Close your eyes and think
back to how phones used to
function. My recollection
is of hiding in the kitchen
pantry hanging onto the
receiver – connected by a
coiled cord that always had
a few coils out of sync – to
a wall-mounted beige dial-up telephone. The
door to the pantry had mission brown louvres,
so the hiding was pointless – everyone
could hear every word.
Whatever your memory,
unless you’re under 10, you
will realise the phones we use
now are connected to most daily
functions of our lives.
Next, have a think
about your memory
of your diabetes
management. For me,
it goes back 35-odd
years. My original lunch
box-type kit of diabetes gear has
been replaced time and again by
smaller, quicker, more accurate equipment – to
the point where I am now (almost) able to have
a sensor talk to a machine smaller than my wallet.
They discuss my BGL more than 280 times a day
and administer or withhold insulin.
I say ‘almost’ because, at the time of writing,
this new technology has arrived and is ready to go,
but is awaiting approval by the Therapeutic Goods
Administration, which determines when we can
access this life-changing tech and be as healthy as
possible. Other countries use it already, so I hope
by the time you read this we will also have approval.
The point is we are in a generation experiencing
advancement in technology at speeds almost faster
than our minds can cope with. It seems as if there
are constant adjustments and improvements – not
just for diabetes, but everywhere. A friend recently
bought a fridge that will call his phone and remind
him what he needs to buy at the shop. Ludicrous!
We all have our own pace and systems we feel are
best for us. I had become so comfortable
in managing my diabetes with
needles and finger pricks
I almost shut the door
on the tech that was
becoming available.
Familiar habits are
tough to let go. But
I’d encourage anyone with
the means to take a chance on
the unfamiliar. I did and it changed
my life in a brilliant way.
It seems, however, that cost is where many
can find issue when accessing this life-changing
equipment. Our government has begun positively
by providing CGM for under 21s, but what
22-year-old has a spare $5000 a year for
something so beneficial? That’s a $40,000
expense by 30! This week, I challenge everyone
to write a message to their local Member of
Parliament to remind them there are youngsters
out there metaphorically still hiding in the pantry
using a phone on a chord – and the reception sucks!
Let’s make the call and enable everyone’s
diabetes management to get up to speed. ■Our resident type 1 columnist, Rob Palmer, has embraced technology
for diabetes care, and wants everyone to have the same opportunity
PHOTOGRAPHYDAVIDTHOMSON^(ROB’SPHOTO),^ GETTYIMAGESFOR
HIGH TIME
high tech
postcards from the shed
138 MARCH/APRIL 2019 diabetic living