Unfortunately no donor, but he'd been feeling rough (understandably) for
a while, so he hadn't been posting a lot.

He was actually quite positive recently, after a change of centre for
dialysis, unfortunately, he lived alone.

Thanks for the replies.

John.

----------

Oh no, that's awful news.  Poor Sid.  I just don't know what to say........

Sending you all the love and support in the world - things like that are devestating......

Jackie T

Would it be okay to leave his page up on the website, but let everyone know what has happened?
I think he still needs his place on the site as he was a big part of our group for a while.
Just out of respect.

Jackie T

Sorry to hear the news John. My condolences to you and the rest of Sid's
family

Fred

Beav said this...

Beav

As much as I bat for the whole team it's what people like Sid have to go
through which gives me the total mindfuck.

He has told us at length about his battles to even get decent insulin.

I still have that sh.t thought at the back of my mind....if he was on
beef would he still be with us........? Or even Lantus?

One day we will all meet up and laugh at this all. Until then I still
feel shitty about this....

Ratty

Just started lurking again after a few months off - terribly sorry to
read about Sid. Condolences to all the family.

John Williamson said this...

Thanks for letting us know John.

We actually DO care about what happened with Sid in these parts, and
consider it all a dreadful waste. If there is any tiny bit of good that
might come from posting the circumstances, then it's not a problem as it
may be a pointer to someone who finds themselves in a similar situation.

A jogged memory is a much better tool than not having a clue after all.

Ratty

Hi John, Sid wrote to me quite a few times after I was diagnosed type
one at age 51 in April this year.  I'm not very good at this however you
have my condolences.  He was a good man and very helpful.  I for one
will miss him.  I've copied below, his post to me just after I was
diagnosed.  You will see it's very engaging, a mixture of experience and
advice.  I remember him saying that he was waiting for a kidney
transplant and that he was hoping to get a new pancreas at the time.
With love and best regards, Bob

It appears that at some unknown time, the fridge Mike stored his
insulin  had failed without him noticing. Most of the recent readings
on his meter  were off the scale, so it would appear that his insulin
had deteriorated in  the heat (30 plus in the shade). We know that he
had been for dialysis  within the couple of days before his death, and
my assumption is that he had  been increasing his night basal dose to
compensate for the weakened insulin he  had been using. As his BG
levels were so high he may have been confused, and  forgotten to
reduce the dose for the new insulin he seems to have collected  from
the hospital. If anybody wants to know more, mail me direct, & I'll
try to reply asap, but between work and the worm that's going round
lately,  it may take a while to reply.  Sid's Big Brother.  John

Hi Guys,   Not sure if you remember me, I posted last week (seems so
long ago) and had  high Bg levels (20's, 33+), you were very helpful,
as suggested I went to  Doctors last Friday.  Thought you might be
interested in what happened  next...

So... 10.30 Friday I take my printed BG levels and show doctor,
explaining  history.  She takes a look, tests my urine, find ketones
and is straight on the phone to the registrar at the local hospital
for them to see me.   So I present at A&E with a letter from her and
am taken thru for blood tests  (during which some sadist sticks a huge
valve thing in the vein on my hand).

Next thing, I'm in a cubicle on a bed with a (rather nice) doctor
checking  me out, eyes, etc.  I'm there for the whole day getting
poked, prodded,  injected and having a drip connected to my valve and
then (about 5pm) she  says I'll be admitted for the weekend (huh?  I
only came in for a test).   Next thing I'm in a ward with NKDA (maybe
MKDA) written on my chart, with a  saline drip and an insulin pump,
trying to get BG levels down.  People are pricking my fingers every
hour night and day (on the sensitive bits) and if  they manage to get
my BG level below 10, they change the saline for glucose (dextrose) to
put it up again.  It's called "sliding scale" as they change  the
insulin level with the BG level.  Still getting levels in the 20's
after  I eat.  So I'm stuck on this drip for 4 days or so when they
take it off and  give me a novorapid flexpen to inject myself. Ow !

Actually it wasn't so bad, very fine needle and I do have a bit of fat
to  inject into.  Saw lots of consultants, doctors, diabetic sisters
and  dietician.  Seems I'm type 1, the consultant (quite famous) said
don't  bother taking the metformin a doctor had given me.  I have to
use the  insulin apsart pen before each meal (3 times a day, 10, 8, 8
units (and I  can adjust the levels apparently) and the 10 units of
insulatard before bed.   Came out with lots of leaflets, pens,
needles, etc and am now back home  with new things to think about (for
the rest of my life).  I'm off to  diabetic clinic tomorrow and back
to GP Friday (so much has happened in one  week) for prescriptions.

So that's it so far, you were all right about my levels.  many THANKS
to all  who helped and cared.

Question: on the flexpens, should I change the needle each time? They
didn't  give me too many needles.

I think this newsgroup is going to become part of my life.

Thanks, Bob

-New type 1, DX 4/4/3, Novorapid and insulatard

On 9 Apr 2003 Sid wrote:

Hi Bob, It sounds as if you have done the appropriate thing, things
will improve from here.

Type one diagnosis at your age is very unusual, that may be why you
doctor prescribed metformin. I suppose it is difficult to decide which
type you are, but type 1 is typically less than 40 at diagnosis, type
2 above 40 typically, these figures are changing though

That first admission for a type 1 is quite something isn't it, kind of
sudden not very easy to plan. I was diagnosed 27 years ago, I actually
rode a bicycle to the GP, then to the clinic in the hospital from the
doctor, the specialist almost instantly told me "type 1 insulin
dependant, you will be admitted from here, don't go home", It was a
bit of a nuisance.

In those days, blood tests where not as easy, so not done so often,
and no such thing as sliding scale, it was a fixed dose for 1 day, 3 x
soluble insulin for a few days, the release, and after a while, mixing
a long acting with the fast acting an going to 2 injections per day.
No testing blood at home, and even in the clinic they tested only
urine an my clinic so control was not very good. That only changed in
the very late '70's.

Your experience should be better as you are testing regularly and it
sounds as if your doctor at the clinic will listen, I expect your
doses will change for a while until you get into the really good
control situation.

On the pen, the needle will do a few injections, change it as it
starts to be uncomfortable, every couple of days may be the best, but
the choice has to be yours. You need to get a prescription, ask for
quite a few on the first prescription then maintain a little stock
when you know how many you use, the instructions with the pen say
change every time, but that is a bit of a nuisance and not necessary.
Also now you are diagnosed prescriptions are free, you have to fill in
some forms, I am sure the UK people here will let you know about the
forms, I can't because I don't live in UK.

Because the Insulartard is in a 10ml container you have syringes, they
can be used in the morning an evening if stored in the fridge between
uses, but if you are only taking 1 dose per day it is better to use a
new syringe each time.

A little tip here in case no one told you, before drawing the insulin,
first move the plunger to the dose that you wish to draw, then inject
that air into the phial. then draw the insulin, it will make it easier
as the phial empties.

Watch out for hypo's the first one will take you by surprise, carry
something to fix it such as glucose tablets or sugar (possibly cubes)
or hypostop that your chemist may stock, coke or lemonade (not the
diet type) also works quickly. Even tea or coffee with a lot of sugar
will help. The clinic should set some targets for you, but at first
these may be high, the others here in the group have very tight
targets, and this assists in preventing complications, you need to put
sensible targets in place and change doses an diet to achieve these,
it is also a bad thing to be too low, that reduces sensitivity to
hypo.

Best of luck, and keep asking questions even if it appears silly
or stupid, you must learn to control the beast.

Regards, Sid. mwillia at mweb dot co dot za