Gordon
Gordon has Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. In 2010, he had a heart attack and was fitted with a stent, followed by a triple bypass. Gordon was not aware, but also, not surprised, that his kidney function is monitored as part of his 6-monthly diabetes check-ups.
Gordon is a retired Royal Mail Inspector. He retired at age 55 to care for his wife after she had a stroke. He is now widowed and lives together with one of his two daughters, who has Down’s Syndrome. His other daughter runs a hair salon in the front of his house. Ethnic background: White British.
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Gordon currently feels in good health, but has had a number of operations. Gordon has had Type 2 diabetes for many years and injects insulin twice a day. In 2010, he had a heart attack and was fitted with a stent, followed four months later by a triple bypass. On both occasions he came close to dying on the operating table and feels very lucky to still be alive.
Gordon has had problems with kidney stones on two occasions 10 years apart. The first time, he was referred to hospital and was given conservative treatment with painkillers but no operation. When the kidney stones returned 10 years later, he had them blasted with ultrasound, which was quite painful but successful and he has not had any pain in his kidneys since. Over the years, Gordon has also had operations for a double hernia and for Jeep’s disease (a pilonidal cyst caused by ingrown hair at the end of the spine) and keyhole surgery for a bad knee.
After his bypass operation, Gordon took part in a cardiac rehabilitation program which was useful for getting fit again and learning about healthy eating. Gordon gave up smoking many years ago and now only drinks alcohol very occasionally. He goes to the gym once a week and leads a fairly busy life, as he cares for his daughter, who has Down’s syndrome, and is social secretary of the Royal Mail Retirement Club. He sometimes finds it hard to accept that he should no longer climb ladders or do heavy repair works around the house, but he still enjoys working in his vegetable garden.
Gordon was not aware, but also, not surprised, that his kidney function is monitored as part of his 6-monthly diabetes check-ups. The nurse usually focuses on his blood sugar and has not mentioned his kidney health as far as he can remember. Gordon has been with the same GP surgery for 42 years, and tries to book his doctor’s appointments with one of three GPs that he knows well and trusts. He is unhappy that appointments sometimes are not available until a week later, and feels angry that on occasion he has had to wait for over an hour for his appointment due to other patients not turning up for their appointment slot. He is quite happy for the GP to make decisions about what he needs to be told, but at the same time he feels he does not always get as much information as he would like from health professionals. For example, he has had ongoing pain in his nipples for several months, and was prescribed antibiotics, but has not had a satisfactory explanation of what might have caused the problem, and the area around his nipple continues to be painful under pressure. He would like to ask more questions in consultations, but often feels tongue-tied when talking to a doctor, even though he is quite confident and talkative in his social life.
Gordon feels reassured by having regular check-ups for his diabetes and would like to also have check-ups for other health conditions. He has previously requested a PSA test for his prostate and would like this to be repeated at some point. If there was a serious problem, he would prefer for health professionals to tell him straight.
Gordon doesn’t like having to fast before some of his blood tests because he enjoys having his breakfast and cup of tea first thing in the morning and can’t always get an appointment as early as he would like.
Gordon doesn’t like having to fast before some of his blood tests because he enjoys having his breakfast and cup of tea first thing in the morning and can’t always get an appointment as early as he would like.
I don’t like them at all! [laughs]. Because I- when I wake up I love a cup of tea straight away but… and…with having the diabetes I like to have my breakfast and my cup of tea first thing in the morning but… they say, "Oh I've got an appointment about eleven o'clock." I said, "Well that’s no good to me, I want early ones," and then she said, "Well…”oh dear, you are a problem; how about half past seven?" I said, "Fine." She says, "You're not about that time in the morning?" I said, "If you said five o'clock I could be here," you know? I want to get it done so I can get some… food into me. Yeah I'd rather have all these things early in the morning.”
When Gordon attended rehabilitation sessions after a heart operation, as well as doing exercises he was advised on how to eat healthily to protect his heart.
When Gordon attended rehabilitation sessions after a heart operation, as well as doing exercises he was advised on how to eat healthily to protect his heart.
Yeah
Can you remember what kind of things you’ve been taught in the classes, what was helpful to you, what do you remember? …Especially around diet?
Well it's all …oh God that’s a job to think about that. I mean they told us we've got to eat; you need fish, oily fish at least three times a week. …Brown bread, not so much white but I'm not a keen lover of brown bread. …Cereals …do eat lot of cereals and all that so… and there's a lot of things that I can't remember now, they were to, they were pretty good with us …you know?
Well you don’t bring… you know you can't remember them all. I look after myself and I mean I'm the right weight. So I'm happy.