Poppy power
31 March 2011
When Philippa Copleston-Warren was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of ten, she was determined not to let the condition hold her back. Here, she reveals how tiny Yorkshire Terrier Poppy and the charity Medical Detection Dogs have helped her lead a full and independent life …
This is an extract from an article which appears in the Spring 2011 issue of the SCAS Journal, which is free to SCAS members. Non-members can purchase a copy of the Journal by contacting the SCAS office.
I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of ten and suddenly I was different – no one else in my family or school had diabetes. Having previously been the captain of many school sports teams, I was made to sit on the sidelines as teachers didn’t know what to do if I became hypoglycaemic. Low blood sugar can lead to symptoms ranging from confusion and disorientation to unconsciousness and life-threatening seizures.
Unfortunately there were never any warning signs – my friends would ask me if I was OK and I would say I was fine until I passed out. One minute I was seen as sharp and clever at school; the next confused and unclear. In exams I would do really well on the first half of papers but towards the end my writing had often become illegible and the content incoherent.
This carried on throughout school and university, until I was diagnosed with borderline Addison’s disease aged 19. Addison’s is an adrenal disease and temperature changes, hormones, glucose and sucrose greatly affect my adrenaline and subsequently my blood sugar very quickly.
A high flyer feeling low
I did not want my conditions to hold me back as I loved travelling and during my early career enjoyed working in high-powered jobs. At university I worked at Saatchi and Saatchi and after finishing my degree went to into Business Strategy and Change Management Consulting with one of the largest consulting firms. People would be amazed how I would give a great presentation one minute and an appalling one the next. I managed my blood sugar as well as I could,but still it was uncontrollable at certain times. At various points in my career I was found unconscious by friends, colleagues and strangers all round the world – from firemen in Los Angeles to a dustman in London.
After eight years consulting I took a desk job at a large international oil company. However, travelling to my office in Canary Wharf was difficult due to the continued sudden onset of hypoglycaemia. Often when I had low blood sugar I was pushed, shoved, stepped on and nudged by other commuters, causing me to fall over and suffer several injuries. Many people were more interested in getting to their work than helping someone.
Enter Poppy …
It was at this point in my life that I decided to ‘retire’ from the city and work from home – I am now a school Governor and also have my own business. I also made the lifechanging decision to get a dog, to keep me company. Poppy, a blue and tan Yorkshire Terrier (pictured with me, above right), came to live with me as a puppy, and while she never wanted to leave my side, there were certain times when she would not come near me. She would get very anxious and bark or run. After watching her behaviour closely, my husband said to me: “She is reacting to your blood sugar – have you got low blood sugar?” and 100% of the time he was right. When he first said that to me I would ignore him but then I heard about the charity Medical Detection Dogs.