50 years of being type 1 is something else, I feel like a youngster in comparison!
I hear what you're saying about 'degree in severity of diabetes and no two people are alike', but at the end of the day the message is, and always has been to keep tight blood glucose control, and apart from advice and information given by our HCP, the responsibility to achieve good control lies solely with the individual. I do wonder sometimes if people are predetermined to get complications, as sometimes keeping good control is no guarantee that one can avoid complications, yet we hear of people who have had less than perfect control and have no complications in 30-40 years of diabetes, however I would much prefer to keep good control and take me's chances.
Not sure what your views are, but as someone who has been type 1 for 30 years, I only wish they had teaching programme's like the DAFNE course when I started out, and for those that are newly diagnosed and are fortunate to enroll on such courses, they are in a excellent position to keep diabetes complications at bay should they choose to implement and follow what they have been taught.
As for a cure?................I only wish! :roll: Can't see it happening in my time, but I am sure science will progress and develop treatments that are less time consuming and better at stabilising blood glucose.
Best wishes
Nigel