Anniversary...

28 years last December. I don't give it a second thought I'm afraid, just another day. 1/4 of a century is a long time, I bet you've seen many a change in care and eqiupment etc.

Nigel

I'll never forget the diagnosis date, it's imprinted on my memory but normally passes without any fuss. A few years ago I was participating in a lecture to dental students about diabetes on the actual day, something I never expected to be doing back in 1982, I guess the significance meant more to me than anyone else!

The equipment's certainly changed, anyone remember the Autolet? That's why I hated testing bg. I always missed the little chemistry set provided for home urinalysis!

Debloubed said:

I have indeed Nigel, as I'm sure you have. More importantly, the way I care for my Diabetes has moved on and changed dramatically! Which is made a lot easier with the equipment available now don't miss peeing on those sticks, that's for darn sure! :lol: :lol: :mrgreen:

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Here, here.......................................................! :lol:

I started a thread last year discussing changes in treatment and equipment, and it was interesting that there were a few us who have had the condition a long time could still recollect the equipment to hand at that time. Although I did laugh at recalling these items, I'll be the first to admit that it brought back some painful memories too.

Nigel

kegstore said:

I'll never forget the diagnosis date, it's imprinted on my memory but normally passes without any fuss. A few years ago I was participating in a lecture to dental students about diabetes on the actual day, something I never expected to be doing back in 1982, I guess the significance meant more to me than anyone else!

The equipment's certainly changed, anyone remember the Autolet? That's why I hated testing bg. I always missed the little chemistry set provided for home urinalysis!

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The urine kit was called Clinitest. I just looked at my old posts and found the discussion, so here it is.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10070&p=96616#p96616

Nigel

Debloubed said:

blimey Nigel, just read your older posts, can't believe how lucky I was to have been diagnosed just 3 or 4 years after you! the thought of non-disposable needles/syringes makes me shudder......I do remember the archaic BG meters where you had to drop the blood and wait and then wipe it off!! took (what seemed like) 4 hours to get a reading :lol:

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Tell me about it! :cry: :evil: :lol:

Nigel

I was diagnosed type 1 on 14th Feb 65 but after about 10 years I stopped thinking about it and just got on with my life like you do My first Christmas was not too good as I couldnt drink any lemonade etc and could only have low calorie orange squash Second Christmas was much better though as my Mum saw an advert in Balance for a company in Forfar, Scotland doing sugar free bottled lemonade at about £1 per bottle. My Dad did his nut at the cost. I was thrilled with it and always remember it turning up in a crate on the back of a Corona lorry. My Mum bought 10 bottles 8) :lol: Over the years, diet lemonades etc have got cheaper and cheaper. Does anyone remember Tab from Cocacola??

I remember only too well the Clinitest tablets, then Clinistix which I thought was fab. I didnt start testing my blood until the mid 70's and always remember being given that dreadful Autolet finger pricker with a depth setting equivalent to a number 10 and some BM teststrips which dsn told me to cut lengthways because of the cost. Needless to say, I didnt use the BM strips or Autolet very much (it was too painful) so just carried on with the Clinistix.

I eventually bought a Medisense Cardsense meter advertised in Balance for about £40 and got the strips for it on prescription. A few meters that came out before the Medisense required you to buy the strips for them so only the really well off I think had them. :roll:

iHs,

I can only imagine how hard it must have been in the 60's finding sugar-free lemonade. I remember drinking Tab too, and also 'one-cal' which was absolutely vile. As you say, they were over expensive and of a poor quality. Pleased things have moved on and there is a greater choice available now.

Remember overdosing on Boots diabetic chocolate, and running upstairs to the loo and couldn't get my pants down quick enough! :lol:

Nigel

Hi Debloubed

Celebrate! Celebrate! Celebrate! if that’s what you want!

I believe you only get your first medal when you reach 50 years on Insulin!

I have never celebrated since diagnosis but I am celebrating 40 years Type 1 on June 6th this year as according to my doom n gloom diabetes clinic I should really be dead & buried by now :shock:.

Am planning a big celebration – might really push the boat out and have a couple of extra units of insulin & consume a………………!

I remember my dad “smuggling” Tab into the local cinema in the 70’s & waiting until the national anthem was played in order to hide the noise of “opening” the drink & we then sat petrified :lol: :lol: throughout the film (The Belstone Fox 1973) in case the cinema staff found out – I don’t know what we thought they would do to us! :lol:

Anyone remember the low cal/diet drink Fresco? – I think it was an alleged grapefruit flavour!

Txx

kewgirl said:

Anyone remember the low cal/diet drink Fresco? – I think it was an alleged grapefruit flavour!

Txx

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I do indeed, thanks for reminding me, it was yet another poor quality drink of that time! :roll:

Can't think how they got it so badly wrong, and nowadays they often taste better than the full sugar versions, got to be the modern sweeteners, and the high demand to produce a quality product for the diet conscious people of this world..

Nigel

Debloubed said:

ahh, One Cal! Those were the days ;-) don't recall Fresco however, perhaps I am just a touch too young for that one Noblehead and Kewgirl?! :lol: :mrgreen: :wink:

anyway, perhaps I will celebrate my 1/4 century, crack open some bubbly and toast my parents for putting up with me and my diabetic 'issues' and my daughter for calling the paramedics to rescue me from a hypo when she was just 8 years old - gotta love those nearest and dearest, can't be easy for them, especially when they risk theu freedom by smuggling sugar free drinks into the cinema!! :lol:

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Yes, our nearest and dearest............................we salute you all !

And by the way Debloubed, as Jim Royle would say: 'To young............my a.s. ! :lol:

Nigel

great post!

I'm thinking this year I should celebrate as will be 20 years since diagnosed. I remember being in intensive care and the doctors and nurses cheering because Maggie Thatcher stepped down as PM.

Debloubed I never had an autolet to start with either - I remember being 'distracted' and then swiftly stabbed! I also remember having to wipe the blood on the meters and peeing on the sticks.

When I was diagnosed I got a black box to carry my insulin and syringes in - I always think about that. I always used to get asked 'Jenni have you got your box?' wherever I went. My parents are divorced so I was always having to cart my things around from place to place. I loved that box.

I was diagnosed when I was 6 so I have to say I could never have imagined being the age I am now and being diabetic, even though I knew back then that I would always have diabetes.

I love a bit of nostalgia, especially when it's so positive!

My attitude to diabetes has definitely changed, chopped and shifted over the years - I think I might be going through the geek/obsessive stage at the moment, but then that can never be a bad thing.

I have been type 1 for 45 years this year....I remember all the mentioned items. My parents had a sheet of paper that stated 210grms carbs - 50 for breakfast,lunch,dinner and rest for snacks. But had no choice of if to eat or not - even if not hungry you were forced to eat.
Then it was "old hat" to carb count, then back in......
I had a glass and metal syringe with needles that felt like pokers, especially for skinny little arms. It was put into a white cylinder with blue top on that was filled with meths. I also have epilepsy and the amount of times before it was diagnosed that I had a fit and people put spoonful of sugar in my mouth whilst convulsing, doesn't bear thinking about.
Deb

Hi Red Deb,

Do you remember having to boil the syringe in a pan to sterilise it before immersing in the surgical spirit?

Happy days eh!

Nigel

Blimey this thread has brought back memories! The autolet device I remember well - I hated it so much I actually only did it in my ear lobe (I've been 'blessed' with large fleshy ear lobes). I also didn't enjoy injecting insulin using syringes and only two injections a day! Having to eat 'snacks' had its uses though - I remember one teacher in approx 1989 throwing a fit that I was eating in his class. The reply "I have to - I'm a diabetic" shut him up completely

noblehead said:

Hi Red Deb,

Do you remember having to boil the syringe in a pan to sterilise it before immersing in the surgical spirit?

Happy days eh!

Nigel

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Not sure what RedDeb did but my mum only boiled my syringe up in a saucepan once a week. Rest of the week syringe was kept in a tupperware dish submerged in industrial meth spirit. All I did was boil up the kettle every day and pour some boiling water in a pudding bowl, take out the syringe from the tupperware dish and just rinse it in the boiling water before assembling it. Flushed the water from it and then attached the needle and filled it up with insulin (Lente).

Here's a piccie of my Rand Rocket U40 glass syringe from the 60's (built to precision ) Unfortunately, I haven't got the two stainless steel needles but they were about 3/4" long :cry: