awiseman
Member
Hello,
I'm a 20 year old was was self diagnosed in December 2012, and now have a insight pump
I have attached an article i had written about me in Horse Magazine about having an Insulin pump and riding horses!
I hope you can take the time to read it!
After being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 17, Alice Wiseman set out to prove that, with the help of a “one in a million pony”,a chronic conditionis no barrier to achieving success in the saddle…
As told to Joanne Bednall
“It was nerve-wracking enough having to research and deliver an A-level Biology presentation on Type 1 diabetes but not half as scary as discovering that I had every single one of the symptoms.
“I ticked off the key signs of the condition: A strong thirst –I was drinking gallons of water. Check.Weight loss – I’d off-loaded a stone in a month despite feeling hungry all the time and eating constantly. Check. Blurred vision, especially in the mornings. Check.Always feeling tired… Check.
“I went straight to the doctor’s and reeled off all my symptoms. He wasted no time in sending me to A&E, where in less than four hours, pinprick and urine tests had confirmed the diagnosis. In fact, my blood sugar level was so high, it was off the scale and the monitor couldn’t read it.
“Although I knew I had all the symptoms, it still came as a shock to be told that I had Type 1 diabetes. But I wasn’t able to focus fully on my condition and its implicationsuntil I hadcompeted in the 15hh and under showing class at the South West Equine Fair the following day. I was determined to make it into the ring, despite receiving disapproving looksfromthe medical staff when I told them. In the end, they agreed to let me out of Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital under the strict condition that I learned how to inject myself with insulin before I was discharged.
“Yetthe very thought of this petrified me. I hated needles and the prospect of sticking one in mewas a scary one. Nevertheless, I promiseddoctors I’d inject myself at 9pm that evening and again 12 hours later.
“The next day - a freezing December morning three years ago - I took a deep breath and gave myself a shot of insulin before getting ready for the show.
“Later, havingsecured third place,the full impact of the diagnosis hit me. All the terrible things that can result – going blind or ending up in a coma – crossed my mind and I became very worried. I shuddered when I thought what could have happened if I’d not gone to the doctor when I did. I could easily have been in a coma by now.
“Despite this, I tried to look at the positives: this was perhaps the ‘best’ time to be diagnosed as I was still young enough to change my lifestyle. At first, though, pricking my finger and monitoring my blood sugar levels eight to 10 times a day, and injecting myself,was hard. However,since having an insulin pump in September 2014, my life has been revolutionized. The size of a mobile phone, the pump has a needle inserted under my skin that enables me tocontrol my blood glucose levels even when I am riding. It makes a beeping noise but the horses have become used to it and don’t turn a hair at the soundanymore.
“When I go to shows, people are generally interested when they see my pump although their reaction is usually something like, ‘Oh you must have had too much sugar’ – there isn’t much awareness about diabetes.
“I wear a medical alert band around my wrist so that organisersare aware of my condition, plus my sister-in-law, Alisa Rowland, always accompanies me to competitions and has pockets bulging with a never-ending supply of Jelly Babies.
“Since being diagnosed with diabetes, I have never once considered quitting riding – that would be giving in to the condition and letting it win. I have just had to adapt. A few times, I’ve felt a bit down but it makes me more – not less – determined to ride.
“Although Idon’t have an equestrianbackground, I got the riding bug from my cousin, who had horses. I started loaning a pony – a cheeky part-Dartmoor gelding called Digby – when I was eight. I joined the Dartmoor Hunt branch of the Pony Club but Digby wouldn’t jump, so I upgraded to a New Forest mare called Greencottage Fantasia, who’s now 15.
“Then, 10 years ago when Alisa worked at the Shilstone Rocks Stud, she was gifted a very nice two-year-old Dartmoorfilly.The original idea was for the pony, Shilstone Rocks Snow Flurry, to be used for carriage driving but she proved such a gem when she wasbroken to ride at four that she stayed under saddle. I’d describe myself as a nervous rider when I was younger but with Alisa’s knowledge and support, we backed Flurry together. At 12 years of age, it was a real learning curve – but also very satisfying.
“Our first competition was a local Le Trec event, which we both enjoyed and came home with a rosette. Since then, we have gone from strength to strength and Flurry has given me tons of confidence – she’s really consistent and sensible to ride and I trust her completely.
“We have done a lot of schooling and showing plus Pony Club jumping, cross-country and one-day events. About five years ago, we progressed to doing some dressage, taking part in Pony Club area teams. The better our dressage became, the better we did in the show ring and the more our jumping improved – it was nice to beat the big horses!
“After achieving local showing success, Flurry and I have come third at Devon County Show in the Dartmoor ridden class for the past three years, as well as winning the ridden mare of the year award for the Dartmoor Pony Society – a national accolade – for the last two years.
“At our first unaffiliated Prelim dressage test in 2010, I was reallynervous and worried that I would forget the test but we scored 60 per cent with some very favourable comments from the judge.
“By the time we stepped up to Novice level in 2012, we were finding it easier and were getting better marks. We won the unaffiliated Bicton Arena Winter Dressage Series Novice Championship in 2014 and 2015. Affiliated to British dressage in October 2014 and last year we finished ninth at Kingston Maurward in the Winter Regionals at Prelim. We are now working at Elementary level and my dream is to get to Medium.
“I am lucky that at 5ft 2in, I am not too big to ride this special 12hh pony. I love the breed’s nature and movement – Dartmoors are like compact horses and can move really well with such power.
“My partnership with Flurry runs a lot deeper than success in the ring, however. We have developed a very strong bond – after all, I’ve known her since she was two and she’s 12 now –and we have grown together.
“If my blood sugar levels are low, Flurry picks up on it and lets me know. She usually scoffs her food and hay but if my blood sugar is low, she refuses to eat and just watches or nudges me. As soon as my level is normal again, she starts eating and stops fussing me. At a show, she’ll also head butt me to alert me or if I am riding, she will suddenly become unresponsive to my aids. A couple of times, when my blood sugar level has been really low, she’s tilted her head towards the stirrup. I know her so well now that I have come to recognize the signs and will instantly check my blood sugar level.
“I’ve found having Type 1 diabetes tough. You can’t have a day off from it – you can’t say, ‘I don’t want to check my blood sugar level today’ – because you’ve got it for life.No-one in my family has the condition and I don’t know anyone else with it – it’s just pure bad luck, I guess.
“But I hope that I can give inspiration to other sufferers. My advice is to not give up – you can ride, compete and achieve your dreams if you really try and put your heart and mind into it. But having a one-in-a-million pony definitely helps!”
Thanks
Alice
I'm a 20 year old was was self diagnosed in December 2012, and now have a insight pump
I have attached an article i had written about me in Horse Magazine about having an Insulin pump and riding horses!I hope you can take the time to read it!
After being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 17, Alice Wiseman set out to prove that, with the help of a “one in a million pony”,a chronic conditionis no barrier to achieving success in the saddle…
As told to Joanne Bednall
“It was nerve-wracking enough having to research and deliver an A-level Biology presentation on Type 1 diabetes but not half as scary as discovering that I had every single one of the symptoms.
“I ticked off the key signs of the condition: A strong thirst –I was drinking gallons of water. Check.Weight loss – I’d off-loaded a stone in a month despite feeling hungry all the time and eating constantly. Check. Blurred vision, especially in the mornings. Check.Always feeling tired… Check.
“I went straight to the doctor’s and reeled off all my symptoms. He wasted no time in sending me to A&E, where in less than four hours, pinprick and urine tests had confirmed the diagnosis. In fact, my blood sugar level was so high, it was off the scale and the monitor couldn’t read it.
“Although I knew I had all the symptoms, it still came as a shock to be told that I had Type 1 diabetes. But I wasn’t able to focus fully on my condition and its implicationsuntil I hadcompeted in the 15hh and under showing class at the South West Equine Fair the following day. I was determined to make it into the ring, despite receiving disapproving looksfromthe medical staff when I told them. In the end, they agreed to let me out of Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital under the strict condition that I learned how to inject myself with insulin before I was discharged.
“Yetthe very thought of this petrified me. I hated needles and the prospect of sticking one in mewas a scary one. Nevertheless, I promiseddoctors I’d inject myself at 9pm that evening and again 12 hours later.
“The next day - a freezing December morning three years ago - I took a deep breath and gave myself a shot of insulin before getting ready for the show.
“Later, havingsecured third place,the full impact of the diagnosis hit me. All the terrible things that can result – going blind or ending up in a coma – crossed my mind and I became very worried. I shuddered when I thought what could have happened if I’d not gone to the doctor when I did. I could easily have been in a coma by now.
“Despite this, I tried to look at the positives: this was perhaps the ‘best’ time to be diagnosed as I was still young enough to change my lifestyle. At first, though, pricking my finger and monitoring my blood sugar levels eight to 10 times a day, and injecting myself,was hard. However,since having an insulin pump in September 2014, my life has been revolutionized. The size of a mobile phone, the pump has a needle inserted under my skin that enables me tocontrol my blood glucose levels even when I am riding. It makes a beeping noise but the horses have become used to it and don’t turn a hair at the soundanymore.
“When I go to shows, people are generally interested when they see my pump although their reaction is usually something like, ‘Oh you must have had too much sugar’ – there isn’t much awareness about diabetes.
“I wear a medical alert band around my wrist so that organisersare aware of my condition, plus my sister-in-law, Alisa Rowland, always accompanies me to competitions and has pockets bulging with a never-ending supply of Jelly Babies.
“Since being diagnosed with diabetes, I have never once considered quitting riding – that would be giving in to the condition and letting it win. I have just had to adapt. A few times, I’ve felt a bit down but it makes me more – not less – determined to ride.
“Although Idon’t have an equestrianbackground, I got the riding bug from my cousin, who had horses. I started loaning a pony – a cheeky part-Dartmoor gelding called Digby – when I was eight. I joined the Dartmoor Hunt branch of the Pony Club but Digby wouldn’t jump, so I upgraded to a New Forest mare called Greencottage Fantasia, who’s now 15.
“Then, 10 years ago when Alisa worked at the Shilstone Rocks Stud, she was gifted a very nice two-year-old Dartmoorfilly.The original idea was for the pony, Shilstone Rocks Snow Flurry, to be used for carriage driving but she proved such a gem when she wasbroken to ride at four that she stayed under saddle. I’d describe myself as a nervous rider when I was younger but with Alisa’s knowledge and support, we backed Flurry together. At 12 years of age, it was a real learning curve – but also very satisfying.
“Our first competition was a local Le Trec event, which we both enjoyed and came home with a rosette. Since then, we have gone from strength to strength and Flurry has given me tons of confidence – she’s really consistent and sensible to ride and I trust her completely.
“We have done a lot of schooling and showing plus Pony Club jumping, cross-country and one-day events. About five years ago, we progressed to doing some dressage, taking part in Pony Club area teams. The better our dressage became, the better we did in the show ring and the more our jumping improved – it was nice to beat the big horses!
“After achieving local showing success, Flurry and I have come third at Devon County Show in the Dartmoor ridden class for the past three years, as well as winning the ridden mare of the year award for the Dartmoor Pony Society – a national accolade – for the last two years.
“At our first unaffiliated Prelim dressage test in 2010, I was reallynervous and worried that I would forget the test but we scored 60 per cent with some very favourable comments from the judge.
“By the time we stepped up to Novice level in 2012, we were finding it easier and were getting better marks. We won the unaffiliated Bicton Arena Winter Dressage Series Novice Championship in 2014 and 2015. Affiliated to British dressage in October 2014 and last year we finished ninth at Kingston Maurward in the Winter Regionals at Prelim. We are now working at Elementary level and my dream is to get to Medium.
“I am lucky that at 5ft 2in, I am not too big to ride this special 12hh pony. I love the breed’s nature and movement – Dartmoors are like compact horses and can move really well with such power.
“My partnership with Flurry runs a lot deeper than success in the ring, however. We have developed a very strong bond – after all, I’ve known her since she was two and she’s 12 now –and we have grown together.
“If my blood sugar levels are low, Flurry picks up on it and lets me know. She usually scoffs her food and hay but if my blood sugar is low, she refuses to eat and just watches or nudges me. As soon as my level is normal again, she starts eating and stops fussing me. At a show, she’ll also head butt me to alert me or if I am riding, she will suddenly become unresponsive to my aids. A couple of times, when my blood sugar level has been really low, she’s tilted her head towards the stirrup. I know her so well now that I have come to recognize the signs and will instantly check my blood sugar level.
“I’ve found having Type 1 diabetes tough. You can’t have a day off from it – you can’t say, ‘I don’t want to check my blood sugar level today’ – because you’ve got it for life.No-one in my family has the condition and I don’t know anyone else with it – it’s just pure bad luck, I guess.
“But I hope that I can give inspiration to other sufferers. My advice is to not give up – you can ride, compete and achieve your dreams if you really try and put your heart and mind into it. But having a one-in-a-million pony definitely helps!”
Thanks
Alice
