A Firsthand Experience on Living with Type 1 Diabetes
In
an interview with a 28-year old male who has been living with type 1 diabetes
for 11 years, the effects of his condition on lifestyle, budget, and
relationships are revealed.
Lifestyle
Q: How often
must you track your sugar levels?
A:
Three times per day.
Q: What
treatment do you use to manage diabetes?
A:
I use an optional treatment… the pump. I like for the control it offers and
its convenience. Type 1 diabetics must be consistent and the pump really helps
with that.
Q: Does the
pump limit you in any way?
A:
No, it does not. I lead a pretty active lifestyle. I work out at the gym, swim,
participate in CrossFit classes, and run regularly.
Q: Are
there advantages to using the pump versus shots while leading such an active
lifestyle?
A:
No, there’s no significant benefit to using the pump. It actually makes an
active lifestyle less convenient. I can’t wear the pump during activities. It’s
impractical. The doctor says that a manually administered long-acting injection
is required if I take my pump off at all. This is due to the steady and
constant stream of insulin that the pump administers to my body. In my case,
vigorous activity lowers my blood sugar. This is not the case for everyone. For
some, it even significantly increases their blood sugar, but fortunately mine decreases, and I’m able to substitute activity for the pump until my exercise is
over.
Q: How
often do you need to reposition your injection site using the pump?
A:
Once every three days.
Budget
Q: How does
this condition and treatment affect your budget?
A:
When I didn’t have insurance, it ran about $150 per month, but my doctor was
sometimes able to provide me with free samples. Even though there isn’t any
government help, some private pharmaceutical companies are helping out. A vile
of insulin lasts for 30 days and with insurance, it costs about $20. Total
costs run around $80 per month, including my hardware. The pump is optional
though, if I had any lapse in insurance, I’d be on the hook for an exorbitant
expense.
Q: May I
ask the initial investment for the pump?
A:
$6,000. Insurance covered the first $4,000. I was on the hook for $2,000. They
are made pretty well though and will last around five years. The warrantee ends
at the five-year mark. Word on the street is that you want to replace it
immediately before that and not get caught without a warrantee. It’s considered
durable medical equipment (DME), so it’s an allowable expense of my insurance
plan.
Q: That’s a
lot on your budget! Wow! I know that you have to be vigilant.
Relationships
A:
Type 1 diabetes is a small percent of the population, like less than 10%. I’m
not a good example of the masses with diabetes.
Q: Are the
people in your life concerned about you living with diabetes?
A:
Yeah. Everybody is concerned about me, friends and family- like if I go near a
brownie, there might be a boom and I’ll drop.
Q: Is your fiancée
particularly concerned about you? Or was she reluctant in choosing you?
A:
(After a thoughtful moment) Yeaaahhhh… She’s… she’s concerned about me, but she’s
ok with it.
Q: So, do
you think it affects the status of your relationship?
A:
No, not at all.
Q: So,
since high activity level lowers your sugar levels, will you need that pump on
your honeymoon?
A:
(Laughter) No, we won’t be needing that in Jamaica. I’m not even bringing it
with me.
Q: Thank
you for your time. I truly appreciate it.
A:
Not a problem, I’ll be around all summer. Call me if you have any more
questions.
In this video link, Hayley Schreiter explains the challenges her diabetic condition presents during her daily life as a college student and what she's doing to raise awareness on the campus of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Resources
Interview
with Jordan Major. June 8, 2014.
http://youtu.be/MgH9lNwLqEM
http://youtu.be/MgH9lNwLqEM
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