Debra

Austin, Texas

I was diagnosed with diabetes in December 1997 while being treated for a sprained ankle. Because I have a family history of diabetes, I was well aware of the typical symptoms—but chose to ignore them. When I first got to the doctor’s office with the ankle injury, my doctor required blood and urine tests and a blood pressure check. Reluctantly, I complied but quickly returned to work. I was very surprised when I got a call from the doctor requesting that I come by his office before I went to work the next morning. He asked that I not eat anything before I came in. When I got to the doctor’s office, he began quizzing me about whether I had any symptoms of diabetes. The answer to every question was “no”. After a fasting blood sugar test with a result of nearly 400, the doctor broke the news to me that I had both diabetes and high blood pressure. I was given an insulin injection and blood pressure medication before I was allowed to leave the doctor’s office.

My journey with diabetes began with oral medications and by 2003 I was taking insulin injections…..as many as 7 injections per day. When my diabetes educator told me about the i-port^®, I was excited to try it. At that point, I had begun to consider wearing an insulin pump. However, I was not looking forward to insulin pump therapy. Having an i-port^® became a wonderful alternative which allowed me to eliminate the need to puncture my skin with each dose of insulin. Now, my skin punctures have decreased from 21 in three days to just one. And that makes me feel much better about taking insulin when I need it. The i-port^® helps me to focus on living my life rather than dealing with the resentment I felt about taking so many injections.

With the i-port^® as part of my diabetes management plan, I’m able to do what I love best…. help others. I’m a volunteer with several nursing homes in the Austin area and a wife, mother and grandmother to two granddaughters.