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.
When you are diagnosed at the time of the Roman legions, the Visigoths, and the Huns, it’s a bit dicey not having A1c’s invented yet, much less carb to insulin correlations.
The world has spun a few times and progressed a tad since then.
It’s amazing that some of us T1D dinosaurs have survived for so many years since the ancient days before A1Cs, BG meters, insulin pumps, CGMs, or even disposable injection devices were even thought of. Congratulations to us all for beating the odds! The best is yet to come!!!
Misdiagnosed as type 2 for 2 years, so by the time they realised I was type 1 my a1c was well under control. Was between 7 and 8 when misdiagnosed though
They didn’t do an A1C, just a simple glucose test (which had to be done in a lab, because this was 1980). The result was over 650. (The nurse dropped the clipboard when they handed her the result.)
My bg was 383 at the clinic before going to the hospital. My first A1c after being diagnosed was 7.3% and I remember my doctor telling me I was doing well.
16.1 A1C with bg over 500 Oct. ‘20
Dr asked me how I was feeling. I said ok. Never had the excessive thirst or urination symptoms. She said she would have sent me to the hospital if I had answered anything else. Got sent home with insulin. 😊 Amazing stuff!
In 1974, almost two decades after my diagnosis, I participated in the study of glycosylated hemoglobin which has become known as HgA1c and currently HbA1c.
So, at my diagnosis A1c reading was not available.
Jan ’68 A1c was not known about. But I do know that my bg was 1040. I was 11 months old.
I was 16 when I got my first A1c and it was in the “6” range. My Endo said that was excellent, considering it was my first.
They never checked my A1c until a month or two after my T1D diagnosis, but the first time my A1c was tested, it was 3.1, which the doctor said was almost too low even for a non-diabetic.
I was diagnosed in 1956.
Management of T1D was crude at best. Pork insulin with 20 guage needle
S, glass syringes and boiling Benedictine solution to check urine for sugar.
I remember my mom having to boil the needle tip and syringe every morning and before each use to sterilize it. Then I got a plastic travel kit that had stainless steel tubes that kept the various parts sterile in isopropyl alcohol.
On December 26 1962 is the day I was officially diagnosed with “Juvenile Diabetes” when i was 8 years old. The A1C measurement wasn’t available but it was probably off the charts. Happy Diavesary to me!
It was 42 years ago. I have no memory of anything except the instructions given by my family doctor- go home, pack a bag, you will be in the hospital for sometime, WHATEVER YOU DO, EAT NOTHING, that is most important.- I was so confused. I was 13 and weighed about 70 pounds. Skin and bone. So if an A1C was done no one told me.
I can’t know because the glycoslated hemoglobin A1c was not developed yet. N=My BS was high and I had other symptoms, so they put me on insulin.
When you are diagnosed at the time of the Roman legions, the Visigoths, and the Huns, it’s a bit dicey not having A1c’s invented yet, much less carb to insulin correlations.
The world has spun a few times and progressed a tad since then.
Thank you for making me laugh with your comments!!
It’s amazing that some of us T1D dinosaurs have survived for so many years since the ancient days before A1Cs, BG meters, insulin pumps, CGMs, or even disposable injection devices were even thought of. Congratulations to us all for beating the odds! The best is yet to come!!!
Misdiagnosed as type 2 for 2 years, so by the time they realised I was type 1 my a1c was well under control. Was between 7 and 8 when misdiagnosed though
They didn’t do an A1C, just a simple glucose test (which had to be done in a lab, because this was 1980). The result was over 650. (The nurse dropped the clipboard when they handed her the result.)
LADA diagnosed early as type 2. Took two years for correct diagnosis. A1c never above 7. When properly diagnosed A1c always below 6
I was in the icu with dka for 4 days. When released from hospital with pump blood sugar still at 500.
I was diagnosed in 1945. My first A1C was 11 in 1980.
Forty years ago today I was diagnosed at UVa with a blood sugar of 1173.
Happy Diaversary to you, Patrick!
My bg was 383 at the clinic before going to the hospital. My first A1c after being diagnosed was 7.3% and I remember my doctor telling me I was doing well.
16.1 A1C with bg over 500 Oct. ‘20
Dr asked me how I was feeling. I said ok. Never had the excessive thirst or urination symptoms. She said she would have sent me to the hospital if I had answered anything else. Got sent home with insulin. 😊 Amazing stuff!
A1C was not used when I was diagnosed in 1976
I was barely 4, I don’t know.
In 1974, almost two decades after my diagnosis, I participated in the study of glycosylated hemoglobin which has become known as HgA1c and currently HbA1c.
So, at my diagnosis A1c reading was not available.
Jan ’68 A1c was not known about. But I do know that my bg was 1040. I was 11 months old.
I was 16 when I got my first A1c and it was in the “6” range. My Endo said that was excellent, considering it was my first.
A1c was not invented available in 1964, but I was in full fledged acidosis, near coma.
It was 1972, and I was not given that information. I wish now that I had it.
I don’t remember, but my glucose was 229.
They never checked my A1c until a month or two after my T1D diagnosis, but the first time my A1c was tested, it was 3.1, which the doctor said was almost too low even for a non-diabetic.
In 1955, when I was dx. the A1c lab was still a dream. I didn’t receive an A1c result until the early 1980’s.
I was diagnosed in 1956.
Management of T1D was crude at best. Pork insulin with 20 guage needle
S, glass syringes and boiling Benedictine solution to check urine for sugar.
I remember my mom having to boil the needle tip and syringe every morning and before each use to sterilize it. Then I got a plastic travel kit that had stainless steel tubes that kept the various parts sterile in isopropyl alcohol.
On December 26 1962 is the day I was officially diagnosed with “Juvenile Diabetes” when i was 8 years old. The A1C measurement wasn’t available but it was probably off the charts. Happy Diavesary to me!
I’m guessing…my single test I know was a week previous at 399. Started on shots because of ketones, otherwise was naive
My son’s was 10.4. He was diagnosed at 18 months
It was 42 years ago. I have no memory of anything except the instructions given by my family doctor- go home, pack a bag, you will be in the hospital for sometime, WHATEVER YOU DO, EAT NOTHING, that is most important.- I was so confused. I was 13 and weighed about 70 pounds. Skin and bone. So if an A1C was done no one told me.
I don’t know my A1c at time of diagnosis (5/04/2014), but my Bg at the time was 585.
To my knowledge the test had not been invented/in common usage, quite yet. Soon after, but not then
Oops, I put I don’t know, but I believe the test wasn’t available when I was diagnosed.