It’s No Longer Just a Needle Game

Talk about a roller coaster ride.

Like most people with type 1 diabetes (T1Ds), I started with multiple daily injections of long-acting and short-acting insulin. Several years later I started on an insulin pump, which definitely changed my life for the better.

After many years of insulin injections, pump site insertions and continuous glucose monitor (CGM) site insertions, however, I started having trouble with insulin absorption because of scar tissue. After years of taking care of myself I was suddenly having the worst blood sugars of my life. When your body doesn’t properly absorb your insulin, it’s impossible to keep your blood sugars stable. You go from highs to lows constantly. My CGM set alarms off all night long, and I had to feed lows throughout the day, leading to rebound highs and weight gain. Talk about frustrating!

I’d heard about Afrezza, the inhaled insulin, a couple years earlier and was interested in trying it. But my endocrinologist said it wasn’t a good fit for a T1D and claimed I could never get the same kind of control as with a pump. At that point I listened to my doctor and gave up. Big mistake! While not all doctors are on board with Afrezza yet, I believe it’s just because they haven’t given it a chance. After having so many problems with insulin absorption, I knew it was time to find an endocrinologist who would prescribe an inhaled version for me. I did just that, and the move has changed my life.

Guess what? My blood sugars stay steady all night long. I’d forgotten what it was like to sleep through the night. Overall my blood glucose levels (BGLs) have shown an average of about 30 points of improvement using inhaled insulin versus a pump. My most recent A1C was 5.7—the lowest it’s ever been in my 27 years as a T1D.

Not having an insulin pump attached me to 24 hours a day has changed my life as well. I never realized just how much wearing a pump bothered me until it was no longer there. It’s been difficult to get my insurance company to cover for inhaled insulin, but I will keep fighting. Being able to manage my blood sugar is worth it.

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WRITTEN BY Ginger Gault, POSTED 09/09/17, UPDATED 10/14/22

Ginger Gault has had type 1 diabetes (T1D) for 27 years. She is a wife and mother who went through a healthy pregnancy with T1D. She has worked in management for 20 years and has not let T1D stop her from doing a single thing she has wanted to do. She enjoys going to the gym, playing golf, traveling and helping other T1Ds manage their challenges.