UPDATES UPDATES UPDATES

Oh my goodness, where do I begin?  Yes, I did indeed fall off the face of the earth for a while, but behold, we are back with lots and lots to say. 

Maddie is growing into a wonderful teenager, full of live and vitality.  Diabetes cannot stop her!  She got through the tween and very early teen  years and we all survived....barely. :)  She is now approaching 15 and is a freshman in high school.  WHAT?!?  Yes, she will be driving in the near distant future.  Why can't we just stop time and keep them little?!?

Something that has become a big deal around our house is running.  Maddie knows that in order to stay healthy as she gets older, she has to exercise and eat well.  She has become a member of the varsity cross country team at her school.  She just competed in her first meet the other day, and might I say that she did exceptionally well for a 14 year old newcomer to the team and WITH DIABETES.  She checks her blood sugar and makes sure that she has glucose tablets within grabbing distance, just in case she gets low.  Her school nurse, athletic trainer and coach are on top of it with making sure she is okay to run each day/practice/meet.  She stays hydrated and makes sure that she is ready to go by the end of the school day.  I am so immensely proud of her.

One little accomplishment at a time is very satisfying when you are trying to train someone to be responsible for their own health.  I still have to remind her to check and correct after meals and a LOT on the weekends, but she is showing her true independence by taking care of herself and her diabetes while running a 5k every single day.  I'd say that deserves a little pat on the back.      

Buahahahaha......
SOOOO TRUE!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

EOGs

I am not a good test-taker.  Unfortunately, I've passed this wonderful trait onto Maddie.  Last year was her first year back in school after being home schooled for 2 years.  It was 5th grade, so it wasn't very difficult for her to pass her EOGs.

This year, she was in a school that is JUST the 6th grade.  The teachers are wonderful, she was well taken care of, and the school year has been a great one for her.  I am confidant that she will do well on her tests this year.

But I'm wondering as the school years get harder and harder, if she'll have problems with her blood sugar before a test being elevated, therefor influencing her test results.  Whenever she is preparing for a trip or an important event, she gets crazy from anxiety and anticipation (who doesn't) and her sugars sky rocket.  Never fails.  I know there are things I can do as a mom to make it easier on her, such as getting permission to take the test in a manner that is more suitable for someone who's state is altered by anxiety/anticipation.  Aren't there laws about that? That's a good question for our Endo.

The problem is that Maddie gets embarrassed easily, and the biggest deal is being embarrassed about something that has to do with her blood sugar, insulin, pump, etc.  Being embarrassed ALSO makes her blood sugar sky rocket.  I'm not sure if it would be better to take her out of the classroom, or leave her in.  I'm not sure which scenario would be better in her mind.  So, really, there's no way to win in this situation. I'm curious as to what other moms do in these situations.  How do you handle tests, and times when blood sugar will be a factor in your child's performance for something so important as an end of grade test?

I guess it's a good thing for Maddie that I haven't had to worry about this up until this point in time.  But I guess it's a bad thing that I don't know the answers to these questions....

OK, I'm off to google this stuff......

The Art of Forgetfulness

 Maddie is a talented girl.  I am often amazed at the things that she knows, and is capable of doing, and doing well, at the age of 12. Among other things, she is smart, witty, and super funny. She has a hint of sarcasm, but fortunately, she only uses it in humorous situations.  Oh, and most importantly, she has an impeccable memory....when it has to do with ANYTHING besides her diabetes.  With that, she is struck with an early onset severe memory disorder. 

"Did you check your blood sugar before lunch?"

"Ooohhhh...I forgot."

"Did you correct for your spaghetti like I asked you to?"

"Oops--I forgot."

"Don't forget to correct for that snack!"

{Hours later} "Uh oh....I forgot."

"Your blood sugar is a little too high right now.  Save that candy for when it comes down."

"Aww man--I forgot!"

I thought this kind of memory loss is supposed to be saved for women after they've had children.  I understand that she hates that she has to always deal with this stupid diabetes, but I would think that it would be automatic by this point.

It's weird--she can't remember anything that has to do with diabetes and carbs and insulin, but she doesn't seem to forget where her iPod is, or how much chore money she's owed, or that last Friday I told her I would get her favorite snack at the grocery store next time I went, or that I told her she could occasionally stay up until 11pm on some school nights (whaaaat?!?) or that 5 weeks ago, I promised her that I'd take her to Aeropostale at 2:30pm next Saturday (really?).....

Time Flies....

Maddie drew this when she was 5 years old, on the day she was diagnosed, while we were getting our first 12 hour crash course in diabetes. It's still hanging in the endocrinologist's office 7 years later.

My Love/Hate Relationship

We live very modestly.  Other people that I know have new cars, huge houses, beautiful brand new furniture, shopping sprees every weekend, and lots and lots of stuff. They send messages out on Facebook asking for references for housekeepers. They go on date nights with their spouses, hire $20/hour babysitters, go on extravagant vacations, fly here, fly there, and so on.....

Not us. Nope. We don't buy new cars.  We bought a house further out of town, that I clean BY MYSELF. I don't brag about new furniture--I brag about how long we've had our furniture.  I brag about how little I paid for my groceries, using my coupons. I almost had a panic attack when they closed the Merita Bread Store in town, so now it's back to paying $2 for a loaf of whole wheat (oh- it pains me to even type that). Thanks, Hostess {read with much sarcasm). I try to lump all of my errands together in order to save gas.  I prefer to call it "cheap chic", you know, like "shabby chic"? Except that I try to avoid the shabby part.  But I digress....

Shawn's former employer did not have great benefits, because it was a smaller "business" and medical insurance is very costly. (If you're reading this, and you know us, and you work where he used to work, I'm sorry, but you know you're paying out the nose for blah insurance, although I know it's not the "company's" fault). I considered us to have a love/hate relationship with it.  I loved and appreciated the things that the insurance DID in fact cover, but that wasn't much.  I'm honestly not sure what we were paying for with the $800 per month, other than being able to say, "Yes, I have insurance."  But whatever.....

In the spring of 2008, we got Maddie's first Medtronic Minimed. Our so-called insurance covered 20% of the $6000.00 pump. If you don't have a calculator for a brain, we paid $4800.00 for it. Now, mind you, we have 3 kids, and do not have $4800 just sitting around, so we had to finance it. Completely and thoroughly 1000% worth every penny.  It is Maddie's life-line. It's what keeps her healthy, and for that, I'm very grateful.

This pump's warranty expired April 21st of 2012. Basically, what this means is that if the pump stops working, we are up the creek without a paddle, and back to the 8 shots a day Maddie goes.  If the pump is within warranty, and the teeniest, tiniest thing happens, you'll have a brand new $6000.00 pump brought directly to your door step, or the door step of wherever you happen to be at that moment, the very next morning.  Incidentally, my sister, who also wears the Minimed and lives in NC, was skiing in Colorado a few years back.  Her pump stopped working one afternoon after skiing all day.  One phone call later, and the very next morning, they called her from the front desk of the hotel with a completely brand new pump. That's it.  Period.  Winning~

So we've been going back and forth with the so-called insurance company, with Medronic, and with the finance company to get her new pump for over 7 months.  At one point during the summer, I stopped communicating with them all, and started humbly and reverently praying that her old pump would not stop working. I guess it worked. Lo and behold, it was still working on the day we received the new one, on December 8th, 2012. (Thank you, Lord!)

Recently, Shawn got a new job, with brand new benefits, and "top of the line" medical insurance. It should not be called "medical insurance". It should be called "miracle insurance" because it does indeed perform miracles. 

I stunned my Medtronic rep (and new best friend) when I told him what insurance we had.  He called me back and was in shock. 

"You have the best insurance I've ever seen in all my years at this company."

We received the pump a few days ago.  Our miracle insurance paid for 98% (Yes, I said NINETY EIGHT PERCENT) of the $6000.00 pump, after we send in the old one for a credit. 

After 7 1/2 months of hard core prayer, and a little anxiety mixed in, hoping her pump didn't fail, she is back on track and pumpin' away.  God does perform miracles~

The Arrival

It's here.  Finally.  It's like Christmas came a little early this year.  After 7 months, 20 days, and 6 hours, I heard the doorbell ring.  There were tons of screams and giggles, (ok, ok...it was just me) as Shawn opened the door. 

There he was.  Dressed in his polyester blue shorts. He was beautiful. Older, yet distinguished, and wise. I loved him. And I loved what he brought me. 

"Howdy, Ma'am." he said.  There it was, in his wrinkly hands. I had to catch my breath when I saw it for the first time.

"Hey there! Where do I sign?" is all I managed to get out.  I couldn't wait for his response. I snatched it and ran for my set of dull knives, grabbing the sharpest one, leaving Shawn to deal with him. My heart was beating so fast.  My breath was quick and shallow.

I slit every piece of tape across that box.  I ripped that sucker open like I was performing emergency surgery.  As my knife was flying around violently, I noticed what it said in the Return Address area.

MEDTRONIC

Oh, the word is such a beautiful one. As I held back my tears of excitement, I saw the tiny box inside, covered in shrink wrap.

MEDTRONIC REVEL

Here it is! Here it is! Here it is!

"MADDIE--GET DOWN HERE!!!!"

Together, she and I scratched at the plastic shrink wrap like 2 little mice trying to get through a piece of sheet rock. Suddenly, she was the competition, seeing who could get the box opened first. 

"Mama, let me see!"

"Maddie- get off of it!" Oh my, I had forgotten who I was, out of sheer excitement.

She put her hand over mine to try to get the box away from me.

"Maddie- STOP!" Yes, I am ashamed--I had lost all self control at this point.

As soon as I finished pushing Maddie to the ground, (totally kidding) I got the box opened.  We heard the angels singing on our behalf. I was completely unaware of what was going on around me. At this point, all that was in existence was Maddie, me, and the brand new, beautiful, blue Revel pump.

We both gasped at the same time.

"Oh, it's so pretty!" she sighed.

"Yes. Yes, it is." I muttered as I held back my tears of joy.

My Angel Singing

"Baby lying in a manger. Baby so small...."

Some Updated Pics

My girl on the first day of Middle School~





Shopping for some healthy stuff~






Happy 12th Birthday! (last October)






Snapshot at the Endo's office. Gotta love a girl that can pose anywhere...even the restroom... Incidentally, this was after we found out her A1C had come down a lot, hence the huge grin.






One of the things that Maddie L.O.V.E.S to do!! (This was taken when she was walking Coco back to the barn after a hard lesson).

You Can Lead a Horse to Water....

I pride myself on being on top of Maddie's diabetes, for the most part. The only
times I'm not is when things are chaotic, I'm putting out fires, fixing or
cleaning up from a meal, and she runs off to her room. (Another time I'm not on
top of it is when she goes somewhere without me, Shawn or my mom, all the while
PROMISING to check her blood sugar, and correct for it, and for her food.) But
I'd say that 95% of the time, I'm on top of it.

So now that she's 12, and thinks she's 25, our conversations go something like
this:

"Maddie- correct for your blood sugar, and bolus for 60 carbs."

{Silence}

"Maddie! Correct for your blood sugar and 60 carbs!"

"Ok."

{30 seconds go by....}

"Did you correct?"

"I'm getting ready to."

{30 more seconds go by....}

"Did you do it?"

"Mama, I'm really getting ready to!"

"Do it now."

{silence}

"Maddie, I'm waiting...."

"Ok. Correct for my blood sugar and 60 carbs" as she runs up the stairs.

"Don't forget!"

"I won't. I'm doing it now!"

Fast forward 2 hours.

"Maddie, did you correct?"

"Umm...."

"Check your blood sugar NOW!!"

At this point, she is usually very high, and you know how this story ends....

I wonder why I have to ask her to do it so MANY times, (the pump is attached to her body, so she doesn't have to go far to get it,) yet she forgets to correct. I know the years ahead are going to be hard, but I'm not sure I can handle the teenage years AND diabetes. I am trying to instill in her that SHE controls her diabetes and SHE controls her health, therefore SHE controls how she feels throughout the day.  I want her life to be "normal" and I absolutely hate that she has to deal with this stupid disease every hour of the day. 

Middle School

It's been a while since I've posted anything. I could say that "life has been busy" but isn't that true all the time?

Well, Maddie started middle school this year. The big 6th grade. Isn't that just the worst grade for everyone? Does anyone really ever say, "Wow...6th grade was the year for me. Those were the days...." I don't think so. Usually, those years are known as being the awkward years. The in-between years. Not fun, and usually not pretty.

Before the school year started, I called the school nurse to set up a time to meet with her and the core teachers.  (Just as a quick note--I did the same thing last year, when she was at the elementary school, and I met with the principal, the teacher, and the teacher's assistant.  Period.  That's IT. No nurse or PE teacher.)

I showed up for the meeting about 15 minutes early, and sat down in the huge classroom where we were supposed to meet--just the 5 of us.  In came the first core teacher, then the second core teacher, then the third core teacher, and finally the nurse.  Ok, so I think we're going to start.  Until her PE teacher marches in.  Oh--ok.  Good idea--the PE teacher needs to hear all of this.  Lo and behold--here comes the band teacher, and then the art teacher, then the librarian, (whom I learn is the diabetes "go to gal"). Then the teacher (that Maddie doesn't have) that is type 1 and wears a pump, then the Section 504 lady, then the substitute nurse, and finally, the principal.

Holy diabetes, Batman! I thought it was cool last year when we met in the shoebox size Principal's office at the elementary school with BOTH the teacher, and her assistant.  This was cray-cray!

So, here I am, with super-shy Maddie, sitting in front of 12 people I don't know, getting ready to make a corporate-like presentation. Yikes! But, I got through it.  They asked what seemed like hundreds of questions, and I answered them, along with about a dozen "what if" situations.  They told me what equipment they'd like to keep on hand at the school, and what they would do about her checking her blood inconspicuously.

I walked away that day very confident that she would be well taken care of.  This was about 4 months ago, and so far, so good. Maybe Hopefully This is going to be a great year!

Maddie

This is my Beautiful Girl.  She is 12 now.  I can't believe I'm lucky enough to call her mine.

Starting Over

This past summer, we made a very important decision.  Maddie decided that she wanted to go back to school.  Instead of going to the private school where she attended K-2nd grade, with a full-time nurse to keep a watchful eye on her, she went back to public school.  Back to having 25 kids in one class, back to me not knowing what or how much she's eating, back to a nurse being at the school ONE day per week, back to regular daily recess and PE sessions, and back to me worrying about her for approximately 5 hours of the day.

I honestly enjoyed homeschooling Maddie.  I can't guarantee that I was the best teacher in the world, but we had a really good time.  Unfortunately, I'm not one of these supermoms that I have come in contact with on a weekly basis over the last 2 years who have made it their life's work to educate their children.  I just did what I had to do at the time, and now I'm through with it.  When I started really thinking of all the "normal" fun things that she was going to miss out on by not being in a school setting, I started to feel guilty.  It doesn't have anything to do with her social skills, but more importantly, little things like chatting with her friends at lunch and recess, playing an informal game of kickball on the playground, field trips, Go Far, and the list goes on and on..... 

I had started thinking about checking into the school where the neighborhood kids attend.  I asked around (including people whose kids do not attend there) and found that it was in fact a great school--the best elementary school in the county.  I made a brief mention of "going back to school" to Maddie, and she was all over it.  All it took was one tour of the school, and she was hooked.

Then came the logistics.

"Maddie, you HAVE to remember to check your blood."

"Maddie, you have to speak up when you are feeling low, or are high."

"Maddie, you have to call me if your site needs to be changed."

"Maddie, you have to remember to give yourself insulin when you're through eating lunch."

"Maddie?  Maddie?  Maddie, are you listening to me?!?"

Then it came time to talk to the teachers, principal, and nurse about diabetes.  They are so very sweet.  I laid everything out very simply and neatly, and they took notes, and asked questions, but they have never had a diabetic child at the school before, so I still worry.  I was surprised to find that they were all attending a Type 1 seminar before school started, but I'm not sure how much information they were expected to retain--sometimes things like that are very overwhelming.  I do believe that if there is a question about anything, they will not hesitate to call me.

So, now we've been in school for over a week, and I have to say, she LOVES it.  Every day there's a new friend.  Every day, something hilarious happens in class.  Every day, they do some crazy-fun experiment or game.  Every day is better than the day before.  But still, every day I worry about her blood sugar.  But at least I know she's having a great time and enjoying herself, and that they're taking good care of her....every day. 

Talent Show

Our church had a talent show--Maddie (age 9) chose to sing "Mighty To Save". The camera shaking is me trying not to ball my eyes out. I was and am SO proud of her!!! She is so much more brave than I am.

4th of July

Maddie was asked by our music minister to sing this on Sunday July 4, 2010. We should always remember to thank those who serve our country.

Should I, or Shouldn't I?

Every time I see a child who has to use the bathroom constantly, I always think, "I bet she has diabetes, and they need to get her checked....." But I'm not bold enough to go up to the parent and scare the living daylights out of them.

Although, I would have appreciated it if someone would have said, "Your daughter is almost 6 years old and wearing a size 2T. And she's wetting the bed, when she's never done that, even when she was potty training. And she drinks constantly, and goes to the bathroom constantly. And her eyes are sort of sunken in. You should probably get her checked for diabetes."

There's a little girl on Reilly's soccer team that is 4 years old, and has to go to the bathroom probably every 10 minutes. I know this because my husband coaches the team, and she'll run off the field, mid game, and have to run to the port-a-john, leaving him wondering why they are 1 kid short on the field.

Last Saturday, as I watched her go back and forth and back and forth with her mom, I almost suggested that they get her checked for diabetes. Or better yet, say, "I've got a glucometer in my purse--let me check her blood sugar, and give you a heart attack at the same time!"

But, I didn't. And for the rest of the day, I couldn't help but wonder if she really does have it, and should I have suggested it to her parents.

I mean, come on--if anyone knows the signs of high blood sugar, it's the mother of a diabetic, right? I'm not sure what to do next Saturday. I wouldn't want this family to find out in an emergency room, or get a phone call that the little girl has passed out at school. But I also don't want to blurt out, "I'LL BET SHE HAS DIABETES--AN AWFUL DISEASE THAT SHE'LL HAVE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE--AND ALSO ONE THAT WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE VERY DIFFICULT! YOU SHOULD HAVE HER CHECKED FOR IT!"

I'm always quick to tell my friends and acquaintances what Maddie's symptoms were, just in case their child may show symptoms, and maybe they should get them checked. The sooner the better is what I believe. It's better than getting a shocking phone call, right?

Hhmmm.....what to do....what to do.....

Oh No--I'm Bleeding!!

I look tired all the time. This would be because I stay up until around 2 am, in order to check Maddie as late as I possible can, (hence the LATE night blog entries).

I do this for 2 reasons-- 1) I don't trust that the blood sugar reading before bed was on it's way up, or on it's way down, therefore causing her to crash in the middle of the night, and 2) I don't trust Maddie's pump. I spent 2 years controlling the insulin through shots, and now that I don't have to do that, I can't believe that a little $7,000 pump can figure out what my brain has been trained to do.

Anyway, every night, I go into her room and do the same routine. Every night. EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. I always scoot her skinny legs out of the way, set her meter on her little tummy, watching it rise and fall as she breathes, then I put the strip in the meter, get the lancet ready, get her ring finger (because that the one SHE uses the least throughout the day,) and then stick her and put her blood on the strip.

As I wait for the reading, which takes about 4 or 5 seconds, I'll wipe off her blood so that she doesn't accidentally get it on her bedding while she sleeps. Then I either correct her, or give her tablets, or hopefully do nothing, and leave her room.

At this point, I always go straight into my bathroom and wash my face and brush my teeth. But the funny thing is, that almost every night, I have blood on either my first finger, or my thumb, depending on which way I was balancing the meter while I was wiping off her finger. And almost every night seeing the dried blood on my hand startles me.

I don't know why I do this--I do it almost every night. I'm not afraid of blood, or anything like that, it's just that as an adult, if I'm ever bleeding, I usually know about it. But EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, it's there, and it always startles me. My first reaction is always, "Oh no! I've got blood on my hand! What have I done to myself?" Then almost immediately I realize that it's Maddie's blood, and I wash my hands.

It's become a habit that as I wash my hands, almost every night, at 2:00 in the morning, I think to myself that it's sad that I've got my daughter's blood on my hands almost every night. That should not be allowed. I shouldn't have to poke and prod my child to draw blood as she sleeps. No one should have to do that. It's just not fair. Just another reason that I hate diabetes.....

The Dreaded Appointment

Every other month we see our endo, and on the way there, I dread finding out what Maddie's A1C is. This time was no different. Alas, the A1C machine (don't know what it's called) beeped, so I asked. She had gone from 8.5 to 8.7. Although I was glad she wasn't in the 9's, going UP was not the direction that I was hoping to have gone.

I allow Maddie to be a little higher at night, or I don't give her the complete correction, because I have this eminent fear that she will crash during the night, and not wake up. Because whatever the number is, I don't know if it's going up, or down at a rapid pace.  (We do not have the CGM at this point in time.) This is my problem--she's too high during the night and first thing in the morning. And it's all my fault. I've come to grips with this. I take full responsibility.

I HATE DEALING WITH THIS STUPID DISEASE.

In addition to screwing up her A1C, her height and weight has gone from the 50th percentile, to the 25th percentile over the last year. Yeah, I know--I'm such a great mom.....not. My child is shrinking. Well, actually, she's not shrinking, she's just not growing.

I HATE DIABETES!!!

"But she's picky!" and "She isn't hungry much of the time!" and "She eats healthy food MOST of the time, so she's probably not getting enough calories!" These were my ignorant and useless justifications for my reprimanding from the doctor. Basically, she's not eating ENOUGH, therefor, not getting enough insulin. Could this be any more difficult to grasp in my little blonde brain?

Everytime I read other type 1 moms' blogs, I learn something new--like how the humidity can alter blood sugars, or how allergies to pollen can send you through the roof. Will I ever get the hang of this? I mean, come on, people--you would think that after almost 5 years, I would have gotten the hang of this by now.

Nope. Did I mention that I hate this stupid disease?

Thanks

Those are HILARIOUS!!!!!  The fridge?  Your hair?  So funny!!!  Isn't it funny how we haven't even ever seen each other (besides our blogs) and we have such silly things in common?  I love it!!  I know it was a crazy blog entry, but thanks for answering.  I guess I have too much time on my hands.  : )

Famous Type 1 Diabetics

I got this information from a site for diabetes support, both type 1 and 2, but I weeded out all the type 2's.  These are famous type 1's only from www.isletsofhope.com

Famous Type 1 Diabetics

Berry, Halle - Actress (Monster's Ball, X-Men, Die Another Day)

Cairns, Douglas - Pilot; first type 1 to fly around the world and raise money for the cause

Clarke, Bobby - NHL (Philadelphia Flyers)

Collie, Mark - Country Singer

Dudley, Chris - NBA (New York Knicks center

Freeman, Kris - US Olympic cross country skiing team

Garber, Victor - Actor (Alias, Titanic, First Wives Club, Sleepless in Seattle) 

Gregory, Dorian - Actor (Baywatch Nights, Charmed, The Other Half)

Hall, Gary, Jr. - US Olympic Gold Medalist (swimming)

Hemingway, Ernest - Author (For Whom the Bell Tolls; A Farewell to Arms; The Sun Also Rises)

Hewitt, Jay - Iron Man triathlete

Hill, Dana - Actress (Shoot the Moon, European Vacation)

Hollins, Dave - 1993 Phillies World Series Third Baseman

Hunter, James "Catfish" - MLB Baseball Hall-of-Famer (baseball)

Jarvis, Chris - World Champion Canadian rower

Johnson, Jason - MLB (Pitcher, Detroit Tigers)

Johnson, Nicole - Miss America, 1999
Jonas, Nick - Jonas Brothers  
Keuhne, Kellie - LPGA golfer

Lee, Tommy - Drummer (Motley Crue)

Leeuewenberg, Jason - Sports caster, former Indianapolis Colts)

Lucas, George - Director and producer (Star Wars, American Graffiti, Raiders of the Lost Ark)

McGann, Michelle - LPGA golfer

Michaels, Bret - Singer (Poison)

Moore, Mary Tyler - Actress (Dick Van Dyke Show, Mary Tyler Moore Show, Ordinary People); diabetes advocate

Mulligan, Richard - Actor (Soap, Empty Nest)

Overall, Park - Actress (Empty Nest)

Parker, Tim - "Gift of Gab," rapper for hip hop group Blackolicious

Pember, David - MLB (Milwaukee Brewers)

Reichert, Dan - MLB (Kansas City Royals)

Rice, Anne - Author (Interview With a Vampire)

Robinson, Jackie - Baseball player

Santo, Ron - MLB (Chicago Cubs legend)

Smart, Jean - Actress (Designing Women)

Thompson, Leonard - 1st person to receive insulin injection at the age of 12

Verplank, Scott - PGA golfer

Wells, H. G. - Author (War of the Worlds; The Time Machine; The Invisible Man)

Wow--I guess diabetics can do great things!!