Forty years

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BostonPaul Posted: Fri, Feb 6 2009 6:06 PM

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Hello all,

This is my first time posting to Joslin. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1969 when I was 10 years old.

In May, I am turning 50 and September (Sept. 10) marks the 40th anniversary of my becoming a diabetic. I think I have been pretty lucky, no major complications, but there are many out there creeping up on me (neuropathy, cataracts, liver function...) They are being monitored closely.

It's funny, I think the 40th means more to me than the 50th. Living this long with this disease is quite an accomplishment, I think, and I am wondering if anyone else has "celebrated" a milestone like this and if so, what did they do and how did it turn out. Realizing what I have accomplished, I wonder if it would be appropriate to celebrate and what form it could take. I wonder if it seems odd.

Regards,

Paul

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Spirit replied on Fri, Feb 6 2009 6:48 PM

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Dear Paul:  Celebrate?  ABSOLUTELY!!!  That is quite an acheivement.  I can understand why it is more important than the 50th.  Turning 50 means you have lived that long.  So have lots of others. Turning 40 as a successful diabetic means you have worked to live that long in a healthy, proactive, medically aware way!  That is cause for fireworks!  Congratulations to you.  How to celebrate?  Well, I wouldn't recommend a blow-out food extravaganza or a three layer cake, but perhaps something that you have always wanted to do, but seemed just a little decadent?  A trip (far away or close to home, but a place that will leave some happy memories)?  Signing up for a class or seminar that has nothing to do with your "real life', just something that tickles your fancy?  Buying some totally unnecessary but fun thing?  Or giving a donation to a diabetes organization that can provide some sense of accomplishment to another person 40 years from now?  Volunteering at a school that has diabetic students to talk about this disease?  A friend of mine parachuted out of a plane when he turned 40...wouldn't recommend that, nearly gave his wife a cardiac arrest!

Add my best wishes on both your 40th and 50th celebrations.  They are both to be celebrated.

P.S. Let us know what you do.  We all may need some ideas for when we reach that milestone, too.

Spirit

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Scribe replied on Fri, Feb 6 2009 9:22 PM

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i hit my 50th anniversary this year which is cool because I'm 51. was diagnosed at 8 mos. even so, i have no celebrations. just another day. why temp fate? i have no complications. i'm active have gone to iraq as reporter and i ref high level soccer. not sure why i'm so luck but i do one thing that i'm convinced made a difference - i eat to the number. if i'm low or normal, i eat. if not i don't. i also have no patience for people who whine. it's never been easier to be diabetic. nobody at work knows i have the disease; none of my friends know and i will never tell them. i'm convinced i'm more health because i'm diabetic; i eat better. my fitness is great (170 pounds and i still where clothes from high school).

in that regard, milestones are pretty meaningless. but it's nice to defy the odds.

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Joe replied on Sun, Feb 8 2009 10:50 PM

Scribe:

Congratulations on your milestones.  In your case jumping out of a plane would probably seem kind of tame!! [grin]

My hat is certainly off to anyone who has managed this for so long with such a healthy attitude!

Thanks for the inspiration! 

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Short-Jan replied on Mon, Feb 9 2009 12:03 PM

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Congratulations Paul! Yes, you certainly should celebrate forty years of life with diabetes. I would suggest that you mark the date with a donation to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation for research on prevention of type 1 and then take some time for yourself to relax, enjoy and be grateful for life.

For the past five years I've spoken with second year medical students when they spend time studying diabetes. Although after close to fifty-four years with type 1, I sometimes am looked at like a dinosaur, I know my answers to their questions have helped to provide a better understanding of living with a chronic disease. Very often I've been told that students need to learn from people who have managed well because they're primarily exposed to patients in health crisis situations.

Enjoy life and stay well.

Jan

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ces replied on Mon, Feb 9 2009 6:24 PM

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That's an awesome accomplishment and I look forward to reading more from you.

And yup, I'm with the others and love the idea of a donation to a Diabetes charity to celebrate your 40 years.

Be sure to keep us posted on your decision!

Colleen

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Spirit replied on Mon, Feb 9 2009 7:48 PM

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Jan:  I think that your contributions to medical students  have been very important.  As students, they need to marry theoritical knowledge with real-life experiences.  Until that happens medicine won't serve the people they hope to serve because they won't know how to listen to the person in the seat in the other side of the desk.  That last was a complictaed sentence, but it did express what I meant (if you can untangle it!).

Spirit

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Short-Jan replied on Tue, Feb 10 2009 12:46 AM

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Thanks Spirit. I've been thanked by many of the students for providing a very helpful and necessary voice of experience to their studies. Of course, living in a city with a large medical school makes it fairly easy for me to have access to the students. I want them to have more than just a textbook understanding of what living with diabetes means. I want them to be better doctors.

 I'd like for all the interns to have a full week of pseudo type 1 diabetes, with bg testing before and two hours after meals, saline injections before meals, counting carbs, and recording it all in a logbook. I think that experience would teach a valuable lesson and reduce the assumption of patient non-compliance when bg levels are presented as a problem. So far, I haven't found anyone at the medical school willing to consider the idea, but I'll keep suggesting it.

Jan

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BostonPaul replied on Wed, Feb 11 2009 5:18 PM

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Thanks for the compliments and the advice, everyone. All I can say so far is that we are going to Hawaii for my birthday, which will be nice (although after the winter we have had in Boston, I wish we could go now!). The rest I don't know.

I know I will be (and am) deeply appreciative of the diabetes milestone, but not sure how much to share it with others. While I do not hide it, I don't really discuss it much with family or friends, it is just accepted. Usually the only time I get questions is when someone at work sees me testing or shooting, or when we are with new acquaintences and I pull out the insulin pen and they didn't already know. So I think it might be a little strange to have a party.

Regarding the suggestion of making a contribution, I do that every year anyway. The JDRF and the ADA both have fund-raising walks in Boston in October (on consecutive weekends) and one thought I had was to invite my family to walk in it with me. I need to explore this more, I have never asked them to do anything before regarding donating or fund raising. It might be fun and educational, as well as healthy.

Thanks again for the comments and good cheer!

Paul

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Spirit replied on Wed, Feb 11 2009 6:47 PM

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I think that asking your friends and family to do the fundraising walks with you is a wonderful idea.  I have a friend who is a breast cancer survivor.  She does the BC Awareness walk every year at a local college.  Her husband and daughters have become very involved with this.  They have said that is is one more way to say that they appreciate what she went through and that they are so happy that she can walk as a survivor.  These walks can be a fun event, a chance to bond in a new way with your family and friends.  Nothing heavy, just a chance to enjoy the fall day and do some good as well.  It might also be a way to introduce a slightly deeper level of discussion with those close to you about diabetes.  I really think that most people are pretty honored to be included in something like this, but they may not want to suggest it themselves for fear of intruding.  October in Boston is very nice.  If nothing else, everyone gets a healthy day out in the best time of the year!

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Josh F replied on Wed, Feb 11 2009 8:35 PM

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Congrats!

I am about to celebrate(no other word for it I guess) my 30th year. Diagnosed 1979 at age 5 with type 1.

It inspires me to see others handling it so well for so long. 

Here is to another 20 sir  ;-)

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jnrjunkie replied on Thu, Feb 12 2009 2:58 PM

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Congratulations to both of you on reaching such inspiring milestones. I am a fairly new type 1, so your posts are an inspiration to me.

Hope you continue to enjoy good health and a good life.

Kiwi