It’s been a long journey with diabetes and I have seen a lot many advancements in medicine. Here’s a trip down memory lane with my diabetes and how gradually I was shifted from one regimen to another.

#1 Bovine insulin

• The day I was diagnosed with T1D, treatment was started with bovine insulin. (Unfortunately I didn’t get even a single picture of the same) 
• Insulin, at that time used to come in vials and syringe used was BD 29G*12mm.

#2 Human Actrapid + Human Insulatard

• After a few years, it was human insulin that I was put onto. It had 30% short acting insulin and 70% long acting.
• Insulin vials used same BD syringes for me.

Syringe

Human Actrapid

Human Insulatard

#3 Human Mixtard (70:30)

• Now, job was much easier, as it was a single vial for both long and short acting insulins with 70:30 proportion, simultaneously. 
• Syringes used became much finer with 31G*6mm. Insulin administration had become less painful by now.

Syringe

Human Mixtard

#4 Mixtard 30 HM Penfill

• After a long long time, I got rid of those vials and syringes. It was too tedious to use vials and syringes, especially while traveling. My Mixtard used to come in cartridges now and using Novopen was the best thing I had experienced by far. 
• Needles were of same dimension just in different shape.

#5 Lantus and Novorapid

• It was high time Basal-Bolus regimen was required for a better control. 
• Combination chosen was Lantus and Novorapid and I am following the same till date.

Many people ask me that in an era of so much advancement, why I do not use an insulin pump? Here’s an answer to that- My doctor used to say “don’t go for finding easier ways to control your diabetes, rather remain steady and persistent for the same”. Insulin pens came into picture very earlier, but he made me learn fighting with my diabetes. Idea behind is to remain least dependent on things.

• A great change worth appreciating is seen in blood glucose monitoring system. Blood glucose monitors required finger pricking in diabetics, from upto 3 to 10 times per day and sometimes more than this, but development of CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) systems like Freestyle libre made people get rid of routine finger pricks. CGM system measures your blood glucose levels for upto 15 days without pricking.