"the best diabetic team ever, a credit to the..."

Nearly 3 years ago i moved house and was enlisted into the local hospitals diabetic team, my first thought was "here we go again, being told what to do by people who don't know or understand me and my diabetes" i could not have been farther from the truth. Having been greeted on my first appointment by a friendly smile and a chat i realised that i was talking to somebody who wanted to know about me and to establish how if at all they could help. Rather than the usual you mustn't do this and you must do that i was having a conversation about me and i was being made to feel important. Since then i have attended BIANCA which re-taught me how to carb count and the effects of exercise on my condition, i was blown away. I then spent some time assessing every tiny detail of my insulin doses and discussing ways to improve my control, and it seemed to be working. I was left feeling so very impressed and rather overwhelmed by the level of care i was receiving, i was being treated as a human being and not as cattle through the department. 18 months ago in discussions with a Consultant i admitted to having 2 hypo's which needed assistance from my wife, due to DVLA guidelines this meant that the Consultant had no option but to suspend my driving license. I was devastated and rather emotional at this point, a member of staff had seen me and comforted me with reassurance and a plan for the future to "get you back on the road". 6 months later i was offered an insulin pump to give better control, i obviously accepted and have not regretted that decision. I am now at the point 18 months on with the prospect of driving again, but more importantly i have amazing control and a broad knowledge now of my diabetes. I thought that i knew all the answers regarding diabetes but i have learnt that all i knew were the "tricks" to allow me to eat and drink everything i wanted to appear normal to everyone else. I have confidence in my own ability and i trust my own judgement. I cannot begin to thank the diabetic team enough at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital enough, there skills have given me my life back and i now can look ahead to a future of better control and great quality of life thanks to them all. I feel that three people need a special mention, the Consultant is a down to earth fact based diabetic consultant with a dry sense of humour but a passion to get everything right in his patients. The second member of staff for her extreme patience and skills/knowledge on the subject of diabetes, and a third member of staff for not only her knowledge of the subject but also her care and attention to the mental state of diabetes. I have felt as though the last three years have been done with a friend who metaphorically held my hand, gave me reassurance and even dried a tear on occasion. It is very rare to meet somebody like this let alone a nurse who cares enough to make things very possible. I recommend the team totally.