KITLIVING
continued over
of that year that I went home to North
Staffordshire for a visit. I was booked in
to see a local GP the following day but
my mother decided that I had to go to
hospital immediately as soon as I turned
up at home. I weighed seven-and-a-half
stone and was more or less continually
drinking fizzy soft drinks because I
was thirsty but also because I needed
the energy. After diagnosis at the local
community hospital, my parents were
instructed to rush me to the main hospital
where I was put straight on a drip. By the
second day a nurse came along with an
insulin pen and asked if I wanted her to
do my first injection, or did I want to? I did
that first injection myself and off I went."
Like many who get a diagnosis,
Smith felt that at least it was an answer
and therefore also a relief. "My mum
remembered that I'd been tested for
diabetes as a child for some reason.
We have a couple of people with Type
2 diabetes within the broader family, but
no one with Type 1. At uni I was studying
physics, so it was useful to already be
good at maths. I left the hospital taking
two doses of insulin a day. I'd been
given no carb counting or other dietary
information."
Active life
This was back in 2001 but a short while
afterwards Smith went on to a basal/bolus
regime, injecting a long-acting insulin
twice a day and a short-acting insulin
with meals. He was still not given any
information on counting carbohydrates.
He says, "I left university in 2003 and
took on my first job, with which I travelled
a lot. It was with General Electric within
the finance department and, being part of
a graduate leadership program, I rotated
through jobs in Europe, the US, Asia and
South America, but always came back
to the UK for visits and annual health
reviews. I just got on with it and felt that
my control was pretty much okay. I used
to take supplies with me and stayed at
corporate apartments or hotels, so there
were people around me and appropriate
facilities in which to store insulin. I believe
that people with diabetes instinctively
learn about the impact of foods on our
control because of blood testing, plus I
had a maths background and ultimately
wasn't too bothered by having the
condition itself. It didn't majorly impact
my life and I felt better than when I'd been
ill. Once diagnosed, I never looked back.
It never stopped me from my social life,
career or with sports."
In 2008 Smith finally ended up in
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London within King's College Hospital's
catchment area. It was only then that it
was suggested that he did a DAFNE
course (Dose Adjustment for Normal
Eating). He says, "My control improved a
little but not massively. At this point I was
cycling to work from my home Clapham to
the office in Reigate, but doing little other
exercise. Due to taking part in a corporate
sports event I won a prize which gave me
a place in an Olympic distance triathlon
at Hyde Park. At which point I started
to do some serious training! This was
in 2011 and I spoke the team at Kings
and they took an interest. I was offered
an insulin pump trial using a tubed pump
with connected sensor. In the background
I continued having conversations with my
healthcare team."
Four-year Upgrade
As with many people with diabetes, using
diabetes technology is a gradual curve
upwards relating to need, accessibility and
preference. Smith felt that moving from
multiple daily injections to a pump was a