
Ep 155 - 3 Months Post Islet Cell Transplant for Type 1 Diabetes: Katie Beth Hand's Story
From Type 1 In Midlife: Women Over 40 with Type 1 Diabetes, Hormones, Perimenopause, Menopause, and Blood Sugar Challenges by Melissa Slemp
April 27, 2026 · 60 min · Season 3 · Episode 155
About this episode
Katie Beth Hand shares her experience three months post-islet cell transplant for Type 1 diabetes, discussing the physical, mental, and emotional changes she has undergone.
What does life actually feel like 3 months after an islet cell transplant for Type 1 diabetes? In this episode, I'm joined by Katie Beth Hand for an honest and hope-filled update on what life has looked like since receiving her islet cell transplant as part of a clinical trial for Type 1 diabetes. Katie Beth was diagnosed with Type 1 in 2013 and is now 3 months post-transplant, sharing what this experience has been like physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We talk about what it's like to be off insulin, how her daily decisions around food and exercise have changed, and why one of the biggest gifts has been freedom from the constant fear of lows. We also talk about: what made her say yes to this clinical trial how the transplant process worked what the medication Tegoprubart (Tego) is doing to help protect the islet cells what life looks like now without basal insulin or mealtime insulin how food, movement, and blood sugar feel different now what she's noticed around monthly cycles, hormones, and insulin resistance why the Islet Act matters for the future of Type 1 diabetes research and why this moment feels so hopeful for the T1D community This conversation is such…
People in this episode
Host: Melissa Slemp
Guest: Katie Beth Hand
Topics covered
- islet cell transplant
- Type 1 diabetes
- clinical trial
- hormones
- insulin
- hope
- health
Keywords
- islet cell transplant
- Type 1 diabetes
- insulin
- hormones
- Tegoprubart
- clinical trial
- freedom from lows
- health update
Mentioned in this episode
Products: Tegoprubart
More episodes of Type 1 In Midlife: Women Over 40 with Type 1 Diabetes, Hormones, Perimenopause, Menopause, and Blood Sugar Challenges
- Ep 156 - GMI vs A1C: Why Your Numbers Don't Match (And What Actually Matters) · May 4, 2026 · 27 min
- Ep 154 - What Low HRV Is Telling You About Stress, Hormones, and Blood Sugar · April 20, 2026 · 27 min
- Ep 153 - What Labs to Ask for When You're Told "Everything Is Normal" · April 13, 2026 · 42 min
- Ep 152 - Why Muscle Matters More After 40 (Especially with Type 1 Diabetes) · April 6, 2026 · 18 min
- Ep 151 - Mental Health Is Health: Inside Diabetes + Mental Health Conference with Cassandra Donahue · March 30, 2026 · 36 min
- Ep 150 - Meet the Contributors to Highs, Lows & Hormones — A Survival Guide for Women with Diabetes from Monthly Cycles to Menopause · March 23, 2026 · 1h 1m
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