Interview 37

Age at Interview: 16

Sex: Female

Age at Diagnosis: 5

Background: She is a full-time student studying for her Highers exams. Her family includes her parents, a twin brother and two older sisters. She thought about being a primary school teacher but she isn't that sure now.

Brief outline:When younger her diabetes was poorly control. She was put on an insulin pump for a year and a half. But she did not like having an insulin pump because for her it was a constant reminder that she has diabetes. Doctors decided to change her insulin regimen and she was put back on two insulin injections a day. Since then her control has improved and she attributes it to maturity and to an acceptance of her diabetes. For the last three and a half years she has been using Mixtard 70/30. Doctors have suggested changing to four injections a day but she is not sure about it.

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I've never been, is it hyperglycaemic?

Yes.

Yes, I've never been like admitted or anything. But I used to, I used to throw up sometimes. But that's not been for like years and years I've got that high. But I just, I can't really think, I c-, it's really hard to explain how you feel when you're high. It's like I get headaches, and I get really really thirsty, go to the toilet more regularly, and just those sort of signs that sort of kick it in. There is a feeling that, I, it's, I couldn't even start to explain how it is. It's like you feel sick but you're okay. It's like you're not ill but you feel sick. But my skin colour goes a weird sort of colour as well when it happens. I seem to go a bit greeny, sort of pale.

When you say there's this feeling, I mean is it a sort of feeling in, you know, in the main part of your body? Or is it a sort of taste in your mouth?

Yes. I, well, my, my breath goes not very nice I don't think, or so I've heard. But, yes, it's sort, I don't, I just sort, it's sort of, yes, it's around sort of my stomach sort of area. It tends to, I don't know, all just, I don't know what it does, but it doesn't, it just feels horrible. I don't like being high.