Karen Cameron

I was diagnosed as a 13-year-old. I had all the classic symptoms – extreme fatigue, thirst, frequent urination, and lost about 30 lbs in several months (I had always been overweight). My mother took me to the doctor (there was a two month wait) and he sent me straight to the hospital with a blood glucose over 800. I was told that I probably wouldn’t live past age 40 or have a child. I had a healthy child at 30 and am now 63 years old with no complications! I’m not a perfect diabetic but the technology (pumps and CGMs) have made my life much easier to manage. I thank my diabetes for my career in healthcare and my lifetime passion for increasing access for all people to a regular source for healthcare and my work in healthcare policy.