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Person with diabetesBorn in India in 1938.
Diagnosed Type 2 in Birmingham in 1985
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Overview:
Tas Bokhari`s parents were wealthy landowners in India. As Muslims, they were forced to migrate to Pakistan in 1947 and many of his family were killed on the way. He was educated in a mission school and a college before moving to England in 1961. He married an English librarian in 1964 and has two children. After acquiring an HNC in Mechanical Engineering, he worked as a motorcycle inspector and design engineer and then ran a nursing home. He also had a part-time job at Edgbaston cricket ground and was well-known in Pakistan for his radio cricket commentaries.
Please note that Overview relates to date of recording Wednesday, January 12, 2005
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1 His father and two brothers died as a result of diabetes, when they were younger than he is now, and he attributes this to their very unhealthy diet [ 56 secs ] |  | 2 Tas Bokhari’s G.P told him that a high percentage of middle-aged Asian men have diabetes, but refuse to admit it; so he decided to test this out on a group of friends [ 57 secs ] | |
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| 01 Born India, 1938. Parents landowners. Father British army. Most of family killed migrating, 1947. Mission school & college in Pakistan. | |
| | 02 Killing by former neighbours. In Pakistan, language difficulty. Educated Mission school. Didn’t achieve enough for medical college. | |
| 03 B.A. Economics & Urdu. Biggest house in Gujrat. Father & brothers had diabetes – died of heart attacks – sweet food & no exercise. I don’t eat sweets & do exercise.
Pakistani diet fatty, no salad, much fruit. Wife now avoids fat. | |
| 04 Villagers had better diet. We had excessive sugar. Father & brothers tried diet, tablets – failed. Animal insulin against religion, human insulin not invented. 1st heard of insulin in England.
Degree not recognised in England. Went to college (later became Aston University). Arrived 1961… | |
| | 05 …lived with friend. Motorcycle inspector, BSA; then Rover; then design engineer, Lucas for 18 years. Then ran nursing home for 12 years – sold when had heart attack. | |
| 06 BSA 1964-8; Rover 1968-70; Lucas Girling 1970-85; unemployed 1985-90; nursing home from 1990.
Married English librarian, 1964 – both families opposed. Married 42 years. Children born 1964 & ’66. Supplemented earnings selling newspaper. | |
| | 07 Did sports at Lucas. Factory nurse diagnosed diabetes. GP tested urine – OK. Nurse wrote to GP. GP tested blood – diabetes, 1985. Tablets until 1999 – insulin. | |
| | 08 GP arranged diet with wife. I broke it. Before diagnosis, wife used oil – not after diagnosis. I cheated. | |
| 09 Diet horrible – broke it away from wife.
Did sport, not overweight, so diagnosis a shock.
Lost father & brothers, but still broke rules – nothing medics could do. | |
| 10 Ashamed of diabetes.
1985, part-time job at cricket ground – ambition fulfilled. 1999, collapsed at ground, put on insulin, left cricket, sold nursing home, retired 2000. Now wife controls diet. | |
| | 11 Put on weight since insulin – can’t lose it. Get hypo if eat less. Angina. Can’t walk far - pain. | |
| 12 Cataract operations, angina operations, anaemic, weak kidney.
Taken to private hospital when collapsed. Insurance refused. | |
| | 13 Private subscription since Lucas, 1970. Disgusted insurance refused. NHS ever since – very good. Diabetes specialist nurse at GP’s practice. | |
| | 14 Nurse advises diet – must stick to it. Don’t adjust insulin – though less insulin in hospital. Shame re diabetes – 2 friends denied they had it. | |
| | 15 Asian men only talk to male doctors, especially re sex, & women to female. Ignorance re eating causing diabetes. Father ate sugar. I’ve lived longer thanks to wife. | |
| | 16 Without diabetes, would still be working – nursing home, cricket, radio. Life not worth living. Advice: diet & exercise. Difficult at feast-times. Depressed – but closer to wife & see friends. | |
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