EXCLUSIVE: BBC legend Dave Benson Phillips has detailed his distressing health journey after suffering a heart attack and being diagnosed with an illness that “rocked his world”
Children’s TV presenter Dave Benson Phillips has shared his heartbreaking health journey after “feeling so alone”.
The TV legend has, now 60, has spoken exclusively to Daily Star in partnership with Dexcom about his health journey after being diagnosed with a condition that “rocked his world”.
Behind the legendary Gunge Tank, and years of energy on screen, Dave has quietly been managing Type 2 diabetes, and now wants to use his platform to speak openly about the emotional and mental weight of the condition.
Dave revealed that he first noticed something was seriously wrong when he was performing in a panto on stage and “then it all happened, the legs started hurting, there was wobbly sensations, there were pins and needles, all matters of things,” he shared.
“After the doctor told me ‘Look, you’ve got diabetes’. It was one of those things where it was a real shock. It really did rock my world. I was unprepared for it. That was a very scary thing to be told that information, and it was quite the weight upon me. I didn’t handle it very well.”
Dave also bravely shared that he had also suffered a heart attack before his diagnosis, so was already trying to be more health conscious. He added: Before that I had also had a heart attack, so that was a warning shot.”
Despite having the unwavering support from his lovely wife Emma, who he met on set of Get Your Own Back, and his teenage son, who is now 15.
Dave explained: “There are people that I’ve met over the years, since becoming diagnosed with it all and they had great attitudes. They had great mentors around them. They had a great community, in sense of, they were not alone, whereas I, for some reason, felt that I was alone, that it was just me.
“It wasn’t until one time I got to talk with a group of people, and they were varying type ones and type twos, and they just had all of these stories and all of these experiences because they had been part of a great community in this house with Mrs Phillips, myself and my son. That’s it. There’s three of us, and only one of us has diabetes, and that happens to be me. So they don’t necessarily have my experience, but they try and help in their own way.”
But how is Dave dealing with his diabetes nowadays? He answered: “I’d like to say that I’ve got on top of things. So moderation is key. Yes, there’s a bit of exercising in this house. We eat quite healthily. Mrs Phillips is still on my case when it comes to matters of eating sweets and treats and things and all of that.
“When people are diabetic they have to do a test just to make sure that their glucose levels, which is known as the infamous prick test. So I’ve done that a lot, and you end up with bruised fingers after a while.
“So now I’m using the Dexcom, it has been a joy. It monitors my sugar levels, and all of that the glucose levels, and it does it constantly for 10 days.
“Whereas prick tests are difficult or sometimes not very convenient, and sometimes when sitting at the table, it can weird people out. So, this is amazing and it means I can be my own conscience.”
Dave wears the – a continuous glucose monitor that helps him track his glucose levels to manage his Type 2 diabetes. It’s small, fast and easy to use, helping to simplify diabetes management for those with Type 2.
Dexcom’s new State of Type 2 Report – which looked at patients and doctors in the UK and other key European cities – discovered 72% of those living with Type 2 Diabetes believe that using a CGM device helps to improve their lives, a further 74% believe that it would also reduce the risk of complications.
Dave wears the Dexcom ONE+ – a continuous glucose monitor that helps him track his glucose levels to manage his Type 2 diabetes. Explore more at Dexcom.com and explore the latest State of Type 2 report here.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
