I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about three years ago at the age of 42. I was admitted to hospital with an infection in my knee. They did a blood test and said: ‘you’re diabetic’. It was quite a shock. There were signs, looking back, I was drinking a lot of water and was tired a lot. I just didn’t join the dots. It never crossed my mind. 

As my dad has type 1 diabetes I knew quite a lot about diabetes. I also knew how insulin works in the body and also some of the difficulties of living with the condition. (I’ve got A levels in Chemistry and Biology and a Chemistry degree). 

Initially I didn’t get much healthcare support. They said they’d make an appointment with a dietitian and that never happened. They did offer a three-month gym membership but that’s not my thing so I turned it down. I get my annual checks with the GP and three monthly HbA1c checks.

When I was diagnosed, I became a member of Diabetes UK. The magazine (Balance) is good and I like the stories and the recipes. I also went online and a did a ridiculous amount of research about the condition. 

After I’ve done the Liverpool Wellness walk, I’m going to try and find a local half marathon to walk.  
 

My diagnosis essentially came about by luck. My doctor had told me I had high blood pressure, but it wasn’t until I took a trip to the opticians and they picked up a spot in my eye, that I got tested for the condition. I told my boss about the spot in my eye, and it was him who encouraged me to get tested – he lives with the condition so knows only too well how serious it is.  

I was then very quickly given a type 2 diabetes diagnosis by my doctor. It was such a wake-up call.  

Freya, 19, lives in Dover, Kent, with her parents and a younger brother and is coming up to the 10th anniversary of her diagnosis. She is currently on a gap year and considering a career in the legal profession. As well as working, she has also trained to become a Young Leader for the Together Type 1 project at Diabetes UK.

Freya says:

“Both my parents are nurses so when I began showing some of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes it didn't take them long to decide that they should take me to hospital for a check-up. When I look back, I was just surprised to be called out of my primary school classroom as I didn’t feel ill.”

“A fingerprick test at the hospital came back at 21 which is very high. I stayed in hospital for a few days and, once back home, started to learn how to self-manage although with a lot of help from my mum in the early years.”

I had gestational diabetes with my eldest son. Afterwards, I was told I could develop type 2 diabetes later in life, but at the time I wasn’t made to feel that it was really important. 
 
Then when I was 40, I visited a relative who had type 2 diabetes and told her that I was feeling unwell and tired all the time. She urged me to go to the doctor, and a test at my GP confirmed that I had developed type 2 diabetes. 
 
I asked my doctor if I could try to manage it with my diet, but she said my blood glucose levels were too high and that I needed to bring this down with medication. After I was diagnosed, I was in shock and almost afraid to eat anything. But I started taking the medication and eventually I thought, “well that’s taking care of everything.” 
 
After the initial shock, I didn’t think too much about my diagnosis. I took my medication and would eat what I wanted. Within five years, I was taking the maximum dose of metformin and was advised by my doctor that I needed to start taking more medication. I begged for some more time and went home to talk to my family. My husband suggested I join a running club. I hadn’t done any exercise since school, but I had nothing to lose, so I joined a beginners’ running club, which I came to really enjoy. I even learnt to ride a bike and swim, and started doing triathlons. But my diet still wasn’t what it needed to be.  
 
As I approached my 50th birthday, I sat down with my sons to make a list of things I wanted to do before entering a new decade. One of the things they suggested was putting my diabetes in remission.  

I have a family history of diabetes. My grandmother was a nurse and lived with type 2, however I was still caught off-guard by my diagnosis. At 6ft 2in and with a naturally broad frame, I didn’t notice myself gaining weight. I was always wearing baggy clothing and it’s only now when I look back at photos, I can see it.  
 
The passing of my grandfather had a great impact on me, as he was undiagnosed for many years with type 2 diabetes. Then in 2012 I received my own type 2 diagnosis, which felt really significant. After struggling to manage my condition for five years, I was in a bad place. I didn’t want to be prescribed so much medication and I just didn’t know how to deal with diabetes. I had a lot of misconceptions about the condition, and it felt like I was stumbling about in the dark.