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| 01 Born 1945 - father 65, mother 44. After First World War , father found wife left. 2nd wife died. Met my mother while soldier - early 1930s? - no children until my birth. He left army before Second War… | |
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| 02 …worked as London house agent. Also, house in Somerset – I remember – later bought farm. Grandfather wealthy. I went to private school, but parents not rich. | |
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| 03 Diagnosed 1950 – GP knew. Saw Dr.Lawrence. Admitted Kings College Hospital. Constipation. Insulin stabilised. | |
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| 04 Constipation worse than diabetes. In for c.2 weeks. Mother learnt Lawrence diet. Insulin mixture once daily. Hated injections until aged 13/14 - got Palmer injector… | |
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05 …with trigger.
Urine testing. Blood testing better. | |
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| 06 Visited Dr. Lawrence – kind. Disliked assistant taking blood from earlobe. Still talk re feeling “blue” – Clinitest colour. | |
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07 Asked re history.
Mother found diet simple. Traumatic battle re injections. Colds, ‘flu… | |
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| 08 …sent away to prep school – altitude better for colds – nurse relieved mother of injection battle. Homesick, but enjoyed school. No other diabetics – nor at next school… | |
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| 09 …boarder at Sherborne. Couldn’t inject – had coma. School refused boarding. Lived with mother. (Father had died.) Still battled re injections. Mother died. Holidays with aunt & uncle, term with schoolmaster & wife – saw school nurse… | |
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10 …got Palmer injector – freedom began. Used different sites. Miserable - parents dead. Lived with kind family, but not fully part of school.
At Sherborne, saw GP. From 63/64 saw Nabarro at Middlesex. | |
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11 No family history.
Started Palmer injector, aged 16.
Only semi-member at Sherborne – fear of comas stopped rugger – running instead. | |
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| 12 Bullied because weedy, not because of diabetes? Got PhD later, but Sherborne education affected by parents’ death. London crammer - didn’t get into Cambridge. | |
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| 13 6 months in France. Became learner-porter at Sothebys - loved it. Changes affected diabetes. Friend said eat sugar. Began seeing Dr. Nabarro – wonderful… | |
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14 …fatherly. Married 1971, did degree, then research – Nabarro said diabetics need pension, stability.
Late 1960s, visited Egypt - ill. Nabarro diagnosed Addison’s Disease – gave cortisone – recovered. | |
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| 15 Addisons’ easier than diabetes, but cortisone affects insulin. Nabarro marvellous. During thesis, 1977, went to India. Heat made me ill. | |
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| 16 Married 1971. Around 1972, began 4 year degree, plus part-time Sothebys. Then thesis at Oxford. No longer saw Nabarro. | |
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17 Nabarro changed from 1 to 2 insulins. Recently, Lantus, plus 3 quick-acting – wonderful.
needles recently much sharper.
Son born ‘75. I had bad attack, 76 or ’77. None since – always testing. | |
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18 Found experts in London hospitals. GPs know less – one said expect problems. Most staff kind.
Moved to Oxford, 1976 – Radcliffe & JR clinics. Not admitted to hospital since London, 1960s. | |
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| 19 Still used glass syringes, India, 1977. New disposables didn’t fit injector. Found German gun better. Dreaded blood tests… | |
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20 …but started maybe 15 years ago – painless - & in control.
Formerly hard to eat fixed times – now freedom with Lantus + quick-acting. | |
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21 Twice forgot insulin – didn’t eat.
Told nurse exact portions I eat – she calculated insulin.
Told GP re son using new insulin. GP said don’t change. Lady said phials going out-of-date. Realised must overcome needle-phobia to use pen. | |
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| 22 Hypnotist helped. Nurse suggested putting phial contents in syringe, then pen later. Continued with pen - fear returned - now use phial contents in syringe - not pen! | |
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23 No complications: after Addison’s, Nabarro said mightn’t have problems. I’m Christian – God cares. I’m careful. But other careful people get ill while careless OK.
Bad teeth from eating sugar. | |
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| 24 In past, saw consultant privately – wonderful – like Nabarro on NHS. Now NHS – queues, but treatment same. Marvellous new clinic. See different people – doesn’t matter. Increasingly difficult to draw blood – some staff manage. | |
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25 Son diagnosed aged 5 - marvellous nurse – no needle-phobia, no obsessive record-keeping.
Once son admitted to JR – nurse put needle… | |
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26 …under skin – painful. Diabetics see many staff – some know less than us.
Thomas not only diabetic at boarding school – rebuked for having sweets he needed - parents must educate.
Diabetes my life – I love knowing about it. Hasn’t affected career – librarian. | |
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27 Not bullied because of diabetes – only child.
Happily married, 2 children Blood sugars affect moods – easier to control now.
Christian faith sustains me. | |
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