Just a final recent anecdote to illustrate some of the complexity. It may look like maths on the surface, but even something like "carbohydrate ratio" is a fluid concept. Yesterday for example I was out and about in the sun and had the very same bottle of sweet tea that I have had for months. Given that I knew I was physically active and it was hot, I reduced the usual dosage for this specific drink by 80% to be on the safe side. To my surprise, on this particular day for whatever reason this was still far too much and I pushed myself into hypoglycemia in little over an hour. We humans are highly dynamic and complex systems and this is me failing with the very best technology we have available: Insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor.

In twenty years of living with diabetes, I've made an unbelievable number of mistakes — enough to fill a warehouse.

Every one of them became a lesson, provided it didn't kill me first.

One of the biggest lessons, in fact, was learning to be extremely organized and always prepared.

Yes, in that particular case I had already used up my supplies (and during a three-day trip I hadn't thought about bringing a refill), and, rather stupidly, I wasn't carrying glucagon with me.

I've never claimed to be smart — just a survivor of my own stupidity.