Paul Barraud is 35 years old. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 14 years ago. He is insulin dependent. “Insulin is the secretion of the pancreas that is used to supply cells with carbohydrates. Me for some reason that has not been identified, _my pancreas is no longer making insulin_. It is addictive with synthetic insulin that I administer with a pump. A hundred years ago, it was pork insulin, it was a bit archaic, but at least we weren’t dying anymore. Now we treat and we can have a really really good life“Michel Delenne is 79 years old. This Alesian volunteer from the French Association of Diabetics was diagnosed 39 years ago.”Insulin has become a lifelong companion he said. I have a lot of gratitude for the Canadians who found this insulin 100 years ago, for the laboratories that manufacture it. It’s a great relief.”
Considerable technical advances
Michel remembers his first insulin pump. “I wore one early in my diabetes. It was a heavy Northerner pump. It was big, we carried it under our arms, like a holster and we had a small screwdriver to send the insulin. Today, all you have to do is press a button or a remote control to get your injection. Technological means have made our lives much easier.“Paul Barraud has also been equipped with a pump for a few years. Followed at the Nîmes University Hospital, he is one of the patients who should benefit from a brand new pump next spring.” Today, I am still telling the machine, I need so much insulin with each meal. There, the machine will work almost on its own. I will just have to make sure everything works and trust him. It will take a few days of learning.”
“The best doctor for a diabetic is the diabetic himself”
For Paul and Michel, the most important thing for diabetics is to tame the disease. “It took me five years, says Paul. It’s a long road “ adds Michel. The most important thing, according to him, is to talk to other patients in order to understand. “It cheers them up because when you learn that you have diabetes, especially type 1, you fall from above. To see diabetics who seem to live “normally” for years, that reassures them. We have a different, more down to earth approach to diabetes. And above all, the best doctor of the diabetic is the diabetic himself through his personal and individual care. ”