November 14th is World Diabetes Day. November 14th marks the 618th day our family has been living with type 1 diabetes. To be sure, it’s difficult to measure or assess the emotional toll of living with diabetes, but there are ways we can measure the impact of living with type 1 diabetes. Here’s a look at Henry’s 2015 type 1 diabetes index. At the end of the blog, there’s a video where some of these numbers are juxtaposed to our everyday life, creating just a glimpse into the emotional side of living with type 1 diabetes.
Number of days Henry’s been living with type 1 diabetes: 618
Number of vials of insulin Henry’s used since diagnosis: 26
Estimated cost of 100 units of recombinant insulin without insurance coverage: $215
Range of a normal blood glucose: 80-120
Number of people living in the U.S. with type 1: 1,250,000
Estimated number of finger pokes Henry has had to check his blood glucose: 7,400
Number of insulin pump site changes Henry has had: 280
Estimated cost of an insulin pump without insurance: $7,000
Estimated yearly cost of pump supplies: $1,500
Chance of developing T1D if no relatives have the disease: .4%
Chance of developing T1D if a first degree relative has T1D: 10-20%
Average number of years T1D takes off of a male and female life (respectively): 11, 13
Number of site changes Henry’s had for his CGM (continuos glucose monitor): 83
Estimated yearly costs of a CGM without insurance: $2,800
Number diabetes related check-ups Henry’s had: 9
Number of miles on the road to Henry’s diabetes appointments: 1,786
Range of non-diabetic hemoglobin A1C: 4-5.6
Range of Henry’s hemoglobin A1C’s since diagnosis: 7.5, 8.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.0, 7.5, 7.1
Chance someone will die of T1D within 25 years of diagnosis: 7%
Number of Henry’s hospitalizations and emergency room visits related to T1D: 5
Number of nights of uninterrupted sleep in Henry’s house since diagnosis: 0
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