Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Sue York told Joanna Gosling that injecting herself would cause her to shake and vomit 
 
 A British woman has become the first person in the world to have a pancreas transplant because of a severe needle phobia, her doctors have said. 
 
 Sue York - who has had type-1 diabetes since she was seven - would shake uncontrollably and vomit when injecting herself with insulin. 
 
 Ms York told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme the operation had "completely altered my life". 
 
 Doctors said her life expectancy had now doubled. 
 
 'Full of energy' 
 
 Ms York, 55, from Lincoln, told the programme that, following the operation, at Manchester Royal Infirmary, she felt "incredible" and full of energy. 
 
 "No longer am I struggling to walk up a flight of stairs, getting breathless walking into the wind. No longer is my skin yellow or grey. No longer do I look constantly exhausted," she said. 
 
 "I've had to get new glasses because my eyesight has improved and feeling has returned to areas on my feet where I'd begun to lose sensation." 
 
 Ms York said her phobia had reached a critical point in 2012, when the DVLA had changed its regulations in relation to diabetic drivers, insisting they checked blood glucose levels - requiring her to prick her skin - before driving and once every two hours behind the wheel. 
 
 "It was just too many needles, too many invasions into the flesh," she said. 
 
 Ms York had decided to give up driving, she said, but her body had been too weak to walk long distances - leaving her at risk of becoming housebound. 
 
 She had tried hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy in an attempt to cure her phobia, but without success. 
 
 And injecting herself with insulin would frequently take 20 minutes. 
 
 Questions raised 
 
 It took more than two years for Ms York to be placed on a waiting list for the transplant, during which time she said she appeared in front of a panel three times to discuss her eligibility. 
 
 She said questions had been raised over her need for the transplant, given that she did not have any kidney complications, and over whether her phobia was a strong enough reason to undergo major surgery. 
 
 Surgeon Dr Raman Dhanda said guidelines were currently in place nationally and internationally to ensure those with the greatest need received transplants. 
 
 In Ms York's instance, he added: "It was a very hard decision to make, because [her] case was clearly very exceptional." 
 
 Ms York, who said a phobia of needles was common among long-term diabetics, believes her story could give hope to others. 
 
 "I don't know who my donor is, but I thank them and their family from the bottom of my heart," she said. 
 
 The Victoria Derbyshire programme is broadcast on weekdays between 09:15 and 11:00 on BBC Two and the BBC News channel. ||||| Diabetes and needle phobias 
 
 A British woman with type 1 diabetes has undergone a pancreas transplant because of a serious needle phobia , the first case of its kind.Sue York, 55, from Lincoln has had type 1 diabetes since the age of 7. She told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme that she would shake violently and even vomit when injecting herself with insulin.Ms. York had spent two years trying to get onto a waiting list for a transplant, and appeared in front of a panel three times to discuss her suitability for the procedure. There were questions over her eligibility: she did not have any kidney complications and she had to prove that her phobia was a strong enough reason to justify major surgery.Ms. York finally received the transplant at Manchester Royal Infirmary and now feels "incredible" and full of energy."No longer am I struggling to walk up a flight of stairs, getting breathless walking into the wind. No longer is my skin yellow or grey. No longer do I look constantly exhausted," she said. "I've had to get new glasses because my eyesight has improved and feeling has returned to areas on my feet where I'd begun to lose sensation. [The operation has] completely altered my life."Ms. York's doctors told her that her life expectancy had now doubled. Surgeon Dr. Ramon Dhanda added that her transplant "was a very hard to decision to make, because [her] case was clearly very exceptional," but national and international guidelines are in place to ensure people with the greatest need receive transplants."I don't know who my donor is, but I thank them and their family from the bottom of my heart," Ms. York added.For people with type 1 diabetes , and those with type 2 diabetes who inject insulin , a fear of needles can be exhausting to live with. The thought of daily injections can lead to anxiety, and subsequently avoiding injections.Ms. York had previously tried hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy to cure her phobia, but this was unsuccessful. It could take her up to 20 minutes to inject herself with insulin on any given day.A significant moment occurred in 2012, when the DVLA changed its regulations for people with diabetes, insisting that drivers check their blood glucose levels before driving and once every two hours on long journeys.For Ms. York, the frequency of pricking her skin pushed her phobia to breaking point. "It was just too many needles, too many invasions into the flesh," she said. She decided to give up driving, but as she struggled to walk long distances, she was at risk of becoming housebound.There are several reasons that a needle phobia can develop, such as an upsetting childhood experience. Relaxation exercises can be helpful in building confidence, but the fear of needles may always exist. As a result, diabetes management can become harder.Ms. York's case is an exceptional one due to the severe nature of her needle phobia, and possibly unlikely to be repeated for a very long time. However, her story is inspirational in that someone with type 1 diabetes is now free from a crippling phobia and much healthier as a result.
– It's not too strange to hear about a diabetic undergoing a pancreas transplant. What's unusual here is that the transplant was necessitated by the UK patient's extreme fear of needles—the first time that's happened anywhere in the world, the BBC reports. Sue York, 55, has had Type 1 diabetes since she was 7, but her needle phobia had made dealing with her disease a living hell. Before the transplant, it would often take York up to 20 minutes to inject herself with insulin, an "impossible" process that would typically leave her shaking and vomiting, she tells the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire program. Things only got worse in 2012, when the UK's DMV required diabetic drivers to check their blood sugar levels every time before driving, as well as every two hours once behind the wheel. "It was just … too many invasions into the flesh," York says. Diabetes.co.uk notes that there can be varying reasons for such needle fright, including childhood trauma of some sort, and that it can become a permanent fear. In York's case, she tried different types of therapy to get over her phobia, but ultimately she decided to fight to get on the transplant list—an effort that took more than two years and several panel appearances to justify. She received the transplant at the Manchester Royal Infirmary and now say she feels "incredible," while doctors assert the surgery has doubled her life expectancy. "No longer am I struggling to walk up a flight of stairs," she tells the BBC. "No longer is my skin yellow or grey. No longer do I look constantly exhausted." (These people had needles actually stuck in their bodies—for decades.)