My name is Amanda/Mandie I go by both, and I'm a T1 Diabetic. I'm 23 years old and have had Diabetes since I was 13. I was diagnosed on September 17, 1999 with a blood sugar of 984. My father was a Diabetic as well and he was diagnosed two weeks after I was born. Though we don't know the medical background of his biological father, his great aunt is a Diabetic, and his adoptive father's wife was a diabetic. But his biological mother wasn't. My father passed away in 1996 to cancer. Every year my brother and I were checked for Diabetes and nothing would show up.

I remember my symptoms were harsh. I was constantly sick, I was freezing cold and because I was in my teens at a rich yuppy middle school my mum thought that I was making myself sick so that I could fit in with anyone in my grade, though it wasn't the case she knew I was a D just by the symptoms she could tell three months before my diagnosis. My mum had me tested every week because something wasn't right and each time the doctor said that I had Mono or something, well the doctor was a sub and he was reading test results from 1997, in 1999 he was reading the wrong ones.

I've found it very difficult growing up with Diabetes. My father was a T2 took pills and insulin. I'm a T1 and I'm on the pump. I was a T1 1/2 for 5 years because my Ped Endocrinologist refused to do any further tests, or look into the pump though when I went to Texas Lions Camp and Camp Sweeney all of the people there had pumps and I wanted one. I went to the Ped Endo until I was 19. In 2005 I was working at a summer camp and my health was horrid. My blood sugars were back around 500 - 600 everyday and the Ped Endo didn't seem to care because she said I wasn't on enough medicine. Out of the 10 years so far I've been on Glucophage, Avandia, Lantus, Humilin, Humalog and that was it.

Later in 2005 I went to an adult Endo when she promptly asked me why I wasn't on an insulin pump. I went through a series of problems with the Ped Endo which got me started off on the wrong foot and my adult Endo was sweet and helped me realize I did need the insulin pump and that I wasn't a T1 1/2. My first pump was the 715 MM which I just got an upgrade after being on it for 4 years to the 722 MM I'm not getting my sensors until next year because my insurance says that I'm too out of control and that I don't deserve the sensors. So I'm currently trying to get better at everything.

My A1C is very out of control and I am wanting to get it at a normal number.

I'm going back to a refresher Carb counting class.

I have had a total of four Endos since diagnosis and have lived through the medical jargon of my current come December previous Endo and will be on my sixth Endocrinologist [I have to see one of the Endos before I can see the other.]

The Endocrinologist who I currently have has been very disrespectful. He wouldn't sign the papers that MM needed to have signed so I could get my 722 MM model. He continued to tell me that the office never received the paper work when I know for a fact that they did because MM continued to ask me when it would be signed and faxed back. I have had a wonderful team from MiniMed who have helped me tremendously and told me not to worry about anything because they will get it taken care of. After talking to my advocate she was questioning why my Endo wouldn't sign the papers and she went over to the office and waited until he signed it telling him that because my A1C was higher then 8 that she was demanding him to sign. I do have my 722 MM and I love it.

The problems I'm facing are wanting to cut everything out. The sugar, the carbs. I'm working out everyday and I'm in the process of trying to get back on track. I want my blood sugars between 100 - 150 [because I'm anywhere from 400 - 700 right now] I need to know though what will help lower blood sugars? What would be an emergency pack when running. [Training for marathons] I'm trying to lose weight so my basals are very low.