Insulin Pump Campaign
Donation protected
Hi there, my name is Sam, and I have a bit of a story to come with my explanation of why I need this money. I really put off writing this, simply because I feel bad for having to ask others for something I need, but it has come to the point where I have no other options.
I was diagnosed as a type one diabetic at the age of nine. This was ten years ago now, but I remember it as if it was yesterday. I remember waking up and being brought to the hospital because I was very sick. When the nurses at the hospital were checking my vitals during the registration progress, they checked my blood glucose level. It was extremely high. After blood work and treatment, I was sat down and told that I suffer from type one diabetes and I will have to take needles for the rest of my life. I was scared, everything in my life had seem to fall apart at that point. I was just a kid, I didn't know what to do. The next morning, I was rushed to a diabetic centre for immediate training on how to take care of such a disease. It took a very long time to finally get it down; to finally understand what my life has turned out to be. I was taking four injections a day: one in my stomach, one in my thigh, one in my arm, and one in my butt. These injections would cause a burning pain in my skin, they would bruise me, and often times, I would hit a sensitive spot, or a vein.
I had to start counting carbohydrates. I had to start weighing everything I ate. I was also following an extremely strict diet, every single day. I know this doesn't seem quite hard, but when you have to count out chip by chip when you want a snack, it gets quite hard and unenjoyable. I would wake up at eight in the morning, every morning. If I was sick, it didn't matter, I still had to get up, take a needle, and then eat, even if I wasn't hungry at the time. There was no choice. The diet consisted of 60 carbohydrate meals, 15-20 carbohydrate snacks (3 snacks in total, 3 meals in total).
Being this way wasn't easy. Being the only one in my entire family with type one diabetes was even more difficult. I had a lot of questions. I wanted to know why I had this disease, where it came from, where did I go wrong? I was so angry at the world because it was so unfair. For all I knew, I had to live this way, every single day, for the rest of my life.
Then the day came. I was told that there were insulin pumps, and I was able to get one after living two years of taking MDI (multiple daily injections). I jumped at the chance, and after attending a few pump workshops, I decided to choose the Medtronic Insulin Pump. I could not wait to learn how to use it and experience a way of living that was without needles every single day again.
The insulin pump would require me to still check my blood glucose levels and count carbohydrates, but I would only have to take an injection every 3 days.
I trained for my pump for weeks upon weeks. It was my saviour. It gave me the will to live again. Since then, I've been on the pump for about eight years, and loving every single day of it. But now I am in serious trouble, and I need to ask for help...
My pump was funded by the government for quite some time, but I lost the funding due to my blood glucose levels not being stable. Since my pump is not being funded, I have to actually purchase a new one, considering my old one broke after a few years. These pumps cost five thousand dollars. Not only that, but I am suffering from a lot of financial problems; me, nor my family can afford to pay for this machine whatsoever. I can't even afford to make the payments to pay for it over time.
I am struggling so much over the possibility of losing my pump. My pump is the reason I've been here for this long. My pump is my life, literally.
I can't imagine going back to MDI again. It would be the hardest thing I'd ever go through. The possibility of losing it feels like a nightmare that I cannot wake up from, no matter how much I try. I'm currently spending the next few weeks on a loner pump, which will have to be returned to them in a few weeks.
Please, I would owe my life to the people that help me on keeping my insulin pump. I could not imagine my life without it. It would be unbareable.
I really don't know what else to say, there is no words for how thankful I will be for any donation made. Thank you for taking your time to read my story, whether you can donate or not. I appreciate it, I really do.
-- Sam
I was diagnosed as a type one diabetic at the age of nine. This was ten years ago now, but I remember it as if it was yesterday. I remember waking up and being brought to the hospital because I was very sick. When the nurses at the hospital were checking my vitals during the registration progress, they checked my blood glucose level. It was extremely high. After blood work and treatment, I was sat down and told that I suffer from type one diabetes and I will have to take needles for the rest of my life. I was scared, everything in my life had seem to fall apart at that point. I was just a kid, I didn't know what to do. The next morning, I was rushed to a diabetic centre for immediate training on how to take care of such a disease. It took a very long time to finally get it down; to finally understand what my life has turned out to be. I was taking four injections a day: one in my stomach, one in my thigh, one in my arm, and one in my butt. These injections would cause a burning pain in my skin, they would bruise me, and often times, I would hit a sensitive spot, or a vein.
I had to start counting carbohydrates. I had to start weighing everything I ate. I was also following an extremely strict diet, every single day. I know this doesn't seem quite hard, but when you have to count out chip by chip when you want a snack, it gets quite hard and unenjoyable. I would wake up at eight in the morning, every morning. If I was sick, it didn't matter, I still had to get up, take a needle, and then eat, even if I wasn't hungry at the time. There was no choice. The diet consisted of 60 carbohydrate meals, 15-20 carbohydrate snacks (3 snacks in total, 3 meals in total).
Being this way wasn't easy. Being the only one in my entire family with type one diabetes was even more difficult. I had a lot of questions. I wanted to know why I had this disease, where it came from, where did I go wrong? I was so angry at the world because it was so unfair. For all I knew, I had to live this way, every single day, for the rest of my life.
Then the day came. I was told that there were insulin pumps, and I was able to get one after living two years of taking MDI (multiple daily injections). I jumped at the chance, and after attending a few pump workshops, I decided to choose the Medtronic Insulin Pump. I could not wait to learn how to use it and experience a way of living that was without needles every single day again.
The insulin pump would require me to still check my blood glucose levels and count carbohydrates, but I would only have to take an injection every 3 days.
I trained for my pump for weeks upon weeks. It was my saviour. It gave me the will to live again. Since then, I've been on the pump for about eight years, and loving every single day of it. But now I am in serious trouble, and I need to ask for help...
My pump was funded by the government for quite some time, but I lost the funding due to my blood glucose levels not being stable. Since my pump is not being funded, I have to actually purchase a new one, considering my old one broke after a few years. These pumps cost five thousand dollars. Not only that, but I am suffering from a lot of financial problems; me, nor my family can afford to pay for this machine whatsoever. I can't even afford to make the payments to pay for it over time.
I am struggling so much over the possibility of losing my pump. My pump is the reason I've been here for this long. My pump is my life, literally.
I can't imagine going back to MDI again. It would be the hardest thing I'd ever go through. The possibility of losing it feels like a nightmare that I cannot wake up from, no matter how much I try. I'm currently spending the next few weeks on a loner pump, which will have to be returned to them in a few weeks.
Please, I would owe my life to the people that help me on keeping my insulin pump. I could not imagine my life without it. It would be unbareable.
I really don't know what else to say, there is no words for how thankful I will be for any donation made. Thank you for taking your time to read my story, whether you can donate or not. I appreciate it, I really do.
-- Sam
Organizer
Sam Duclos
Organizer
Sudbury, ON
