Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge. I’ve been considering for over a year now, and I’ve finally decided to quit my job and dive headfirst into a passion project. It’s scary, exciting, and I have a lot to be grateful for, especially my friends, family and colleagues who listened to my thoughts and provided me the nudge to follow my passion.
I’ve had Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) for 27 years and it’s been a constant in my life. While I was working at Google, I built and used a DIY closed loop insulin pump + continuous glucose monitor (CGM), piggybacking off the incredible work of the OpenAPS and NightScout Github projects. More recently I’ve been using a commercially available closed loop system.
Technology has been incredibly helpful for me controlling my T1D. I was the youngest insulin pump user in my home state of Massachusetts at age 7, and a user of early CGMs. Closed loop pump + CGM artificial pancreas systems have been key to improving my control.
Having worked eight and a half years as a software engineer in Silicon Valley, the time has come for me to come full circle and dedicate my efforts to better understanding T1D and exploring the role of machine learning in improving the closed loop systems I rely on. I look forward to sharing what I learn here on my blog!
Nat Jeffries' Blog 