Life with Type 1: Scott King

When I first developed diabetes in 1977 I believed it would change the way
I lived. It has, but in more ways that I could imagine. My grandfather, I had been told growing up, "died of diabetes." So diabetes was something I was afraid of. I had never met my grandfather and diabetes was the thing to blame. I was not quite sure what diabetes was. Something that made you shoot a syringe into your belly. Something to do with sugar.

The Diagnosis

Jim and I were on our way to visit Tony at his family home in Lake Charles.
I was sick but treated myself with Co'Cola, the Southern American elixir.
So when I could not take it any more I met a doctor in Louisiana. She immediately diagnosed me.
"You have diabetes. I'll do a blood sugar to be sure"
And with that, sent me home to my parents. It was the year between college and beginning graduate work to become a scientist.

I had a great honeymoon year. Blood sugar was easy to control, and I lost 20 pounds. I thought that would help, and it did.

Life Goes On

When I started work as an investment analyst I had the opportunity to research diabetes research. I talked to everyone I could and wrote about the future of diabetes therapy from an investment perspective: That is, where do I invest? So for several years I was consulted as "Wall Street's diabetes expert." When I came to California I made the plunge and raised money for my first diabetes research venture. There have been several. ISM is the latest and might be the last.

Through it all I had to control my own diabetes. I remember my first glucose meter. It was the size of a shoebox and plugged into the wall. I believed in tight control from the beginning, even before it was proven.
So I have practiced my version of tight control, varied to my tastes, which include drinking and enjoying fine food. It has worked; my retina and my kidneys work fine. The two worst things about diabetes control were, first, the honeymoon, which gave me a false idea of how hard good control is, and, second, international travel. I always feel bad when I cross more than a few time zones. But it has made me aware of my body.

I have become devoted to work on diabetes. Diabetes has taught me when to trust people. Working to find a cure for diabetes has been important, more important that a mere job, because of the life lessons I have learned on this path. I have met friends unexpectedly, and have seen treachery.

I have never been more hopeful than I am now. I believe that the year 2000 is the turning point on making diabetes an historical curiosity, something only found in medical history books.