T1 tech

M05

Member
Messages
16
I think with todays technology we can ease a bit our worries about passing t1 to our children what's your thoughts?
 

MarkMunday

Well-Known Member
Messages
421
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Why would technology make a difference to the consequences of passing n a genetic weakness? CGMs and pumps help with treatment but they don't affect the prognosis of a young person with T1.
 
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M05

Member
Messages
16
Why would technology make a difference to the consequences of passing n a genetic weakness? CGMs and pumps help with treatment but they don't affect the prognosis of a young person with T1.
It's because if they get it it will be a bit easier to manage with todays tech compared to 50 yrs ago
 

MarkMunday

Well-Known Member
Messages
421
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
... if they get it it will be a bit easier to manage with todays tech compared to 50 yrs ago
Do you really think so? Dealing with T1 is different now to what it was when it started for me 43 years ago. But it isn't any easier, in spite of better insulin and technology. If anything dealing with T1 gets increasingly difficult as daily life becomes more stressful and hectic.

I have come full circle, from NPH/Regular to Lantus/Novorapid, pump/CGM and back to NPH/Regular again. Technology didn't work for me and my control has never been better, mainly because I am now retired. I passed T1 on to a daughter and the outcome was bad. Wouldn't do it again. Regardless of technology we still have dysfunctional endocrine systems.
 

kev-w

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,901
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I think with todays technology we can ease a bit our worries about passing t1 to our children what's your thoughts?

It's going to be a 'hard' illness for a kid whatever tech's out there, and for a kid who's parents aren't T1 it'll be as hard as it ever was but saying that the tech and modern insulin's have to be a help in the main, if of course they can get access to them as for the Libre it's only 1 in 5 of us who've got the prescription :banghead:
 

KK123

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,967
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I think with todays technology we can ease a bit our worries about passing t1 to our children what's your thoughts?

It depends on what particular worries you have about it in the first place. If your worries were about how to manage it, then yes, technology no doubt helps. If your worries are about passing on a disease that MAY affect a person's entire life from a health perspective or render them having to manage it 24/7, then no.
 
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eventhorizon

Well-Known Member
Messages
455
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
There has never been a better time to be a T1 diabetic but do I worry every time my perfectly healthy daughters say they're thirsty? Yes. It was a risk I knew about before I decided to have children and it something I and they will have to live with.
 
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TypeZero.

Well-Known Member
Messages
296
I think with todays technology we can ease a bit our worries about passing t1 to our children what's your thoughts?

As much as I’d love to be positive, I wouldn’t want anyone to have type 1 diabetes regardless of how advanced the technology is.

The advanced technology you talk about is extremely unreliable. Any temperature changes, sunlight or anything else affects the accuracy of CGMs and glucose meters. Just today my readings at the same exact time

Glucomen Areo 2k: 7.1 mmol/L
Libre: 8.3 mmol/L (fair enough since 15min behind)
Contour: 6.4 mmol/L

All happened because I came to a hot country 40 degrees Celsius.

Then the other stuff like insulin, however essential it is to controlling blood sugar it is also very sensitive to external conditions. My one is constantly in the fridge and have to take ice packs when outside, shouldn’t be more than 25 degrees Celsius, thankfully I usually live in the UK.

Then consider a pump... it’s great for BG control as you can give microdoses but you have much higher risk of DKA, constant tube attached unless you’re getting a patched one which is quite expensive.

The only advanced technology I’m seeking is beta cell implants that come in gel form. I’ve done some research into it and they’re mostly still in the research phase but they place beta cells in a gel with chemicals that repel cells from immune system away, this implant is placed next to liver and aims to restore full or partial glucose homeostasis
 
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M05

Member
Messages
16
I think diabetes tech can be a double-edged sword.
It is great that we can keep a closer eye on our blood sugars with CGMs, we can react faster with faster acting insulin and we can adjust doses with pumps.
However, the expectation that this brings is huge. When I was diagnosed, we found out our blood sugars with a finger prick and 5 second wait. But I read about the urine tests that just said whether you were high, low or ok. There are days when that's all I want to know. I started on mixed insulin and adjusted my diet to fix the insulin. I love my freedom to do what I want and eat what I want. But that comes with added complexity. The old days were so much simpler.
And, as @TypeZero. describes, our expectation from what we expect from this technology is huge. I doubt many peopler questioned (or checked) their high-low-ok urine test.

As @eventhorizon said
But I would never wish it (or any other chronic medical condition) on anyone.
I also don't wish it on anyone I always wanted to start a family and was diagnosed at 20 and fear it from happening on my kids but trying to see the positive at least it is more manageable today than 50 yr ago
 
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TypeZero.

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296
I also don't wish it on anyone I always wanted to start a family and was diagnosed at 20 and fear it from happening on my kids but trying to see the positive at least it is more manageable today than 50 yr ago

Remember to not let diabetes get in the way of anything. Can’t remember the exact percentage but I think it was like 85%, 85% of T1 diabetics have no family history of the disease and the chance of a father passing it on is 6-8%. Even if by chance they do develop it remember that a cure is on the way, a few decades ago they didn’t even know why T1D happened and now they know the 4-5 antibodies involved. There has even been research towards it cause and have found a strong link with the Coxsackie virus B.

I agree it is more manageable and it is becoming more manageable day by day as technology and research progresses. I encourage you to research clinical trials that have been going on. Ever since I was diagnosed I’ve been reading about them and they give me hope. They have already cured diabetes in mice, it’s just a matter of replicating it in humans who have a more complex immune system
 
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porl69

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Messages
3,647
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
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Stupid people
remember that a cure is on the way

Hmmmmm, been told that since 1st diagnosed 49 years ago. I am not holding my breath. Unfortunately there is no money in a cure. I do hope I am wrong..........BUT
 

TypeZero.

Well-Known Member
Messages
296
Hmmmmm, been told that since 1st diagnosed 49 years ago. I am not holding my breath. Unfortunately there is no money in a cure. I do hope I am wrong..........BUT

A significant portion of funding for research and development comes from the government. I’m sure you agree the government would rather fund a cure rather than fund a lifetime supply of insulin. The issue is not enough T1 diabetics for clinical studies to figure out specifically what causes T1D, there are already some strong contenders like a virus e.g. Coxsackie virus B but no definitive clear cause we can say “yep this is what causes it”

We can technically be cured by having a pancreas transplant or having beta cell transplantation but you will need a lifetime supply of immunosuppressants. The current focus of research is how to heal the immune system or prevent implanted beta cells from being destroyed.

Be positive:

49 years ago there was no..
Dexcom or Libre
Insulin pumps
Rapid acting insulin like NovoRapid
Home glucose meters
Understanding of antibodies involved
Causes
 

DCUKMod

Master
Staff Member
Messages
14,298
Type of diabetes
I reversed my Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
A significant portion of funding for research and development comes from the government. I’m sure you agree the government would rather fund a cure rather than fund a lifetime supply of insulin. The issue is not enough T1 diabetics for clinical studies to figure out specifically what causes T1D, there are already some strong contenders like a virus e.g. Coxsackie virus B but no definitive clear cause we can say “yep this is what causes it”

We can technically be cured by having a pancreas transplant or having beta cell transplantation but you will need a lifetime supply of immunosuppressants. The current focus of research is how to heal the immune system or prevent implanted beta cells from being destroyed.

Be positive:

49 years ago there was no..
Dexcom or Libre
Insulin pumps
Rapid acting insulin like NovoRapid
Home glucose meters
Understanding of antibodies involved
Causes

TypeZero - I can assure you that a pancreas transplant may often mean no more T1, however, the "cure" that it is does not mean that person is done with medics, except for the coughs and colds sorts of things. My very good friend who had a pancreas transplant, along with the kidney she desperately needed still sees lots of medics and is constantly monitored due to the immuno-suppressant drugs she will take for the balance of her life.

Imagine receiving the call, literally a couple of days before lockdown, informing her that her meds had been way to strong and her immune system was totally shot.

The grass is not always greener.
 

Jaylee

Oracle
Retired Moderator
Messages
18,213
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
A significant portion of funding for research and development comes from the government.

Hi,

Do you have any links regarding the statistics on the above?

You're giving me the feeling I've been wasting my time doing "benefit gigs" for charities like JDRF..

On the plus side. (Working with what I got in the here & now.)
The tech set up I use has meant I can keep a sly eye & track my BG.
As opposed to ducking behind a bass cab for a stealth finger test half time.. One outfit I'm in didn't stop for a break most nights.
 
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Wayward Blood

Well-Known Member
Messages
77
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
The technology for managing Type 1 diabetes is amazing these days, but what I like most is the access to information. I found out about Dr Richard Bernstein and a low carbohydrate diet to manage type 1 via the internet. That was six and a half years ago; my retinopathy would have progressed without that information. Instead my sight is still great.

I became a father three days ago. I am obviously hoping with everything I have that my son won’t get diabetes. But if he does, I know that I can teach him to be healthy with it.
 
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Muneeb

Well-Known Member
Messages
428
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
So much negativity, if we knew what the future held then we would all probably curl up and die in a corner out of fear.
I was diagnosed as type 1 at 8 with no family history, I know many others with a similar story. I know people who have been diagnosed at 30+, it can develop at any time. People preparing for a family may not have it at that point but it can happen at any time, do we stop having children incase we have something we don't know.

I'd never wish diabetes on anyone, its a daily grind, its manageable, but not easy even with all the technology. But it is much easier and convenient to live with diabetes now than it was 20 years ago, no solution works for everyone, having seen the developments over the last 20 years, I am only hopeful of even better days to come if not a cure.

I eat and manage my diabetes and most people don't even know I'm diabetic, its never stopped me doing anything. It all depends on what view you take on life, if you are unwilling to accept it, you will never be able to manage it.
 
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porl69

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Messages
3,647
Type of diabetes
Type 1
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Insulin
Dislikes
Stupid people
it isn't any easier

Do you really believe that? After using Clinitest tablets (which gave no real indication of what your actual levels were) and needles the size of darning needles and glass and metal syringes. It is countless times easier now. Yes it still has its daily struggles BUT we now now what our actual BGs are and which way they are heading. We have insulins that actually work, for the most times, consistently. We are no longer guessing at what foods affect us. For me, 49 years in, diabetes is a lot easier to manage
 

Chloelox

Well-Known Member
Messages
131
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
I think it’s still a worry for any type 1 that has children, even with the tech it’s still not a pleasant disease. I do worry about my daughter, although I know her chances of developing diabetes is much higher if it were her dad who is diabetic.

I’m friendly with a lot of parents with children with type 1 and even with all the tech it’s still very concerning for them. Especially the ones who have no knowledge or experience with T1D until their child ended up in hospital with DKA.

I would like to say if my daughter did develop it that I would find it easy to manage for her sake. however, I struggle with my own.. even with a Dexcom g6. Baring in mind I work in the medical field