Liban has had Type 2 diabetes for over 20 years. He manages his condition with twice daily tablets, insulin injections, diet and regular exercise. Liban also takes regular medication for high blood pressure, an underactive thyroid and to lower his cholesterol.

Ever since he came to the UK fifteen years ago, Liban has been attending six-monthly check-ups with the doctor and diabetes nurse at his GP surgery. About a year ago, Liban’s GP informed him that his kidney function had plummeted, due to medication he had been taking for his diabetes. He has since changed his diabetes medication. In the past, during his visits to Somalia, Liban had consulted private doctors who had warned him that some of his medications might be causing kidney damage. However, when he queried this with his GP in the UK he was assured that there was no problem with what he was taking.

Liban thinks it’s very wrong that the health professionals involved in his care did not act more quickly as he had been having regular check-ups and thinks they should have spotted the problem earlier. He wonders why, since they could see his blood test results on the computer screen during his appointments, he was never told that his readings had declined. However, he thinks there is no point bearing grudges and it’s best to leave the past in the past. He now tries to help his kidneys and general health as much as he can by leading a healthy lifestyle: he does not smoke or drink alcohol, eats plenty of fruit and vegetables and takes regular exercise on a small exercise bike which he keeps in his living room. He also has developed a routine of drinking tea and water at set times during the day to make sure he keeps well-hydrated.

Liban picked up a most of his information about how to manage his diabetes when he was first diagnosed whilst living in Denmark. He thinks there was a lot of useful health advice on television over there. In the UK, he has found it difficult, and at times confusing, to get health advice from doctors and nurses. For example, he was told to rest and relax to bring down his blood pressure, but to take lots of exercise to manage his diabetes. He does not currently use the internet to obtain health information.

For several months after his kidney damage was diagnosed, Liban also had to attend check-ups at the renal clinic of the general hospital. Since this involved mainly blood tests, he wonders why things could not have been made more convenient for him and for blood samples to be taken at his local surgery and sent to the hospital, instead of him having to travel there. He does not feel that attending the check-ups is particularly informative, but thinks that diabetes and high blood pressure are conditions that require people to help themselves rather than rely on the support of health professionals.

Having lived with diabetes for a long time, Liban feels confident about looking after himself. He always keeps dextrose tablets in his pocket in case his sugar levels should suddenly drop.