This year, I had a first. I mentioned insulin without realizing that everyone in the meeting didn’t already know that I had diabetes.

It was the first time I said insulin casually and revealed something very important about myself, by accident. Just like you might mention your favorite food. I mentioned insulin.

Insulin, insulin, insulin. It keeps me alive.

Ice breaker questions can be awkward. Where I work, we have an ice breaker question at our daily scrum meeting.* Do I answer the question seriously? Not always. But if I did, insulin would often be in the answer.

“If you could only have one electronic device, what would it be?”

Insulin Pump.

“Would you prefer to travel into the past or into the future?

I don’t really have a choice. There was no insulin in ancient Egypt or the old American West.

“Would you go to Mars?”

I don’t think I could. I don’t know if my insulin pump would work in space, and how would I refill my insulin?

Insulin makes me different

And that difference is super important. Talk about it. If it also makes you different, talk about it. People need to know how important it is.

Read more about Insulin

Here are a few interesting articles about the history of insulin, including information on its discovery and price history.

• 100 Years: From Gift to Greed
• Insulin Patent Sold for $1
• Biohackers With Diabetes Are Making Their Own Insulin

Footnote

* I work developing software and we work on small teams. Ice breakers are questions to generate conversation and help the team bond. The idea being that a team working together will outperform individuals who don’t collaborate. Every day, we have a short 15 minute meeting, and at the beginning of it we open up with a ice breaker question — A question to get people talking.