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Newsletter July 2020
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Newsletter - July 2020

Welcome to our latest newsletter which is brought to you following more than three months of lockdown and unprecedented changes to our normal day to day lives caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.  We hope you are all keeping safe, well and managing your diabetes.  

For this newsletter we asked some of our members to share their experiences of how they have been managing over the last few months and we hope you enjoy reading the articles below.  On a more serious note Diabetes UK regularly update their website https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/coronavirus with information for people living with diabetes and their families to provide the latest guidance on coronavirus.

Currently their website contains articles on -
  •     How to reduce your risk of getting coronavirus
  •     How coronavirus can effect people with diabetes
  •     Coronavirus deaths in people with diabetes
  •     Do people with diabetes have to shield?
  •     Going to work
  •     Schools and children
  •     Going to appointments or into hospital
  •     Getting food, medicines and tech
  •     Where to find more support
We hope you find it useful and provides the answers to some of your questions.
Diary of a Diabetic - by Don Hilton

Not much is happening in the way of diabetic meetings for the foreseeable future so we thought we would let you know what some of the committee have been up to during lockdown. All the members of the committee live in the Basingstoke area and all are diabetic or have a family member who is diabetic. There is a mixture of type 1 and type 2.

This Covid 19 illness is very worrying and we cannot ignore the data which is now suggesting that it is a lot more serious for Diabetics . I am 65 years old male and retired and have had type 2 diabetes for over 20 years. It runs in my family and it is very unlikely that anything I do will completely reverse it. I cannot change my age and a sex change is a bit extreme. Having said that I can do a few things that help to control my diabetes and increase my chances if I should catch the virus.

These are very strange times and all the plans we had for this year have vanished. We had a big trip booked to visit friends in South Africa in April /May which we had been planning for 2 years and had just had vaccinations when the Covid 19 blew up - very frustrating , but glad we did not go and get stuck as has happened to other people. We realise that we are more fortunate than those who have had the illness or have lost their jobs but it is a difficult time for us all.

Lockdown has introduced some new challenges and opportunities. The first challenge was exercise. I was a member of a gym and also a golf club both of which I used regularly, and both of these were closed. Fortunately there are some nice paths near where we live and my wife and I have been out for walks most days. The weather has helped a lot although there are times when it feels we are competing with the Tour de France cycle race. Didn't bikes use to have bells on?

The second challenge was food. I enjoy my food and it is not good to be bored and close to the food cupboard. That has been an ongoing battle especially when my wife baked some cakes which were very nice but not great for the waistline. It has not been easy but I am a couple of pounds lighter than when lockdown started so reasonably pleased with that.

We were both very relieved when the Golf Club reopened a couple of weeks ago , albeit with a lot of restrictions. I could go and play golf and my wife had the house to herself for a few hours. As well as the physical changes to lifestyle it is very strange to have to cope without social interaction. We are very lucky as our daughter has done most of our food shopping so as well as saving us from exposure in the supermarket we get to see her once a week when she delivers the food, We strictly follow the rules – she leaves the food in the porch and we wipe everything down before we put it away, but a bit of face to face contact even at a distance is welcome. She lives locally – just this side of Barnard Castle – so the biggest challenge is substitutions on the food orders.

We have also been improving our computer skills a bit. A few months ago hardly anyone had heard of Zoom – now everyone is using it. As well as the diabetic group committee meeting we have a weekly quiz with some friends and family and we have also made call to friends in UK and overseas which has been great. My wife has been doing Pilates classes on line through zoom. I keep fit by moving the furniture. The weekly clap for carers also gets most people out in the road and we have seen a lot more of our neighbours than we usually would and got to know some of them a lot better. There is much more of a community spirit than there used to be and we all enjoyed the street party for VE day . We also had a birthday clap for one of our elderly neighbours which she appreciated. I had hoped to do more in the garden and clearing the garage , but that has been frustrated by restrictions on refuse collections and charity shops. These rules are now being relaxed a bit so can make more progress next month.

We are looking forward to being able to get out a bit more, but also being very cautious as we do not want to catch this virus. We will not be amongst those queueing to get on a crowded beach much as we would enjoy a dip in the sea in this weather We all hope that a vaccine or at least a treatment will be found soon so life can start to return to normal.
What the Coronavirus Situation has meant for me - by Mark Straw

As many of you will know I have had Type 1 Diabetes for over 50 years. Inevitably when we first heard of this new virus in February I was concerned at the impact on my health, however perhaps I was lucky in that I had my annual Diabetes review with my Consultant on 11 March. I asked him whether I should be worried and he reassured me that, partly due to the fact that I was physically fit, as long as I washed my hands regularly and social distanced, I was at no greater risk.

The major effect the lockdown had was the curtailment of all my sporting activities. No swimming training, no badminton, no group cycle rides and a choice of only one outdoor exercise per day. In my particular case, my Diabetes control has relied on a very active lifestyle and without it my blood sugars soon started to rise to unacceptable levels. Walking the dogs on one day and a solo bike ride on the next did help but inevitably I did have to increase my insulin intake and reduce my carbohydrate levels. The latter was no bad thing as I have lost weight.

I have always been keen to keep up to date with the latest developments and with my daughter working in a hospital in New Zealand since December, I was clearly concerned with her safety. I therefore watched two sets Coronavirus daily broadcasts. What I found was the staggering difference between the two nations, what I increasingly saw was quick and decisive action in NZ, compared to bluster and bravado in GB. Interestingly NZ is now on level one alert, which means life is fully back to normal, with the exception of continued hand washing, a fully operational “track and trace system” and quarantine for arrivals into the country. I will say no more. Whilst still in NZ my daughter regularly talked to her friends at her previous hospital, Alder Hey in Liverpool. What she was clearly being told was that the NHS was under a huge amount of strain. She then took the decision in early April to try and get back to the UK, to help here. Not as easy as it sounds, with flights booked and then cancelled at the last minute. Thankfully she is now back in England and has secured a new job at a London hospital and will hopefully soon be back in the operating theatre helping patients here.

In terms of risk to us as Diabetics, I was very pleased to read an article written by Diabetes UK – part of article below:
"if you have diabetes – regardless of what type you have – you are no more likely to catch coronavirus than anyone else. And the majority of people who do get coronavirus – whether they have diabetes or not – will have mild symptoms and don’t need to go into hospital."
This I found much more reassuring compared to articles in the press which as usual tended to sensationalise news without a balanced approach. Not that I think there is no risk and I do still wash my hands regularly, social distance and luckily for me my wife can go out to shop.

Holiday wise, whilst a planned trip to NZ has now been cancelled, I have only missed out on a cycle tour to France in April. Never mind, there is always next year.

Bearing in mind that without my sporting activities I had some spare time, I volunteered to help with a scheme to make phone calls to either elderly people or people living on their own. We are basically checking that they are ok and that they have support if needed. In addition, we check that they are aware of relevant local contact information. Our group have already chatted to over 40,000 people since the start. For example, last Monday night, I spoke to a 93 year old who was very chipper, a keen gardener and having his son visit and help him and deliver food to him. I spent 15 minutes chatting to him and I came away awe inspired, thinking that if I get to 93, I hope I’m as mentally upbeat and as happy as he was. We have found that a large proportion of people we talk to are OK and have friends or family to help them. Where people need help, we have a range of more local groups/ councils who can step in and supply face to face assistance. It has been a marvellous experience and just shows that as a nation we can come together to help others.

On my sporting activity front, I was so pleased when we could meet up with 5 other non-household friends to exercise outside. I’m now back doing group rides with my friends, its so much nicer to talk to someone in real life, than what can be an unnatural conversation on “Zoom”. Having said that “Zoom” has been a godsend, Zoom land training, Zoom quizzes etc etc. I have even driven to the lake at Reading and swum for the first time in 11 weeks. Boy my shoulders hurt on my first outing, but I’m pleased to say after my third I’m once again swimming fast. It’s a shame all competitions have been cancelled for 2020. However It is lovely to be back swimming.

Anyhow, please keep smiling. As a category of medical conditions, we can be as healthy as the next person.
Article from the Chair - by David Murray

You have read articles from members of the Committee who have been physically active with golf, swimming, cycling etc. Well, I don’t know about you but I am exhausted just reading about it! This is now my story from the opposite side of the spectrum.

I started off at the beginning of the lockdown getting up at 7.30 am every day as normal. This gradually changed to 8.00 am and is now nearer 8.30 am. Why get up earlier when there isn’t much to do! Seriously, I have been getting up later but I made sure I was busy with the usual tasks in the house and in the garden. The patio furniture and the patio itself have never looked so clean. Plants, hedges and the grass are pristine. Amazon shares have increased because I have been buying miscellaneous items from them to replace old things that no longer worked so well - door bell, ceiling lighting, garden lighting, shelves etc. Of course, when you fit something new or replace something it is noticeable how the decor looks a little tired and needs re-doing. Thankfully I think I have now completed all the small projects I set out to do.......and in any case, I now think I have spent enough!

What I did realise is that at the beginning I was busy nearly all day. As the weeks passed I became less keen and minor tasks took much longer to complete and more coffee breaks had to be introduced. Occasionally, something a little stronger: everything in moderation is what I say. I did make sure I went out for my daily exercise without getting carried away limiting it to 2-3 miles to not breach the guidelines.  Walking different routes each day I think I can now virtually produce an ordnance survey map of anything within a radius of some 2-3 miles from my house. Some social contact and appropriate exercise is important for your wellbeing. I also tried to keep the grey matter ticking over. Crossword puzzles, sudoku and similar tasks are good for the brain cells even if it made me realise how much I don’t know. Thank goodness for dictionaries, internet and other cheating devices which made me feel that I did better than my real achievements.

For my sins I am also a member of my GP Surgery Patient Participation Group, a patient representative at the relevant NHS Clinical Commissioning Group Meetings as well as a Governor at Basingstoke College of Technology. These activities, albeit significantly scaled back at the moment, have also helped to pass away the time but I admit I am now champing at the bit to get out a bit more - safely and within Government guidelines of course.

Keep safe.   
 
 
 
Coronavirus and food
Will you tell us about your access to food during the pandemic?
 
Since the beginning of lockdown, lots of you have told us that you've been finding it difficult to buy the food you need to stay healthy and manage your diabetes. We've been raising your concerns to the UK government and to supermarkets, but we need to know whether you're still facing challenges getting the food you need. Will you answer a couple of questions about your experiences buying food to help us understand what more needs to be done?
Take our survey
Diabetes UK Annual Report 2019

Find out about the amazing things Diabetes UK have done throughout 2019 to help achieve their vision of a world where diabetes can do no harm.

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/annual-reports
COVID SYMPTOM STUDY

Kings College London with partners including Diabetes UK have been undertaking a data collection to help slow the spread of #COVID19 and identify at risk cases sooner. You can help by self-reporting your symptoms daily, even if you are feeling well.

The link to their website is https://covid.joinzoe.com/
We would love to hear how you have managed to cope during the last few months, if you would like to share your experience in our next newsletter please contact us at diabetesuk.basingstokegroup@gmail.com




Thank you for reading our newsletter and we hope to meet with you all in the near future.
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