Editor’s note: This is the fifth post in the series, “ALL OF US,” by Chelsea Lugone and family, who will share their T1D journey onstage at the 2024 JDRF Central PA Gala on May 18^th. Whether or not you are able to join them at the event, you can still support their efforts with a 100% tax-deductible Fund A Cure gift today to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs in T1D research.

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ALL OF US: T1D Tech Then vs. Now

I am immensely and deeply grateful for all of the advancements that have occurred in type 1 diabetes (T1D) technology since I was first diagnosed.  I think back on how my journey with T1D started with 10-12 finger sticks per day, always feeling in the dark, relying on my best guess in the moment to inform my treatment decisions…

And then I think of where Kate, Ryan, and I are today: knowing at all times what our glucose numbers are and knowing that our continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps are working together to keep us healthier.  Technological advances in T1D care have been such tremendous gamechangers in our lives.

The first time I was able to see Kate’s glucose data when she was not even near me, I cried!  The first time an automated insulin delivery system received FDA approval, I cried!  These things are monumental to those of us living with T1D; they keep us safer, healthier, and allow us more freedom to go about our lives the best we can, hopefully with more confidence and less interference than before.

Now, do not get me wrong.  This is still life with T1D, so of course there are nights where I scream and yell at diabetes for requiring four hypoglycemia treatments, or when I feel just terrible that the NEW pump site is not working and we have to change it again!

But even though there can be tech challenges and issues, because again, this is life with T1D, I try hard to live my life as a glass half-full person.  I remind myself of what some of my own friends and many patients I have worked with faced.  From the days of not even having a glucometer, when insulin was not as effective as it is today, and not being able to know what we know now about T1D—we have come so, so, so far!

Advancements in diabetes technology have made a profound impact not only on our health but also on the quality of our lives and I am so excited to see where it goes from here.  And knowing that the technology will continue to advance gives me hope for ALL OF US impacted by T1D!

• What technological advancements have made the biggest impact in your life or that of your loved one(s) with T1D?
• Do you wear any sort of diabetes technology (CGM, insulin pump, etc.)?
• When you see someone out and about with diabetes tech (“diabetes in the wild!”), do you say “hello” and instantly bond? I do!
• What advancements do you hope to see in the future with T1D technology?

We would love for you to share your story.  Our hope is to share all of our stories at the 2024 JDRF Central PA Gala because this is about #ALLOFUS.  For the chance for your story to be included on signage at the Gala, e-mail abreining@jdrf.org and/or tag your story on social media with: #ALLOFUS #JDRFCentralPAGala #JDRFWestCentralPA