Opening digital doors – Kristin Busche
St. Joseph’s Health Care London's annual Diabetes Half Century Awards highlight patients like Kristin Busche, whose diabetes journey has led to a life of online advocacy.
Discovering a virtual tapestry of support and connection among the dynamic online diabetes community changed Kristin Busche’s life.
“It's opened doors – not doors where I'm going out and doing things, but I can help people online,” she says.
Today, Busche finds powerful purpose in a community she could never have imagined existing when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 50 years ago.
On September 4, 1974, it was Busche’s second day of Grade 2. Her mom, a former registered nurse, brought her to what was then the emergency room at St. Joseph’s Hospital after recognizing the symptoms. Busche’s most vivid memory from her week and a half stay on the pediatric floor? Missing American pop group Tony Orlando and Dawn playing in town.
“For some reason at five, six, seven years old, I was absolutely smitten with them,” she says, “and I missed being able to see them at the Western Fair because I was in the hospital.”
Besides the disappointment of a missed concert, Busche considers herself as having had a very lucky childhood. Of course, needles and urine testing weren't much fun, and a few dinner recipes needed to be adjusted, but Busche never felt like her world was turned upside down.
“My parents just didn't make any fuss over it. It had to be done and that was it,” she says.
Busche is among 10 recipients of this year’s Diabetes Half Century Awards presented annually by St. Joseph’s Health Care London and Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. to patients with insulin-dependent diabetes who reach 50 or more years since their diagnosis. The patients, who are nominated by their endocrinologist, are honoured for their personal commitment and diligence in looking after their health, and for acting as a role model to all those living with the condition.
Over the past 50 years, Busche has witnessed first-hand significant advancements in the ways diabetes can be managed.
“I’m probably in the best control now in the last five years than I've been in for the last 50,” she says.
A huge shift occurred five years ago, when she began using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). CGMs are wearable devices that track glucose levels and relay real-time information to paired devices. It’s a far cry from the days of urine testing. Today, many CGMs can be linked with smart watches, letting users monitor their levels with a flip of a wrist.
After a difficult start with her monitor, Busche turned to the Internet and discovered “a whole new world” through the diabetes online community (DOC). Found on forums and across social media platforms, the DOC includes people living with diabetes, their loved ones and anyone interested in learning more. For example, a Facebook group of more than 5,500 Canadian users of her particular CGM was one place Busche found not only answers but also community.
Today, she can’t imagine life without her CGM or the DOC. Now, as the moderator of that Facebook group and an active member of several other groups, Busche currently provides the support she once sought herself.
“I'll help somebody 24/7. If it means staying up until 4 am with a parent, I'll do it, no problem. Or for somebody older who just doesn't understand tech? No problem. I'm a very patient person and I think that's why it works so well.”
Busche’s passion for helping others is having a national impact. She is part of the dedicated administrative team leading the Facebook page of Type 1 Together, an advocacy group working to make type 1 care more inclusive. Although great strides have been made in the past decades, there is still work to be done, from expanding coverage for CGMs and medication, to increasing accessibility to education and technology.
“Being able to help others now, it almost feels like my calling,” Busche says. “I count my blessings every day.”
One blessing, she says, is having the time to give her time to others – a silver lining of early retirement due to diabetes-related vision and mobility complications. Despite the challenges, Busche remains grateful and relentlessly optimistic.
“There’s so far worse out there. I have my complications. I can live with them,” says the 57-year-old who looks forward to soon welcoming her second grandchild.
For young people facing a diabetes diagnosis, Busche emphasizes the importance of a good care team. Over the past 50 years, her diabetes was kept in check with support from a dedicated pediatrician and two St. Joseph’s endocrinologists, including Dr. Selina Liu, who nominated her for a Half Century Award. She describes all three as “the perfect match” for her.
Family support has also been central to her can-do outlook and ability to live well with diabetes. Receiving recognition at the Half Century Awards marks a bittersweet milestone for Busche, who lost both of her parents this past year.
"They should be here for this,” she says. “They were certainly a big part of it all.”
Her parents’ practical and positive approach lives on in Busche, whose philosophy is best summed up by her personal mantra: “Diabetes isn’t sweet, life is.” She lives by these words of optimism and gratitude and models them every day for those she helps on their journey.