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| 01 Born Plymouth. Father went from Welsh mine to sick birth attendant in Navy to Lieutenant Commander. Happy working/middle class childhood. | |
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| 02 Diagnosed aged 4, 1943, by GP. Sent to Greenbank Hospital. Low dosage of soluble insulin twice daily. Never admitted. Traumatic for mother. Regular visits for blood test… | |
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| 03 …then later in day returned for result. Active life with no bad hypos before teens. At first mother did injections, then me. | |
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| 04 Urine test at home. Mother didn’t keep to diet, except no sugar. Diabetic products expensive. As got older, controlled sugar by adjusting insulin. Did sport. | |
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| 05 In teens heard older patients discussing calories, but mother ignored calories. Balanced insulin, diet & activity, as recommended nowadays. Had warnings of… | |
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| 06 …hypos. Took Dextrasol. No conflict with clinic re diet. Dr. Shaw gave good advice. | |
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07 Took home diet sheets & scales, but diet never strict.
Fellow pupils not aware of diabetes. Never used it as excuse. | |
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| 08 I’ve always hidden diabetes. Only revealed if had hypo. Quick recovery with glucose. | |
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| 09 In teens, played hockey, danced, walked home. Took Dextrasol. No major hypos until older. People surprised I had diabetes (though mentioned in job applications). Memories of hypos when commuting. | |
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| 10 Some hypos began at puberty. Stressful grammar school regime. Friends carried me home. Mother a worrier but sensible. No phone, but used someone else’s to consult GP. Father kept any eye on me. | |
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11 Attended grammar schools in Navy ports. Diabetes never mentioned.
When in 6th form in Gillingham, dived into Navy swimming pool & hit head. Shock affected diabetes. In hospital 3 weeks. Changed to new Lente insulin once daily. | |
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12 After change to Lente around ‘57, initially kept to careful regime.
Left school at 18 to train as accountant with Phillips Electrical in London. Commuted. | |
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| 13 Lived rent-free until earned enough to pay mother rent. Moved to engineering firm. Became Fellow of Institute in ’71. Career took off – moved from company to company. | |
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14 Moved around country. When interviewed for Philips, talked about jazz! In all jobs, diabetes mentioned at first, but soon forgotten.
Once had hypo on way to work & Phillips called ambulance. | |
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| 15 Girlfriends didn’t know re diabetes because took less insulin before going out. Told wife-to-be, because she was epileptic. (Her fits later stopped.) | |
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| 16 Married in ’63. Played sport well into 30s. Sons born ’67 and 70 – neither has diabetes or epilepsy. | |
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| 17 While sons growing up, didn’t do blood tests, rarely saw GP. Gave up going to diabetic clinics because saw different person each time – useless. | |
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| 18 Moved to Hexham 1980, saw same person at hospital, but treatment same, so gave up going. Had fewer problems than most diabetics & know how to treat myself, especially now blood test automated. | |
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| 19 Test before bed because no hypo warnings in sleep. Bought new technologies when prices came down. Test strips on prescription. Adjust insulin to anticipated exercise. | |
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| 20 Bought Accutest when seeing Dr. Lloyd privately in ’83. People shocked by my readings being 7,8,9, but suits me – Dr. McNally understands. Best test is HbA1c. | |
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21 HbA1c also around 7,8.
Began seeing Dr. Lloyd privately in ’83 – much more thorough than NHS clinics. | |
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| 22 No waiting & personal treatment. Moved near Leicester. GP suggested private check-up on work insurance. Found I needed heart bypass. | |
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| 23 Surgery went fine at BUPA hospital. Gave up smoking. Problem with right leg. Doctor said return after few months. Immediately after return home, toes turned black… | |
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| 24 …phoned GP. Admitted Leicester Royal Infirmary because BUPA had no room. Leg bypass took 6 hours. Months to recover. Not result of heart bypass but of diabetes. | |
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| 25 Had had diabetes for nearly 60 years & smoked heavily. After leg bypass, very emotional as predicted. Had hypo – alarmed staff (non-diabetic specialists). | |
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| 26 Problems with foot continued well into 2002. Tried different dressings. Cardiovascular surgeon offered choice between another leg bypass or… | |
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| 27 amputation. Ross Naylor amputated at Leicester Royal Infirmary. Traumatic, but no pain. NHS very good, except for running out of tablets. | |
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| 28 Staff on ward didn’t know re diabetes. Had to persuade them to let me adjust insulin. But impressed by limb centre phoning soon after return home. | |
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29 Set myself target of 3 months from amputation to walking unaided. Lots of help at limb centre, but problems with blistering. Car converted.
Bits of NHS super. Medical staff work hard, but… | |
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30 Examples of bad management. Emergency caused staff to leave open wound. Physiotherapists & surgeons don’t talk to each other.
I pay chiropodist – said to him half price now! | |
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31 Now two-thirds price!
Don’t blame anyone for past delays - NHS medical staff caring people, coping with moaning patients – but organisation could be better.
Amputation restricting but hasn’t stopped travel. But now trouble with toe on left leg. | |
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| 32 This time quicker response. Antibiotics helping. But cancelled USA holiday. | |
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| 33 Can’t forget diabetes, but don’t think about it most of time. Advice: get young GP with up-to date knowledge. Live moderately, but don’t let diabetes rule life. | |
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