Kay – Interview 32
Diagnosed 4 years ago. Kay took metformin for 2 years and now takes insulin.
Kay was diagnosed with diabetes when she was 30. Diabetes runs in her family – her grandmother and sister have the condition. As well as coping with diabetes, she also has had depression for many years. She doesn’t take any antidepressants at the moment.
After getting her diabetes diagnosis she was prescribed metformin and glicazide, but found it difficult to control her diabetes and blood glucose levels. Since 2006 she has been taking insulin twice a day which she feels she manages quite well though she feels it has made her put on a lot of weight. She would like to know why insulin has this effect. She also wonders why she can’t get information about diabetes on DVD.
Kay has always had problems with her weight since she was young and has tried lots of special diets. Her weight problem is caused not by eating too much or too often, but to her love of fizzy drinks – Diet Coke in particular. She feels very aware of her weight and finds it difficult to swim in her local pool. She says that people can be quite unkind to her and she wishes there was a special swimming time for ‘big people’. When she’s on holiday she feels less self-conscious and enjoys swimming. She doesn’t work at the moment because of depression, though she feels she is kept quite busy by her family.