Escaping the Slog: How I Reclaimed My Life After 45 Years With Type 1 Diabetes
- Mike Sommer
- Dec 9
- 2 min read
Living with Type 1 diabetes (T1d) is relentless. It’s a job that never clocks out—a constant cycle of checking, dosing, calculating, correcting, worrying, and hoping. After 45 years of doing that job without a break, the weight finally caught up to me. I hit burnout. Hard.
What I call the slog had taken over. The slog is that invisible grind only people with T1D truly understand—the exhaustion of carrying a mental load that never lets up. Eventually, it swallowed my energy, my focus, and my joy. I felt trapped.
The Turning Point
Just when it felt like there was no way out, I found something that changed everything: LOOP, an automated insulin delivery (AID) system.
It wasn’t just a new piece of technology. It was oxygen. It was relief. It was the first real escape hatch from the slog.
How LOOP Set Me Free
LOOP connects my CGM and insulin pump and uses a smart algorithm to automatically adjust my insulin delivery—constantly, quietly, and more precisely than I ever could on my own.
For the first time since I was diagnosed in 1973, I wasn’t doing diabetes alone anymore.
The nonstop mental math? The second-guessing? The what-ifs that used to fill my head? Gone.
Suddenly, I could be present again—fully engaged in conversations, family moments, work, friendships. All the things that T1d has a habit of pulling us away from.
From Burnout to Possibility
As LOOP began handling the management load, my mental state shifted in ways I didn’t expect. The burnout lifted. Hope crept back in. My body felt better, yes—but even more importantly, my mind felt lighter.
Stable blood sugars meant more energy, fewer interruptions, and a kind of calm I hadn’t experienced in decades.
LOOP didn’t just help me manage diabetes. It gave me my life back.
Escaping the Slog Is Possible
If you’re living in your own version of the slog—if T1D feels overwhelming, exhausting, or unsustainable—please know this: there is a way out. And you don’t have to figure it out alone. I’ve walked this path. I know the burnout, the frustration, and the fear. And I know what it feels like to finally rise above it.
If you or someone you love is struggling with the daily demands of T1d, let’s talk. Automated Insulin Delivery systems are life-changing! Choosing the right one can be overwhelming. Let me help you find your path out of the slog.
Free consultation:📩 Mike@JustAnotherT1d.com