9 Months Post Transplant – No Insulin – No Complications – Lots of Gratitude
9 months post transplant, I’m still living totally without insulin or complications. This is a quick update on my status, as I am filled with gratitude and thanks to so many.
One year and three months after my first transplant, nine months after my second, I’m still requiring no insulin and haven’t had a low blood sugar since December, 2015, one month before my transplant. Living with regular and repeated severe hypoglycemia has become a distant memory, both for me and the people around me.
I am filled with gratitude to my 2 donors who allowed me to received their lifesaving islet gifts after the loss of their lives. I thank God for the doctors and nurses at the City of Hope who made this possible. And I thank all of you for the incredible support you’ve given me through this clinical trial.
Here are a few of the many blessings I’ve received:
- No more insulin.
- No more insulin pump.
- No more low blood sugars.
- No more 4am visits by paramedics.
- Better health every day as my body learns to live without diabetes and insulin injections.
- Better fitness, as the forty pounds I shed after my first transplant has stabilized, and at 190 lbs, I’m about where I was at 25 for my 6’3″ frame. I still stare at my scales in disbelief every morning, and my movement on the tennis court still shocks me – and occasionally my playing partners.
- No serious complications from anti-rejection medications.
- Continual support from friends, family, and social media friends.
- A constantly growing support group of people with Type-1 diabetes who watch my progress with hope for their or a family member’s condition.
What My Clinical Trial Results Can Mean For All Type-1 Diabetics
My overriding purpose for participating in this clinical trial was the opportunity of being part of what will eventually be a cure for diabetes. If you are a Type-1 Diabetic, or know, love, or care for someone with this condition, look at me today to see what may be possible. For me it may not last forever – it is a clinical trial – but at the moment I am living the dream that we all have – an almost entirely non-diabetic daily existence.
What Happens Now?
- I wait, carefully taking my anti-rejection medication, testing my body, and hoping that this will last for a long, long time.
- I visit the City of Hope regularly, letting them test every part of me, and modifying medications when required.
- I carefully record all of my blood sugars, and drugs, and follow my transplant team’s orders to the letter.
- I talk, speak, and promote the cause of organ donations to everyone.
- I promote the City of Hope, and all Clinical Trials, with every breath in my body.
- I pray for a cure for everyone, so we can be free of this condition forever.
Do I Worry About This Ending and Diabetes Coming Back?
Of course I think about it a little. But I know, no matter what, I’ve experienced a life-changing event that will never leave me. If my need for insulin comes back, nothing can ever take this last year from me. And I know we are really getting closer to a cure, and I’ve had the remarkable experience of being part of it.
How Could Anything Ever Be Better?
Only one thing could be better: Let us see this elusive dream come true for all of us.
Want to be part of this? Here’s how you can join.
If you are a Type-1 Diabetic, living in Southern California, I seriously encourage you to consider participating in the City of Hope clinical trial, where they are still looking for participants. Be part of the search for a cure, and at the same time make your life better.
City of Hope Clinical Trial Information
Email them at: islets@coh.org and find out what you need to do to get in.
If you are a Type-1 Diabetic, I encourage you to consider participating in one of the many other clinical trials currently taking place.
Type-1 Diabetes Clinical Trials
For everyone, I urge you to consider being an Organ Donor. You can help other people’s lives at the end of yours, save lives, and help find cures for life-threatening diseases. It’s a gift worth giving, and it costs you nothing.
If you want to help spread the word about clinical trials, here’s how to help with an important documentary in process. The Human Trial is a feature length documentary that is currently following the first ever human trial of a stem cell derived treatment to find a cure for diabetes. The award winning co-director and co-producer, Lisa Hepner, is also a Type-1 diabetic. They are dedicated to the objective we all share: finding a cure.
God bless you all, and a sincere and grateful “thank you” for being so supportive over the past many months.
