#320: From Pig Insulin to Inhaled Insulin - Adriana’s 35-Year Journey with T1D

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In this powerful episode, I sit down with Adriana Wright, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just four years old and has now lived with T1D for nearly 35 years. Her story begins in the early 1990s — the “dark ages” of diabetes care — when blood sugar testing required giant blood drops, no CGMs existed, and kids with T1D often felt isolated, limited, or misunderstood.

Adriana shares what it was like to grow up with diabetes before modern tools existed, how her family adapted overnight, and how resilience became the thread that carried her through childhood, adolescence, motherhood, and adulthood.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Diabetes management has evolved dramatically — but the emotional challenges remain real.
• Kids diagnosed young often internalize “limitations” they never chose.
• Asking for help is difficult for many people with T1D — even when support is readily available.
• Resilience is built through decades of adapting, learning, self-advocating, and experimenting.
• High blood sugars are often harder to treat than lows — influencing personal fear patterns.
• Afrezza works differently for everyone, and real-world lived experience matters just as much as clinical instruction.
• Doctors are tools — not the sole source of wisdom. Real diabetes learning happens through lived experience and community.
• You are allowed to redefine your care team, your tools, and your approach.

Connect With Adriana - Instagram

About the Host - Coach Ken

I’m Coach Ken Kniss, founder of Simplifying Life With Diabetes and host of The Healthy Diabetic Podcast. I help people living with T1D cut through the overwhelm, confusion, fear, and distrust in their daily decisions, so they can feel confident and live without consistently worrying about lows, their body image, or long term complications.

🌐 Website: SimplifyingDiabetes.com
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