This is late but I've been thinking about the discourse around a possible cure for type 1 diabetes "ending" the insulin industry and I want to inform everyone that type 2 diabetics will still need insulin
T1D is when your pancreas doesn't produce insulin and T2D is when your body is resistant to insulin. so you can't cure them the same way.
and I truly do hope we cure T1D, I know many people with T1D that this would be revolutionary for, but it doesn't mean an end to the need for insulin.
but T2D is the "your fault" diabetes bc it's the "fat people" diabetes so if demand declines because people with T1D don't need it, it will be even further out of reach for T2D people, who are already subjected to multiple levels of first line treatments that deny our autonomy, are difficult to adhere to, and have various negative side effects.
like my mom had to go through years of meds that made her sick and restrictive diets and her A1C got up to ELEVEN (that's not good!) before the doctor was like "....well I GUESS you could take insulin." doctors were essentially coercing my mentally ill T2D clients who got food from food banks on diet plans by framing insulin injections as punishment . I take ozempic and I worry about the long-term effects of it since we just don't know what they are and I developed diabetes 20 years earlier than I expected...when like....I COULD just be taking the hormone my body needs and make?? except that I'd have to fight my doctor for it and I'm worried about cost and insurance coverage.
so what I'm saying is. even if we come to an advancement where type one diabetics are no longer insulin dependent, don't stop fighting for free and low cost insulin.
