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…

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I was at the hospital today getting taken through the insulin pump plug in and I’m all ready to do tomorrow with real insulin rather than saline solution. During the process of the morning we talked about the all powerful HbA1c and how that is the 3 monthly average and all that and it struck my just how much emphasis health professionals and we ourselves put on this little number.

Back in the dark ages when I had the reflolux and it was syringes and vials all the way, I didn’t really know about this ‘HbA1c’ but recently have begun to think more about it. Initially, it stemmed out of a conversation I had with my pump rep about whether going…

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I got back to work this week after a 5 day holiday in the South Island for my Mum’s 50th birthday party and I have realised while I was away just how much I depend on routine to keep things in sync as far as my blood glucose goes.

I get up at 7:23 and have a shower, get dressed, am at work by 8:30am and I do a blood test, have my long acting, a bowl of bran and inject the 5.5u of novorapid that I take every morning because it is just easier to eat the same thing every day and not have to think about it too much. Quite tragically, I also tend to have the same…

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So, while Nic is away kicking her heals up in Japan I’ve got a firm grip on my keyboard with the express intention of enthralling you all with the various happenings in my life over the next two weeks. It’s not going to be the Truman Show but that said, I am getting plugged in next Monday (to a pump that is), planning a trip to Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand that I leave for just after Nic gets back and doing the day to day stuff in between so it won’t be too dull.

I’ll start with the travel thing though because I’ve just sat through about two hours of planning itineraries, budgets, hotels, tormenting our travel agent by changing…

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If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’ll have noticed a dedicated commenter named Aaron springing up all the time.

Aaron is a 25 year old Aucklander who has had type one since six years of age. We met over a year ago, and it’s been awesome having him as a friend – my first fellow type one friend (ahhhhh). He’s got a brilliant way with words and is passionate on the subject of diabetes.

Aaron’s going on a trial pump for a couple of months in a week. I wish him all the best! But the great thing for you lot is that he is also going to look after the blog for me while I’m away,…

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