Valued commenter Scratch is participating in the Philadelphia half marathon for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. As he puts it, his motivation is clear:
I’ve had type 1 diabetes for over 30 years, so this is something a source of frustration and worry for me… It sucks, it really sucks. Type 1 diabetes is its own host of fun because it requires that I make medical treatment decisions for myself every day, if I want to try to stay healthy, and there’s no real taking a break from it. It’s always there in the back of the head. Then with the coming of the next insurance changing periods, it’s a nightmare of worry….
By the way, now that I’m older and trying to maybe do a little bit of good before this world swallows me up, if any of you think you might have a few extra bucks to donate to the JDRF, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, please do so. It’d be really nice if you could do so through my donation page, I’m running a half-marathon in Philadelphia Nov 22 as a member of Team JDRF.
His donation page is here, lets see if we can him some scratch to help beat the sugar.
Scratch
Thank you very much, Richard. I’m not a frequenter commenter, mostly I tend to read the posts and comments underneath and greatly enjoy the often intelligent commentary among the various participants.
They don’t have to be large donations. Even just a few bucks here and there is generous and kind, to maybe help move us along to a future when day when those diagnosed with type 1 diabetes will not have to live the rest of their lives with that. It’s hard to describe to those who don’t live it, but try to understand that for a large number of type 1 diabetics, we have a strange life of needed diligence in order to try to stay healthy. The really well-controlled type 1 diabetics become, in effect, doctors to themselves, day after day making decisions about what to do with how much insulin is used. But obviously not all people are capable of that, so a cure could make a huge difference in the quality of life for those people.
I am fortunate enough that my own particular quirks of metabolism make it somewhat easier for me than many other type 1s that I can run without my blood sugars dropping quickly. But it’s always a thing I have to think about and sometimes I wonder what it would be like to run without thinking about it or what it would be like to try to run ultra-marathons. Not that an ultra-marathon is necessarily impossible, but it would be tricky and difficult to figure out.
But that’s just personal. The big thing is to get to that cure so the younger people, those who are being diagnosed today and those in the future, will have lives without worries about insulin, test strips, food intake, CGM devices, insulin pumps, etc. There are promising pathways to developing a cure, but money is needed to explore those pathways.
There are over 1 million type 1 diabetics here in the United States. Based upon rate trends, in 2050 there could be more than 5 million. Any dollar you can give can make a huge difference in the quality of life for all those of today and those to come.
Thank you.
Satby
@Scratch: I’m in, Scratch. I don’t have much. My nephew has Type 1 diabetes, and I know how much more challenging a marathon will be for someone like you with blood sugar issues. Pretty brave to take it on, good luck!
Satby
@Satby: shared on FB too, hope it helps!
Eric S.
I’m in for $30.
My younger brother is Type 1. He was diagnoses about 25 years ago. He’s attempted 4 full marathons and only completed one and that just barely. Keeping his blood sugars balanced for that length of time is very difficult. He always runs for the Diabetes Foundation and I obviously kick in for him.
The two of us just ran a half marathon this past Sunday. He beat me by 15 minutes. Of course,he’s always been the more athletic of the two of us.
Good luck on your run, Scratch!
K488
I’m in too for a modest sum – we give to JDRF in other ways as well. I have two sons (from two families) who are type 1, and have been maintaining themselves for over 20 years and 13 years respectively. Both athletic, which helps. Older one (K310) was a member of Team Type 1 Bicycling, and rode as part of the team in Race Across America twice. Great to hear about the race, and our hearts and minds are with you.
Scratch
Thank you to all so far. I’d write more except in between when I wrote earlier and now, I went and ran. And had my first bad luck with a car. My right thumb is probably broken. In the process now of getting ready to go to doc office for script to get xray.
RosiesDad
@Scratch: I’m in for $50. It’s a good thing you do, both for yourself and for others. The least we can do is support your efforts. Have a good run.
Beeb
I’m in. Good luck with your thumb! Please let us know how you are.
Satby
@Scratch: Man, hope your thumb is ok!
Scratch
Again thank you. I ended up with a fairly simple fracture in the thumb tip and will see hand specialist tomorrow. But that can’t stop me from running. Strange day. Your wonderful help and generosity made me cry more than the thumb.