Diabetic story line in The Casual Vacancy

[robert@fm]

One of the characters in J K Rowling's novel The Casual Vacancy is type 2 diabetic. Though strangely she seems to have become insulin-dependent almost immediately on diagnosis, instead of after some years as is usually the case for T2s.

(Maybe the drug is not insulin but one of the other two which is taken by injection; it's described as coming in "pre-filled syringes" instead of pens or vials, and I'm presuming that JKR is probably accurate in her details as her husband is a GP. Do either of those two need to be refrigerated?)

Be interesting to see how this sub-plot resolves.

 

[Caroline]

Think I'll have to read the book, it is her first adult book. Perhaps I'll get on better with it than I did with Harry Potter.

 

[mcdonagh47]

One of the characters in J K Rowling's novel The Casual Vacancy is type 2 diabetic. Though strangely she seems to have become insulin-dependent almost immediately on diagnosis, instead of after some years as is usually the case for T2s.

(Maybe the drug is not insulin but one of the other two which is taken by injection; it's described as coming in "pre-filled syringes" instead of pens or vials, and I'm presuming that JKR is probably accurate in her details as her husband is a GP. Do either of those two need to be refrigerated?)

Be interesting to see how this sub-plot resolves.

hmm....if it is introduced early and established as a factor in the story it might well become a murder weapon ... We know from Quincy episodes that insulin can be used as a murder weapon.

BTW : everyone is "insulin-dependent", even non-diabetics 😉

 

[trophywench]

Byetta has to be kept fridged until you take it out, then it has 30 days - the same as insulin.

 

[PattiEvans]

Byetta has to be kept fridged until you take it out, then it has 30 days - the same as insulin.

I've just read a Karin Slaughter book where one of the main characters has diabetes - sounds like gestational D, but it's never really explained why she's on insulin 4 months after the birth or the type of D and there are a number of errors in that too. The character keeps her insulin in the fridge. One would think that authors of that stature wouldn't find it very hard to get the facts right.

 

[ukjohn]

One of the characters in J K Rowling's novel The Casual Vacancy is type 2 diabetic. Though strangely she seems to have become insulin-dependent almost immediately on diagnosis, instead of after some years as is usually the case for T2s.QUOTE]


Sorry Robert, your assumption there about type 2 only becoming insulin dependent after some years is incorrect. After being blue lighted to hopital direct from doctors surgery, I was diagnosed type 2 and was put on insulin from day one, and have been on MDI, from that day.

John.

 

[Emmaathome]

I was on insulin within 3 months too. Although my cousin in law (a DSN) was shocked how quickly they had put me on insulin - so i guess it usually does take longer.... 😉