In November 2024 I was invited to speak at the Association of British HealthTech Industries' Parliamentary Reception to give a patient perspective on how health tech has affected my life. I talked about what managing diabetes was like when I was diagnosed 18 years ago, how challenging it is to live with type one diabetes, and how the addition of an insulin pump, a CGM and now the Medtronic 780G hybrid closed loop has helped to relieve a lot of the mental burden. For me, it's been like going from driving blindfolded to having a self driving car. I don't have to spend as much time "thinking like a pancreas" because my pump now does a lot of the work for me.
It was an honour to speak at the same podium as Wes Streeting, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and I was encouraged by his clear enthusiasm for tech and innovation in the health service. I couldn't help but give a shout out to Partha Kar too for showing what's possible when tech champions care about getting devices into people's hands. One of the highlights of the evening was the networking after the speeches when I found myself surrounded by people with a connection to diabetes - spouses, parents, other people with diabetes, people working in diabetes tech. Those conversations are the best conversations.
In an unexpected and delightful turn of events, Gary Scheiner, the author of "Think Like A Pancreas" - the book I referenced in my speech - heard about the mention and sent me a signed copy of the latest edition. It was a lovely reminder of how connected and supportive the global diabetes community is.
What's next on my diabetes tech journey?
My four years with the Medtronic 780G is coming to an end soon and I'm grateful to be in a position where I have choices about what technology system to use next. I know not everyone has the same privilege and it highlights why continuing advocacy for access to diabetes technology remains so important. Stay tuned to follow my decision making process on whether to stick with the Medtronic 780G or try something new.
Thanks for reading! For anyone interested, you can find the full parliament speech below.
Michelle Law - full speech
ABHI Parliamentary Reception, 11th November 2024
"Imagine needing an instruction manual for one of your organs.
This is mine.
For the last 18 years I’ve lived with type 1 diabetes, a condition where my pancreas has stopped producing insulin. Insulin is the hormone that regulates blood sugar and without insulin, you can't survive.
Managing type 1 diabetes isn’t just about taking insulin. It's about making every single decision your pancreas would make if it still worked.
You have to "think like a pancreas".
You’re constantly thinking about maths.
How many grams of carbs in that food, how many units of insulin do I need, what’s my blood sugar? It’s a complex calculation that changes every few hours, with variables you can’t see or control, and getting the answer wrong could land you in hospital.
Before I had access to technology, managing type one diabetes was like was like trying to drive a car blindfolded, only getting to check your speed every few hours by pricking your finger. You'd make decisions based on outdated information, and the consequences wouldn't show up until much later.
Then came the insulin pump instead of multiple daily injections - imagine switching from a manual to an automatic car. Better, but you're still driving blindfolded. It was progress, but my brain still needed to process every decision and every calculation. Despite my best efforts I’d often wake up with my blood sugar out of range, or deal with low blood sugars after correcting high blood sugars too late.
It may be no surprise then that the next book I needed was this one:
[Holds up Diabetes Burnout] It’s called Diabetes Burnout – what to do when you can’t take it anymore.
Something needed to change.
I knew I needed to get serious about finding technology to make life with diabetes easier. This started with getting a continuous glucose monitor - finally, I could see the road!
BUT here's the crucial part - every number, every trend still had to go through my brain to figure out the next steps and tell my insulin pump what to do. All that data was there, but the cognitive load of processing it, making decisions, and taking action remained squarely on my shoulders.
Despite all this technology I was still thinking like a pancreas.
I never wanted to think like a pancreas.
I wanted to think about my work, my family and having fun without the constant calculations running through my head.
And then, the hybrid closed-loop system brought it all together, with the pump and the CGM, finally connected in the Medtronic 780G system. The CGM monitors my blood sugar around the clock and tells my pump what’s happening. I’m no longer the brains of the operation. To continue the analogy, I’ve gone from driving blindfolded to having a self driving car.
The system’s algorithm works constantly, making those micro-adjustments that used to be up to me. I tell the system when I’m exercising, when I’m eating, and how much, and then it does the work.
The beauty of this system is that it doesn't just collect data - it processes it and acts on it immediately. Those complex calculations that used to consume my mental energy? They're now handled by an algorithm that makes adjustments faster and more accurately than I ever could.
When I'm sleeping, when I’m in meetings, whatever I’m doing, IT thinks like a pancreas.
This shift has been huge for my life and for my mental health. And I'm not alone.
Thanks to champions like Partha Kar, who've pushed for accessibility, this is now one of the best places in the world to live with type 1 diabetes.
The success of diabetes technology in the UK shows what's possible when we prioritise access to life-changing innovations. Every pound spent on this technology prevents costly complications, reduces hospital admissions, and enables people to stay productive at work. But more importantly, it gives people their lives back.
We need more champions in parliament who understand this bigger picture - that health technologies aren't just medical devices, they're investments in human potential and a better quality of life. Because I didn't sign up to be a pancreas. Thanks to this technology, I don't have to be. And with your support, others won't have to either."
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