When I was diagnosed with diabetes it was a massive shock. It took a long time to figure out how to manage my diabetes and during that time I made a lot of mistakes. There was education available but it was aimed either at ‘kidz’ or scientists. What I wanted was a kind of user-manual for being diabetic, written by a Type 1 who had overcome all the practical problems of managing diabetes but could still lead a normal life. 

 

Before I learned to manage my glucose I felt bad a lot of the time: a mixture of ill, inadequate, and isolated. It’s from this time that I take my understanding of why some people don’t like being called ‘diabetic’.

 

The way I got over that feeling was by putting in place some guidelines to help me take control. I didn’t change overnight but I now felt like I could cope, and gradually, as I got to know what I was doing, I became confident enough to go out with my friends, socialise, exercise, travel, and do anything a ‘normal’ young person would do!

 

I’d had some advantages that a lot of people wouldn’t have (my Dad is a medical scientist for one!), but it still took me a long time to take control of my diabetes. So to stop people from having to feel they were ‘diabetic’, I decided to share how I’d managed to practically take control and overcome that feeling.

 

Joe’s Rough Guide to Diabetes is the book that I wanted when I was diagnosed. It tells you all you need to know about living with diabetes. The book explains the science of the disease clearly, and gives you practical advice on how to manage different situations – everyday, exercise, socialising, and travelling. Finally, it brings all this together so that you can learn how much insulin to take at any given time.

 

Medical endorsements

 

“It ought to be available to every young diabetic and be essential reading to anybody involved in helping young people to grow up with diabetes.”

Dr Bill Lamb, MD FRCP FRCPCH

 

“Joe’s guide embraces the concept ‘I am my own best doctor’… the book is spontaneous, authoritative, and most importantly real.”

 Dr Luigi Gnudi, MD PhD FRCP FASN

 

Customer testimonials

“I was just writing to let you know… how handy the new kit is… The book is so crazily good... [I] have been told all my life that I can't do this and can't do that, that Uni was possibly not a good idea, that driving is not a good idea... Your book really is an inspiration, and I'm just determined to prove them all wrong!”

 

"One of the things that is impressive about what you have written… ‘I felt rubbish, I missed stuff’... often knowing you're not alone in managing the ups and downs of this thing helps a huge amount!"

 

"Your book has been brilliant and answered a lot of questions and given clear practical advice on a lot of matters.  Thank you.”

 

Convenient formats

Take it anywhere!  Joe's Rough Guide to Diabetes is available in a high quality paperback edition and as an eBook on Amazon Kindle. 

 

Check out our shop for more details.

 

Summary of contents

 

Introduction

The issues involved in managing diabetes with insulin.

 

So … you have Type 1 Diabetes

A simple biological explanation of the disease with a description of the most common problems of control – hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia.

 

Day-to-day living

A look at the practicalities of living with diabetes, from injections and testing techniques to dealing with hypers and hypos, to balancing insulin and food intake.

 

Exercise

How to handle the complications and benefits that exercise brings. Includes sections on losing weight, sex, and how to work out your insulin:exercise ratio.

 

Drugs

This covers the effects of cigarettes and alcohol on diabetes control, including how to work out your insulin:alcohol ratio. It also touches on the effects of harder drugs.

 

Travelling

What to think about when going away: how to prepare, what to take, and how to deal with new factors that affect control, such as heat and altitude. Includes a section on driving and diabetes.

 

Hospital, School and Work

What to expect from visits to diabetic clinics, and advice on dealing with the pressures of school and work upon your diabetic control.

 

How to work out how much insulin to take

A range of in-depth examples showing various insulin calculations worked out for different activities, such as exercise and drinking. Also includes example routines for normal living, weight loss, and illness.

 

Joe's Small-in-one and why I made it

How the Small-in-one can help you achieve the perfect balance of a well-controlled, flexible life.

 

Helpful Information

Contains a range of Glycaemic Index and Carbohydrate values tables, and links to useful organisations.