Paula

Beford, Texas

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1975 while I was a senior in college. Insulin injections have been a part of my life for 33 years now. In 2002, I began intensive insulin therapy utilizing a basal insulin once a day and a meal-time insulin with meals and snacks containing carbohydrates. A typical day for me includes a minimum of 4 insulin injections. When I learned about the i-port^® Injection Port I was immediately excited about the option to reduce the number of needle sticks to my body. I did not anticipate that my A1c test result would improve significantly when I started wearing the i-port^®. However, in the first quarter of use, my A1c decreased from a 6.4% to a 6.0%. I attribute this improvement to the fact that I now take my insulin injection immediately when I eat a snack containing carbohydrates rather than waiting until the next meal to correct the high blood sugar that results when no insulin is taken. With the i-port^®, there is no reason to delay the injection.

I’m a retired University administrator and I now spend my time speaking to groups of people with diabetes about how to manage it effectively. I also volunteer at my church where I serve as a Stephen Minister. I’m especially interested in helping parents of young children who may be dealing with diabetes and the requirement for multiple daily injections. I’m also hopeful that more people with Type 2 diabetes will begin taking insulin when their physician recommends it rather than fearing the use of needles and postponing injections. The i-port^® is a wonderful way to minimize the intrusion of daily injections on the lives of people who need insulin in order to control their diabetes.