What is insulin? How does it work? Why is it so important? In this episode, we talk about these things, and we also touch on insulin resistance.
For those of us with type 1 diabetes, insulin is literally a lifesaver. We don’t make it naturally because our pancreases have stopped producing it. It’s a hormone that the body (human or otherwise) cannot survive without, as it regulates blood sugar. There are multiple different types of insulin, and some work better than others for certain people.
Wins & Fails
Jessie’s Win: Jessie just got a new truck, and the first thing she did was put low snacks in it!
Colleen’s Fail (kind of): I realized that my problem with not being able to run down my t:Slim’s insulin cartridge to 0 units had more to do with the cartridge itself and not my site. I was wasting probably 30+ units per site change because I thought the problem was the site, not the pump’s heat breaking down the insulin.
Tip of the Week
Keep extra supplies in your car, locker, or somewhere other than your home where you spend a majority of your time.
Diabetes Spotlight
Proof-of-Concept for Hypoglycemia Prevention
A patch to release glucagon, kind of like a nicotine patch? Yes, please!
“JDRF-funded Shirley X.Y. Wu, Ph.D., at the University of Toronto, is an expert in material sciences and ‘smart’ drug delivery systems, and has been working on a prevention tool for hypoglycemia: a patch, applied to the skin, which will be able to tell if blood sugar is getting low and deliver glucagon at the right time, preventing hypoglycemia altogether.”
Now It's Your Turn...
What’s your favorite low snack?
Mentioned in This Episode
- Test One Drop Campaign
- History of Type 1 Diabetes (Healthline)
- The History of Diabetes (The Diabetes Council)
- History of diabetes: early science, early treatment, insulin (Medical News Today)
- Insulin Resistance (WebMD)
- Long Acting Insulin (Healthline)
- Insulin A to Z: A Guide on Different Types of Insulin (Joslin Diabetes Center)
- Pre-Mixed Insulin (Diabetes Education Online)
Community & Social
- Join us in the Half-Dead Pancreas Club, our private Discord community for people with T1D.
- Follow us on Instagram @thisistype1pod, @jj_crystalkat, & @type1ravenclaw
- Follow us on Facebook
Choose Where to Listen
Credits
Our music is by Joseph McDade. Check out his website here!
Skip to content