Happy Birthday, Insulin, Our Friend

Insulin. What a brilliant invention! Where on earth would diabetics be without it? Stuck in the middle ages most likely, on their death beds with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Nice. But we owe this wonderful invention to three men: Frederick G Banting, Charles H Best and J J R Macleod. And this year, insulin is 88 years old.

On 11th January 1922, insulin was used on diabetic patients for the first time. Before this, life expectancy for those with type 1 diabetes was a year or two.The following is copied from the diabetes UK article on this:

"On January 11, 1922, Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy with diabetes, who lay dying at the Toronto General Hospital, was given the first injection of insulin. However, the extract was so impure that Thompson suffered a severe allergic reaction, and further injections were cancelled.

Over the next 12 days, James Collip worked day and night to improve the ox-pancreas extract, and a second dose was injected on the 23 January. This was completely successful, not only in having no obvious side-effects, but in completely eliminating the glycosuria sign of diabetes.

Children dying from diabetic ketoacidosis were kept in large wards, often with 50 or more patients in a ward, mostly comatose. Grieving family members were often in attendance, awaiting the (until then, inevitable) death.

In one of medicine's more dramatic moments Banting, Best, and Collip went from bed to bed, injecting an entire ward with the new purified extract. Before they had reached the last dying child, the first few were awakening from their coma, to the joyous exclamations of their families."

Amazing isn't it, to think that insulin is still so young. What a brilliant breakthrough in medical science, too. It really makes me realize how fortunate we are in this day and age to be able to use insulin, and all thanks to those three brilliant men.

I would love to go back in time, and give Banting a high five and tell him that his work has saved thousands of lives. How his work and research has given hope to so many who had no hope.

I sometimes think I wish my son had never gotten diabetes. But then, I think, it could be worse, much worse. There are many suffering with diseases for which there are no treatments. At least, I think, we have insulin and it's not a cure, but it sure will suffice until we find one. That's my next hope. That we find a cure! Until then, I am so thankful for insulin; this strange smelling liquid that keeps my son alive and able to live a fairly normal life. Thank you Mr. Banting. Thank you, Insulin, Thank you, God!

Insulin is a diabetic's friend. We met someone several years ago that struggled with type one diabetes that shared that thought with us. We always wish that our children, loved ones, family members didn't have to take insulin. We wish or we really want to deny the disease. But we can't. And, therefore, we must see insulin as our friend instead of our enemy.

So happy birthday old friend. Thanks so much for all of your help!