Prior to this day 97 years ago, a future with a diabetes diagnosis looked pretty bleak.

As recently as 1920, doctors gave newly diagnosed diabetics mere weeks (or days) to live. Fortunate patients might break months, or, in rare cases, a year. But mostly, patients would enter diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and die soon after their diagnosis. (Beyond Type 1)

Even though I often tout the amazing advancements in diabetes management on this blog and advocate for access to those advancements, it’s nice on occasion to remember how far we’ve come and the transformation breakthroughs like insulin really provided for people like me.

ON THIS DAY IN 1921, INSULIN was isolated for the first time at the University of Toronto by Canadian scientists Frederick Banting and Charles Best. https://t.co/SGTBoEnH17 #insulin #history #T1D

— Beyond Type 1 (@BeyondType1) July 27, 2018

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Here’s to you research.

This post is part of my 30 Days With Diabetes series.