I Used to Have Type I Diabetes

The difference the transplant has made in my life and to my family and friends is almost indescribable.  I can eat now when I am hungry.  This is a new phenomenon for me.  I have lost almost 15 pounds since the transplant because I no longer have to eat all the time to cover all my low blood sugars.  My friends and family are relieved, to say the least.  They no longer have to keep on eye on me to see if I have “The Look,” or if I’m sweating.  I can actually skip a meal if I choose to.  My husband asks, “Why would you ever want to skip a meal?” And I respond, “Just because I can!”  But I still think like I have diabetes.  A 40-year habit is hard to break.  While stuck in traffic my first thoughts are, “How long will this last?  Will I have enough food to cover a low if I’m stuck here for a long time?”  Then I catch myself, smack my forehead, and say, “Wait, I don’t have to do that anymore!”

Also, I no longer experience the enormous range of glucose levels, from lows of 0 to highs of more than 400.  To say the least, this change has evened out my life.  I haven’t had any hypoglycemic episodes since the day of the transplant, and one of my lowest readings was an 85 after a 90-minute run.  The highest blood sugar I have experienced post transplant has been about 170 two hours after eating.  I can ride my bike 40 miles and still have a blood sugar of 114 when I’m finished.  In the past, after exercise, my blood sugar would drop for hours, sometimes throughout the night.  The transplant has certainly changed my perspective of highs and lows, and my blood sugars are within a much narrower range.  I am enjoying much better blood sugar control.

The A1c is a test that measures a person’s average blood glucose level over the previous 2 to 3 months.  My A1c level before transplant was 8.8, which is relatively high.  The normal level for a person without diabetes is below 6.4.  Since transplant they have ranged from 5.8 to 6.4.  But the most important benefit of all is that I no longer have any hypoglycemic episodes and therefore certainly no hypoglycemia unawareness.

Shortly after the transplant, I was able to answer phones at our hospital during the terrorist crisis for many hours without having to worry about food or blood sugars.  I was in such a rush when I left my home, I didn’t even take my meter with me.  I didn’t eat breakfast either, and I ate a doughnut after I arrived at the hospital.

I continue to measure my temperature, weight, and blood pressure daily.  I now only take my blood sugars twice a day, rather than eight to twelve times a day as I did before my transplant when I was experiencing hypoglycemic reactions.  I was also taking my blood sugar every time I got in the car to drive.  My fingertips certainly appreciate that relief.  I send all this information to the team at NIH on a biweekly basis.  Every month I go to NIH to have lab work done.  Once every three months, they conduct an arginine test.  My time commitment to the clinical trial has decreased significantly since the initial transplant.  Initially, I was having lab work done weekly and an arginine test done monthly.  Of course, if anything arises at any time that I or the team feels concerned about, I see a specialist immediately.  If the doctors change my medications, then a follow up blood draw is needed to assess the effect of the change.  I am very well known at the Clinical Center at NIH and all the people there are part of my team.  Every time I go, I stay for a long time because I stop in so many different departments to let everyone know how I’m doing.  They are all as thrilled as I am with my success.