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| 01 Born Uganda, 1954. Dad born India, Mum Africa. Wealthy. High school. Diagnosed when nearly 12. | |
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| 02 Doctor hadn’t heard of childhood diabetes: phoned Europe to check. No ambulances. Rushed to hospital in doctor’s car. Unconscious. | |
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| 03 Hospital said must have bread, so Dad woke baker. | |
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| 04 GP Indian; English doctor phoned Europe. Hospital had little knowledge. Gave insulin 4 times daily. | |
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| 05 Mum taught injections & urine testing. Low carbohydrate. Karela water. Hypoglycaemic for hours: doctor & parents didn’t understand. | |
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| 06 Before diagnosis, noticed ants round toilet hole in ground. Little warning of hypos. Drank water from bitter plants. | |
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07 People sold parents false remedies. Parents sought cure. Might have died if poor.
Parents not ashamed, but Hinduism made me wonder what I’d done wrong. Grandfather may have died of diabetes. | |
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| 08 Mum did injections. Disliked them. Later I did them, or sometimes GP. Wasn’t taught how. Karela advertised in “Balance”. Hospital gave no information. | |
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| 09 Diet of chapattis & spinach. “Why me?”. Lost friends because they thought diabetes contagious. Hard to sit on school bench because of boils on bottom. | |
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10 Teachers ignorant re diabetes & beat me on bottom – stopped by Dad. Forced to do PE despite cramps.
Also got abcesses: maybe allergic to insulin. | |
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| 11 No check-ups. Eyes bloodshot. Parents paid GP. Only had one friend. | |
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12 Left school ‘69, but repeated some classes. Did business studies, typing, dressmaking. 1971-2, Dad paid for tuition.
Expelled to England, 1972. Insulin scarce. 250 miles to Kampala. Military search took insulin, syringes & needles. Paid for insulin in Kampala. | |
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| 13 Doctors scarce in Kampala. In England put in military camp, where had check-up. 15 days in Yeovil Hospital. Changed insulin. They hadn’t heard of vegetarianism, so I just ate vegetables. Was allowed potatoes for 1st time & other foods – a miracle. | |
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| 14 Diet sheet, measured food, set meal-times. Allowed chocolate, but didn’t want to damage organs. Steel syringes & needles, but smaller. Urine testing. | |
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| 15 Felt better thanks to change of insulin & diet. Moved to Newcastle ’73 & admitted to hospital again. Had first checks of eyes & feet. Went to chemist… | |
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| 16 …& tried to pay for insulin. Chemist explained free. In Newcastle hospital for week. Injections reduced to 2. Afterwards took urine to hospital on bus. | |
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| 17 Lived in Gateshead council house with parents, 2 sisters & 1 brother. Kind neighbours told off people who made remarks. Climate cold. Little contact with other Ugandan Asians. At Gateshead Technical College, studied business, secretarial & English. Proud of what achieved despite diabetes. | |
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18 Went to rehabilitation unit, then Durham college, then Gateshead college in ’74.
When job hunting, discrimination re diabetes. | |
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19 Sacked from 1st job in retail company in ’77, when diabetes discovered. Sacked from another job, perhaps because of race. Best job in education department ‘78/’79. Then moved to Leicester.
Parents learnt English, but didn’t work: dad’s health bad because had lost everything. | |
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| 20 Moved to Leicester. Went to diabetic clinic. Cataract removed Newcastle, ’79: travelled back for aftercare. Developed another cataract. Check-ups at Leicester eye & diabetic clinics. Warnings of hypos before & after move. Ambulance called once in Newcastle… | |
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21 …& was taught for 1st time that should eat after hypo, in ’73.
Joined BDA in ‘70s & read “Balance”. | |
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| 22 After move to Leicester in’79, difficult for diabetic to marry in Indian community. Married Englishman. | |
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| 23 Some discrimination from families. Colleague at work told me not to bother. Things improved. Together 25 years. | |
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| 24 2 daughters. During 1st pregnancy (‘80/’81) had hypo at work for Health Authority. Diabetic clinic introduced blood test 4 times daily. Put strips in record book. Sickness & embarrassing hypos. Daughter premature, induced. | |
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25 In hospital last 3 months of pregnancy. Got depressed while daughter in intensive care. At home, fed myself before breast-feeding. Husband brilliant. Stayed with mother for month.
Had epidural & breastfed at first. | |
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26 Husband helped with blood test: BM sticks. Enjoyed time with baby, but hard to avoid hypo.
2nd daughter born ’83. Pregnancy easier. Normal birth. Breastfed longer. | |
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| 27 After 1st child, back to work; after 2nd, at home. Children learnt to cope with my hypos. | |
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| 28 Daughters still monitor me. They read Balance & research online. One daughter gives Glucogen, other daughter calls husband. Last hypo a few months ago. | |
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| 29 Have them every 3-6 months; in summer 2003, every week. Once passed out on own, but managed to call ambulance. | |
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30 Paramedics climbed through window.
Returned to work part-time, ’84. Once ambulance called to work. Work for Council. | |
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| 31 Sometimes failed to fetch daughters from school because of hypo. Still have hypos at work. Put instructions on notice-board. No warnings. Colleagues spot symptoms. | |
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| 32 When depressed re hypos, contact diabetic health visitor. Don’t bother medics: can manage. Hospital suggested changing injection site or reducing insulin. Family remind me. | |
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| 33 Cataracts in ’79 & ’83, carpal tunnel around ’86 – parents helped, husband brilliant. | |
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34 Wish I could see same doctor at eye or diabetic clinic, but understand reasons why not.
Have seen diabetic health visitor since ’79: used to do home visits, now at hospital. Taught to use blood test meter & pen. Used pen with Glargene, 2003. Now back on old insulin & disposable syringes. | |
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| 35 Typical day. Diabetic routine. Work for Coiuncil Disabled Children’s team & Benefit Support team. Disabled children make me feel lucky. Help old people… | |
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36 …get their benefits.
Career affected by diabetes & discrimination. | |
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37 Exercise provided by videos, grandson & chores. Diabetes plays big part in life – monitoring & planning.
Message – don’t let diabetes stop anything, but monitor carefully. | |
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38 I’ve achieved education, family, knowledge re diabetes, work for wonderful people.
In future, want to run for diabetes charity. | |
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