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Longest living type 1 diabetic
- Thread starter donnellysdogs
- Start Date
april said:Hi !
I'm in my 52nd yr of being a Type 1. I'm glad to report that I'm in great health, but have had a few blips along the way.
Keep smiling
April
Good to hear April!
Should you google the 'Joslin 50' you will see that there are many type 1's who have lived far beyond 50 years using different methods and diets to control their diabetes.
Nigel
C
catherinecherub
Guest
i am not diabetic but joined to get more help for my wife who is type 1 she has been type 1 for over 45 years,had a few scares in that time,two healthy boys now in their 30s,control is very good ,but would like to know why the sugar levels sometimes have a mind of their own,and is it safe to miss out injections & meals.leads a very active life,and celebrated her 65th birthday yesterday.
wibble
wibble
cassie091
Active Member
I was diagnosed in 1959 at the age of 16 with type 1 diabetes so I have been on insulin for 52 years. That doesn't make me the oldest but 52 years is a long time to be injecting daily and now 4 times a day. My maternal grandmother died of it in 1924.
I am convinced it was sparked off by Asian flu. My mother was also of that opinion but the consultant said that was rubbish.
I am fortunate in that I do not have many complications. I have always tried to "follow the rules" and my consultant told me that was why I kept so well. Having moved house I am no longer with a hospital and see my GP. He says my good health is down to "good genes". By my reckoning if I had 'good genes' I wouldn't be dabetic. I was the only one out of 3 children who got it but it is rife on my grandmother's side of the family.
I am convinced it was sparked off by Asian flu. My mother was also of that opinion but the consultant said that was rubbish.
I am fortunate in that I do not have many complications. I have always tried to "follow the rules" and my consultant told me that was why I kept so well. Having moved house I am no longer with a hospital and see my GP. He says my good health is down to "good genes". By my reckoning if I had 'good genes' I wouldn't be dabetic. I was the only one out of 3 children who got it but it is rife on my grandmother's side of the family.
How wonderful to find so many diabetics of long standing. I was diagnosed 3 days after my 6th birthday in 1954 so have completed 58 years!
Have always been active, riding horses and looking after them since the age of 4 and continuing to do so to this day, I am now 64. So far have been lucky and have suffered no consequences, very rarely ill even as a child only had 1 hyper attack, but always wonder when th day will arise.
Am still on the same insulin I was balanced on in 1954, which was very new and only just off "the test beds" have tried others but always lost hypo warnings.
Hope to keep going for a bit longer got so much to do!
Have always been active, riding horses and looking after them since the age of 4 and continuing to do so to this day, I am now 64. So far have been lucky and have suffered no consequences, very rarely ill even as a child only had 1 hyper attack, but always wonder when th day will arise.
Am still on the same insulin I was balanced on in 1954, which was very new and only just off "the test beds" have tried others but always lost hypo warnings.
Hope to keep going for a bit longer got so much to do!
French girl
Newbie
My husband has had type 1 diabetic for 60 years, he is still hale and hearty (every thing works) quite active,he is now awaiting his 60 years medal, his regime is Daphne and I must say it is working for him.
Drewabetic
Member
Hi I'm Paul
I've been a T1 diabetic since I was 2 in 1958.
My parents were told I probably wouldn't reach my teens.
Here I am in October about to reach my 60 year milestone.
I'm about to receive my second commemorative medal.
I have all of my limbs and my eyes are pretty good too.
I have a pump (Medtronic) and my kidneys are fine I'm also hypo unaware I'm told this is an autonomic nerve damage issue but it is my belief that GPs, consultant diabetologists and the medical profession prefer to say that rather than accept that our bodies kinda get used to insulin and just kinda say to themselves, "Can't be bothered to play this game any more!"
It's a pain and hard to deal with life generally sometimes.
Recently I was punched in the face by a customer at the chemist because he saw my silicon warning wrist bands which say I'm a type 1 Diabetic using a pump.
He screamedc that fat, overweight idiots like me are wasting NHS resources, I'm 13st 6lbs so not vast, a yacht not a battleship but he was, like most people, ignorant of the differences between T1 & T2. I'm a primary supply teacher and where I can, I tell my students about what my life is like
The NHS is remarkable. I just WISH I could get a CBGM Continuous Blod Glucose Monitor) like Enlite funded by the NHS but it's not possible.
Good luck to all T1 diabetics I salute you ALL, we are SPECIAL and there are not many of us about. We are a rare and Vvery special people.
Paul
DavidGrahamJones
Well-Known Member
I hope you were able to prefer charges. What a (expletive deleted. . . by me LOL).
chocoholic
Well-Known Member
Well, I am 60 now but only diagnosed in my 40's. I have always had excellent Hba1c results, have always been very careful about monitoring my blood sugars and trying to keep good control. I belonged to a walking group for 12 years and ate a healthy diet. (Have never smoked or touched alcohol either) . Sadly, I now have peripheral neuropathy, which I developed about three or four years ago, so live in constant pain, I then seemed to develop extra problems after two months in bed with Glandular Fever (the Epstein Barr Virus). I have suspected P.O.T.S (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, caused by suspected autonomic neuropathy, according to my neurologist),my kidney function levels, going by blood work, is slowly creeping down and in the past few months, I seem to be having more and more hypos, which I can't seem to explain away. I'm doing nothing different, have tried reducing my background insulin to help those but am still often hitting around the 2's before I realise. I am lucky in that I've never gone out for the count, even when I have sometimes,rarely, hit 1.8. I know all these hypos won't be doing me any good now but I can't fathom why I am having them.
I must point out, that I cannot be sure these issues are all down to Type 1 Diabetes, as I also have Hashimoto's Disease, Vitiligo, Alopecia Areata, B12 deficiency, Lyme Disease and was told this year I had mild Cervical Myelopathy. Two weeks ago, my dentist told me I have Periodontitis too and he thinks this has been caused by an immune overreaction, as the bone is being eaten away in my mouth. So, as you can imagine, it's tricky to pinpoint what is causing what regarding my symptoms. It does seem my body has general autoimmune issues but it does not follow other Type 1 Diabetics will collect such a list. Some diabetics do just have to cope with that and even though it can be tricky, not everyone will get complications either. I know of someone who lived into her 80's and had Type 1 Diabetes from childhood and lived when it was necessary to sterilise syringes by boiling them before usage. Another of my Mum's old friends lived into her 80's too with Type 1 and never had a single complication either.
I think it is partly the luck of the draw but it can never do any harm to TRY and keep good control and live a healthy lifestyle.
I intend fighting to live into old age and will continue to try and be as 'healthy as I can be' with whatever life throws me.
Hello everyone,
Not been on the site for number of years. I am 74 and have had it all my life. Formally diagnosed at 8 months old after numerous doctors refused to accept that I was ill. This was 1946 by the way but fortunately my dad persisted and I was taken into Leeds General Infirmary.
Early years were not good as my home situation is was not domestically stable (bit of a euphemism) and I was at risk.
I do have some amusing memories when I was very tiny of running away down the street from the District Nurse trying to give me my injection.
At 4 years old, my dad took me to a children’s home, arranged my Education Authority, who were the responsible organisation for my well being. This was in a place called Burchington in Kent, for six weeks ‘respite’.
I still remember seeing my dad walking away and leaving me there.
Authorities were trying to find an appropriate placement for me outside of my family home as the respite place had proved positive in my well being.
At 5 years old I was placed into a Church of England children’s home, also in Kent, specifically for children with Type 1 diabetes.
This has many fond memories for me and I stayed there until I was 16.
Through that regime I was taught to do my own injections and work out carbohydrate values. The children were all on a soluable insulin called 80 Lente, which was a once a day, morning injection.
Testing regimes were by virtue of urine testing through Clinitest tablets, 5 drops of urine and 10 drops of water and the tablet. It would fix like boiling liquid and settle to leave a coloured solution. Blue was negative and orange high sugar level with shades in between.
We all went to local school, who were familiar with our condition. We had normal school dinner and pudding I might add, and in those days school milk.
Things were not without problems often seeing children just collapse into hypo without warning. I was lucky that my hypos were usually less instant.
When I was 10 I was moved to another children’s home in Salford. (It was because the Kent venue was boys and girls so they moved the boys, how unfair!
The Salford venue was all boys and again local secondary school where we went.
We were given much more freedom, relevant to age, as boys were up to 16 years old.
From memory the testing and insulin was the same and carbo counting still the philosophy.
I stayed there until I was nearly 17 years old. Again I was happy there and enjoyed things like sea cadets and playing lots of sports.
Big change in my control when moving back to family as dad was remarried and home was in a bakery and confectionary shop. Wow. . . My control and my diabetes became subject to denial for an unfortunate time.
A turning point was when my diabetes specialist tol me I had very little time left if I didn’t change. Scary but effective message.
Starting work was difficult in terms of keeping my secret and not informing friends and colleagues. I didn’t want to be different.
Obviously I recognised that this was untenable so as to avoid silly risk but to enable people to deal with situations as they occur.
Moving on I spent 25 years in printing then 25 years as a probation officer and now teach pilates as a little business.
I have played sport all my life including football till I was 53, running marathons and more latterly cycling and pilates.
My beliefs focus on living life to the full and seeing diabetes as something you have and not who you are.
Testing and insulin systems are so much more sophisticated these days but it is a real truism that managing our diabetes is a full time job.
Without attempting to be different to other Type 1 people I have not experienced any one who has had Type 1 longer than 74 years.
Ray Burrows
Not been on the site for number of years. I am 74 and have had it all my life. Formally diagnosed at 8 months old after numerous doctors refused to accept that I was ill. This was 1946 by the way but fortunately my dad persisted and I was taken into Leeds General Infirmary.
Early years were not good as my home situation is was not domestically stable (bit of a euphemism) and I was at risk.
I do have some amusing memories when I was very tiny of running away down the street from the District Nurse trying to give me my injection.
At 4 years old, my dad took me to a children’s home, arranged my Education Authority, who were the responsible organisation for my well being. This was in a place called Burchington in Kent, for six weeks ‘respite’.
I still remember seeing my dad walking away and leaving me there.
Authorities were trying to find an appropriate placement for me outside of my family home as the respite place had proved positive in my well being.
At 5 years old I was placed into a Church of England children’s home, also in Kent, specifically for children with Type 1 diabetes.
This has many fond memories for me and I stayed there until I was 16.
Through that regime I was taught to do my own injections and work out carbohydrate values. The children were all on a soluable insulin called 80 Lente, which was a once a day, morning injection.
Testing regimes were by virtue of urine testing through Clinitest tablets, 5 drops of urine and 10 drops of water and the tablet. It would fix like boiling liquid and settle to leave a coloured solution. Blue was negative and orange high sugar level with shades in between.
We all went to local school, who were familiar with our condition. We had normal school dinner and pudding I might add, and in those days school milk.
Things were not without problems often seeing children just collapse into hypo without warning. I was lucky that my hypos were usually less instant.
When I was 10 I was moved to another children’s home in Salford. (It was because the Kent venue was boys and girls so they moved the boys, how unfair!
The Salford venue was all boys and again local secondary school where we went.
We were given much more freedom, relevant to age, as boys were up to 16 years old.
From memory the testing and insulin was the same and carbo counting still the philosophy.
I stayed there until I was nearly 17 years old. Again I was happy there and enjoyed things like sea cadets and playing lots of sports.
Big change in my control when moving back to family as dad was remarried and home was in a bakery and confectionary shop. Wow. . . My control and my diabetes became subject to denial for an unfortunate time.
A turning point was when my diabetes specialist tol me I had very little time left if I didn’t change. Scary but effective message.
Starting work was difficult in terms of keeping my secret and not informing friends and colleagues. I didn’t want to be different.
Obviously I recognised that this was untenable so as to avoid silly risk but to enable people to deal with situations as they occur.
Moving on I spent 25 years in printing then 25 years as a probation officer and now teach pilates as a little business.
I have played sport all my life including football till I was 53, running marathons and more latterly cycling and pilates.
My beliefs focus on living life to the full and seeing diabetes as something you have and not who you are.
Testing and insulin systems are so much more sophisticated these days but it is a real truism that managing our diabetes is a full time job.
Without attempting to be different to other Type 1 people I have not experienced any one who has had Type 1 longer than 74 years.
Ray Burrows
Andy_Totnes_
Member
54 years this year, a few problems but still doing OK
Andy Milne
Andy Milne
JohnEGreen
Master
Then there is Bob Krause, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 5, recently turned 90 years old, making him the longest living man with the disease in the U.S.
Found this article on the subject.
"
Abstract
While the lifespan of people with type 1 diabetes has increased progressively since the advent of insulin therapy, these patients still experience premature mortality, primarily from cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, a subgroup of those with type 1 diabetes survives well into old age without significant morbidity. It is the purpose of this review to explore the factors which may help in identifying these patients."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4058732/
Found this article on the subject.
"
Abstract
While the lifespan of people with type 1 diabetes has increased progressively since the advent of insulin therapy, these patients still experience premature mortality, primarily from cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, a subgroup of those with type 1 diabetes survives well into old age without significant morbidity. It is the purpose of this review to explore the factors which may help in identifying these patients."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4058732/
Robinredbreast
Oracle
I have loved reading the wonderful posts on here, you are all stars and I hope you keep shining for many more years
