@A DiabetesTeam Member - even as diabetics we can live into our 90's if we take our care seriously.

(true story)

My Great-Granfather was born in 1880, 40 some years before Insulin was even discovered.

In 1931 he was diagnosed with "Sugar Diabetes" - no Type 2 back then, adults got sugar diabetes, children got Juvenile (so said the experts).

Insulin was available by then but not a single oral medication of any kind so unless you were really bad you simply "watched what you ate". They didn't have the understanding of nutrition (and all the labels) back then but "somebody" knew what you could eat/not eat and the information kinda got passed around.

So Harry watched what he ate.

In 1955 the first oral meds hit the market - Sulfonlurea's. They are still around today in 2nd generation form - all the "end in IDE" meds, glipizide, glimperide, glyburide etc.

The first gen ones were really nasty - caused low blood sugars and nobody had "home meters" back then - about 1 in 3 users would get low sugars and some died - so again, didn't take them unless you were already in trouble - Harry just kept watching what he ate, got in his exercise even though he was in his 70's by then.

Metformin hit the market in Canada in the early 1970's - Harry was now in his 90's, had been managing without meds for well over 40 years "with no meds", so he didn't bother.

A week after his 101'st birthday, now living in an assisted living place (they fed them but they had their own apartments) himself and the younger guy next door (in his 90's) decided they would go out and have a couple drinks to celebrate his birthday.

Well, he overdid it a bit. They stumbled back, he passed out on his back, aspirated and asphyxiated himself.

51 years with Diabetes, not a single complication, never took a drug and went out like that.

Anything is possible 😃

Mentioned Users

A Diabete...

Mom, grandmother, brothers all have diabetes

My diagnosis sort of crept up on me. Although I would constantly drink sodas and sweets like ice cream, pie, cake, candy bars and other things that are not good for me. I just woke up one day and had thirst, hunger, blurred vision. and exhaustion. I didn't even think of the possibility of getting diabetes. Then I had to be hospitalized for three days and was officially diagnosed. I don't know how I missed the warning signs. Probably because I wasn't looking for them. Other than being overweight everything else was fine. Regarding my cholesterol and other tested conditions that are completed for a physical. I am trying not to be angry at myself and work on getting on the wagon and staying on the wagon to ensure that I stay healthy. My grandmother and great grandfather lived to be 90 something so I have the ability to live a long life if I try to do better and educate myself on this disease and what it can do to my mind and body.

I was so young when I started having issues and was underweight. I guess if I could go back and change one thing since my DNA is what it is...lots of thin people in my family with diabetes and other endocrine disorders. I would have eaten breakfast and wish my parents had of gotten me tested when I was fainting at school but they were not bad it just was not common to take children to the doctor as much as today....Maybe I could not avoid the diagnosis but if I could change what I did afterwards I would have eaten less carbs and later when I became a single parent less working so many shifts at all hours.

I asked why I became a T1D and got told that sadly its hidden in my genes that something just triggered it to turn on and poof my body started attacking itself (and hasn't stopped, since once you have one autoimmune condition others soon will follow). Wish it was as simple as be more active, eat healthy, etc. But that was never my option I never could have stopped myself from becoming a T1 diabetic nor will I ever be not dependent on insulin until an actual cure is found, best I can do is try to keep up with my body fails and fight daily to live.