Dorothy

Implantable Glucose Sensor Successful in Pigs, Diabetic Humans Next (Switched)

Aug 7th 2010 6:21PM I completely agree re: wishing there was a better way to distinguish between types of diabetes that have the potential to be "cured" (or at least put into remission) through lifestyle changes, vs. types that can't; in addition to Type I, many people with Type II also cannot be "cured" or put into remission through lifestyle changes. If your insulin production/usage is only mildly affected, exercise & diet can appear to cure it; but as people age, production/usage is likely to be increasingly affected.

I've had insulin-dependent diabetes for just about 23 years, my dad had it for about 40 before he passed away last October, and my grandfather had it for around 30 before he died. My grandfather died of kidney failure and went blind two years before he died, at age 39. My father had two kidney transplants and laser treatments for his eyes; he died of congestive heart failure after a massive heart attack. I've had home blood glucose testing available to me from the beginning, and I've been on an insulin pump for 17 of my 23 years with the disease. Improvements in technology have been wonderful!

I'm currently 5 months pregnant, and I test at least 15 times per day, including every night at 2am (more often at night if I'm low or need to take extra insulin for being high). My A1c has been between 5.5 and 5.7 since I've been pregnant, which is great for me and my baby, but it's also led to my having 4 hypoglycemic seizures in my first trimester. Avoiding those, as well as not having to prick myself so frequently that my fingers are getting calloused, would be great!