Profiles

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Interview 37

When younger her diabetes was poorly control. She was put on an insulin pump for a year and a half. But she did not like having an insulin pump because for her it was a constant reminder that she has diabetes. Doctors decided to change her insulin regimen and she was put back on two insulin injections a day. Since then her control has improved and she attributes it to maturity and to an acceptance of her diabetes. For the last three and a half years she has been using Mixtard 70/30. Doctors have suggested changing to four injections a day but she is not sure about it.

  • Background

    She is a full-time student studying for her Highers exams. Her family includes her parents, a twin brother and two older sisters. She thought about being a primary school teacher...

  • Age at interview 16
  • Sex/Gender Female
  • Interview 38

    He uses two types of insulin' Humalog and Lantus. Humalog is a short acting one that he injects just before each meal and it peaks after about fifteen or twenty minutes. Lantus is the long-acting or background insulin that he injects once a day before bedtime. Before Lantus he used to use Humulin I and it was changed because doctors thought it would suit him better. Lantus has improved his overall control and he doesn't experience low blood sugar levels in the mornings as he did before. To him the only problem with Lantus is the disposable pens which he thinks are rubbish!

  • Background

    He finished secondary school last year and plans to go to university to study mathematics in September. At present he is working and lives at home with his parents and...

  • Age at interview 18
  • Sex/Gender Male
  • Interview 12

    Insulin injections turned out to be less of a problem than he originally anticipated. He does not mind injecting at all. He is on Lantus and NovoRapid and says that he likes the flexibility of his new insulin regime. Says that the secret is to be patient, to learn how to control diabetes and then to live life normally. The information given by doctors, nurses and dieticians has really helped him to maintain good diabetes control.

  • Background

    Lives with mother and siblings. Works full-time in the retailing industry. He walks to work.

  • Age at interview 19
  • Sex/Gender Male
  • Interview 02

    When first diagnosed he was on Mixtard insulin twice daily and the long acting insulin Lantus. Now he has changed to Novorapid three times daily and Levemir. He has well control diabetes and his last HbA1c test result was 7.7. Recently he has had a series of hypos all happening in the morning that he attributes to the end of school and being more active during the day. In general, his experiences of hypos have mostly been isolated events. His diet hasn't changed much since diagnosis but he eats at regular set times. When first diagnosed he found it difficult to start doing his insulin injections. It took him several weeks before he was confident enough to do the injections himself.

  • Background

    Lives with parents and two sisters. He is a full time student and is preparing his GCSE’s exams. At university he wants to study medicine.

  • Age at interview 16
  • Sex/Gender Male
  • Interview 03

    There is a thirty to forty per-cent chance that an identical twin will develop type 1 diabetes. Both brothers were diagnosed within 3 months of each other in 1996. The first to be diagnosed did experience symptoms but the other twin found out he had type 1 diabetes following urine & blood tests. Their great-grandmother had type 1 diabetes. Insulin regime' rapid-acting analogue (Humalog) using prefilled pen three times a day and long-acting analogue (Lantus) in the evening. Now they are attending the young persons diabetes clinic & are seen by the consultant on a one-to-one basis rather than together as they were when children. Both brothers appreciate their individual consultations.

  • Background

    Identical twin brothers. First year university students, when at home live with mother & stepfather. In 2004 they both completed a World Challenge project spending one month in Kyrgyzstan. Both...

  • Age at interview 18
  • Sex/Gender Male
  • Interview 04

    Diagnosed in August 2005. Her insulin regime consists of three injections of NovoRapid before each meal and in the evening before bed is Insulatart. She uses cartridges with pen injectors. The fact that she was diagnosed with having diabetes still upset her but says that everybody; her mother, friends, GP and the care team at the hospital have all been very supportive.

  • Background

    This is her first year at university and she is studying media and communication. She will be living in student accommodation during the week and at home with her Mum...

  • Age at interview 18
  • Sex/Gender Female
  • Interview 11

    She has lived with diabetes most of her life and has been on different insulin types such as NovoRapid and Insulatard. When she was on two insulin injections a day she had a fixed mealtime routine and had to have snacks in between meals. She stopped having her snacks because she thought she was eating too much. Currently, she is on Lantus and Humalog.

  • Background

    University student; has a boyfriend; living in shared student accommodation with three other friends.

  • Age at interview 20
  • Sex/Gender Female
  • Interview 22

    Since diagnosis he has always done his own injections. For several years he injected insulin twice a day at breakfast and with his evening meal. At the age of sixteen his diabetes care team suggested he change to the Basal Bolus Scheme. He was reluctant to change at first because it would involve injecting at lunchtime and at school. In retrospect says that it wasn't much of a problem and that the new regimen is better because it is flexible and offers much independence.

  • Background

    Full time student; lives with parents. He is a keen sports person and plans to do medicine at university.

  • Age at interview 17
  • Sex/Gender Male
  • Interview 05

    She takes Humalog mix 25 twice a day. She finds injections a pain and does not want to change her insulin regime. Prior to Humalog mix 25 she was on another type of insulin call Human Mixtard 30-70 where she was required to have snacks in between meals. She finds her present insulin regime much easier to manage.

  • Background

    She just finished an IT course. Lives with her mother. Her diabetes was diagnosed around Christmas time when she was constantly drinking water and also started vomiting. Ethnicity: African-British

  • Age at interview 19
  • Sex/Gender Female
  • Interview 06

    Her current regime consists of analogue long-acting insulin; Lantus in the mornings and short-acting insulin injections of NovoRapid three times a day at mealtimes. Says that she is fine with taking her insulin but, as a teenager, she did mind the blood sugar tests and seldom did them. She has developed diabetes-related complications and says that these were a 'wake up' call to take control of her diabetes.

  • Background

    She lives at home with her parents and siblings. She is studying to be a nurse care assistant. She has a lot of experience with managing diabetes while travelling/living abroad.

  • Age at interview 20
  • Sex/Gender Female