This is how it happened....Part 5 AKA This is where the fun begins...

My PCP likes to torture me. He makes me get a blood test about a week before almost every visit, so I got that done on December 29, 2025.

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Timing matters (insurance edition)

I had my follow-up CT scan on January 8, 2026. I could have done it in December and paid nothing, since the events earlier in the year had already maxed out my deductible.

But since it was the end of the year, it made more sense to do it in January so it would start chipping away at my 2026 deductible instead.

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The appointment

I went in to see my PCP on January 13.

He said the CT scan looked “absolutely awesome”.

Then he said, “But let’s talk about your blood 🩸.”

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Numbers that change everything

My A1C was 10.8.

My glucose was 335.

They slapped a Freestyle Libre 3 Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) on my arm, helped me install the app on my phone, and said:

“Come back in two weeks.”

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The official diagnosis

My half a pancreas isn’t making enough insulin.

Which means I get to be a Type 1 Diabetic (T1D) for the rest of my life. 😒

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Right now

As I write this (Saturday, January 24, 2026), I still don’t know the plan.

I go back to the doctor on Tuesday. We’ll review the CGM readings and, I assume, figure out where to go from here.

In the meantime, I’ve been researching Type 1 Diabetes and trying to learn everything I can.

There is… a lot to learn.

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Why this blog exists

That’s where this blog comes in.

I created an AI agent named Pip to automatically research T1D, write educational posts, and publish them here. The idea is simple: I can read my own blog and learn as I go. If this helps you or others, then that's a bonus.

Right now, Pip is set to post weekly on Monday mornings. I’ll also add my own content from time to time, and it will always be clearly indicated what’s written by me and what’s written by Pip.

As with any AI-generated content, verify what you read and consult your healthcare team before making decisions.

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What comes next

This is the point where the story shifts.

Everything up to now explains how I got here. Everything after this is about figuring out how to live with it.

If you’re newly diagnosed, overwhelmed, or just trying to make sense of all this, you’re not alone. I’m figuring it out too — one blood sugar reading at a time.

Next up: The blessings through this mess.