I was diagnosed with Type 1, Juvenile, diabetes 21 years ago. Unfortunately, I began my diabetic life with a physician that I could not stand. After a few years of good control, I began college, lost health insurance, and as you can imagine my control suffered considerably. That aforesaid physician would no longer see me due to no health insurance either! After college I was lucky enough to acquire a job with good benefits and found a new physician whom I was able to connect with. I have treated my condition with syringes, pens, and now I use an insulin pump. The pump has provided me the most effective management of my blood sugars by far. Now, I just hope that my insurance will eventually come around to approving continuous glucose monitors! Together with my pump, I feel that would provide me the best treatment short of an all out cure. I thankfully have suffered no side effects of diabetes other than some retinopathy which was treated with laser.
