Alcohol and my Diabetes - complications and support.

Jayne Robbie, Senior Lecturer in Diabetes Care, Specialist Podiatrist talks about the process of doing a foot check for her patients with Diabetes. She talks about a visual check of a number of factors. She stresses how it's important to compare to what is normal for your feet personally. She also talks about checking shoe fitting. Jayne also asks people what sorts of treatments they are doing for themselves and check those for safety. She also talks about cultural issues in peoples health beliefs and explains what is safe and what may not be. Then she goes on to physical checks and explain tests which are done as well as asking you about the feeling in the feet.

Richard talks about a very difficult year that he's had with very deep heel ulcers on both feet. He talks about the struggle he's had and the pro-active role and responsibility he feels has helped him through to recovery.

Daniel talks about screening tests for people with Diabetes. He describes them as 'check points' in his life to see how he is doing. Daniel talks about these tests giving him comfort in that picking up problems earlier allows him to be able to deal with things earlier and avoid problems. He ends by saying he's welcoming of them.

Steve talks about how he feels about Type 1 Diabetes. He explains that if he was asked to change one thing about his life then it would not necessarily be his Diabetes. He also talks about how his perspective changed as he's progressed through life. His strategy is to take each day as it comes and plan to work towards his long term goals - which is to keep his blood sugars in range and avoid long term problems with Diabetes. He also talks about how there are days when he doest meet his blood sugar targets and hasn't figured out why - but that's part of life and should not take away from your long term path.

Chris talks movingly about Stigma he has experienced around having Type 1 Diabtes as a young person and later. He tells a story from school where the schools arrangements for him to get his lunch first in the school hall led to painful comments from his class fellows. He also talks about more recent disapproving comments or impressions from people if he's seen to be drinking a can of Coke when his blood sugar is low. Chris explains that knowledge and awareness will improve these situations and draws parallels with his experiences of his parents moving from Wales into London and being 'other' to the norm.

Steve talks about stigma. He explains how he's not experienced it himself. He says that this might be as he's always explained his condition and what it means to him. He's been pleased with how people respond when he does explain the issues related to Diabetes.