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| 01 Born Doncaster 1949. Father worked in mines, railways, electricity board. I got pneumonia from damp prefab, so moved to council house aged 7. Other diabetes in family. | |
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| 02 Left school at 15. Earned more as seamstress than father. Gave money to mother. Poor, but always had caravan holiday & daytrip organised by railways. Missed school – pneumonia & colds. | |
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| 03 Aged 9 could barely read. Went to Open-Air School for sick children. At 11, went to secondary modern. Hard to adjust… | |
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04 …because children knew re Open-Air School & excluded me.
No qualifications. Worked as seamstress for 2 firms. Met husband-to-be, John. Father strict: didn’t like me or sister to talk to boys… | |
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| 05 …had to be in by 9. No make-up. Approved of John being in RAF. John asked if I could return at 10 so I could see film. At 18, had intercourse once – disliked it. Months later, urine began to sting… | |
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| 06 Told John might be connected with sex. Daren’t tell parents. Very thirsty & passed urine in bath to avoid pain. Mother usually accompanied me to GP, but I went alone to different GP. | |
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| 07 Afraid he’d tell mother, but didn’t. Sent me straight to Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Glucose tolerance test. Didn’t know what diabetes meant. Went home & told mother & she went to her GP – said… | |
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| 08 …I’d be admitted in 2 days. In hospital, nurse explained diabetes. Tried tablets for 2 days, then insulin. Learnt to inject orange. Glad symptoms nothing to do with sex! | |
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| 09 Sent home after 1 week with diet leaflets. Hard to give up sugar. No diabetic chocolate sold. Found sugar in sauces & tinned food. Measured 10 gram portions carbohydrate. Given Diet disk. | |
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| 10 Hospital gave scales. Urine testing sticks. Wished I could live like other people. Aunt forgot & gave chocolates. | |
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| 11 Sterilised glass syringe & steel needles. Blunt needles bruised. Husband spent half wage on new disposables. Husband always helped. Re-used them. | |
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| 12 Married 1969. First used disposables 1970. After diagnosis, off work for weeks. When learnt re diabetes, manager said I could no longer work on sewing-machine. Instead did checking – halved pay. | |
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| 13 Only complained to union re factory heat. Diabetes OK at work. At 2nd firm, mild hypo warnings when John away in forces. | |
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| 14 1st child born Ely RAF Hospital, 1971. In hospital 5 weeks before. Induced 1 month early. 2nd child born Akrotiri Hospital, Cyprus – waters broke. Doctors said diabetics don’t breastfeed. | |
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| 15 RAF hospitals strict. I helped make beds to get exercise. Strict matron. Doctors talked among themselves, not to patient – not like today. | |
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| 16 I did no paid work – moving round with RAF. When children small, managed diabetes easily. Son watched injection – uneasy? Blood sugar levels rose – put on 2 injections daily. Year ago, 4 injections – NovoRapid & Glargine. | |
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| 17 When son 5 & daughter 7, almost paralysed with hypo – 1st time. RAF came & gave something sweet – normal in 15 mins. Always happens early morning. | |
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| 18 1984, benign breast lump removed. 1990, hypothyrism. 1991, hysterectomy. The arm muscle operations. 1995, frozen shoulder. | |
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| 19 1997, carpal tunnel operations. Felt tight band round chest… | |
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| 20 John found me. Admitted to John Radcliffe Hospital – angina & high blood pressure. 2002, osteoporosis. Doctors say carpal tunnel result of diabetes, maybe angina also. Warning re foot-care. Eyesight good. | |
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| 21 Hard to remember many tablets. Also, under-active thyroid. Dozen kinds of tablets… | |
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22 …plus insulin 4 times. At first hard to remember insulin 4 times, but not now. No side effects with tablets.
Easily admitted to forces hospitals. Civilian hospitals busier. | |
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23 Greatest fear – kidney dialysis.
Fewer nurses in civilian hospitals than forces hospitals – time for critically ill only. | |
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24 Longer waits to be sent appointments than in forces hospitals.
2 bad hypos. A few in night. Before Glucagon John gave lemonade. | |
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| 25 Another time passed out in bedroom. Managed to inject Glucagon when came round. | |
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| 26 Managed to get downstairs & eat lunch 3 hours later. Daughter found me looking strange. | |
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| 27 Earlier this year, bad hypo. Passed out at home after heavy shopping. Couldn’t attract neighbour’s attention. | |
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| 28 Dragged myself to kitchen, smeared glucose syrup across mouth. Dragged myself to door & called neighbour’s son. Hadn’t realised wouldn’t be able to stand. Now Glucagon in low bedroom drawer & glucose tablets at bottom of kitchen cupboard. | |
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| 29 Husband copes well – puts me out of mind at work - reluctantly learnt to use Glucagon. Before that, when semi-conscious, I’d fight him as he tried to help. | |
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30 Hard for husband. I remember nothing. Never been too high – only too low. Doctors said 4 injections daily would help - true.
Recently learnt for 1st time… | |
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31 that after very low sugar, shoots high.
I enjoy life. Children grown-up. Cake-making: kneading glucose icing raises blood sugar. | |
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| 32 At Christmas adjust insulin to allow mince pie etc. In past never adjusted. In hospital 1970s, first suggestion I adjust insulin to eat peaches. | |
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33 I refused.
Enjoy shopping. Would like job, but too old. Wonder how diabetics at work keep appointments, get prescriptions etc. Used to be hard when GP closed at 5. Husband says I could sell cakes… | |
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34 …but haven’t enough confidence. Family keeps me going. I’m lucky. Did enjoy part-time work.
Advice: listen to medical staff. Nurse recently told me re sugars shooting from very low to high. (Other nurses less knowledgeable.) | |
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| 35 Before, because sugars always low, no warning that too low. Now levels generally higher, so get warnings. 4 injections suit me. | |
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