Our son Eddie is 5 and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes just before Christmas 2021. He was 3 and a half years old, and it came as a great shock to us as no one in our families has diabetes. 

I found it very difficult coming to terms with Eddie’s diagnosis and I didn’t realise the impact it would have on our family and our day to day lives.

"I really struggled with my mental health, and I had to go to my GP to ask for support. It was a difficult step, but I am so glad I did it. I knew I had to be there for my family and if I wasn’t well then it would make everything more difficult." 

Whilst the medical care was amazing, we didn’t find there was much support near us for families who have newly diagnosed young children. Being able to talk to families who had been through it already or anyone who could relate to the trauma involved, particularly in those early stages, would have been invaluable. We don’t want other families feeling like we did in those early days after diagnosis.

Nine months after Eddie was diagnosed, we went on a Diabetes UK weekender for families in Cambridge. It was just the right time for our family and something we could all do together. It was absolutely amazing. I cried and my husband cried. There were lots of volunteers in their 60s who had type 1 diabetes and they reassured us that Eddie was going to be OK and that they had had a very nice life. It helped us a lot.

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.