Meet Donna

My diabetes journey has been a long and winding road. I was diagnosed in my second year of college, 18 months after my first abnormal glucose test 56 years ago. T1D at that time was most commonly diagnosed in middle childhood, not at 19. So I was put on oral agents with the endocrinologist thinking it was T2. In the next week, I lost an additional 28 pounds, so at 5’7” I looked skeletal at 95 pounds. I told the endocrinologist, “I think I need insulin,” and he replied that he never heard anyone ask for insulin before. I said "I don't have a death wish." It seems I may have had LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes of adulthood).

I’m a nurse and a pediatric nurse practitioner, and in 1985, became a certified diabetes educator. I started on an insulin pump in 1981 and have been pumping ever since. I have also worn a glucose sensor since those very early days 20 years ago.

My biggest struggle with diabetes has been hypoglycemia. Even with the augmented pumps, I still have more hypoglycemia than I’d like, so now I'm starting on Beta Bionics iLet this coming week in the hope that it will decrease the hypoglycemia. At 74 and living alone, this is a good goal. Here’s to less hypoglycemia and more living!