In 1968, Dennis Goldensohn was a 16-year-old working at White Castle in Queens, NY. He started experiencing extreme thirst and tried quenching it with cola from the soda fountain. After a few weeks of on-and-off symptoms, he went to his family doctor. “He was the old Marcus Welby type of guy, with the rolled-up sleeves of a white Oxford shirt, wearing a tie and a stethoscope around his neck,” Dennis recalled. “And he told me to see an endocrinologist as soon as possible.”
At the endocrinologist, Dennis’ blood sugar was tested via urine test strips—the number was off the charts. The doctor said to his parents, “Your son has juvenile diabetes and will be on insulin shots for the rest of his life.” He gave Dennis a vial of pork insulin and some 24-gauge syringes, showed him how to inject it, and sent him home with a pat on the back.
The next day, when Dennis had to administer his first injection, he had a moment of resolve. “I said to myself, ‘This is not going to get in my way. This is not something that is going to be a roadblock’.”
That day began Dennis’s 57-year journey of living a full and healthy life with type 1 diabetes.
Applying lived experience to type 1 diabetes
Dennis worked in the manufacturing industry for over 40 years and has used that experience to better manage his type 1 diabetes.
“In manufacturing, I did statistical process control,” he said. “With T1D, it’s not control, it’s management. You manage diabetes, so the bandwidth of your time in range is narrow.”
He also takes a practical approach to what lies ahead. While he praises technology like CGMs and automated insulin delivery systems, those are not the end game for him.
“In lean manufacturing, the present is what we call the ‘current state.’ We don’t like the current state; we want the ideal state, which would be cures.”
Reducing T1D stigma in the workplace
Dennis is very passionate about reducing the stigma of type 1 diabetes in the workplace. He recalls times when he would need to inject insulin at professional meetings. “People would ask me, ‘What are you doing?’ and I would reply, ‘I’m diabetic, and this is what I do.’” His matter-of-fact approach encouraged others in the workplace to advocate for themselves.
In the 1980s, Dennis held “Lunch and Learn” sessions at his workplace to support his co-workers living with T1D. “My experience of one benefited 20 others,” he said. “If you’re a champion and a change agent, that makes all the difference.”
Giving back to the type 1 diabetes community
Since the 1970s, Dennis has been an avid advocate for our organization and the T1D community and has graciously volunteered as a photographer for his local Breakthrough T1D Walks, Community Summits, golf tournaments, and Galas.
He also deeply enjoys mentoring other people living with T1D, from the ages of 4 to 84. “I want to show them that everything can work out,” he said. “Everything is possible.”
Dennis encourages his fellow “type 1 diabetes veterans” to share their experiences and support with the T1D community. “It will benefit you and everyone else facing the condition. You have to give of yourself for yourself.”
Tips from a T1D veteran
Dennis is proud of his healthy life with type 1 diabetes and says there are a few important things that have helped him along the way:
- A positive attitude
“A positive mind leads to positive health outcomes.” - A deep understanding of T1D
“The more knowledge you have, the easier it is to manage because you have more answers.” - A supportive community
“Whether it’s your spouse, your sibling, or even your neighbor, a strong ‘nucleus’ is important for a healthy life.”
Dennis’s optimism continues to shine through in everything he does.
“At heart, I’m still a kid from Brooklyn,” he said. “I still feel like I’m 16 years old and can play stickball and sing doo-wop harmony on the street corner. I’m going to be here forever—that’s my attitude. Type 1 diabetes is still not getting in my way!”
