MY HEALTH ERXPERIENCE:I thought I was heading for a coronary, relates GERALD KEAN
WHEN I WAS first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes six years ago, I didn’t even know what it was. I do now because I had two very serious attacks and was unconscious both times for a considerable period because I took too much insulin.
The first attack was when I was coming back from holiday with some golfing friends. I was in an airport in London and was walking down one of the terminals when I collapsed. I knew it was coming. I didn’t know where I was. I went into a state and I couldn’t work out what was happening to me at all.
The next thing, I woke up in hospital in London. The first thing I said when I woke up was, “Jesus, what happened there?” I was completely out for 25 minutes.
Luckily, the minute I collapsed, the ambulance people were able to attend to me and take me away to hospital.
That happened about a year and a half into my diabetic illness.
Then I had a very bad attack at a fashion show in the RDS in Dublin about two and a half years ago. I was in a coma for 50 minutes.
Before I went to the RDS I had had some chicken wings. I knew I was not feeling quite right when I got there and I asked my fiancée, Lisa Murphy, to get me some chocolate, but suddenly I turned on my side, and I collapsed and vomited.
There were hundreds of people around. I cut my tongue very badly. When I woke up, I remember Lisa was there, crying and holding my hand. A doctor and two nurses were there too.
When I came around, I was like somebody who had had an epileptic fit and a drugs overdose.
I was out for 50 minutes, but it could have been for 10 years.
I got tremendous treatment in St Vincent’s hospital, though I don’t understand why it took me so long to get to there.
My tongue was sore for several weeks afterwards because I had bitten it very badly.
I was diagnosed with diabetes only by accident. About six years ago, I was at a wedding. It was a beautiful day. I was in great company and was telling a few stories.
During the afternoon session, between the wedding and the sit-down dinner, when we were sitting outside on the lawn, I was getting very agitated because of the delay in getting me water, though the staff in the hotel were giving me water all the time.
I assumed I was thirsty because I had some rashers for breakfast and they were a bit salty.
A guest at the table, who was a doctor, witnessed my obsession with getting water. By that stage, I had drunk six pints of water.
The doctor asked me if that was normal for me and I said yes. She also asked me if I got up often during the night to go the bathroom and I said I did. She said I should go and get myself checked for diabetes.
If she had not told me to do so, I would not have known. I was not good at looking after myself.
When I was first diagnosed, I was shocked when I had to go into hospital. It was not in my schedule. That would be the reaction of people who live a very busy lifestyle.
I went to the Blackrock Clinic for several days of doing tests.
The doctors put me on glucophage .
I was educated for the next four or five days in hospital. They wanted me in there to check my bloods and my sugar levels which were very high.
I was told my blood pressure was perfect, white blood cells were perfect and heart rate was perfect, but I had diabetes.
I felt almost relieved and my reaction was “thanks be to God, it was only diabetes”.
At the time I thought I was heading for a coronary anyway as I weighed 20 stone.
I got diabetes due to my lifestyle. When my dietitian was telling me what I shouldn’t be eating, I started sinking into the floor.
Alcohol was not the issue though I do have a high-profile conviction for drink driving. I had had three glasses of wine and was over the limit. I felt foolish that night, but I would be known as somebody who does not drink a lot. I like a nice bottle of wine, but I don’t go to pubs.
I have turned my diabetes into a positive thing because I’m a positive person.
I have changed my diet. The fish and chips coming home from a function are gone. The bacon, egg and sausage sandwiches are still there, unfortunately, but a lot less of them, and I’m not eating bacon sandwiches and white bread at night.
I check my bloods five or six times a day and I get plenty of exercise. I have Lucozade with me everywhere.
After I emerged from hospital, I started to take my lifestyle seriously. Thanks to Lisa and a very good eating regime, I dropped to 15 stone. There were even reports in the press that I was ill, but I wasn’t.
I’m back up to 16½ stone now, so I have to get back working at it again. At the moment, I don’t have any complications that I’m aware of.
Lisa is very strong on the food front. She knows her foods.
At lunchtime, I might have breast of chicken with no sauce and some broccoli. Then I would take my bloods and I would still be within the limits.
In the evening, I might have a little bit of fish or a steak with some mushrooms.
There is no doubt that you could live a life whereby you wouldn’t need to take insulin even if you were insulin- dependent like I am, but [for me] it is not recommended by doctors.
I try to stay away from foods such as chips, pizza, pasta and white bread.
My message to people is watch what you eat and watch your weight. If I had to do it all again, I would be much more careful.
My generation really were very ignorant. We were not as well educated in terms of diet.
When I was in school and I was studying, my father would call me and say, “Do you want fish and chips”, and this would be at 10 at night.
My daughter Kirsten knows more about organic food and good eating than I ever did. She eats only brown bread, fat-free yoghurts and crispy biscuits. It is a totally different world.
If the health service spent more money on education and preventative medicine, it would be a much better way of combating type 2 diabetes.
In conversation with Ronan McGreevy
