Saturday, March 17, 2012

Envelope Stuffing for JDRF Central Pennsylvania

Last Friday I helped stuff envelopes for the JDRF Gala event here in Central Pennsylvania. The local chapter office is pretty near my home and I thought it was a great opportunity to do something to help as well as meet other T1D families.

Then I met Lyle. He is 66 years old and was diagnosed with T1D during his sophomore year of college at Penn State University almost 50 years ago!

You recall my last post about getting thoughts on diabetes honeymoon, right? Well, I jumped at the chance to talk to the other two volunteers about theirs. Lyle had never even heard the term. And the other volunteer said her son had been diagnosed 1 1/2 years ago and he was still producing some insulin! I was ecstatic. Actually, hopeful is a better word for what I was feeling. I announced that it would be our family goal, I'm sure if we really tried we could make this honeymoon last another year...(I do realize that trying and wishing has nothing to do with how long the pancreas produces insulin).

Then Lyle said that he was also still producing some insulin...after 50 years! I don't know what that means, but it was a wonderful conversation and Lyle gave me permission to share his story here on my "brand new" blog. He was wrestling at Penn State and during a routine physical they found not exactly right blood glucose numbers. He was about 18 years old at the time. The campus doctor told him that most doctors would not immediately put him on insulin, but that she thought it would help save the pancreas function that still existed. That was 1964.  Lyle just got a pump last year and loves it.

2 comments:

Leighann said...

Henry's dad was Dx'd in college as well... I think age 22. He is in his late-50s and still produces a small amount of insulin. :)

Bonni said...

That is so interesting..because I really wanted to ask Lyle how he knows he is still producing, but I forgot. So now I can ask you, how does he know? Is it based on the amount of insulin he uses being very low?

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