Grace's Story

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2019 at age 65. The cause is a combination of medical and genetic history, not lifestyle.

The genetic history comes from both maternal and paternal sides of my family. My mother and sisters as well as many other relatives on that side have T2DM. My half siblings (my father’s children) also have T2DM as well as aunties and cousins on my paternal side.

I had Whipple surgery for an Ampullary Tumour in 2008. This means the head of my pancreas was removed along with other organs.

At first, I was able to take control of my diagnosis with a very restricted low-carb, almost keto, diet. This was made possible because I can afford to self-fund a CGM. Having the immediate and interim fluctuations of my blood sugar readings available and keeping a food diary allowed me to fine tune my diet to how my body reacts to different foods. It is different for everyone. This cannot be done with the finger prick tests.

That worked until 2022 when I began suffering a series of symptoms which prompted advice to be tested for Pancreatic Insufficiency. The results were severe exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. My pancreas has significant atrophy and although I am still producing insulin at the moment, I am no longer producing pancreatic enzymes essential for nutrient absorption. I know that my endocrine paceas will eventually fail and I will eventually have to go onto insulin.

All this means that I can no longer control my diabetes with diet and exercise. In fact my exercise has been seriously impacted by a further diagnosis of reactive hypoglycaemia. With not being able to absorb enough of the right nutrients without the help of pancreatic enzymes which cause weight gain, I have had to increase my calories and carbohydrates to function properly.

In effect, I have three conditions that work against one another and make for a difficult balancing act in taking the right medications, food and exercise.

If I was not able to afford the CGM and Medical Insurance, I would be very sick and my life would be seriously impacted as well as a huge cost to the country. How long I can sustain that cost is uncertain.

I know that CGM’s are essential for children and all T1DM patients but I implore the Government to also consider the millions of dollars that would be saved by funding CGMs for all people diagnosed with pre-T2DM. If people were able to get real-time data and feedback from what they eat, it would have a much bigger impact on how people help themselves to prevent developing T2DM. If they were given support and effective education on diet and exercise as well, the flow-on effect would mean a drastic reduction in the development of T2DM and all associated medical issues, hospitalisations and deaths from complications.

-Grace