A Student of Life

Mrs Seema Bapat shares her journey of managing her life with Type 1 Diabetes by closely monitoring her diet and blood sugar levels

- Mrs Seema Bapat

Name: Mrs Seema Bapat

Age: 75 years

Occupation: Retired

The journey so far

I am a retired nurse and have studied M.B.B.S in India. I worked as a resident for one year and then moved to the U.S.A at the age of 25. I have always been weight-conscious. I am not very tall and don't want to look fat. After moving to the U.S.A, I often ate deserts, cakes and chocolate syrup. Since I was a medical student, I used to check my fasting and not postprandial blood sugar levels. At the time of check-up for health insurance, my blood sugar levels were found to be 300 mg/dL. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 27.

I was prescribed insulin right from the beginning. For a brief period, I was put on oral medication but my blood sugar levels were still not under control. They would fluctuate throughout the day. I was asked by my doctor to check my blood sugar levels for a week or so to understand my blood sugar patterns. During the summer season, my blood sugar level would rise to 300 mg/dL.

I tended to feel hypoglycaemia at 1 a.m. I was put on a steady dose of insulin and was never prescribed more than 2 doses. I used to check my blood sugar levels four times a day which I continue to do even today.

I seek regular consultation to manage my insulin dosage through the pump according to my diet and lifestyle. My fasting blood sugar levels are now normal.

My friends and family