Thirty years ago, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Alberta investigating if Woods and Plains Bison in wildlife parks were genetically distinct, a critical component in ensuring their protection. I was recently married and planning to move to Montreal. I started losing weight and became thirsty all the time but did not think too much about it at first. I began to worry when I was standing at a bus stop and my wedding ring slid off my finger. After three weeks, I lost 30 lbs. My vision was blurred. I needed to see a doctor. She knew instantly what was wrong: I had developed type 1 diabetes in the space of a month. The islet cells in my pancreas no longer produced insulin that allows glucose into cells to use as an energy source. Without insulin, glucose builds up in the blood and prevents the kidney from recovering water from the urine. As a result, I had become critically dehydrated.
One hundred years ago, insulin was discovered by Frederick Banting and Charles Best at the University of Toronto. Two years later, insulin had been purified and injected into diabetic patients, and for the first time their levels of blood sugar could be reduced. A patient with type 1 diabetes could now expect to live longer than 18 months. Some have argued that this is the most important scientific discovery made in Canada. I am not in a position to disagree. Scientific discovery depends on careful planning, attention to detail and constant checks that you are not fooling yourself. Bringing these discoveries into the medical field makes it possible to limit the impact of disease and improve quality of life in ways that can affect millions.
2021 will be the year a large fraction of the world鈥檚 population will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Thanks to Banting and Best, type 1 diabetics are not a priority group for vaccination since we are at no higher risk than anyone else from COVID, so although I鈥檒l wait my turn, I鈥檓 looking forward to getting vaccinated.