Coffee and a Chat
In January we held another Drop In for Coffee and a Chat session at Waitrose. Our planned hour session passed all too quickly and we would like to thank those of you who attended and hope you felt it was beneficial. We are always pleased to meet new people and we were delighted to have the opportunity to welcome a new volunteer who will be joining our committee.
We will be organising further drop in sessions later in the year so keep an eye out for future dates and if you have time to spare pop along to see us.
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Camrose, Gillies & Hackwood Meeting
Our Chairman was asked to attend the Camrose, Gillies & Hackwood Diabetic Group
Meeting to meet newly diagnosed patients on Monday 9th March, to talk about our Support group and distribute literature.
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Sherri Johnston and Margaret Stubbs - Community Diabetes Specialist Nurses
Sherri and Margaret gave a very informative talk to the group on Monday 10th March. We were given a general overview of the service, information on what patients can expect from their GP practices and what help, support and education is available. The session was made interactive by Sherri and Margaret and it was a great opportunity for attendees to test their knowledge on the important 15 Healthcare Essentials that all people with diabetes are entitled to every year. Having all these essential diabetes checks helps you to reduce your risk of serious diabetes complications like losing your sight or having dangerous problems with your feet.
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If you are interested in learning more then please do come along to one our sessions - see details below.
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But please note these dates may need to change because of the current Coronavirus situation.
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Gadgets and Gizmos - Dealing with Diabetes Care
Claire Hughes
Tuesday 2nd June Hatch Warren Community Centre
Claire Hughes from North Hampshire Hospital will be joining us to give a talk entitled "Gadgets and Gizmos - Dealing with Diabetes Care." As the title suggests, she will be talking to us about the latest technology to help us all deal with our Diabetes condition.
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Tesco Dance Beats
Saturday 6th June Tesco Chineham
We will be collecting donations again this year for Diabetes UK at Tesco Dance Beats in Chineham and hope to see you there.
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Hatch Warren Summer Festival
Saturday 11th July
We hope to see you all again at the Hatch Warren Summer Festival in July!
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Peruvian Trek - Peter Davies
Tuesday 15th September Hatch Warren Community Centre
Peter Davies is an intrepid Type 1 Diabetic who has been highly active living with his condition. In the early days of the formation of our Diabetes Group in Basingstoke, he came and gave us an excellent talk on his exploits on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. in this talk he will be presenting about a Peruvian trek that he undertook to mark a significant Type 1 milestone. Peter's new talk is not to be missed.
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Patient Conference - Health and Wellbeing
Wednesday 20th May 2020 The Apollo Hotel, Basingstoke
Diabetes UK South East are organising a Living With Diabetes Day which will focus on Health & Wellbeing and is aimed at people living with type 2 diabetes.
If you want to attend this event registration is now open and you can register here or Tel 01372 720146.
The event will include formal teaching and workshops with Dieticians, Psychologist, Podiatrist and Diabetes Specialist Nurses.
Please see the attached flyer for further details. However please be aware that with the current situation this date may change.
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Requests for help with Research by Diabetes UK
Diabetes research can’t happen without the help of people living with diabetes. You can play a vital role by taking part in a research study or trial, to find more details of how you can take part have a look at the Diabetes UK website - https://www.diabetes.org.uk/research/take-part-in-research
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Requests for help with Research locally
(Note: whilst we are prepared to forward such requests, we make clear that Diabetes UK, nor the local Basingstoke Support Group are affiliated to or endorse the requests. It is up to individuals to decide whether they wish to participate or follow this through).
A team at Southampton University undertaking a research study on long term conditions is looking for volunteers to complete questionnaires. Details can be found in the attached flier.
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Ready for a summer challenge?
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From 1 July, step towards a healthier you with our One Million Step Challenge. Push yourself to take at least 10,000 steps a day for three months and discover where one million steps can take you. You get sponsored for every step. We transform lives. Together we end the harm caused by diabetes. Because every step counts.
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Diabetes UK Newsletter
If you are not already signed up we recommend subscribing to the Diabetes UK Newsletter so you do not miss out on valuable information. You can do that here.
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Alan Nabarro Medal
by Mark Straw
On 23rd January I had an unexpected but most welcome delivery in the post.
The Alan Nabarro medal, awarded to people with Diabetes who have lived with the condition for 50 years.
Looking back at those 50 years I can’t honestly complain that living with Diabetes has been a huge disaster. I had a successful career working for Lloyds Bank and have competed at the top level (World and European Championships) at Masters swimming. I have also enjoyed many other sports from Windsurfing, Badminton, Triathlon and Cycling. Yes I’ve had to adapt at these sports, but Diabetes has never stopped me enjoying them.
Changes in those 50 years
I was first diagnosed after a horrible Christmas in 1969 when I didn’t eat much of my dinner, not even the Christmas Pudding, which those who know me is most unusual. Rushed into Farnham Hospital soon after. I remember the consultant telling me I had Type 1 Diabetes and that I would never again be able to eat sweets or chocolates. I remember bursting into tears. Not the news you want to hear as an active 11 year old boy. Bedside manner? What bedside manner!
Starting with one injection a day and basic urine tests, (no finger pricking in those days) no medical intervention just an annual visit to my GP. I know 50 years ago is a long time but I managed ok. I started swimming competitively – swim meets every week and training 3 times a week. I can’t remember having any issues, I just got on with it! I was also lucky to have a great Mum and Dad who backed me to the hilt in positivity and said Diabetes would not stop me doing anything.
The next big change came in 1982 when I got married and moved to Basingstoke. I then attended my first Diabetes Clinic and my consultant was Dr Walker who was brilliant, moving me from what had become 2 injections a day to an early version of the Insulin pen for Bolus injections of 3 a day plus a Basal injection of Lantus last thing at night. Thanks to Dr Walker my Diabetes control improved dramatically.
One thing I did find with having Diabetes was how lonely it can be. I was the only pupil at Secondary School with Type 1 Diabetes. It was only when I moved to the Grammar School to take my A levels that I met another Type 1 of my own age. Oh how I wish that they had had a young Diabetes group then. Luckily I kept a positive attitude and survived and prospered.
October 2007 I got diagnosed with Coeliac Disease a related auto immune disease. Whilst I was doing some swimming competitions, they were fairly low key. My coach at the time, persuaded me to train harder to qualify and enter the World Masters Championship to be held in Perth Western Australia held in April 2008.
Well, after a winter of hard training in the pool, land training and the dreaded bike turbo trainer, I qualified and flew out with my wife Deb to be joined later by my new coach Jim Dobinson of Bracknell. It was a great event and I swam the best and fastest I had ever swum as a “master”. Jim showed me the ropes, what to do and when, and I was one of the only swimmers to have my coach in the training, warm up and warm down pool. The Brazilian who swam over me, going the wrong way around in the lane didn’t know what hit him when Jim told him in no uncertain terms which way he should swim!
The next huge step for me was in 2018 when I moved from Insulin pen to Insulin pump plus a CGM, (continuous glucose monitor). Whilst it’s never going to be as good as a Pancreas that works, to my mind it’s the next best thing.
For competition swimming it’s fantastic. For training, cycling, dog walking and badminton I can reduce my basal down to 5% of my normal hourly rate. The reverse happens when I compete because the adrenalin kicks in and my blood sugars go through the roof. However, I can increase my basal by up to 200%. Seems to work.
At the Europeans in Slovenia in Sept 2018 I did a perfect swim in the 3km open water swim in Lake Bled. Blood sugars 6.5 and a quick swig of glucose drink just before I jumped in to start. A great race, battling with 50 other 60 year olds from all over Europe and I finished 7th just touching out a Russian! Blood sugars were 5.3 – a bit low some would say but just right for me.
To conclude, what I would say is that what has been vital and terrific over the 50 years is the fantastic care I have received from the teams working to help Diabetics within the NHS.
I’ve included a little article below about the life of Alan Nabarro who was such an inspiring individual.
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How Insulin saved the life of Alan Nabarro
by Mark Straw
I’ve discovered what a remarkable man Alan Nabarro was. Before the discovery of insulin in 1922, a diagnosis of type-1 diabetes was a death sentence. Alan Nabarro (1914-1977) was one of the first people in the UK whose life was saved by the new treatment.
Alan’s family was told he had diabetes in 1921 when he was 7 years old, at a time when most children did not live longer than a year after diagnosis. For any family this would have been devastating news, but luckily for Alan, his uncle was a pathologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital and was aware of a glimmer of hope. David Nabarro (1874-1958) had heard of potentially revolutionary research involving the hormone insulin, being conducted by Frederick Banting (1891-1941) and Charles Best (1899-1978) from the University of Toronto, Canada, with colleagues in Santa Barbara, California. David began telegramming the researchers, and as Alan’s condition worsened, his requests for insulin became increasingly desperate. Frustratingly, David was told that insulin was not yet ready for distribution. Alan’s family then turned to a Dr Devos, a diabetes specialist in Brussels. Dr Devos flew to London to see Alan and another diabetic boy, Neville Janion. Dr Devos put Alan on a near-starvation diet of spinach and cream once a week, until finally in 1923 he was able to get regular insulin supplies.
Like all people with type-1 diabetes, Alan had to learn how to adapt his lifestyle for living with the condition. From an early age he took an active interest in managing his own condition, including regulating his sugar intake. A major impact on Alan’s life was the need to inject himself with insulin twice every day. One of his letters describes a frightening incident that occurred when Alan was 11, and was verbally abused by a stranger in a restaurant toilet while injecting himself with insulin. Alan told his consultant, Geoffrey Harrison, about this, and Dr Harrison gave Alan a certificate to carry with him at all times to explain his condition and his requirement for insulin treatment. In some ways, this was a personalised precursor to the insulin passports, developed by NHS Diabetes, that some patients carry in case of emergency. These cards include details of the patient’s treatment and are intended to inform people of what to do if they are found ill or unconscious.
When he was 21, Alan joined the British Diabetic Association (now Diabetes UK), and spent the rest of his life promoting awareness of diabetes, writing articles and speaking at conferences around the world. We owe our ability to get various forms of Insurance including Life and Travel Insurance to Alan. In the early days as a Diabetic you were considered too much of a RISK.
He remained friends with Dr Harrison throughout his life, and his campaigning work led to his forming friendships with several prominent figures, including Charley Best, one of the original discoverers of insulin.
By the 1970s, Alan was one of the longest living people with diabetes up to that time. After his death, the British Diabetic Association decided to honour his memory with the inauguration of the Alan Nabarro Medal, which is still awarded today to people who have lived with diabetes for 50 years or more.
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... to everyone who led talks, attended an event, provided the venue and our Group's Committee who made it all happen!
If you have any suggestions for events you would like to see or if you would like to get involved we would love to here from you. Please contact us here.
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