I was talking to a mate this morning who has a relative that’s just been diagnosed with type one as a adolescent and he was telling me how impressed they are with the technology/resources around diabetes these days from the insulin pens, glucose meters, pumps, finger prickers and insulins available and this got me reminiscing.

In 1991 when I was diagnosed it was 6 minutes on a reflolux that cost $120 to get a BG, it was syringes and a vial all the way, we didn’t have insulin lispro meaning it was an injection 30 minutes before a meal or you watched your mates eat lunch, insulins pens didn’t exist, neither did pumps (in real terms) the only sugar free lollie was extra chewing gum and you counted insulin in relation to portions – carb counting wasn’t in et you see. In short, then, things have come a long, long way and I’m so pleased that they have because it makes it so much easier to concentrate on getting better control and avoiding the complications. It seems that every year the testers get faster, the supplies drop in price, the accuracy of the technology gets better with stuff like inhalable insulin, contant BG monitoring and the health care professionals learn more and more.

This of course begs that question we’ve been asking ourselves for years but really, what is next? If we don’t dare to get excited I still reckon that there is enough to be at least encouraged don’t you think?

- Aaron