A tiny companion that saves your precious life

Teen years are probably the most memorable and colorful times in most of our lives. It is the phase when we explore the brighter sides of our surroundings. However, what happens when a boy of 15-16 years old is told that he has a disease with which he is compelled to live for the rest of his life?

This is the story of Tazul Islam. Tazul had been diagnosed with type-1 diabetes in 2009 when he was around 16. Tazul and his family were left speechless at this finding. They had no previous history of diabetes in their family. One such diagnosis of their only child resulted in a mental collapse of Tazul’s parents. Tazul had also misconceived that only old and sick people with heart or kidney diseases face diabetes and expire shortly. Their world came to an upsetting halt.

Tazul had already begun to lose his weight and appetite drastically. Within 2-3 months, he had lost around 15 kilos. Besides, Tazul had an increased need for urination, sudden uncontrollable thirst, and occasional bleeding from his teeth' roots. Upon being diagnosed with diabetes, Tazul was so depressed that he started to think that his life has no meaning left. He soon lost all care for the prescribed medications, diets, and often missed insulin. At one point, Tazul’s HbA1c would constantly be around 13%. Tazul was still relatively young and lacked the maturity to comprehend the counseling given to him by well-wishers. He would often forget to carry insulins with him outside or find it damaged due to hot weather. Everything seemed to be going wrong for him.

Upon consulting a physician, he was recommended to use CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring). As the CGM readings showed rapid surges of the blood sugar level, Tazul was then suggested to consider using an insulin pump. He started using the insulin pump when he started to do his first job. It turned out to be a life-changing decision for him. Tazul gradually started to learn more about carb counting, insulin ratio with food intake, bolus, basal rates, and such things, which helped him gain a more stable attitude. His health has since been recovering with a rejoiced mind and a stronger physique.

Tazul finally feels that he has found the right companion to tackle diabetes. “I have found freedom once again in my life with my insulin pump. I no longer have to worry about preserving insulins or manually checking my stats. It is an easily carriable device that can save your life. I would recommend all type-1 diabetic patients to try it out at least once and see the difference,” says Tazul, currently 26 years of age and a mentor at Young Leaders in Diabetes Program (YLD).

Disclaimer: This is a public awareness initiative by Medtronic. The patient story published is for educational and informational purposes only and is an experience specific to a particular patient. Responses to a treatment may vary from patient to patient. Always talk with your healthcare professional about diagnosis and treatment information and ensure that you understand and carefully follow that information.