Us old Type 1

[Satan’s little helper]

I am much older than any HCP's I ever see. Not that I have much contact. Always better not to is my opinion.

I can appreciate why you would (or anyone.) feel disenfranchised.
I only go these days to keep on the box ticking side with DVLA. & the comedy value Tony Hancock sketch “pat on the head.” 😉
Best wishes.

 

[Robin]

What I’ve noticed the last few years with many HCPs (even non diabetes related contact.) As I surpass the average age of these professionals myself. Is a form of ageism.

What really annoys me is when they raise their voice and speak slowly, like they expect me to be deaf. I haven’t plucked up the courage to tell them they’re speaking very loudly and are they a bit deaf? yet. One day I'll crack.

 

[Satan’s little helper]

What really annoys me is when they raise their voice and speak slowly, like they expect me to be deaf. I haven’t plucked up the courage to tell them they’re speaking very loudly and are they a bit deaf? yet. One day I'll crack.

I suppose it is a hamfisted attempt at inclusivity. But patient confidentiality flies out the window if unwarranted.
I remarked to a chemist once who bellowed my prescription in a packed shop responding to my request. “Good job I wasn’t here for anything of a personal nature.”

 

[Pumper_Sue]

I was told recently to increase my HbA1c as I am now considered elderly - I am 66.
I can't find any relevant information regarding this. Has anyone else been advised to do this?
I also can't find any reason for doing this. I was told, rather coyly I felt, that I might fall down the stairs whilst having a hypo at night.

Move into a bungalow, no worries then 🙂

 

[JonathanGi]

We so nearly did when we downsized! I am very impressed that you have been Type 1 for one more year than me.

 

[Pumper_Sue]

We so nearly did when we downsized! I am very impressed that you have been Type 1 for one more year than me.

I need to change the 58 to 59 🙂

 

[JonathanGi]

Even better. Hope you are still fit and well (I am!). Addison's is another strange condition!

 

[Pumper_Sue]

Even better. Hope you are still fit and well (I am!). Addison's is another strange condition!

Diabetes is fine, my biggest bugbear is MS which is a pain in the butt as have had to make lifestyle changes.
As they say though worse things happen at sea 🙂

 

[JonathanGi]

I think I have been lucky, as apart from cancer diagnosis and treatment, I've had nothing else. I am, almost certainly, fitter than most of my contemporaries. Odd though, when I see old friends we always talk of our various ailments.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I found this in The Lancet @JonathanGi . My bold:

For older adults, a time in range (3·9–10·0 mmol/L)] target of more than 50% and a time below range (·9 mmol/L) target of less than 1% are recommended.
5 To date, these recommendations are the sole guidance for CGM targets pertaining to older adults.

I think @Eddy Edson has posted some stuff about HbA1c levels generally rising slightly in older people who don’t have diabetes - so it sort of makes sense not to ‘force’ people to push hard for lower HbA1cs in later years.

However, like others I suspect that most of the reasoning behind that revolves around hypoglycaemia risk - which is much easier to monitor directly these days with Time In Range and sensor use. Important to remember that hypoglycaemia can also increase risk of cardiac arrythmia as well as falls. Though that doesn’t sound like it particularly applies to you @JonathanGi

 

[PattiEvans]

I’m not saying that you give up on it all, just that you don’t need as tight control at 66 or your nearly 74 because you only have 10-20 years left, so if your a1c is slightly higher than younger people’s but you have less hypos then that’s good. The risk of doing yourself serious damage if you fall whilst hypo

I know you weren't being ageist, and were just presenting the statistics @Lucyr, but reading that the average age of death is 80 in black and white when you're a month short of your 78th birthday comes as a nasty shock! Gobsmacking as I still think I am somewhere in my 30s. Still, anything might happen, Dad passed away at 57 but mum was 88 and comes from a long line of long lived ladies.

However, these days how much does Hba1c matter when we can see what's really going on. I've had no hypos for well over 90 days (due to low alarms alerting me before I get there) and average in the 80s for TIR.

Fortunately apart from minor niggles in the health department there's no reason to think I'm going to pop off anytime soon. Looking forward to lots of travel and fun.

 

[JonathanGi]

And some of us elderly folk ran a 1.59.1 Cambridge half marathon today.

 

[PhoebeC]

And some of us elderly folk ran a 1.59.1 Cambridge half marathon today.

Wow!

 

[JonathanGi]

Nowadays there are plenty of no sugar drinks available but does anyone remember 'Chekwate'? It was a sugar free cordial. Tasted awful.

 

[nonethewiser]

Nowadays there are plenty of no sugar drinks available but does anyone remember 'Chekwate'? It was a sugar free cordial. Tasted awful.

Passed me by that one, only remember Tab & One Cal.

 

[JonathanGi]

When I was diagnosed on Friday 13th January, 1967 I spent 2 weeks in hospital. I was not allowed many visitors. I cried a couple of times and was swiftly told not to do so as the other child in my room was haemophiliac and spent a lot of time in hospital and wasn't crying. Tough in those days! I also remember how much better I felt once I'd had some insulin and recovered from the Coxsackie chest infection. I can recall how I described how I felt when I went hypo - I said I feel funny. A phrase I used for many years afterwards. I also refused to inject an orange saying I would rather inject myself - which I did.