Type 1 Diabetic Pilots for Equality

[CoffeeIcePapers]

Is your type1 certain? Can you change it?

What I mean - I know of 2 people who changed their diabetes type. An aquaintance went from insulin (type 1) to the type requiring only pills (type 2 is medication only, correct?).

The other was type 2 (my dad, spent his last 5 years at USAir taking diabetes medication) and, in retirement, was able to go to type 3 that didn't require any medication.

Both people did this with vigorous exercise and diet modification. My dad also cut his smoking by about 90% and is also into natrual supplements, who knows if they helped or not.

My point is, maybe you could get to a lesser diabetes type with diet/exercise/lifestyle and get a first class medical. Even type 2 pilots (the type that requires medication) can get a first class medical, and fly for the airlines if that's your dream.

If you're stuck with insulin and type 1, as others have pointed out, there are many other fields in aviation - and so much more outside of the flying world.

Type 1 means your body produces little to no insulin. There is no way to fix it without insulin.

 

[amjon]

Is your type1 certain? Can you change it?

What I mean - I know of 2 people who changed their diabetes type. An aquaintance went from insulin (type 1) to the type requiring only pills (type 2 is medication only, correct?).

The other was type 2 (my dad, spent his last 5 years at USAir taking diabetes medication) and, in retirement, was able to go to type 3 that didn't require any medication.

Both people did this with vigorous exercise and diet modification. My dad also cut his smoking by about 90% and is also into natrual supplements, who knows if they helped or not.

My point is, maybe you could get to a lesser diabetes type with diet/exercise/lifestyle and get a first class medical. Even type 2 pilots (the type that requires medication) can get a first class medical, and fly for the airlines if that's your dream.

If you're stuck with insulin and type 1, as others have pointed out, there are many other fields in aviation - and so much more outside of the flying world.

Type 1 and 2 do not have the same causes. They are completely different forms. You can't "change" your type from 1 to 2 unless you were misdiagnosed with type 1. Type 1 is sometimes referred to as juvenile diabetes as you are born with it and there is nothing you can do to prevent it. Type 2 is usually acquired later in life (though more in children now as their diet/ exercise routine becomes more unhealthy). It can be changed with diet/ exercise. You can be type 2 insulin dependent or use drugs. Using insulin does not make it type 1 or 2, if you can change using insulin it was ALWAYS type 2. You can prevent or even reverse type 2 most of the time, but not type 1.