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Graham's Story
Graham is Type 1 diabetic, which means he has to check that his blood
sugar is balanced to avoid blood sugar highs and lows. An Insulin pump
monitors these levels automatically and administers the correct amount
of insulin. Having a pump would dramatically improve Graham’s quality
of life, and help ensure he lives to a ripe old age. He has been told
by his doctors that he is an ideal candidate, but that he is too old
(over 25) to qualify for any funding.
The initial cost of the pump is $12,000, plus an additional
$5,000, per year, thereafter. Graham is unable to afford this
life-saving apparatus, so we, as a community, are rallying to get it
for him.
Graham is a pillar of our Lasqueti Island community. He has
volunteered countless hours for the fire department, nourished us at
the restaurant and community events, fixed our flats, built our
outhouses, and amused us with his endless supply of punny jokes. He is
always willing to help others. Graham is neither a complainer nor a
whiner but always has a smile on his face so that you would never know
the seriousness of the illness he lives with everyday.
This fund raising campaign has been forced on Graham by his
friends and community who would feel very sad if his condition made it
so that he could not live here any more. It is our turn to help Graham.
Life on Lasqueti
Graham has chosen to live off-grid on Lasqueti Island. Living off-grid comes with rewards like reduced dependency on fossil fuels, having a smaller environmental footprint, and learning to be much more self sufficient. It also comes with extra challenges, even for the young and healthy. As anyone who has lived in a remote island community knows, it involves chopping and carrying wood, maintaining complicated electrical systems, and lugging household goods on and off ferries in the rain and dark. But for Graham, and many of us, the benefits outweigh the challenges. Graham has chosen, despite this, to live a lifestyle that is greener and simpler, surrounded by a supportive community of like-minded individuals.
GRAHAM'S EXCELLENT DIABETES ADVENTURE (in his own words)
Janury 1987 I ended up in the ICU for 3 days and survived! I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 28.
August 1987 Joined DCCT – Diabetes Control Complications Trial funded by U.S. Government as a “control”. After 5 years the study was ended as it become clear that tight control was the best solution. Joined EDIC, Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions Complications, the follow up to DCCT and I am still contributing. This year (2014 ) I have not done any tests yet as I am unable to travel to the U.S. Due to diabetes related complications.
2002 First signs of issues – Kidney function abnormalites, discovered by EDIC, follow up in Canada confirmed it and I was put on medication for it.
2003 – Heart abnormalites caught by EDIC follow up in Canada showed nothing, it was random, as proven 7 years later.
2004 – Thyroid abnormalites detected by EDIC, follow up in Canada confirmed it, put on medicationfor it.
2004 – Eye issues discovered by EDIC, follow up in Canada confirmed it. Had multiple laser surgery on both eyes and an injection of cortizone into the the right eye. Eyes have remained in good shape, but I am monitored regularily.
2006 – 2008 – Heart problems seen occaisionally, exams just showed beginnings of a heart valve problem. Arthritis Rheumatoid diagnosed, put on medication for it. High cholesterol diagnosed, I refused statins as I was already on so many “lifetime” medicines. I went on a regimen of high doses of niacin/wild alaskan salmon oil and cholesterol was back to acceptable levels within 6 months. I also take a non-prescription medication.
2009-2010 – Had a couple of scares including the coast guard coming over after I was found on the floor at work. Luckily there were 2 First Responders at my work. They had real problems finding a pulse and almost started CPR. They didn't (good!) and by the time the Paramedics got there my heart was operating as it should, but I obviously had a low blood sugar episode as the First Responders gave me a lot of glucose. The Paramedicssaid it was about 1 chocolate cake worth of sugar. It was put down as low blood sugar and the Coast Guard left.
In the first half of 2010 my ability to walk the dogs as far as I normally did began diminishing and I was having the occaisional “passing out” episode. I am normally on my own and I put it down to low blood sugar – which may have been part of it. Finally in early August 2010 my brain would literally shut down to the point I couldn't talk – like a Mini Siezure. The first Responders came and got me and took me to the nurse's station as she was on the Island at that time. She monitored me and I had my endocrinologists card on me and she contacted him. Even though he was on holidays, he quarter backed the whole thing and got me choppered to the Royal Jubilee in Victoria as they were the heart specialist hospital. Of course in the 10-12 hours I was in Emergency no heart abnormalities showed up so they moved to Victoria General Hospital to the brain injury ward.
In 2002 the new Government had pulled all tellemetry out of that ward so over the 5 days I was there they only checked pulse/blood pressure a dozen times and only saw low blood pressure once. They sent me home. I had a friend send me a sphygmometer and I started monitory my blood pressure rate. Both would drop precipitously at times.
After a couple of weeks I made an appointment to see my doctor to get a holter monitor. When I saw him and told him what I had seen he said “you need a holter study”. I love it when doctors agree with you!
He immediately gave me a requisition for a baseline ECG which I went and got. The tekkie saw immediately that something serious was up and put the ECG printout in an envelope and said “you have to take this back to your own doctor right now!” So I did and got into an ambulance to NRGH.
The staff there were awesome and my brain really wasn't up to snuff but they were keeping a close eye on me. One nurse in particular would check regularily and even bring trainees/interns by to show them in real time how a heart could compensate for “stage 3 heart block”. I was also watching the monitors and my pulse was pretty much stuck at 30 BPM.
I asked the nurse about “stage 3 heart block” and my understanding was that it is essentially an electrical malfunction in the heart. I then asked her what came after it and she said “Oh nothing comes after Stage 3 Heart Block”. I wasn't too worried then when I was second onto the operating room table to get a pacemaker – supposedly the Cadillac of pacemakers. It helps both the “dump and pump” functions of the heart and in the 4+ years it's been in the “pump” function is operating almost permanently and the “dump” function is only used occaisionally.
2012 – Had an artery removed from the leg that was malfunctioning due to circulation problems (diabetes complication) and it would likely to rupture and soak me in blood.
2013 – Began having serious gastro-intestinal problems and went to a specialist who did a full exam (local anesthetic only) and upon reviewing my now extensive brew of pharmaceuticals came to the conclusion that my problems in this department were due to the medicine I had been prescribed. I ended up on another medication that works but of course has it's own massive side effects.
March 2014 – I took my morning medication and sat down to drink my first cup of coffee. I woke up on the floor 3 hours later with low blood sugar. After my next pacemaker check this incident showed up in the “extreme event” monitor function. My pulse had peaked at over 200 BPM. It was determined the pacemaker was not at fault. On subsequent (and not quite dramatic) occaisions I have recorded an elevated pulse with low blood pressure and no sign of low blood sugar. The specialists are still trying to figure out what is causing this.
The advantage to an automatic insulin pump or combination insulin and glucose pump is that it (in theory) will eliminate the low and high blood sure episodes that are obviously impacting everything. Better control should ease all complications and especially going really low if I am having a heart issue. Tighter control without the pump has already made a differenced. Maybe it will give the internists electro-cardiologists and endocrinologists enough of a window to figure out what is going on with heart (or whatever it is that's not working right).
This is my Medical History.
Thank you.
Graham Allan
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