without the use of a cane or walker and I am still active. Last year, I received a 50-Year medal from Joslin and a 50-year medal from Eli Lilly. I am grateful for the advances made in the treatment of diabetes but we still have a long way to go. Every thought, every action I take is made with my diabetes in mind but I am still alive and, as long as I am alive, hope is alive as well.

Anonymous
Sacramento, CA