micksmixxx
New Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
I'm not sure whether I've registered on this site before, but just in case I haven't, my name is Mick.
I've been a Type 1 diabetic since 1980, and I live in the West Midlands.
I'm a married man with 2 adult sons, both in their 40s now, and both are married and live away from my home.
I receive my diabetes care from an excellent team at my local hospital Diabetes Centre, which is based at Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust; my clinic being based at Sandwell Hospital.
I'm very fortunate to have been chosen as the first recipient, in Sandwell, to have received an insulin pump (CSII, or Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion) on the NHS. (I also receive CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) on the NHS, too. This was arranged as I used to spend almost as much time in hospital as I was spending at home, and it has helped tremendously in that respect.)
I've been using Medtronic pumps since my first one, which was issued in 1989, after my endocrinologist was giving a talk to a Diabetes Consortium in the United States of America. After giving his talk, he walked around the demonstration areas where he met a former Miss America, who happens to be a Type 1 diabetic, who was demonstrating a Medtronic/MiniMed insulin pump. He asked questions about the pump that was being displayed, how it worked, what benefits the wearer had experienced, etc. and informed Ms. Nicole Baker, the former Miss America, and is now married and goes under the name of Mrs. Nicole Baker-Johnson, that he had a diabetic patient who might benefit from this technology, which happened to be me. (Ms. Baker-Johnson is an author, public health professional and remains an activist on behalf of diabetes sufferers.)
I've had 4 diabetes consultants overlooking my care over the years that I've been diagnosed, but my present one, the one who arranged for me to be issued with a pump, has proven the most valuable for me. He takes time to actually listen to what I'm saying and comes up with suggestions/remarks/guidance on what I need to do to improve matters. I really love the man. (I'm not saying that any of my previous diabetes consultants/endocrinologists have been poor. Far from it. It's just that my present one has always been there for me, and I feel that our conversations are two-way, rather than being 'spoken down' to.)
If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm really an 'open book', but do be prepared for my honest answers.
I've been a Type 1 diabetic since 1980, and I live in the West Midlands.
I'm a married man with 2 adult sons, both in their 40s now, and both are married and live away from my home.
I receive my diabetes care from an excellent team at my local hospital Diabetes Centre, which is based at Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS Trust; my clinic being based at Sandwell Hospital.
I'm very fortunate to have been chosen as the first recipient, in Sandwell, to have received an insulin pump (CSII, or Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion) on the NHS. (I also receive CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) on the NHS, too. This was arranged as I used to spend almost as much time in hospital as I was spending at home, and it has helped tremendously in that respect.)
I've been using Medtronic pumps since my first one, which was issued in 1989, after my endocrinologist was giving a talk to a Diabetes Consortium in the United States of America. After giving his talk, he walked around the demonstration areas where he met a former Miss America, who happens to be a Type 1 diabetic, who was demonstrating a Medtronic/MiniMed insulin pump. He asked questions about the pump that was being displayed, how it worked, what benefits the wearer had experienced, etc. and informed Ms. Nicole Baker, the former Miss America, and is now married and goes under the name of Mrs. Nicole Baker-Johnson, that he had a diabetic patient who might benefit from this technology, which happened to be me. (Ms. Baker-Johnson is an author, public health professional and remains an activist on behalf of diabetes sufferers.)
I've had 4 diabetes consultants overlooking my care over the years that I've been diagnosed, but my present one, the one who arranged for me to be issued with a pump, has proven the most valuable for me. He takes time to actually listen to what I'm saying and comes up with suggestions/remarks/guidance on what I need to do to improve matters. I really love the man. (I'm not saying that any of my previous diabetes consultants/endocrinologists have been poor. Far from it. It's just that my present one has always been there for me, and I feel that our conversations are two-way, rather than being 'spoken down' to.)
If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm really an 'open book', but do be prepared for my honest answers.
