CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) Clarksville native, Herbert D. Roake Jr., affectionately known to everyone as Dick, was recognized recently as the recipient of a Lilly Diabetes Journey Awards 75-Year Medal.
Roake, who is 83-years-old, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, also known as Juvenile Diabetes, at the age of 8 in 1944 and received a medal in April for having lived with the disease for 75 years. The medal reads “A Celebration of Life Well Lived.”
He also has a medal celebrating 50 years with diabetes that he received about a year ago after his doctor told him about the medals for diabetics. He wasn’t aware of the medals or the recognition from Eli Lilly, the company who produces the insulin used by many diabetics.
Type 1 diabetes happens when the pancreas in a person’s body no longer produces insulin which regulates sugar in the bloodstream. The insulin must be injected into the body by a syringe for controlling the blood sugar level in the body.
“You don’t want to become a diabetic, it happens. The thing of it is you either learn to live with it or you die by it,” said Roake. He grew up loving hunting and fishing but was always with someone who knew his condition and always had some candy with him, saying lifesavers was his candy of choice.
On a personal note, I have been a type 1 diabetic for 21 years and Roake and I talked about one of the differences in diabetic care, then and now. Today, syringe’s for injecting insulin are plastic with a much smaller metal needle and after one use can properly be disposed of.
Roake said it used to be that after each use the glass syringes and metal needles were boiled before they were sterilized, and they were used over and over again. He added that his father would also have to sharpen the needles, so it wouldn’t hurt as much when he was injected.
Diet is another issue with diabetes with Roake saying that as a kid his mom and dad wouldn’t let him have candy but as he grew up he found out he could have sweets as long as it was in moderation. “Just good moderation and always take your medicine no matter what,” Roake said.
He had some advice for other diabetics on how to someday be recognized with a medal for their long life. He said it’s a good idea that there is someone with you when you do activities that knows what to do for you and always be alert to your condition.
Roake spent 26 years working at Acme Boot and when they closed he went to Austin Peay helping to take care of the campus grounds for 25 years. He contributes much of his many years of a “life well lived” to the love and support from his wonderful wife Juliette who are celebrating 60 years together.