Scott Dunton — World Class Surfer
The following story tells the individual experience of someone using insulin pump therapy and frequent blood sugar monitoring to manage his/her diabetes. As you read, please remember that the experience is specific to the individual. While clinical studies support pump therapy and frequent testing as effective tools for controlling blood sugars, results may vary, and not every response will be the same.
My entire world changed as a young adult when I found out I had diabetes. I was only sixteen at the time leading a very active life outside of school and spending most of my time water surfing or playing water polo. When I found out I had diabetes, I was concerned not only for my health, but also worried about how this would affect me as a teenager and as an athlete. What would all my friends think and would this ruin my dreams of becoming a professional surfer?
For the first year after I was diagnosed, I used insulin shots to control my diabetes. I experienced extreme highs and lows with injections though, which forced me to come in out of the water often while I was surfing. I was never sure what my blood sugar levels were going to be. I packed a lot of food and brought it to the beach each day to try and control what was going on. If I didn't, my blood sugar would be off.
It wasn't until I spent time at Camp Conrad Chinook and talked with other diabetics my age that I decided to try pump therapy. I still didn't like the idea of having something attached to me 24 hours a day and I still wondered what my friends would think. I was pretty skeptical but was convinced by my friends to at least try the pump to see if I liked it. As soon as I was on the pump I wondered why I hadn't made the switch sooner! I feel so "normal" with the pump that I often forget it's there. My A1C's are a thousand times better (I'm well on my way to 7%) and I have fewer highs and lows.
I also use the Bolus Wizard calculator several times a day, which really helps make the math associated with insulin dosing so much easier! Even though I thought my friends would notice, I've found that most people my age think my pump is a pager, and no one thinks differently of me just because it's attached to my body. Having the Paradigm 715 pump has played a major role in the great quality of life that I now experience.
As far as my surfing goes, I've never been better. I always check my blood sugar before surfing and quickly disconnect the pump before I go into the water. Because I have better control of my blood sugar overall, I don't have to come in nearly as often as I used to.
Thanks to insulin pump therapy, I've been able to focus on my dream of someday competing in the World Championship. Currently, I'm ranked 148 in the World Qualifying Series and I hope to break the top 100 by the end of 2005. The Paradigm 715 insulin pump has given me the freedom and confidence to do what I love. I would encourage any young adult with type 1 diabetes to try insulin pump therapyóit's made such a big difference in my life.
Scott DuntonóWorld Class Surfer
To find out if intensive diabetes management using insulin pump therapy and frequent blood sugar monitoring is right for you, call 1-866-948-6633 (toll-free) for a referral to a diabetes specialist.
