Samantha Walsh
Samantha Walsh has lived with type 1 diabetes for over five years since 2017. After her T1D diagnosis, she was eager to give back to the diabetes community. She is the Community and Partner Manager for T1D Exchange and helps to manage the Online Community and recruit for the T1D Exchange Registry. Prior to T1D Exchange, Samantha fundraised at Joslin Diabetes Center. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelors degree in sociology and early childhood education.
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How would you describe the scar tissue you have from T1D management? Please share more in the comments! Cancel reply
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How do I describe scar tissue — after 45,000 injections (with needles the size a horse doctor would use, no the current mini mouse sizes) and 30 years of pump inserts — pretty bad with grand-canyon-sized pot holes. Picasso’s Guernica comes to mind. 🤔🤔
I can relate and I applaud your comparison to a masterpiece by a flawed artistic genius. I like to think of us long-timers as flawed masterpieces. Good health.
No visible scar tissue, however, I do have significant hypertrophy in my abdomen resulting in kinked catheters and poor absorption. Tandem’s Tru-Steel needle goes deeper and doesn’t kink eliminating a lot of frustration when changing sets.
It is more challenging finding places to move insets and sensors. Neither want to work on my legs for some reason.
After 68…69 years next month, of MDI + pump + CGM insertion sites I have little unscarred territory left. Since I’m 4’8″, I never had very much to begin with and bouts of frozen shoulder and arthritis have made many sites out of reach.
Unwelcome would be a good start?! I loathe ALL aspects of treatment which by definition can/does physically harms me. Do not care they are for arguably benign/theoretically “good” purposes. Long term they do harm period. Do not pretend such damage is irrelevant and ignore/dismiss these issues being for some greater good long term. NO… find a less damaging approach. Such that if/when they happen you can CURE that problem, not shrug and say, “oopse”. There is only so much rotation one can do, ten fingers usable and only so much surface easily accessible. It is not forgivable. Give me a cure for these problems, do not demean or ignore them…
I have significant lipoatrophy on sites all over that I have used to give shots and place insulin pump infusion sets. Like others, the answer to the question, “what can I do?” is not helpful. Despite the fact that the places they want me to use are hyper-uncomfortable, I can’t get to them. Arthritis is one reason for that.
I also find it interesting that the solutions to our issues involve poking sharp metal things into bodies that, for many of us, do not heal easily or well. (It’s a problem that the tests need to access blood and the insulin needs to be inserted sub-q. If only tests could be done on hair! Or the one that I’ve lost track of where they wanted to use a picture of the eyes.)
I really like Afrezza as an option. But, during colds and allergy problems, it’s _hard_ to inhale.
I am grateful for all the research that is happening! Keep thinking outside the box dear scientists!! 🙂
And, yes, I don’t think any of us would mind a cure! 🙂
I have scar tissue around on my abdomen where I have mostly worn my insulin pumps and sometimes in the past CGM’s. On February 20th, 2024, just a few weeks ago I changed out my new i-Let Bionic Pancreas just before going to bed with a new fill, tubing, etc. I did not realize that when I inserted the canula the needle bent until the next morning. I had not gotten any insulin all night from midnight until realizing about 8:30am the next morning. My sugar was so high that it did not register on my Dexcom G7 which was also new, I had been using the G6. I also didn’t remember that I had increased the sound and alerts on the G6 so that they wake me if I go too low or too high during the night because I am a heavy sleeper therefore, I slept right through the mnf setting alerts. Thank goodness my daughter was home from school that morning and was able to help me. I have never had DKA and wasn’t sure if that is what it was but thought strongly that it probably is what was going on. I begin to shake uncontrollably, hyperventilating uncontrollably, hurting badly in my chest and uper body and just not able to stand, walk or function at all. My body began to shut down. She was able to help me to the bathroom in my room to try a Keto strip and sure enough that is what it was so I told her to call 911 right then I knew she could not get me to the car and to the hospital by herself. So, I had a ride in the ambulance to the ER and there for the day. Very Scary! I hope I never had DKA again!
Currently I have minimal to no scar tissue. And this is with living with diabetes for 68 years; 47 years poking myself with needles before shifting to a series of pumps. I say “currently” to emphasize the fact that from time-to-time I give a site, or sites, a rest period of several months; my ‘body map’, which I began in 1975 while helping develop MDI, has sites numbered from 1 to 24. I no longer include on my map the top of my thighs which turned to leather in the 1950s from using and reusing a needle the size of a 3d finishing nail.
I have mild-moderate scar tissue in multiple areas on my body. Arms, abdomen, back fat, buttocks, thighs.
The only real scar tissue I have, even after 52 years of T1D is on my fingertips from finger pricks. My abdomen has areas of lipohypertrophy (a buildup of fat and protein from insulin infusion) It takes about two months of using other sites for lipohypertrophy to go away.
Some areas of the abdomen are tough. The infusion set inserter (like a spring-loaded trap) are ineffective, I had 20% failure rate. With manual insertion of the infusion set, no failures yet.
I have scar tissue on hips after decades of MDI since childhood (up to 10/day at one point). Once on a Medtronic pump, I had to do finger pricks 10x/day, so I my favorite fingers (LOL!) are a bit calloused. Being on Tandem/Dexcom has helped the finger toughness to subside.
Hey Tunnel Rush, it’s so important to share our experiences with T1D management scars. They tell stories of resilience and the ongoing conversation about better care methods could really help future generations deal with these challenges more effectively.
“mejora de calidad de imagen” tools are very useful for making blurry or low-resolution photos look sharper, with better details and more vibrant colors in just a few seconds.
“parle infinito gioco” sounds like a fun and endless word challenge—perfect for anyone who enjoys testing their vocabulary and playing without limits.