Wellbeing/real life
diabetes: I’ve got it and I have to deal with it. the strip gets to the elements. I have to make
It’s not the worse thing you can have! Some sure my insulin doesn’t freeze. I always give a
serious illnesses restrict you in every way. spare set of everything to my climbing partner.
Diabetes doesn’t have to be like that.’ I now use an insulin pump which sits on a
Jerry and his family had been talking about chest harness next to my body. It’s right on my
moving to France for six years, but his diagnosis sternum, so it’s always warm. Getting a drop of
gave him the push he needed to get the ball blood to test was always the hardest challenge
rolling. The final decision was taken very when my fingers were very cold.’
quickly: Jackie went out to the Alps to discover Jerry is upfront about how challenging
the area, and found the ideal chalet from which he finds living with diabetes, even after nine
they could run active holidays. The first time years. The hardest thing, he admits, is the
Jerry saw the chalet was the day the purchase way in which the condition affects his moods.
was finalised. ‘The reality was like a really hard ‘Diabetes has made me become a grumpy old
rock climb,’ he remembers. ‘It came at me hard. man!’ he says. ‘I find it difficult to deal with
It was seriously scary – and I’ve done some having highs and lows as well as managing
seriously scary things in my life!’ the way insulin affects me. I was always very
Running a holiday company from his home optimistic and positive, but now I have mood
presents Jerry with a hectic schedule which swings. I have to work really hard on that.
challenges his diabetes. ‘It’s a 24/7 job and,
Above: Jerry tackles the South Face of
The kids are great at grounding me, they’ll say
although they’re not all intensive hours, the
Cerro Torre in Patagonia, in 2004.
“Daddy – test!” and then I’ll realise that I’m low.’
days are long,’ he explains. ‘We have to be
ready to do anything at any time for our guests.
Jerry’s web resources
Jerry has found that support from others
with diabetes has been an invaluable help
But, like with climbing, worrying is pointless. to him. In turn, he’s happy to pass on his
When Jerry moved to France, he found
You need to stay in control.’
support from a number of online
experience to other people with diabetes,
Climbing is Jerry’s passion. ‘My wife says
diabetes groups. Here are his favourites:
particularly young people who come on his
I am lucky to have it, and I feel lucky that I AlpBase holidays with their families. ‘The
realised I’m a climber early in life,’ he says.
Children with Diabetes
first thing I always say to any person who is
www.childrenwithdiabetesuk.org
‘It’s my strength and my guide. When I climb, newly diagnosed is get into exercise and to
I leave the world behind. I have to focus on Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation make it a daily habit. I know it’s really hard for
the minute details of rock as I cling by my
www.jdrf.org.uk
some people, but I truly believe it’s the secret
fingernails. It’s a simple stress reliever. Like
Mountains for Active Diabetics (MAD)
to success. The psychological approach of
being in the Royal Marines, climbing helps me
www.diabetic.friendsinhighplaces.org
breaking down problems into chunks is a great
see that an “insurmountable problem” isn’t technique for diabetes. Whatever the hurdle,
actually that bad in the face of immediate acute
Runsweet
whether it’s diabetes or conquering the North
www.runsweet.com
challenges – like hanging off an 8 millimetre Face of the Eiger, you have to break it into
piece of rope which is going over a sharp edge steps, then take that first step. In my opinion,
with 1,000 metres of drop beneath. Now that’s closer to my previous nut. I decided to climb that first step has to be getting into exercise.
scary! Most other situations aren’t. It helps me up another couple of moves and secure myself, ‘Whatever you want to do, diabetes won’t
assess what’s life-threatening and what isn’t, then I lowered a loop of rope to my climbing stop you doing it,’ Jerry advises. ‘You can adapt
and helps me follow problems through to their partner and he put a Mars Bar in it.’ Nowadays, your diabetes to your climbing or whatever
natural conclusion. Climbing helps you see Jerry never climbs without a small chalk-bag your chosen exercise is. Although it’s hard, you
the steps in front of you: you have to break a attached to his waist containing food and need to take responsibility for your diabetes.
problem down to work it out.’ sweets, which provide him with much-needed It’s no one’s fault, it just happened. You can
Jerry’s first bad hypo was back in 2001, energy without weighing him down. control it.’ n
while he was climbing in Bristol’s Avon Gorge. Blood testing is a huge challenge to any
INTERVIEW: NICOLA JOYCE
There was no in situ protection (such as bolts mountain climber with diabetes. Fingers are
or wires) and Jerry had to place his own wires encased in layers of clothing, veins are hard to
into the rock. He was halfway up the face and
Find out more
locate and equipment has to be kept warm even
his final bit of protection was a small piece in subzero temperatures. Jerry has developed
AlpBase (www.alpbase.com) offers
of wire which he’d placed into a crack. ‘I a fleece pouch with a clear window to house
family-friendly skiing holidays in the
knew the rock around it wasn’t great quality,’ his blood glucometer, and he’s managed to test
Southern French Alps, as well as guided
says Jerry. ‘Hanging there, I could feel all in minus-20°C temperatures while climbing
mountaineering courses for the more
the energy draining out of my arms. I had to a vertical rock face. ‘I’ve tested this way at
adventurous, and outdoor activities
keep my head together. What should I do? I 6,000 metres in the Himalayas and have the
such as white-water rafting, mountain
could climb up to a safer part of the rock but whole process down to under a minute,’ Jerry biking and climbing.
this would use energy, or I could climb down explains. ‘The glucometer stays warm, only
Sweet Magazine 59
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