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Family memberBorn in Dolton, Devon in 1928.
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Overview:
June`s husband, Charles, was diagnosed with diabetes at Barnstaple Hospital in 1935, when he was ten. After leaving hospital, he didn`t return for a check-up until 1957. He missed two years of school, as it was too far to walk and he had to look after his own injections, urine tests and diet, because his mother had seven other children. After June married Charles in 1946, his diabetes made little impact on their lives. He disliked blood testing and did urine tests until around 2004, when June did blood tests for him. June developed Type 2 diabetes twelve years ago.
Please note that Overview relates to date of recording Wednesday, October 17, 2007
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1 Charles had few problems in managing his diabetes in adult life, but he never forgot the traumatic circumstances of his childhood diagnosis and he recounted them to June. [ 60 secs ] |  | 2 When June and Charles got married shortly after the Second World War, they had little money for food and there was not much food on sale. But June thinks that their need to produce their own food meant they had a very healthy diet. [ 59 secs ] | |
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| 01 Born 1928. Left school at 14. Met Charles 1945, married 1946, 3 children. Husband one of eight, poor family - diagnosed 1935. In Barnstaple hospital 3 weeks. Off school 2 years. | |
| 02 Looked after himself. Weighed food. Later, brother developed diabetes.
Charles thought he’d die. Dad cycled 10 miles to visit.
Off school 2 years – injections, urine tests, long walk to school. Failed medical to join forces. Married 1946. Cycled to factory. | |
| | 03 Insulin free. Lived with parents, then council house. Home-grown food – healthy diet. Didn’t use diabetics’ extra fat & protein rations. | |
| 04 Moved to Torrington, 1957. First check-up since 1935.
Regular meals. Children could deal with hypo & became used to injections. | |
| | 05 Dinner 12.14, tea 5.00. Didn’t travel. On holiday, didn’t tell people he was diabetic. | |
| 06 Not monitored for over 20 years. Bunsen burner, then Clinitest tablets. Only started blood tests 3 years ago – I did them.
Didn’t like human insulin – changed back to pork.
Went to eye specialist. | |
| | 07 In his 30s, hospital every 3 months – blood test Tuesday – returned Thursday for result – lost pay. Later eye test showed eyes good & chiropodist said feet good. | |
| | 08 No complications. Recently, Paget’s disease. Lived normal life, though would like to have joined Navy. Had Jaffa cakes, beer. Wore medallion engraved ‘diabetic’. Hypos only at home. Collapsed once. I gave glucose at night. | |
| 09 Quarterly tests at Barnstaple, then six monthly at Torrington GP – good care – After I developed Type 2, saw us together.
I’ve been diabetic 12 years – keep well. Charles had chocolate. I mustn’t – temptation. | |
| 10 Low sugar never made Charles aggressive. Charles took 70-year medal to surgery. He ate some sugar, but avoided fat. Now more emphasis on fat than sugar.
Local Torrington nurses & Barnstaple specialist nurses good.
After Paget’s disease, preferred to stay at home. Only impact of diabetes – regular meals. | |
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