Diabetes in the 1970's.............

[Catwoman76]

in a book I'm reading called Call the Ambulance! It's a true account of an Ambulance driver. The ambulance was called to a house because a man was acting strangely. He was on his bed 'looking for something' and was getting annoyed because he couldn't find 'it' and was still searching. He was a bit garbled and his wife didn't know why he was acting this way. After a while the wife did say he had hurt his head and was released from hospital, fit and well and sent home. As the ambulance driver watched the man he said' Funny, isn't it? If we didn't know better, we'd have thought he was a diabeteic, wouldn't we? he was acting just like one'

It was an idle comment at which I only expected Jack( the other colleague) to grunt. The patients wife, sitting quietly behind me, responded by saying ' he is a diabetic, actually'. I turned and looked at her. ' You told us he didn't have any medical problems! you told us-

she interrupted. 'He doesn't have any medical problems, unless you count diabetes. 'and that's not really medical, is it?

The driver didn't bother answering that. ' He said, I asked you if he was on any medications- he was then cut of again. The wife said, 'You asked me if he took any pills. Well he doesn't, he only has injections!

All was clear then. And the patient?

Minutes after receiving a syringe of glucose he wa sitting up and asking how long he had to wait for an ambulance home.

What an eye opener😱 I wonder what medical conditions were classed as serious/chronic in those days? I was diagnosed only 12 years later . Sheena

The author joined Birminghams Metropolitian Ambulance Service in 1977. He is the holder of the Queen's medal for long and Exemplary Service.

 

[Northerner]

Well, if diabetes is not 'really medical', I don't know what is! Although I have to admit I often forget that my insulin is classed as medication when asked if I'm on anything - I usually just mention the blood pressure pills!

Things have come an awful long way since the 1970s - I'd highly recommend reading Taking the Medicine to anyone interested in how recent medical knowledge actually is, much of it starting in the 1970s! 🙂

 

[Ellie Jones]

My brother is a retired paramedic (he was actually on the first team they trained up for the trial to see if it was worth doing) and should hear some of the tales he's tales...

When I told him that I'd been diagnosed with diabetes, he shook his head, groaned and said I hate diabetes I'd rather have a drunk in the back of the ambulance than a diabetic

One of the paramedic back along was telling me about a local incident that happen must be around 15 or so years ago...

At the time a new supermarket with petrol station was almost complete and due to open within days... The petrol station was having the final bits sorted, alas one of the fitters happened to be diabetic who went into a hypo and caused total mayhem... Apparently it took 3 ambulance crews, 6 police cars (8 police officers) to get cuffs on him to be able to treat him, he went ballistic smashed the shop meaning that the petrol station couldn't open for another week oppps..

 

[Catwoman76]

My brother is a retired paramedic (he was actually on the first team they trained up for the trial to see if it was worth doing) and should hear some of the tales he's tales...

When I told him that I'd been diagnosed with diabetes, he shook his head, groaned and said I hate diabetes I'd rather have a drunk in the back of the ambulance than a diabetic

One of the paramedic back along was telling me about a local incident that happen must be around 15 or so years ago...

At the time a new supermarket with petrol station was almost complete and due to open within days... The petrol station was having the final bits sorted, alas one of the fitters happened to be diabetic who went into a hypo and caused total mayhem... Apparently it took 3 ambulance crews, 6 police cars (8 police officers) to get cuffs on him to be able to treat him, he went ballistic smashed the shop meaning that the petrol station couldn't open for another week oppps..

I'm only on chapter 4, so a lot more interesting things still to read 🙂

 

[Ellie Jones]

I wonder if the book is on kindle, I've still got some money left from the gift voucher one of my daughters gave me on mothers day

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Back in them days, it was a case of oh diabetic so what just avoid sugar and get on with life.
We never had multi injections of insulin or home blood tests to worry about.
As far as everyone was concerned it was a case of sticking to your diet and you would be ok.

 

[Caroline]

Much has changed since the 70's and our understanding has improved.

 

[Caroline]

Sent by my friend whose mum was a psychiatric nurse. It is off topic a bit but shows how times have changed. I've taken names and places out.






No love far from it, Mum also thought it cruel that there were women in a hospital put there by their families because they?d had a child without being married, that was mainly done up until the late ?30?s as the GP?s would agree with well off middle class parents that their daughters were sexual degenerates who needed to be kept away from ?polite? society, when Mum took me back to see the hospital in the early 80?s, it was still open as a mental hospital but very much reduced, mum saw one of the patients she?d cared for in the 50?s, mum said to me that woman was put in here in the ?20?s jsut because she had a baby, in all the years I worked here she never once had a visit from any of her family, as we walked past the woman said hello to us and had a chat, as we said good bye the woman looked at my mum and said you remind me of Nurse , I like her she?s still here you know, she looks after me, (it was mum she was talking about, mum hadn?t worked there for 23 years at this point) so mum said I?m Nurse this is my daughter, the woman looked at mum and said no, no I don?t think so dear, Nurse is just there by the door calling me in for my tablets, but it was nice talking to you goodbye, as she walked off towards the door she?d pointed to there was no one there, mum said to me poor woman she?s here so long now she can?t tell what?s real and what isn?t.

 

[AJLang]

I nearly died because of a doctor in the early 70s. We had no way of testing blood sugar but mum "knew" that my sugar was low - and had to stop the doctor from trying to give me an insulin injection. I wouldn't be alive now if my mum hadn't stopped him

 

[Flutterby]

I was diagnosed in 1977 and things were pretty grim. I nearly died because of the opposite to Amanda (above) I was in hospital and felt unwell. They said I must be hypo - I argued that I didn't think I was but I felt really ill. They made me drink milk with glucose powder stirred into it. I ended up in a room on my oIwn with a tube into my stomach and on a drip for several days. I thought I was going to die and I was only about 13 or so - horrible days!

 

[Catwoman76]

I was diagnosed in 1977 and things were pretty grim. I nearly died because of the opposite to Amanda (above) I was in hospital and felt unwell. They said I must be hypo - I argued that I didn't think I was but I felt really ill. They made me drink milk with glucose powder stirred into it. I ended up in a room on my oIwn with a tube into my stomach and on a drip for several days. I thought I was going to die and I was only about 13 or so - horrible days!

Amanda and Karen, those are 2 shocking stories 😱 it beggars belief. I know it used to be called Sugar Diabetes back then,( I remember an episode of Only Fools and Horses, Delboy said that Trigger ( I think it was Trigger) thought Sugar Diabetes was a boxer😱 I remember Sugar Ray Leonard. It seemed to be an inconveinience to all concerned and to avoid sugar at all costs and have an injection!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sheena

 

[Flutterby]

Yes we were told I had sugar diabetes! and hypo's were "reactions" we measured insulin in increments of 4 units and there was no finger pricking just "clinitest" urine tests! One day the meal on the children's ward was inedible so the nurses went off and got everyone lemon curd sandwiches - it took my mum's intervention and the common sense of a play leader to go down to the staff canteen and get me a salad and bread and butter!! It's a wonder any of us survived!! I can laugh now but it wasn't funny then.

 

[Lauren]

My goodness the attitude towards Diabetes back then was appalling 😱 I had no idea... it makes me extremely grateful for the consideration and improved healthcare we get today.

 

[Cate]

I was dx in 1984, and remember the references to "newfangled" (they really did say that ) blood testing and disposable syringes which I fortunately had from diagnosis because I was a child - most adults were still put on the syringes you had to boil between uses 😱