medicinebowl
SUGAR DADDY’S CORNER
My name is John Kilmartin and I work at the Goulburn Valley Diabetes Centre at Goulburn Valley Health. Together with my wife I trained at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London (many years ago) and have worked in Ireland, The UK and now Australia.
I suppose you can guess by my name I am Irish and all our families are still in Ireland. My great grandfather came to Victoria looking for gold in the 1850’s, found gold, took the money and went home. We did the opposite.
I am a registered nurse with a specialty in diabetes. I have been specifically involved in diabetes since 1988 but prior to that I was on the Liver Transplant Unit at the Austin Hospital, Heidelberg. I was very proud and privileged to be and integral part of the inaugural team for Australia’s very first Liver transplant. Never thought I would see that in my lifetime.
I can remember, way back, seeing coronary artery by-pass grafting (CABGs) when I worked at the Central Middlesex Hospital in London. It was not that long after Christian Barnard had done the first heart transplant in Sth Africa. To get your CABGs back then you needed to be at deaths door, have had a heart attack or two and under 60. Now you can have CABGs even with no heart attack, at any age and we don’t wait for you to be at the pearly gates to save your life. Pretty much preventing illness rather than waiting to treat it.
The GV Diabetes centre has some unique relationships with remote General Practices & community groups such as the Goulburn River Clans Men’s group. I have been attending the Men’s group on and off now for what must be two years. Its great to just sit and listen to what’s going on around Shepp, and further afield , and where its needed, and asked for, to be able to offer some advice or help. Its also great to have a barbie and eat low fat sausages and burgers and whole grain bread (NOT!). The group is very very diverse and I have heard some remarkable stories. It’s a privilege being told aboriginal history and stories sometimes I find parallels with Irish history.
The diabetes centre has a full range of services, comparable to Metropolitan centres, and includes, and endocrinologist, two dietitians, 4 diabetes educators/ nurse practitioners, 3 podiatrists and is backed up by a very helpful customer service team. If you need advice or help you ring the centre directly on 03 5832 3100 and ask for an appointment or phone advice.
More later. John
John checking skinn’s sugar levels and blood pressure perfect!
our first patient!!!!
