Diabetes doesn’t discriminate — it affects anyone at any age, gender, race, and country… Our hope is to educate on life without diabetes outside the borders of the US, and show that our community is much bigger than we might think.
Today, our guest blogger is Mike Young, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 11 years ago. Although he was born in England and lived in the US for a while, he’s been living in Spain since 2003. He now lives with his family on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, where he works as a web marketer. He blogs about life in Spain with diabetes (in English) at Diabetes in Spain and he’s also active on Twitter. Mike is an awesome DOC representative in Europe, having participated in the 1st Annual Diabetes Internet Forum hosted by Medtronic last June in Lusanne, Switzerland. Who says everything in Europe is slow? Medtronic isn’t hosting their US forum until April!
A Guest Post by Mike Young
I possibly have a slightly unique perspective being diagnosed in the UK, moving to Colorado and then finally onto Spain in 2003 where I’m fortunate to have state medical care, which includes specialists, subsidized medications, insulin and test strips. Spain’s philosophy is “you must contribute to the system to benefit from it.”
Spain’s population has grown in the last 10 years due to immigration. This has put massive pressure on medical services, especially as many of these immigrants have retired, have type 2 diabetes, or are well on their way to developing it. As of 2010, over 3 million people in Spain have diabetes, and approximately 450,000 have type 1 diabetes.
When I met my first endocrinologist I was told: “Eat this, not that; inject this at this time, and that at that time.” I did what I was told and this view is still carried by the older generation of medical professionals and patients alike.
Eight years later, I have quarterly meets with my doctor, Tomas, who speaks great English, and the care and its delivery is much more professional and patient-centric.
Younger generations of medics are embracing new technologies to benefit everyone, and this goes hand-in-hand with diabetes and with the many meters and pumps that are now available. Most manufactures are present but not all of their products. For example, the Bayer USB meter is not available here. This can cause some frustration, if you feel a particular device would be beneficial.
For pump users, the Accu-Chek Spirit Combo and the Medtronic Paradigm Veo are available and whilst I don’t use a pump (I’m working on that), the uptake on all insulin pumps is low here. I think there are two or three contributing factors to this. Like with the rest of Europe, medical care in Spain is still essentially doctor-driven, so for the Big Pharma companies the initial outreach is to medical professionals, and only to them. When combined with a certain tradition amongst the older generation of medics to be quite dictatorial towards patient care, I do believe that the use of new technology/methods was often shunned. This is changing, however, as the younger generation of patients are more connected now than ever, as too are the medics providing their care.
People admire the Spanish culture, the lifestyle and cuisine, and if you are from the UK, especially the weather. Fruit, vegetables, fish, and a wide variety of meat and dairy products all available in abundance from supermarkets and the daily street markets. Traditionally, lunches were taken at a snail’s pace and finished off with pastries and coffees. Now the fast food chains dominate, turning a novelty into a necessity. The “Mediterranean Diet” is being replaced by its fat-and-carbohydrate-filled western cousin, causing an avalanche of new type 2 diabetes cases.
There are diabetes organizations in Spain, but it is rare to hear about initiatives, if there are any, especially programs for non-natives. This is the reason for my site, which is to help distribute information to English-
speaking people. Slowly though, smaller groups are working their way around and starting to utilize other social media. Of course, there are many organizations/clubs and associations in Spain. However, most seem to go unnoticed for some reason. The main organization is called Sociedad Española de Diabetes (SED). They also maintain close links with healthcare professionals. Again, one issue is that people “at ground level” seem to know nothing about them, people with diabetes included. Occasionally they do hold small events, mainly in conjunction with the Red Cross, but these are far and few between and certainly nothing like events held in both the US and UK.
Spain only invests $2,277 per capita on diabetes patients, compared to $3,574 in the UK and $7,383 in the USA. With less being invested and an increasing number of cases being diagnosed, there are problems ahead, compounded by the changing lifestyle. This really is time bomb for a country that is already under significant financial pressure.
Perhaps a back-to-basics approach to diet and exercise would help to ease the burden of diabetes. Starting from the ground up, at schools (which they already are starting to do), and into the work place.
Eating time with the family is still valued, but not as much as it was and not as much as it should be. Perhaps this is something that we should all take on board, giving us the opportunity to enjoy our food, with the people that are important to us, whilst taking care of our health.
Saludos a todo!
Thank you for sharing, Mike. If you live in another country with diabetes and would like to share what life is like (in English, please!), please contact us. We would love to hear from you!
I love the idea behind this series! Although I live in the US, I have had lengthy stays in Italy (pre-diabetes) and will have more in the future. I’m eager to learn as much as I can in the meantime. Thanks for the post, Mike!
Nice article, thanks for the information.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by DiabetesMine and Mike Young, Kim. Kim said: RT @elgringoinspain: Guest Posting over @DiabetesMine about "Life with Diabetes in Spain" http://t.co/3F8zh6B #diabetes #dblog #spain Th … [...]
Very interesting! I live in Canada and see a lot of similarities to Spain here. Technology is slow to arrive and/or be accepted, and often we wait for years before it gets approved for use here. Also, attitudes are very similar. I’d be interested in knowing the per capita spending for diabetes in Canada (I wasn’t able to find it before I posted this).
Thanks so much for the post Mike! Its fantastic to get a different perspective from around the world…Ditto for Australia in terms of technology slow to arrive or get approval for subsidy.
Great post, Allison. Love getting some international flavor.
Mike (and Allison) Love this post!! I have many friends who live in the EU and I’m always amazed by their healthcare system, when it is often portrayed differently here. No system is perfect.
As for technology being slow to arrive, I think it is so interesting that access to the product is much faster than here in the US! We haven’t gotten the VEO thru FDA yet, but ironically it appears the hold up in EU is doctor approval!
I stayed in Barcelona for 3.5 weeks for the Olympics in 1992. The food was incredible! But at that time Pizza Hut had moved into town, and for the games McD’s had focused on a huge increase in store fronts.
Great post thanks for sharing!
How wonderful to read this post! I have been trying to find information about insulin pumps in Spain all over the Internet. Even people who live here, can’t help me.
We are moving to Spain from the Netherlands. We will become residents in July (2011). I have type 2 diabetes and I have been using an insulin pump since 2003. I got my new VEO in March 2010. I am still not sure if Medtronic will continue service for my Dutch pump in Spain.
More important: I need to find myself a good doctor, preferably a doctor who speaks English. I guess Mikes doctor is in Torrevieja? That would be OK for me, we will be living in Macisvenda, Murcia. I am not sure if I can go to a hospital in the Comunidad of Valencia.
I would like to get in touch with Mike or someone else who can recommend me a good doctor at the Costa Blanca. My diabetes is not a problem, I have been doing very well with that. But what about getting infusionsets, reservoirs, test strips and everything? I really don’t know how this al works in Spain.
Thanks in advance for helping me out!
Hi everyone
Mike from http://www.diabetesinspain.com here. Thank you for your great feedback, really do appreciate it and glad that it has been informative.
Monique, please feel free to get in touch directly.. More contact details are on my site or get in touch via twitter @elgringoinspain
Thanks again for the kind words and support.. 【ツ】
Hi Mike,
I’m T2 and I’ve just been told by my GP in Andalucia that test strips are now only to be available to those on insulin. Apparently the rules have just changed but it’s the first I’ve heard of it. Do you happen to know if this is a regional thing or national, and if there’s anyone challenging this, even on cost-benefit grounds?
It’ll make a big difference to me as, following a low-carb diet, I need to check my levels regularly and the strips are very expensive. Anyone else come across this sudden change of policy in Spain?
Hi Bob
Yes I’m aware that some people with Type 2 Diabetes having experienced a sudden stoppage regarding test strips.
After speaking with both my Endocrinologist and GP, protocols have been updated to focus more on the hbA1c test to show control over a 3 month period.
This was after a major trial originating from the UK and Australia. Those who are Type 2 and at *real* risk of hypoglycemia will still be given test strips on a regular basis and certainly when for example traveling, ill etc..
If you feel that you need more strips then talk with you Family Doctor. If you need strips it may be wise to seek external sites to purchase them. Feel free to get in touch directly via my site.
I’m diabetic ty2 for bit over 5 year so look fit really but I’ve good food
and look after myself and more responsibility really and pacemaker well,
but some little more tablets for high pressure,choleserol,problem with bone,sleep tablets,alendronic acid,also eye drop for night each eye everydays night only,so I would like relocate to costa blanca but nobody help me once again so I love living there very much but I’m profoundly deaf bit over 70y/o and keep warm ther better than england so where I lived at poole area so I’m gay but very clean person and home same too I always think health come first really they is more responsibility is very important so I think look after myself so hope one day I’ll have relocate to there very soon if possible hope god will help me save my warm again
Hi Mike,
I really appreciate all the information you have posted here.
We will be staying in the Basque Country for a month this summer with our daughter, she’s 12, and was diagnosed with type 1 just a year ago. I am concerned that it will be really difficult to count carbs there, especially with restaurant meals. Do you know of an app or website, or a book that provides nutritional information for common Spanish dishes?
Hi Shelly
I’m afraid that as carb counting resources go here in Spain are scarce to say the least.
My suggestion would be to perhaps lookup some traditional Basque Country recipes to give you an idea of some the ingredients used.
One would imagine that the recipes will be quite rich, some almost broth like. Feel free to get in touch via my site directly and I may be able to find some further resources for you and forward on to you.
Regards
Mike
Hi again Mike,
We are here, in San Sebastian now, and I am trying to figure out the nutritional information on packaged foods. Would “hidratos de carbono” be the carbohydrate count, and then, usually that is given per 100g of product and sometimes also “por vaso” per serving? Is there another number on the label that I need to take into consideration for counting?
We are excited as we begin our adventure here, and so happy to have found you!
Thanks,
Shelley
Great post Mike
Very clear and packed with useful information. Ive been a type 1 diabetic for 30 years, now living in a white village in Andalucia. The incidence of type 2 diabetes here is staggering. The village shop is stuffed with “diabetic” (sugar free) sweets cakes and biscuits. Though my care is in the UK, because I went to the village doctor just to let him know my medication in case of emergency, he sent me to a specialist who sees me every couple of years in Malaga. I have a feeling with the crisis that this is about to stop!
All the best
John
Great post Mike!
We are in Peniscola visiting Family & my son is on the Medtronics Mini Med Paradime Insulin Pump. I was very nervous about leaving the US, but everything has been working out just fine. My son is also wearing a Contious Glucose Monitor (CGM) & that has helped us tremendously. Medtronics is in España so we have 24hr. support.
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