Walking for multiple days just following footpaths on a map and then camping is both mentally and physically tough. Adding the need to manage blood sugars on top of that doesn’t make it any easier.  

For me, the middle of the walk is always the toughest part - when the enthusiasm has died down and the end still feels ages away. But just keep going, one foot in front of the other is all it takes.  

Communication with your group is essential – hopefully, you feel comfortable and relaxed with the other people in your group. Before the expedition, I made my group aware that I have type 1 and what to do in emergency situations. It was helpful for me to have that talk so if I got into difficulties, I knew that they knew how to help me.  

During the expedition, I felt able to ask if I needed to sit down for a minute to check my blood sugar, treat a hypo, or just take the weight off my back for a couple of minutes. I think everyone appreciated having a rest before continuing with the day. 

So don’t give up! One of the best feelings ever is getting to the meeting point at the end knowing what it’s taken to get there! 

I felt quite proud that I was the only kid at primary school with diabetes. I took it in my stride. But when I reached my teens, I had some difficulties. I don’t think anyone knew at the time, but I was very controlling of my insulin and what I was eating. I had an eating disorder, basically.

It’s easy to see it now. I think it was triggered by being able to control something because a lot of time with diabetes, I felt out of control.

At school, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was really academic, sporty and into the outdoors. I’m determined to pursue what I want to do, regardless of diabetes. I always worked really hard to ensure it wasn’t a barrier to my ambitions.

After graduating with an English Literature degree from York University, I worked at a summer camp for children with disabilities in Canada.

When I came back to the UK, I got a job with the National Trust as a gardener. Physically, that was very tough, and it was tricky in terms of diabetes. I have found it difficult at times to know whether to make my needs known to employers. I don’t like to make a fuss.

When it comes to helping other people understand what it’s like living with diabetes, Bethany is happy to be open about her experiences to those who are genuinely curious.

“I don’t think you can ever stop people being inquisitive and if people ask me about what I’m doing, for example if they see me injecting, I’m happy to talk to them. But when people are judging before they’ve even tried to understand – that’s a lot harder to deal with. I always say ‘ask me about it, don’t tell me about it.’

“Diabetes is different for everyone – if I have type 1 and you have type 1 it doesn’t mean our experiences will be the same and I think people forget that, even people who have diabetes.” 

Bethany’s final reflections are on how we can help more people to understand diabetes.

“A lot of what I read is either so simple that it’s made for people who have never heard of diabetes, or it’s so complicated that only people with diabetes will really understand it. That middle ground where you can give friends or family or people you work with something that tells what they really need to know to understand would be so helpful. They don’t need to know everything, but I think they need to know more than they do now.” 

I wish people knew about the mental burden of living with type 1 diabetes. People assume that you check your blood sugars now and then, and you inject insulin a couple of times a day and apart from that you’re fine.

But type 1 diabetes isn’t like that; it’s 24/7 and I’m constantly checking my blood sugars, and assessing, ‘can I go for that walk’ or ‘can I eat something’, or ‘how much insulin do I need now if I’m going to do some exercise later’ - it’s relentless. And because I may be reluctant to make a fuss, people just don’t understand the never-endingless of it.

What would help is if people listened more to people with type 1 diabetes and have that openness to understand, and not assume they know what it is and what we can or can’t do. Just take a step back and listen to the people who are living with diabetes on a daily basis and take their word for it, as we know what we’re living with.

Just because they may have read something about the condition or watched a few TikTok videos doesn’t mean they know how we’re feeling. Let us be the ones who decide how we deal with our diabetes.

To help me eat well and work towards a healthy weight, I started reading up on what makes up a healthy, balanced diet, and building my understanding of what, and how much, you consume can make a difference to your blood glucose levels and diabetes management. 

I also started looking at labels on pre-packed foods and drinks I was eating and drinking to get a better idea of what’s in certain products as the basis for cutting down on my sugar intake and making some swaps.  

What’s more, I started going on regular walks and joined a weight management programme. 

The diet plan I started through the programme has helped me with new eating habits and I’ve enjoyed the sense of community I get from talking to other people in the group that’s part of the programme. The team running the programme also encouraged me to keep in contact with my diabetes nurse, which I did. 

When I did get to meet my diabetes nurse, she measured my HbA1c, and started the checks my GP advised me about. My nurse was very encouraging and supportive, not just about diet, but emotionally as well which is important because the impact of being told you have types 2 diabetes is a big thing.