Man receives award for living with type 1 diabetes for 70 years

[DCUK NewsBot]

A Norfolk pensioner reflecting on his life with type 1 diabetes has been celebrated for living with the condition for 70 years. Derek Harrison, from North Walsham, has been awarded with the John Macleod gold medal by charity Diabetes UK to mark his achievement. The 81-year-old, who was told he had type 1 diabetes aged 11, said the condition made him a "different person" when he was diagnosed 70 years ago. He unfortunately experienced a tough childhood that was traumatic because his school friends were mean to him but has ridden through the challenges to live a long, happy and fulfilled life. Speaking to the North Norfolk News, he said: "Before the diabetes started I quite overweight, it was awful really. They called me fatty. Then at the beginning of 1949 I started to lose weight that was the first sign of diabetes. "The second sign was the intense thirst. I would put had my head under the tap and drink, drink, drink." He was eventually diagnosed and was required to spend six weeks in hospital where he received treatment and learnt about managing his condition. Cakes and sweets were banned from his diet, he was advised to follow a strict carbohydrate-controlled diet and told that he needed to inject insulin twice a day. As a young boy, following a strict diabetes diet was overwhelming for him and Mr Harrison was not as careful about what he ate as he hit adolescence. However, once he heard about the diabetes-related complications, such as limb amputation, kidney disease and blindness, he decided to take back control over his condition. He said: "It hasn't been an easy life. If your glucose levels get too low you can throw a wobbly, and I have thrown a lot of those over the years. You become a different person." Mr Harrison has not allowed type 1 diabetes to stop him from living a long and rewarding life. The retired engineering draftsman got married in 1959 and went on to have three children together with his wife.

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[Guzzler]

"Throw a wobbly" Classic! Trophies for the man aplenty.

 

[WuTwo]

I agree - what an amazing man!

 

[Diakat]

Well done Mr Harrison, it’s great to hear of long lived, healthy T1s who managed with far less tech and support than we get now.

 

[Bluetit1802]

So, in 1949 the treatment was insulin plus a strict low carb diet.

 

[WuTwo]

So, in 1949 the treatment was insulin plus a strict low carb diet.

An awful lot still died though - my classmate was 13 when he died because of a hypo; he'd been diagnosed at 5. He tried so hard to follow the rules. I still remember him, all these years later. He was a nice lad!

Then when we were 19 my very close friend Judy nearly died from hers - several times! She was an incredibly talented pianist who had to stop playing because her fingers hurt and bled too much from the testing in those days (I'm in my 60's).

 

[Bluetit1802]

An awful lot still died though - my classmate was 13 when he died because of a hypo; he'd been diagnosed at 5. He tried so hard to follow the rules. I still remember him, all these years later. He was a nice lad!

Then when we were 19 my very close friend Judy nearly died from hers - several times! She was an incredibly talented pianist who had to stop playing because her fingers hurt and bled too much from the testing in those days (I'm in my 60's).

Yes, things have improved so much these days. My husband's best friend died aged 40 in the 1980's after suffering several years with all the complications going making him very disabled - plus a kidney transplant after years of dialysis. He tried to follow all the rules of the day and his wife made sure he stuck to these rules. From what I remember it was twice daily injections, probably fixed amounts, 3 meals a day evenly spaced, no carbohydrate restriction, very low salt.