Our Story
Chloe’s Story
On 27th August 2014 I found myself in hospital with a diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes. I was shocked and scared and my life suddenly looked very different. I was taught to prick my finger to test my blood sugar every time I eat anything and every time I felt funny, (which was a lot). I was told I would have to have injections of insulin every time I ate, which was not good news for me because I have always been very scared of needles. I now have a sensor which shows my blood sugar levels and an insulin pump, which gives me insulin through a tiny cannula. I still have to add up all the carbohydrates of everything I eat and drink and make sure that my sugar levels are good so that I can be healthy.
Although I was scared when I was in hospital, I decided that I would be ok. I overcame my needle phobia and make sure that my life is not be ruled by diabetes. I do the same things as everyone else and I won’t let T1 D stop me. It’s hard to juggle, but it does get easier with time.
Sarah’s Story
I will never forget the day that my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I remember sitting in hospital with my little girl, trying to listen to people, but not wanting to hear what they were saying. I remember looking at boxes of needles, testing kits, leaflets, record books, and wondering how any of this could be happening. Then leaving the hospital armed with more medical equipment than I could have imagined and trying to find a place for it to fit in the house, and of course our life. Anxiety about how to keep my child safe soon kicked in and I began feeling lost and alone, mourned the future that I had planned and hoped for and feeling very very tired.
There are no right and wrong feelings about any diagnosis, and I think any parent or anyone with T1D will say that life is an unpredictable rollercoaster. A rollercoaster that any of us would gladly never have boarded but that becomes tolerable over time. A new kind of normal starts to emerge at some point and life, with all its ups and downs, continues and regains its joy.
