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Project 50 of 50
The climbing of Denali has been the biggest challenge up until now
Michael Shelver and Patrick Mertes are both passionate about the outdoors and climbing. Neither has a pancreas that works. How does type 1 diabetes affect their attempt to reach the highest level in all 50 states in just 50 days?
Being halfway up a mountain in case of hypoglycemia – an episode of hypoglycemia that can cause vertigo, disorientation and even a loss of consciousness – is far from ideal.
But friends Michael and Patrick face daily risk of becoming the first diabetic to reach 50 to 50. It is thought that only 274 people have reached the 50 highest points, most of them throughout their lives, with only a handful for the 50 day delay.
Their mission is to see them travel more than 16,000 km, including 315 km of hiking trails.
Their type 1 diabetes means that their pancreas does not produce insulin, the hormone essential to allow cells to use glucose contained in food. Without insulin, your cells can be deprived of energy and over time, dangerously high levels of glucose accumulate in the body.
If you have type 1, the insulin must be injected manually or with the help of an insulin pump, used by Patrick and Michael.
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Patrick, left, and Michael at Mt Magazine, Arkansas
Too much or too little insulin can cause problems. And what makes balancing more difficult is the fact that so many other factors can affect blood sugar – such as exercise, altitude and adrenaline.
They began with the toughest summit of all – the Denali of 20,310 feet (6,190 meters) in Alaska, the highest point in North America. This was both a literal high for them, but also the source of dozens of hypoglycemias as well as several episodes of ketones, a complication that can occur when blood sugar levels are too high.
"The hardest thing in my life"
Patrick, who has been living with diabetes since 1997, when he was nine years old, said, "What worried me the most so far was the altitude of Denali.
"We acted quickly enough on the standard plan: most people take up to 17 days and we have concluded nine. This had an effect on blood glucose as well as on my lung health.
"I'm not very emotional, but reaching the top of Denali was the hardest thing I ever did in my life, being able to not only achieve that goal, but doing it with Michael was the next level for me. . "
Another long list of potential problems is that insulin does not like extreme environments.
- The human cost of insulin in America
- "I was told that I was going to die"
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They reached the top of Kentucky's black mountain in the dark
Michael, who was diagnosed 10 years ago in 2004, explains, "We need to make sure that our insulin is still in the normal temperature range because it does not work properly outside of that.
"On Denali, we had to take our insulin and put it inside a stuffed object, so we chose a sock and put that sock in an insulated bottle and then slept in our bags. sleeping up to -40F there – it was around -25F at the top for us.
"We had to wear a lot of diapers, with our pumps inside our inner vests to make sure it was warm and the tube was in good condition, as it would be more likely to freeze." could not be exposed to the air quickly enough. "
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In Vermont, they were arrested by Devon Kirk, left party, who was climbing as part of a bachelor party – he was diagnosed three years ago. Here they show all their glucometers continuously
Frozen insulin would mean that it would not work, which could then lead to dangerously high blood sugar levels. h
"In remote areas, we need to make sure we have enough stocks and safeguards," he adds. "We can never be too far from a pharmacy in case something should be replaced – we can not afford not to do it."
Patrick says that at certain altitudes, "they do not use the products the way they are supposed to be used," adding, "So this is a trial and error at this point."
What is diabetes?
Millions of people around the world have diabetes. The majority of them, about 95%, have type 2 diabetes, which means that their body is not using properly insulin, a natural hormone secreted by the pancreas. Insulin is needed to get glucose-formed when carbohydrates are broken down by the body – blood in the cells.
Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by diet, exercise, oral medications or a combination of all three. Sometimes this requires the use of insulin. Some groups are at higher risk of contracting type 2, and in the United States it is more common among African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans and Americans of Asian / Pacific Island origin, as well as in the elderly.
Type 1 is an autoimmune disease in which the body does not produce insulin at all. It must therefore be injected through the skin. This can not be prevented at all and can occur in people of all races, shapes and sizes. It was sometimes called juvenile diabetes, but it was not accurate because it is not an infant illness and can be diagnosed at any age.
About 1.25 million Americans have type 1 diabetes, with approximately 40,000 diagnosed each year.
Source: American Diabetes Association
- How can I reduce my risk of type 2 diabetes?
The men have been friends since 2015, when they met while they were working for a non-profit organization specializing in type 1 diabetes, which helps families affected by the disease.
Last year, they decided to plan a challenge that would allow them to bring together people with type 1 diabetes and raise funds for non-profit organizations helping to bring people with type 1 diabetes to nature.
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Project 50 of 50
Others with type 1 helped them on their journey
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Snap – insulin pumps and continuous glucose meters used by people with type 1 diabetes
Patrick said, "We have an affinity for adventure, I had traveled the John Muir Trail last year and then phoned Michael to say," I want to find a way to create a great adventure with as many people from the community type as we can & # 39 ;.
"It 's nice to have someone else with you who knows everything about being out of it. [blood glucose] interval. I will not trust anyone to do this adventure. "
They spent the most time researching the technology to use, choosing a continuous blood glucose monitoring system, which provides constant readings and information to your phone or small device, instead of the traditional method of reading blood glucose by finger prick.
Their insulin pumps also use a technology that can interrupt the insulin supply if the blood glucose is too low.
They planned to finish in 41 days, but when they talk to the BBC – en route to Spruce Knob, West Virginia – they have a day ahead of their schedule and are now waiting to take up the challenge in 39 or 40 days.
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There was time for a showdown at Sassafras Mountain, South Carolina.
"There has been a real ebb and flow of energy levels," says Patrick. "We ran into a wall today after entering around 2.30am last night and then a 15km hike at 8.30am, but as long as we can have a coffee and allow ourselves to rest then we can We are resting afterwards Ok We are fueled by the energy of the people who come to meet us for the summits – it really invigorates us.
"Diabetes can be a really isolating disease – we do not necessarily look like sick or something that's wrong with us – I think people have a hard time understanding that it's a 24-hour problem 24, 7 days a week. We never have a day off.
"So being able to build a community around Type 1 can really change the way you look at things, we wanted to prove to the rest of the world that if you plan for the future and have the right attitude, you can do it. No matter what with this disease. "
One might think that such an exhausting schedule means having a good appetite.
But Michael says, "Altitude can really affect the appetite, my challenge now is to eat enough, there is no consistency – we never sleep for eight hours and we eat three meals a day. both, live in a van and then maybe eat at a gas station. "
Patrick agrees, adding, "We are doing our best to improve on catering – but we are doing very well now with the cereal bars and cheese chains." We were very busy and left 12 hours later, we had nothing good to eat, or we just had snacks. "
Michael says, "This whole experience is a metaphor for diabetes – we've spent months planning it – then a huge storm can change the plan – that's exactly how diabetes works. something will appear. "
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Friends Annette and Sean joined the couple in Hawaii
Patrick summarizes his mission this way.
"Several days, I woke up and I thought" what the hell am I doing? ".
"Then we'll have experiences that will remind me why we're doing this." In North Carolina, we hiked with a high school freshman who had a hard time, and when we finished the hike, he said that had helped him see that there was a light in a dark tunnel – and now he says he's planning a hike on the Appalachian Trail.
"If what we do helps one child, it's worth it."
Patrick and Michael have now completed the summits of the east coast and are traveling to the Midwest before arriving at the most important peaks on the west coast. You can follow their progress here.
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