Memories of the early years of insulin treatment in the UK

Abstract

The Diabetes UK Golden Year Study investigated a large cohort of Nabarro Medal winners (with type 1 diabetes of over 50 years duration) for genetic and clinical markers of long-term survival. During over 400 interviews held, a wealth of stories were collected concerning experiences during the early years of insulin treatment in the UK. Some patients reported difficulties in finding physicians willing to treat them with insulin, and all had to adopt very strict and detailed diet regimens. Prolonged hospital admission at diagnosis was usual, and in those pre-NHS days, considerable patient expense was common. One woman with type 1 diabetes reported pregnancies in the 1940s that resulted in six miscarriages, one stillbirth and three perinatal deaths. Most patients were surprisingly positive about their experiences, particularly those who came into contact with Dr Robin Lawrence of King's College Hospital. As one participant commented, he had learnt 'self-discipline, determination and will-power'. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.