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Longest living Insulin dependent diabetic

H

hanadr

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Did anyone else hear the item on Saturday morning on Radio 4, which included an interview with the longest living insulin dependent diabetic. I forget her name, but she was diagnosed at the age of just a month or two and was treated by Banting himself. She's lost a lower leg and the sight of an eye, but is over 80 years old. However, when she and the interviewer[wasit JP Donlevy?] both tested their sugars on air, hers was 14 his about 3.5. Her excuse was that she'd just had breakfast.
I was tempted to contact Radio4 and suggest she had scrambled eggs without toast in the future. :roll:
However, she's obviously done well, so it might be seen as insulting.
Hana
 
Hi Hana!

I heard that too - do you think the interviewer had especially bolused to make sure he had low blood sugars..? It was JP Devlin by the way; JP Donleavy is the author.

I was a bit horrified as well by her blood glucose but then thought - she's done pretty well on diabetic complications all being equal if that is the type of post meal swing she's been getting for 80 years. It's funny how people seem to tolerate fluctuating blood sugars in very different ways.

I wonder if JP Devlin would be interested in the success of low carbing in the face of the NHS guidelines to achieve good diabetic control? Might make a good radio piece?

Scrambled eggs are where it's at!

Best

Dillinger
 
Don't know it it was her, but there was one very early diagnosed diabetic who put his/her success down to "because I eat to live, I don't live to eat"
 
I listened to the broadcast as well.

Well done to that lady. She probably uses biphasic (twice daily) insulin so that is probably why her bg was a bit higher. Also she was nervous no doubt and that could have also helped raise her levels too.

At home she probably eats to her meter and is ok and happy with that.

Had to laugh at the interviewer who tested his levels and was hypo and the lady offered him a piece of chocolate to lift him up a bit. Chocolate was always used years ago as a way of treating hypos. Its only because of newer **** bolus/basal regime that it is no longer recommended and glucose is used instead.
 
Lets also not forget that she may have been stressed and this is why her bg was so high on testing, is the interview available on the BBC website?
 
Here's an article http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16657425
The lady in question uses a pump.

Had to laugh at the interviewer who tested his levels and was hypo and the lady offered him a piece of chocolate to lift him up a bit. Chocolate was always used years ago as a way of treating hypos. Its only because of newer **** bolus/basal regime that it is no longer recommended and glucose is used instead.
Click to expand...

Nope not correct, Never in almost 50 years have I been encouraged to eat chocolate to treat a hypo.
It's always been glucose or sugar lumps as a young child.
 
Dillinger said:
It was on Saturday Live - link here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01b8w61

Dillinger
Click to expand...


Thanks for the link,

A remarkable lady and very much enjoyed the interview. It's sad that she has lost a leg and is blind in one eye but all things considered its amazing that she is still alive today, the first 50 years she would have not been able to self-monitor her bg which is something we take for granted now.

Jen posted a good video called The Quest on a thread I started last week, certainly worth a view although it is 36 mins long.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=26285&p=242688#p242688
 
Am surprised that lady is using a pump.

Although you were told to always use glucose to treat hypos was because of the insulin regime you used - soluble plus longer acting. Soluble lowering bg levels fairly fast. As far as I know that regime was used to control diabetics years ago because it was thought that they had 'brittle diabetes' and could not be stabilised by once daily insulin. I was fairly greatful that I didn't need to do so many injections as not sure that I would have coped wonderfully well although of course you do get used to it eventually......

I too was always told to treat hypos with glucose tabs but got fed up with the awful taste so as I got older used some chocolate to lift some of my hypos so even though it contains some fat, it can still save the day. Takes only about 5mins to start lifting and tastes nice in the process. No good at all trying to force someone who is very hypo to eat glucose tabs if you know full well that they will argue back. Much better to give something that you know they will eat or drink and just wait for the lift to start which it will do.......................
 
iHs said:
Am surprised that lady is using a pump.
Why?

Although you were told to always use glucose to treat hypos was because of the insulin regime you used - soluble plus longer acting. Soluble lowering bg levels fairly fast. As far as I know that regime was used to control diabetics years ago because it was thought that they had 'brittle diabetes' and could not be stabilised by once daily insulin. I was fairly greatful that I didn't need to do so many injections as not sure that I would have coped wonderfully well although of course you do get used to it eventually......
Not at all that routine was brought in when it was invented.

I too was always told to treat hypos with glucose tabs but got fed up with the awful taste so as I got older used some chocolate to lift some of my hypos so even though it contains some fat, it can still save the day. Takes only about 5mins to start lifting and tastes nice in the process. No good at all trying to force someone who is very hypo to eat glucose tabs if you know full well that they will argue back. Much better to give something that you know they will eat or drink and just wait for the lift to start which it will do.......................
Click to expand...

Yep so as I said above glucose or sugar lumps were the treatment, you decided to change your treatment :)
I never had glucose tabs though it was powder off the spoon or disolved in water. Chocolate was always a no due to the fat content and the chance of choking on it.
 
Not a big lover of glucotabs myself, I always use jelly babies now and find they work just as fast.
 
hanadr said:
Did anyone else hear the item on Saturday morning on Radio 4, which included an interview with the longest living insulin dependent diabetic. I forget her name, but she was diagnosed at the age of just a month or two and was treated by Banting himself. She's lost a lower leg and the sight of an eye, but is over 80 years old. However, when she and the interviewer[wasit JP Donlevy?] both tested their sugars on air, hers was 14 his about 3.5. Her excuse was that she'd just had breakfast.
I was tempted to contact Radio4 and suggest she had scrambled eggs without toast in the future. :roll:
However, she's obviously done well, so it might be seen as insulting.
Hana
Click to expand...
Hi - I'm new around here and found this while trying to establish how many have survived on insulin for more than the 58 years I've just logged up. Does anyone know how I can obtain the information I'm looking for?
 
There's someone on this forum with over 60 years under their belt.
 
CarbsRok said:
There's someone on this forum with over 60 years under their belt.
Click to expand...
Thanks.

I asked Diabetes UK when I logged up 50 years and they said 'they knew of 172 in the UK'. I asked them recently how many of them were still living, but the answer was 'they don't keep records'!
 
KenBachelor said:
Thanks.

I asked Diabetes UK when I logged up 50 years and they said 'they knew of 172 in the UK'. I asked them recently how many of them were still living, but the answer was 'they don't keep records'!
Click to expand...
Hi Ken I am one of the 172 :)
Diabetes UK would have no access to medical records so would have no way of knowing how many have reached the landmark of 50 years plus.
My Uncle is another one who has attained the 50 years and I know of 3 within a 10 mile radius of my home who are nearer the 60 years than the 50. So it's not as rare as it used to be :) Knowledge is power and in this day and age there is plenty of knowledge to help people achieve this goal. Diabetes isn't a death sentence anymore.
 
CarbsRok said:
Hi Ken I am one of the 172 :)
Diabetes UK would have no access to medical records so would have no way of knowing how many have reached the landmark of 50 years plus.
My Uncle is another one who has attained the 50 years and I know of 3 within a 10 mile radius of my home who are nearer the 60 years than the 50. So it's not as rare as it used to be :) Knowledge is power and in this day and age there is plenty of knowledge to help people achieve this goal. Diabetes isn't a death sentence anymore.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your help guys.
 
I don't know when my mum was diagnosed as she has dementia and doesn't really remember, but she's over 80, insulin twice a day, no blindness and all her limbs still attached. I'm just hoping I do as well as she does when I'm her age. The diabetes is, and always has been, her least limiting illness.
 
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