"In the Long Term We are All...

...Dead."

- John Maynard Keynes, economist.

Chipper guy that J. Maynard. Any wonder why economics is called the "Dismal Science?"

The long term is what our type 1 diabetes care about. It just doesn't seem that way as everything we do is in the very short term. Think about it - Lantus "long term" insulin last 24 hours.

We do a ton of short term stuff to insure there will be a long term. I found it an interesting exercise to read about some folks who have been doing the short term stuff for a long time.

Kenneth Clancy is 82. He was diagnosed at 18. Insulin was the new cutting edge wonder drug. It seems to have worked.

By Ken's standard, Helen Chongris is a poser. Helen only has 30 years experience as a type 1 diabetic. Newbie that she is she has still seen some life-altering cutting edge stuff of her own; meters that only take 60 seconds to check blood glucose! She on her 5th pumps in 21 years of pumping.

Next on the her gadget parade? CGM. until then it 12 sticks a day. Interestingly she says it take more than the evolving world of gadgets. She says she needs educated people to help - yes the proverbial village to manage diabetes.

I stumbled upon Helen's comments at DallasNews.com. I found that her paper seems to get it better than most media outlets I have read. I guess having her around they get the whole idea of educating the village. Another Helen there (or Helen by any other name) had comments just as sweet - a top ten list of diabetes to dos. I'll quote the first one just because to so cool:

1 Doctors have to call diabetes a disease. You don't. It's a physical condition – one you can control. No pity parties if you can read the three previous sentences. Even though there's no cure for it, this is a diagnosis you can do something about. If you can do for yourself, be proactive and positive.

Now there is some positive 'tude. Number 2 is just as good.

So take it from Ken, Helen and Helen diabetes has a long term and isn't dismal even if Maynard is.