I was 26 and single when I first got diabetes. I was a bit overweight at the time and I began to notice that I was losing a lot of weight. I had no energy. I was very thirsty all the time and was generally feeling awful. I went to the doctor who - following a urine sample - told me that I had the "classic symptoms of diabetes". This was on a Tuesday evening and he arranged for me to see a specialist the following Thursday. I was admitted to hospital the same day and immediately put on insulin. Being on insulin has been the story of my life ever since. There are two types of diabetes - insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent. I have the former. I was 12 days or so in hospital that first time, most of which time was spent finding out the right type and quality of insulin for me.
I knew nothing about diabetes before getting it. But, co-incidentally, my uncle got insulin-dependent diabetes three years before me. I have since married and have two daughters but the doctors have told us that their risk of getting diabetes is very low. Some women can develop diabetes during pregnancy but this is a separate issue.
Once you are diagnosed with diabetes, you begin a tight balancing act of three factors: medication, exercise and food. Personally, I have to take insulin before each meal and again before I go to bed. The daily doses are short-acting, whereas the evening dose is long-acting to take me through the night.
You have to be careful about what you eat. Essentially, what is happening with a diabetic is that the pancreatic gland produces less insulin or no insulin at all. Insulin is required to help the body cope with sugar intake. In my case, my pancreas does not produce any insulin at all so it has to be introduced externally.
Nowadays, there is a very good team of specialists in Dublin hospitals who are dedicated to diabetes. The diabetes nurse at the diabetes clinic is also a very important point of contact for all diabetics. If, at any time, you need insulin urgently, it is available in hospitals. Also, if you reach an emergency situation the hospital team is vital. Generally though, most diabetics get their supply of insulin from their local pharmacy. And you learn how to vary the amount you need, according to your own levels of exercise. I would compare it to running a battery flat in a car. My insulin is like my battery charger. On the exercise front, I also need to be careful. I do a lot of hill-walking and I have to reduce my insulin to allow for such extra bouts of exercise. I am doing the 10day sponsored hike to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in September with the Diabetes Federation of Ireland, so I am currently in training. This will be an interesting trip on various levels as there are diabetes specialists coming along who will monitor the effects of altitude on those of us with diabetes. In terms of diet, diabetics have to avoid food with a high sugar content.
But really I believe that a sensible eating regime is fine for me. I make sure to eat cereals and brown bread and avoid cakes and high sugar drinks. In the beginning, it was difficult and I had to give up things like sugar in my tea, which involved getting out of the habit of using sugar as much as giving up sugar. I will always go for the low-sugar dessert if I am in a restaurant. Alcohol reduces your blood-sugar level so diabetics should be careful about the amount of alcohol they drink. Eating small amounts regularly is another aspect of diet which is important for diabetics. You always have to be careful to have something in your pocket. For instance, I have glucose sweets with me now. Regular monitoring of your blood-glucose levels is very important for diabetes control. Modern glucometers are very compact, simple to use and inexpensive. You can store your recordings in a database which can be downloaded by a diabetes nurse or you may even buy the software for your own PC. You also must avoid situations where you won't get food for a long time. For example, at weddings, I always have to eat something before the meal and then not eat as big a portion as everyone else once the food is served.
If your blood-sugar level does get low, you have to be able to cope with the situation. Failing to do something like taking a high-energy snack (like 7-Up, sweet tea or glucose sweets) may result in an emergency situation. This would mean you go into a coma and have to be rushed to hospital straightaway.
The important thing here is for you or the people with you to recognise the symptoms. Generally you look like someone who is very drunk: you lose your concentration, you feel weak, your vision becomes blurred, your speech becomes slurred and you get pins and needles. The danger is that if no-one with you knows that you are a diabetic or if you are on the street or something, you are more likely to be abused for being drunk than helped up and brought to hospital by ambulance. When I am at home, my family is able to keep an eye on me, but in other situations it is important always to have a trusted friend with me who knows I am diabetic. If I did start losing my concentration, he would recognise this and come to my assistance. Generally speaking, you can have a normal life if you keep the balance between medication, diet and exercise right. I have married, had a family and progressed in my career. But if you don't look after yourself, diabetes is life-threatening.
In conversation with Sylvia Thompson
The Diabetes Federation of Ireland can be contacted on 01-8363022. Its new Website address is www.diabetesireland.ie