November was National Diabetes Awareness Month and we helped spread awareness of type 1 diabetes to the community through sharing facts, stories, and highlighting T1D Champions from our region. 30 Million Americans have some form of diabetes, while 1.25 million have type 1 diabetes. Former Henderson County Schools Teacher, Trudi Peters, shared her story about living with type 1 diabetes for 60 years.

Trudi was diagnosed when she was 12 years old. She was a kid who was always a picky eater, but randomly began eating everything in sight and drinking lots of water. She suddenly began losing weight, urinating frequently, and having extreme thirst. All which are warning signs of type 1 diabetes (T1D).

“Shortly after I was diagnosed, my parents were told I probably wouldn’t live to be 45. However, last May I celebrated my 72nd birthday.”

While it is a challenging disease to work with, it is not a death sentence like it was prior to the discovery of insulin. Over the past 60 years, I have gone from testing my urine with a tablet in a test tube, to wearing a device that reads my blood sugar without any testing of blood or urine. Insulin delivery is so much easier now. I know that the T1D technology and devices have kept me alive and able to live a normal life span,” stated Trudi.

Type 1 diabetes is a disease that requires management 24/7. Insulin doses must be administered many times per day and calculated carefully based on food intake, exercise, stress, illness, and many other factors. Even with a strict regimen, people with T1D may still experience dangerously high or low blood-sugar levels and complications that can, in extreme cases, be life- threatening. Every person with T1D must become actively involved in managing this disease. While insulin therapy keeps people with T1D alive, it is not a cure, nor does it prevent the possibility of serious complications from T1D.

“Through my 60 years of having T1D I was able to be a part of JDRF funded research conducted at Joslin Clinic in Boston. At the last meeting I attended, we learned that those of us who have had type 1 for over 50 years have a resistance blocker to complications. They are working to determine how to apply this to others with type 1 diabetes to help decrease complications.”

JDRF is funding research to deliver new devices and therapies that make day-to-day life with T1D easier, safer and healthier until they can ultimately cure and prevent type 1 diabetes.

Thank you so much to Trudi for sharing her story with the Asheville community. We are so grateful for your experience and support to JDRF.