Daniel Raetzel

When I was diagnosed as a second grader in December 1972, I spent two weeks in the hospital to get “regulated”. I was told no more sugar, I had to take one massive injection (105 unit mix of Regular and Lente) every day for the rest of my life, and test my urine for sugar with clinitest tablets. One thing that has stuck with me for the 53 years of doing this daily dance is something a nurse told me in 1972. She told me I would not live past 40, and if I lived that long there were so many things that would go wrong with my body I would be miserable. What an encouraging thing to tell a 7 year old…NOT!! When I turned 40, I literally cried as I had beaten the odds. This year when I turned 60, I cried again for the same reason. I am extremely fortunate to have zero complications and other than my CGM and pump, no physical signs I have diabetes. I tell my adult children and my wife of 36 years that I have lived past my expiration date. Thankfully neither daughter has diabetes.