Hi
@SueJB, from my reading and experience of 52 years on insulin but not as professional advice or opinion:
A trial begun over 30 years ago called the Diabetes Control and Complications trial showed that the more intensive treatment of diabetes group (T1Ds) had a lower rate of diabetes complications after the first 7th year and slightly better gains after the 10 th year compared to a group T1Ds on a much less intensive treatment and poorer diabetes control.
Also this difference in complication rates continued to a significant degree after that time even if the diabetes control of the intensive diabetes treatment group slipped back into a less intensive treatment regime and not as good control.
That research has come too late for many of us but please talk to your DSN and GP/doctor about this. If I was PM for a day I would be pushing through legislation that offered free or heavily subsidised use of an insulin pump and CGM for all newly diagnosed T1Ds for at least 7 to 10 years after diagnosis.
I know that may not suit every newly diagnosed T1D and I would still be allowing the other priorities for pumps and CGM such as for pregnant diabetics, and the other criteria for insulin pumps.
This is just my view and I know this may not suit the attention span of each politician.
By the 45 year mark on insulin (from 1966 where no fancy insulins, glucose meters, pumps or even disposable syringes and needles existed) I was suffering from recurrent night hypos despite an intensive bolus/basal injection regime. The insulin pump was my saviour.
I have had cataracts in both eyes replaced at the 44 and 45 year mark on insulin (they were diabetes-related but likely accelerated by exposure to the Aussie sun over many decades)! Left and Right carpal tunnel operations were needed at about the 40 year mark on insulin as well as some pesky trigger fingers - all par for the course some but not all diabetics i gather.
But no heart, blood vessel, kidney or eye blood vessel disease, and Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is well in range.
I retired a little early due to family issues, not due to diabetes.
My specialist says he tells all newly diagnosed T1Ds to ensure they plan well for a normal age retirement. The outlook is that good.
At age 65 I live a full life, with more sedate exercise than earlier in my life, with family, with a great hobby of kite making and flying amongst other interests. Yes, I do ache at times, due to stresses of life and one day my denial of the normal ageing process will shine through the applied coats of denial and I shall see the light (?dimly by then)??
From age 13 when some HCPs would use the fear of diabetic complications as means to force compliance with insulin and diet, to being criticised as a still growing young adult for having the worse BSLs in one doctors clinic that day and thus spoiling said doctor's reputation to doing 7 days canoe trips through wilderness country, University, training, work, family, children seem to pass with great speed. In 2016 I received a medal for the 50 years with diabetes. Was all the fear mongering in early years of part of the reason for so few complications I had had or was it learning what worked best for me.
At one year in you have so many advantages in choice of insulin, method of delivery, testing options, diet options and so much more.
Live life to the full, always be prepared with spare insulin, pens etc and glucose etc wherever you go, be sensible (climbing Mt Everest as a diabetic is putting others and well as oneself at higher risk). Managing one's diabetes to the best of one's ability is far more meritorious. Pleas keep asking questions if there is more you would like to know!!
