50 Years as Type 1 Diabetic

[Causie]

Hi everybody, I have been a Type 1 Diabetic now for just over 50years I was told a year ago that at 50 years as a type 1 diabetic you get recognition of this fact from your Diabetic Hospital. Is this true? As I notified the admin staff a couple of times at The Churchill Diabetic Centre in Oxford that I attend on my birthday back in January. However, I have heard nothing from them.
With the ups and downs of 50 years surviving fairly healthily I myself think that is no mean feat as for the majority of it I have been on my own.

 

[In Response]

Congratulations on your amazing achievement.

The 50 year (and 60 and 70 year) medals are organised through the charity Diabetes UK which has nothing to do with this company.

Details of the medals including how to apply for them can be found here: https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/medals

 

[david4503]

The American Diabetes Association used to give out medals for that. Not any more. But regardless of any official recognition you might get from other people, you know what you did. And I would say that that’s the most important thing. But for what it’s worth to hear from a total stranger, congratulations.

 

[Juicyj]

Hello @Causie - From me too - congratulations for hitting 50 years that's a brilliant achievement.

Do you have any tips for me please

 

[Ushthetaff]

Congratulations on your 50 years , I have 8 more to go , it just goes to show how diabetes has advanced over the years , I remember when first diagnosed in 1980 there was a guy in hospital who people were in awe of as he had had diabetes 30 years , tThese days 40 50 years and longer isn’t uncommon ! Should give plenty of hope to newly diagnosed diabetics for a long and eventful life

 

[deniski]

Hi everybody, I have been a Type 1 Diabetic now for just over 50years I was told a year ago that at 50 years as a type 1 diabetic you get recognition of this fact from your Diabetic Hospital. Is this true? As I notified the admin staff a couple of times at The Churchill Diabetic Centre in Oxford that I attend on my birthday back in January. However, I have heard nothing from them.
With the ups and downs of 50 years surviving fairly healthily I myself think that is no mean feat as for the majority of it I have been on my own.

Hello there, congratulations on 50 years of your life turning about being a diabetic !.
I received the Alan Nabarro medal for that feat a few years ago and it was an unexpected pleasure.
I’ll be 60 years a type 1 diabetic next year, I’m very fit and healthy and find the new CGM systems are a huge help in better feedback as to what is going on.
Wishing you health and pride in living well !

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Hi everybody, I have been a Type 1 Diabetic now for just over 50years I was told a year ago that at 50 years as a type 1 diabetic you get recognition of this fact from your Diabetic Hospital. Is this true? As I notified the admin staff a couple of times at The Churchill Diabetic Centre in Oxford that I attend on my birthday back in January. However, I have heard nothing from them.
With the ups and downs of 50 years surviving fairly healthily I myself think that is no mean feat as for the majority of it I have been on my own.

Congratulations! As @In Response said above, use the link and they should sort this out. Mine was presented to me at my hospital clinic 2 months later than the due date, so don't be surprised!
Edit to say this should say 1 month later than the due date

 

[sleepster]

Congratulations @Causie
You can apply for a medal from Joslin Diabetes in the US for reaching 50 years https://www.joslin.org/research/our-research/medalist-program-study
I'm currently debating whether to apply for the 25 year certificate myself (for later in the year)

 

[coz53]

Hi everybody, I have been a Type 1 Diabetic now for just over 50years I was told a year ago that at 50 years as a type 1 diabetic you get recognition of this fact from your Diabetic Hospital. Is this true? As I notified the admin staff a couple of times at The Churchill Diabetic Centre in Oxford that I attend on my birthday back in January. However, I have heard nothing from them.
With the ups and downs of 50 years surviving fairly healthily I myself think that is no mean feat as for the majority of it I have been on my own.

Brilliant to hear ,I join the 50 club next year .

 

[Jaylee]

Hi everybody, I have been a Type 1 Diabetic now for just over 50years I was told a year ago that at 50 years as a type 1 diabetic you get recognition of this fact from your Diabetic Hospital. Is this true? As I notified the admin staff a couple of times at The Churchill Diabetic Centre in Oxford that I attend on my birthday back in January. However, I have heard nothing from them.
With the ups and downs of 50 years surviving fairly healthily I myself think that is no mean feat as for the majority of it I have been on my own.

Hi,

Congratulations, I got about 4 more years to go for mine..
Though my GP after a change over a few years back seems to have it on record as a diagnosis in the mid 1990s??
Which oddly was the time of my dad’s T2 diagnosis.. (we share the same name. So who knows what the GP was looking at.)

I was in a band with a T1 bass player who achieved the status. (Diagnosed at 18 months old?) He coyly showed me the coveted award..

Keep on rocking..

 

[Yaya10_10]

Congratulations on your achievement

Keep going , you r an inspiration to all of us

 

[david4503]

Congratulations! As @In Response said above, use the link and they should sort this out. Mine was presented to me at my hospital clinic 2 months later than the due date, so don't be surprised!

What was the presentation like? Did they just hand you the medal or certificate? Were there a bunch of people present? Photos? Not that long ago, 50 years with Type 1 was so rare that the American Diabetes Association had this elite club which used to meet and celebrate. They also got a fair amount of publicity in national publications. It’s nice that today long-termers still get some recognition.

 

[Dexta]

Congratulations! It’s lovely to see good news like this and what a great example for the younger T1 generations who will benefit from even more progress.
I’ve 4 years to go until my 50th

 

[Grant_Vicat]

What was the presentation like? Did they just hand you the medal or certificate? Were there a bunch of people present? Photos? Not that long ago, 50 years with Type 1 was so rare that the American Diabetes Association had this elite club which used to meet and celebrate. They also got a fair amount of publicity in national publications. It’s nice that today long-termers still get some recognition.

Since I described this in writing not long after, here it is!:
. On 9th July [2009] I had achieved fifty years of diabetes and as such was eligible for the Nabarro Medal which is issued by Diabetes UK in memory of Alan Nabarro, who presented it. The “ceremony” took place in the Diabetic Clinic at The West Suffolk Hospital in the late half of August. I was told to be there at 08.30 and report to the Receptionist. As usual the waiting area was filled with faces that looked stony, resentful, anxious or blank. There wasn't a medic to be seen.
I sat there with Helen [my wife], Stephanie [daughter]and Neil (who were to marry on 29th August) dressed as though I was going to the beach. After a while a gang appeared, spearheaded by Dr Clark:
“Mr Vicat, would you like to stand up please?”
(Er not really)
“Here we have a remarkably fit patient who has lived with diabetes for just over fifty years and is an example to us all.”
(Stony or alarmed expressions abound)
“Can I just say that I would not be here but for the geniuses who work at King's College Hospital, The West Suffolk Hospital and the first hospital to treat me?”
“That may be so, but it is your attitude to your condition that has played a vital role in your survival.”
And so I was presented a medal in a little blue velveteen box. [This didn't have a name or date in it]
I felt curiously deflated.

That sounds a very ungrateful thing to say, but I had been told that there would be newspaper reporters and I certainly wasn't expecting the usual almost depressing background of the clinic. Maybe I'm too vain to be allowed out! When I wrote this I was under the impression that 9th July was the date of my diagnosis. I now know it was 30th July.

 

[david4503]

Since I described this in writing not long after, here it is!:
. On 9th July [2009] I had achieved fifty years of diabetes and as such was eligible for the Nabarro Medal which is issued by Diabetes UK in memory of Alan Nabarro, who presented it. The “ceremony” took place in the Diabetic Clinic at The West Suffolk Hospital in the late half of August. I was told to be there at 08.30 and report to the Receptionist. As usual the waiting area was filled with faces that looked stony, resentful, anxious or blank. There wasn't a medic to be seen.
I sat there with Helen [my wife], Stephanie [daughter]and Neil (who were to marry on 29th August) dressed as though I was going to the beach. After a while a gang appeared, spearheaded by Dr Clark:
“Mr Vicat, would you like to stand up please?”
(Er not really)
“Here we have a remarkably fit patient who has lived with diabetes for just over fifty years and is an example to us all.”
(Stony or alarmed expressions abound)
“Can I just say that I would not be here but for the geniuses who work at King's College Hospital, The West Suffolk Hospital and the first hospital to treat me?”
“That may be so, but it is your attitude to your condition that has played a vital role in your survival.”
And so I was presented a medal in a little blue velveteen box. [This didn't have a name or date in it]
I felt curiously deflated.

That sounds a very ungrateful thing to say, but I had been told that there would be newspaper reporters and I certainly wasn't expecting the usual almost depressing background of the clinic. Maybe I'm too vain to be allowed out! When I wrote this I was under the impression that 9th July was the date of my diagnosis. I now know it was 30th July.

A quasi-charming story very well told. Now, if you could have arranged to have been born 20 years earlier and lived in the U.S., the ADA would have been happy to give you something like the awards ceremony at the end of the first Star Wars movie, less one Wookie. Those spoiled American 50+ guys were treated like rock stars. But, hey, yours could have been worse. Thanks for posting.

 

[Dexta]

I dare say that as time rolls on there will be many more of us reaching 50+ years of T1 at any one time which is remarkable.
Perhaps the clinics etc could arrange group presentations with media attention? Just a thought…

 

[Mark DOBIE]

I was diagnosed with T1 diabetes in October 72 (50 yrs). When I was diagnosed my parents were informed that I'd be blind by the time I was 20 and dead by 40. Happily I'm still going.
I'm a brittle diabetic and have found this to be very hard, but I've had a good team behind me (Dr Cheung, Shawndel Nero and Jo)
The best advice I can give is you can do whatever you like and achieve things that medics say you can't. I swam for the Scottish P. O, pulled Tug of War, played rugby, football and waterpolo and am currently shooting smallbore Rifle in Eley National finals at Bisley .
This was down to my stubbornness of being reject by the army and wanting to prove that I was equal if not better than them. I think I've achieved that.
Steve Redgrave and Gary Mabbutt are tremendous advocates of this
So go and live your lives and raspberries to the disbelievers

 

[Penquin47210]

Congrats on 50+ years and good reporting, I have now completed 61 years….

The only recognition I get is is “Oh you’re still around then “ in a quasi-humorous style.

You can’t win everything and I genuinely feel happy at what I have achieved during my time on insulin; four children, one more adopted as she has special needs, great children now adults including one Doctor, one Head Teacher, one Managing Director, good time in voluntary work including physical needs for lifesavingvqualifications and sub Aqua ratings.

But enough of that, hasn’t diabetes management changed since the early 1960’s ?

I was at Kings College under Professor Oakley and he revovokutionised diabetes management for children - “don’t be stopped by it, go out and achieve” - a theme choked by bthe fantastic Women’s Football team and their fantastic win. So he was obviously a really great guy to have as my Doctor even if I rarely saw him as he was so busy.

At least no more glass syringes, to be boiled weekly, needles like pokers, surgical spirit (still remember that smell), urine testing with the boiling tablets of Clinitest in the little plastic box….

I could go on and on (typical teacher), but won’t, but will hope many more people will reach the 50 year and beyond mark. It’s all about healthy living !

 

[Francel]

Hi everybody, I have been a Type 1 Diabetic now for just over 50years I was told a year ago that at 50 years as a type 1 diabetic you get recognition of this fact from your Diabetic Hospital. Is this true? As I notified the admin staff a couple of times at The Churchill Diabetic Centre in Oxford that I attend on my birthday back in January. However, I have heard nothing from them.
With the ups and downs of 50 years surviving fairly healthily I myself think that is no mean feat as for the majority of it I have been on my own.

Well done you No mean feat! I’ve been Type 1 for 53yrs and am not particularly concerned about medals etc but would like some recognition from the GP and nurses that I have managed for 53yrs with all my limbs intact, healthy heart and kidneys without their help, plus I probably know more than the newly qualified nurse in the surgery! Sorry but I get outraged at being spoken to like an idiot but thanks to my Mum’s hard work and teachings I am here and healthy ‍

 

[Andy V]

Well done you No mean feat! I’ve been Type 1 for 53yrs and am not particularly concerned about medals etc but would like some recognition from the GP and nurses that I have managed for 53yrs with all my limbs intact, healthy heart and kidneys without their help, plus I probably know more than the newly qualified nurse in the surgery! Sorry but I get outraged at being spoken to like an idiot but thanks to my Mum’s hard work and teachings I am here and healthy ‍

Hey, I absolutely understand what you mean, been Type 1 since May 1970 and as you say probably know a lot more about living successfully with diabetes than most health professionals. The only thing which stops the possible being talked to like I'm ignorant is for me to attend clinic in uniform...I'm an occupational therapist working in the NHS. If In rock up with uniform and badge I get treated extremely differently, almost like a peer!
Hey ho. My 50 year anniversary was celebrated by a friend presenting me with a carriage clock made of cardboard (they're very art and crafty). I burned the clock in a tongue-in-cheek ceremony......