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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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