Sunday, April 2, 2017

10 year anniversary

It's hard to imagine that 10 years ago, today, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.  A rough estimate, over the past 10 years I've:

  • Tested my blood sugar 55,000 times
  • Performed about 1,000 pump infusion set insertions over the 5 years I was on a pump
  • Taken 14,000 shots of insulin over the 5 years I've been on MDI
  • Had about 110,000 units of short acting insulin and 40,000 units of long acting insulin
  • Done close to 200,000 carb to insulin formulas during my daily routine
But those numbers can't come close to quantifying how this disease has made me a better man or the growth and success I've had over the past decade.  Over those same 10 years I've:
  • Completed 2 Ironman triathlons and 7 half Ironmans
  • Finished 2 Marathons
  • Earned my MBA
  • Grown to be a leader in the field of healthcare technology, now working on digital solutions in diabetes
  • Started, most importantly, a beautiful family with an amazing, beautiful wife and the most incredible son the world has ever seen.
I truly don't believe any of the 5 remarkable bullet points would have been possible without the first 5 diabetic points.  I've said many times diabetes changed me for the better.  As I look back on the past 10 years I thank this disease for transforming me.  I thank this disease for making me look beyond myself, for making me appreciate every day and for challenging me to realize how much life has to offer.  

I've "rung the bolus" for the past decade and continue to have a fire to make the next 10 years with diabetes more impactful than the last.  This disease continues to send me on an amazing journey as I continue to give each day everything I have.