Garrit Pillie
T1 Adventurous soul who won't let T1D stop him anymore, and doesn't want it to stop you either!
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Garrit Pillie
My T1D is never going to hold me back again, and don't let it hold you back either! When I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, I was in my early 20s. At first, I refused to accept I would need to use insulin. I tried running miles every day and avoiding carbs entirely to manage. My levels were still way too high, and I was a downright skeleton. My boss ended up taking me on a tour of a kidney treatment dialysis center and mentioned that this could be my future if I don’t face reality. What a wake-up call. I then discovered the Omnipod system and that has been a huge help in managing my levels when I’m having a blast doing everything I want to do such as downhill mountain biking, rock climbing, skiing and snowboarding. I was also honored and humbled to recently reach third degree level black belt in Iaido after training for nearly 10 years. Life is good! ABOUT GARRIT PILLIE Garrit is a Director of Engineering in commercial real estate. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Washington, where he graduated cum laude. He juggled working towards his degree while also advancing in his career as a building engineer, flipping houses, and managing his diabetes. Garrit and his wife are also proud to have as part of their family their service dog, Neko. Neko has been trained to alert Garrit when his glucose levels are too low. They enjoy many adventures living aboard their boat, which allows them to explore the jewels of the Pacific Northwest, including the San Juan and Gulf Islands. |