In the First Person: A Broadband Journey with Diabetes

[Commentary] My name is Tesch West and I have diabetes. I am also a legal intern on the Federal Communications Commission's Connect2Health Task Force, where we are charting the broadband future of health and care and working to ensure that the FCC stays ahead of the health technology curve. I was inspired to work on this Task Force because of the impact these issues have on my life. According to the Centers for Disease Control, just over 29 million Americans have diabetes, and only 5 percent are living with type 1 diabetes. While 5 percent may seem insignificant in comparison to the other 95 percent living with type 2 diabetes, I can assure you that the 1.25 million Americans with type 1 would disagree. I should know - I'm one of them.

I was diagnosed when I was 10 years old. I haven’t let an autoimmune disorder hold me back from achieving my dreams, such as going to law school. Broadband health technology has been a big part of my success. I have a wireless implantable sensor that tests my blood sugar and notifies me when my medication should be delivered. I literally sleep easier knowing it will wake me if there is a problem. Also, my glucometer and insulin pump use radio frequencies to "talk" to each other and I can download all of this information and send it to my doctors. Quite the change from 14 years ago when I was first diagnosed - the hospital staff drew my blood for a simple glucose test with a plastic tube and a glucometer the size of a loaf of bread. With the help of broadband-enabled technologies, such as telehealth and implantable sensors, my diabetes is under control and manageable. It doesn't define me. It is only a part of my life. Working at the Connect2HealthFCC Task Force, I have come to realize that by charting the future of broadband-enabled health care, we are charting the future of people like me.

[Tesch West is a second year law student at George Washington University Law School. She is currently working as a legal intern on the Connect2HealthFCC Task Force]