On October 14th, two of our longtime Greater Blue Ridge Board Members, Sally Southard and Mary Lou Bruce were members of a group of five type 1 diabetics that took part in a UVA artificial pancreas clinical trial. The trial took place at an old historic farm house in Charlottesville. Sally and Mary Lou, close friends and roommates for this trial, switched out their own insulin pumps for the research ones, calibrated 2 CGMs, and synched to cell phones programmed with algorithms. Based on these algorithms the phone (panaceas) would give them more or less insulin depending on blood sugars.  Read in Sally’s words what the experience was like:

Day one – At 11 PM, I pushed the button on the phone to start the “closed loop artificial pancreas” and was ON. My blood sugar started at 200. By 2 AM it was down to 85 (Normal) and stayed in the normal range until I was awakened at 3 AM for a BS and then again at 7 AM when we went off the closed loop AP. I did not go too low as I had every night for the past few weeks. It was amazing!! And they say if your night time BS control is good, then most likely the daytime one will be good as well. This is sooo exciting!!

Day 5 – It was the last night that we would wear the artificial pancreas (AP). I have to say that I was a bit sad, especially since last night was our best night. We went to bed with blood sugars (BSs) in the higher than normal range (160-220) but they came down and stayed in the normal range once we connected to the AP. We both slept well and were only awakened by the routine 3AM finger stick for which we both had normal BSs. We both woke up with BSs within 10 points of each other.

It was a very interesting 5 days and I would do it again in a minute, but it was tiring.  It sounds like it will be at least 2 years before some form of the artificial pancreas will be available, but we will keep raising money, participating in clinical trials, and learning from each one to get closer and closer to that day when the AP comes to market or T1D is cured.

Congratulations and a thank you to both of these women who always face diabetes everyday with humor and grace. My favorite part of the blog was the fact the staff called our ladies Thelma and Louise, and if any of you know them personally……Well the names are perfect!!