Anyone With Type 1 And No Complications

[tom58]

54 years T1 and no complications. Had background retinopathy twenty years ago but that has completely cleared. Similar to buckmr2, I eat everything in moderation and bolus to suit. Test with Libre, confirm sometimes wth test strips and inject with pump. Will be 80 in January if I live that long.

 

[Deleted Account]

wow you guys are in really good shape great to hear you guys are doing well. would you guys say exercise helped alot to prevent complications a friend of mines was saying addition to insulin/medication exercise such as weight training and cardio can help greatly help prevent diabetes complications what are your views on this

I would say exercise helps with my peace of mind and general health.
It certainly reduces my BG but that is not a good thing if it means I hypo.
If you consider diabetes complications such as heart disease, exercise reduces the risk of heart disease so you could say it reduces diabetes complications.
If you consider diabetes complications such as mental health issues, I find exercise gives me an outlet to vent my frustrations so you could say it reduces diabetes complications.

Not sure how it reduces complications such as retinopathy and neuropathy.
I do not know I would be less mentally and physically healthy if I didn't exercise ... whether I had diabetes or not.

 

[Knikki]

wow you guys are in really good shape great to hear you guys are doing well. would you guys say exercise helped alot to prevent complications a friend of mines was saying addition to insulin/medication exercise such as weight training and cardio can help greatly help prevent diabetes complications what are your views on this

I agree with what @helensaramay says.

However managing T1D is an all round package, cardio/weights help keep the body in shape, keeps blood supply moving around the body.
Watching what you eat, managing your blood sugars, regular check ups at the various clinics will do much more.
However if you choose to ignore T1D (which some do) and run high BSL for a long time then it will bite you, and bite bad, and no amount of exercise will be able to fix the problems that could occur.

 

[StephenMassey]

Diagnosed when 2 1/2 years old. Now coming up to 54 and no complications. Had many ups and downs (haven't we all!!) but tried to keep to a healthy/balanced diet. Can't say I have a secret. Maybe it's in the genes?

 

[Lynne C J]

hi everyone i wanted to ask is there any type 1 with no complications. apart from good blood sugar level what would you say helped you stay complication free.

 

[Lynne C J]

hi everyone i wanted to ask is there any type 1 with no complications. apart from good blood sugar level what would you say helped you stay complication free.

I've been free of any complications, other than some hypos, for 38 years. I eat well, control my duty, do 5 - 6 blood tests a day (sometimes more) and exercise like crazy. I run, walk and do Pilates several times a week. It's tough because you can never relax or forget about being diabetic but good BG results are because I work hard at it.
I think they scared me so much about side effects on diagnosis that it's kept me on the straight and narrow. It does take strong willpower though! Good luck!

 

[Lynne C J]

I've been free of any complications, other than some hypos, for 38 years. I eat well, control my duty, do 5 - 6 blood tests a day (sometimes more) and exercise like crazy. I run, walk and do Pilates several times a week. It's tough because you can never relax or forget about being diabetic but good BG results are because I work hard at it.
I think they scared me so much about side effects on diagnosis that it's kept me on the straight and narrow. It does take strong willpower though! Good luck!

Sorry, that should read DIET not duty!

 

[tom58]

Many people have posted who have been ID for decades but who have survived surprisingly well. In the bad old days you had to boil your syringe and needles and test your urine, which was virtually useless in terms of monitoring your BS. Today, with all the benefits of modern technology, the life of a T1 is still complicated but much easier to manage. Tomorrow will inevitably see further significant advances.

So if any newly diagnosed T1 diabetic is reading this thread, do not feel disheartened about your condition. You will very probably enjoy a long and healthy life if you just pay basic attention to your body's needs.

 

[Alison54321]

I think this is an encouraging thread, for people who are just starting on the T1D, and I also think it's good to talk about what can be done to minimise the risk of complications. But no matter how I look at it I still think I've been lucky.

There are many people who had T1D, who were not so lucky. I don't think it's good to get too caught up in the idea that having no complications is a measure of virtue. The last thing we should want to do, as a community, is shame people who do have complications, we should be supporting them. They will often have tried as hard as everyone else to avoid them.

I also think, tbat @Hoping4Cure when he mentions the Golden Age Cohort, of T1Ds who managed 50 years, may have unintentionally revealed another secret of success, that its quite likely that a lot of the things that help us survive T1D are are the same things that keep other people healthy. That most of them had hbA1cs of around 7 might be an indicator that not going too stressed about it, might be a good thing, and maybe doing work we enjoy, good friends, good relationships, and other things that keep people healthy, matter for people with T1D too.

 

[Louisek93]

hi everyone i wanted to ask is there any type 1 with no complications. apart from good blood sugar level what would you say helped you stay complication free.

I have no complications after 21 years of being diabetic , I guess it's just down to being committed to having a good control. A positive attitude does help as well.

 

[Hoping4Cure]

I also think, tbat @Hoping4Cure when he mentions the Golden Age Cohort, of T1Ds who managed 50 years, may have unintentionally revealed another secret of success, that its quite likely that a lot of the things that help us survive T1D are are the same things that keep other people healthy. That most of them had hbA1cs of around 7 might be an indicator that not going too stressed about it, might be a good thing, and maybe doing work we enjoy, good friends, good relationships, and other things that keep people healthy, matter for people with T1D too.

It's been a while since I read that study, however we should be careful to avoid survivorship bias, which could teach us the wrong lesson. An A1C of 7.6 (like the average in the Golden Cohort) could mean that other diabetics who were "better controlled" simply died suddenly, from low blood sugars, because A1C doesn't mention sugar variance, only averages over the last three months.

I agree keeping a positive frame of mind is good but I wouldn't be able to do that personally, if I went blind from this disease or lost my feet. At that point I'd be looking for a way out of the maze.

 

[Robinredbreast]

I agree with what @helensaramay says.

However managing T1D is an all round package, cardio/weights help keep the body in shape, keeps blood supply moving around the body.
Watching what you eat, managing your blood sugars, regular check ups at the various clinics will do much more.
However if you choose to ignore T1D (which some do) and run high BSL for a long time then it will bite you, and bite bad, and no amount of exercise will be able to fix the problems that could occur.

It's a bit like opening a birthday card, but inside someone thought it funny or just to surprise you, to add some confetti type glitter, that goes everywhere and you look at the mess and can't decide whether to and laugh or cry whilst saying expletives and not knowing what the heck is happening, why and where to start .................. type 1 on bad day

 

[Blondie3369]

I’ve been a T1D for almost 52 years (diagnosed the Christmas before I turned 3 in March). So far, I’ve had no major complications...other than frozen shoulder which I guess thawed when I moved to a different province (I live in Canada), carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists, and trigger finger (thumb) on right hand. I may have some eye issues going on but my optometrist said nothing serious and we will keep an eye on it..no pun intended lol. I’ve just started the ViaCyte clinical study with implanted stem cells under my skin. I am really excited about this and hopefully there will be something good come out of this 2 year study that will go on to finding a cure for T1D

 

[Robinredbreast]

Diagnosed when 2 1/2 years old. Now coming up to 54 and no complications. Had many ups and downs (haven't we all!!) but tried to keep to a healthy/balanced diet. Can't say I have a secret. Maybe it's in the genes?

My granddaughter is 9 now and she was diagnosed at 2 1/2 years too.

 

[Alison54321]

It's been a while since I read that study, however we should be careful to avoid survivorship bias, which could teach us the wrong lesson. An A1C of 7.6 (like the average in the Golden Cohort) could mean that other diabetics who were "better controlled" simply died suddenly, from low blood sugars, because A1C doesn't mention sugar variance, only averages over the last three months.

I agree keeping a positive frame of mind is good but I wouldn't be able to do that personally, if I went blind from this disease or lost my feet. At that point I'd be looking for a way out of the maze.

This study in Finland shows the most common cause of death in younger Type 1s is DKA, and alcohol related deaths, though hypos do feature.

Death caused by complications has reduced, there have been massive improvements in the ability to manage diabetes, with easy access to blood glucose monitoring.

But I do think its important to keep perspective.

https://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d5364

 

[Ann1]

hi everyone i wanted to ask is there any type 1 with no complications. apart from good blood sugar level what would you say helped you stay complication free.

Have had diabetes for 45 years. Fortunately only background retinopathy.

A big well done to all those long term T1 diabetics. I have the motto - If I can't be responsible for my own diabetes why should I expect others (NHS) to?

 

[kev-w]

wow you guys are in really good shape great to hear you guys are doing well. would you guys say exercise helped alot to prevent complications a friend of mines was saying addition to insulin/medication exercise such as weight training and cardio can help greatly help prevent diabetes complications what are your views on this

I'd say that exercise needs the same self discipline as T1 management, add on a healthy diet, moderate carbs, low fat plenty of veg avoiding processed foods and you're on the right track and exercise is good medicine for the soul, which in turn helps handle the bad days.

That's my take on it anyway

 

[Knikki]

I’ve just started the ViaCyte clinical study with implanted stem cells under my skin. I am really excited about this and hopefully there will be something good come out of this 2 year study that will go on to finding a cure for T1D

Stem Cells??? That sounds rather intersting.

Placing the Stem Cells under the skin with the hope of doing what?

Creating Beta Cells, regulating insulin?

How did you get onto the study? (probably does not apply in the UK but still interested)

 

[cassie091]

60 years on insulin and still going strong. When diagnosed (I was 16) the consultant warned about what could happen if I did not follow the diet. The thought of becoming blind and/or losing my legs was terrifying. no means of testing Blood sugars in those days and I was no saint. One complication was receding gums and jawbone that led to abscesses and subsequent loss of perfect teeth when I was in my late twenties. About 7 years ago needed laser treatment on my eyes but no further complications.
Type 1 diabetes is something you have to learn to live with. No point moaning about it.
I count myself lucky because my maternal grandmother died of it in 1924. I intend living life to the full for a good many more years.
Thank heaven for those scientists, Banting and Best, who gave us the gift of life. I am eternally grateful to them.

 

[Blondie3369]

Stem Cells??? That sounds rather intersting.

Placing the Stem Cells under the skin with the hope of doing what?

Creating Beta Cells, regulating insulin?

How did you get onto the study? (probably does not apply in the UK but still interested)

Yes...they have found that stem cells will grow into beta cells and start producing insulin. As everybody’s body is different, I am hoping that this is what will happen with me. But this is only a clinical study that will last for 2 years and when the study time has concluded, the ‘pouches’ with the stem cells will be removed.
I have enclosed the study ‘Letter of Interest’ which explains the study details. As this is a Canadian study, unfortunately only Canadian residents are eligible to participate.