wearable technology simplifies life with type 1 diabetes for kelowna construction worker
“i honestly forget it’s there. i don’t even have to think about it.”
published nov 02, 2022
last updated feb 20, 2025
3 minute read
3 minute read
although he lives with type 1 diabetes, kayne charlton (right), seen here with mother cindy mclean during a kickboxing class, enjoys a range of activities, thanks to the omnipod® insulin management system.
credit: sarah may photography of campbell river
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omnipod®
this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
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kayne charlton was 13 years old when he started feeling “off.” the campbell river, b.c. native remembers breaking into a cold sweat over a bowl of breakfast cereal one winter morning and waking up in the middle of the night, thirsty. he had trouble focusing, as if everything around him was fuzzy, and he felt anxious. doctors asked his mom if the teen was on drugs.
his mother, cindy mclean, had another hunch: her son was showing signs of type 1 diabetes, a condition she has lived with since she was six years old. she pricked his finger to test his blood sugar and sure enough, his glucose level was sky-high. they went straight to the hospital and got the official diagnosis.
“like mother like son,” mclean says. “the one thing i didn’t want to give my kids was type 1 diabetes. it was pretty tough getting the news.”
diagnosis often comes as a shock, but for charlton, having grown up watching his mom experience and manage symptoms, he was at least accustomed to what living with the disease is like.
“i knew what i was in for,” says charlton, now 34 living in kelowna, b.c.
omnipod® is especially compatible with kayne’s active lifestyle in kelowna, b.c. in addition to boxing, he enjoys snowboarding, skateboarding and hiking. credit: sarah may photography of campbell river
type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the cells of the pancreas stop producing insulin. insulin is a hormone that helps blood glucose enter the body’s cells for use as energy; without it, glucose can’t travel into cells and ends up accumulating in the bloodstream. high blood glucose can lead to serious complications, and people with type 1 diabetes must take insulin to survive.
charlton remembers his mom doing multiple daily injections (mdi) of insulin, most often in her abdomen. growing up playing hockey, mdi was something he wanted to avoid, so he went straight to an insulin pump. while the system was better than poking himself with a needle in the stomach several times a day, the first model he used had tubing, which he found cumbersome.
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“i’d have to disconnect the pump before taking a shower,” charlton says. “and i was always very aware that it was there. it just wasn’t comfortable.”
charlton has since switched to the omnipod® insulin management system, a tubeless, wireless and waterproof* insulin pump that provides continuous insulin delivery for up to three days (up to 72 hours).
he can wear the omnipod almost anywhere on his body where an insulin injection can be given. discreet and user-friendly, the pod is placed directly on the skin, like a bandage. with a small, flexible cannula that inserts automatically with the push of a button, the omnipod delivers personalized doses of insulin virtually pain-free. simply put, it simplifies the day-to-day of managing diabetes.
the pod is especially compatible with charlton’s active lifestyle. he works in oil and gas construction, and his schedule is unpredictable. some days, he’s up at 5 a.m. to take a bus with other workers to a remote outdoor location where the day might involve bushwhacking and carrying heavy loads; other days, he’s less physically active.
during his downtime, he loves snowboarding, skateboarding, hiking and going to the gym. he and his mom tried out a kickboxing class together. having the omnipod® insulin pump means managing his diabetes is that much easier.
cindy mclean, who also lives with type 1 diabetes, says diabetes was the one thing she didn’t want to pass onto her kids. however, wearing his omnipod® system has allowed her son kayne to maintain a physically demanding job and live a full and active life. credit: sarah may photography of campbell river
“sometimes i’m trekking through the bush, and i honestly forget it’s there,” charlton says. “i don’t even have to think about it.
“we might get a call, and everyone needs to run to deal with something, stat; it can be very stressful,” he says of his work. “sometimes we’ll be working in a different town. omnipod helps me feel more in control. it just gives that peace of mind.”
the system is also ideal for his time away from work. charlton loves being outside, taking advantage of the lakeside living that kelowna offers. “it doesn’t matter if the omnipod gets wet*,” he says. “i can run in and out of the house without having to think about it.
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“when you have diabetes, you don’t want to be different from other people or stand out because of it,” says charlton. “you’re always trying to fit in. this makes me completely forget about it.”
*the pod has a waterproof ip28 rating of up to 7.6 metres (25 feet) for up to 60 minutes. the personal diabetes manager (pdm) is not waterproof.
this story was created by content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of omnipod®
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