My journey with Type 1 Diabetes.

I was originally diagnosed when I was at university. I'd just finished my first degree so I was doing post postgraduate studies. I had the standard set of symptoms but I didn't know what they were, so losing weight first, going to the loo a lot. I went to my university GP who they didn't seem to think that it was anything worth investigating until I became very unwell and I went to A&E and they diagnosed me there being diabetic. Originally I was put on tablets, I was then obviously treated by the university and they did a really good job, they were very supportive. They explained to me what was going on and over time I guess the tablets couldn't handle it. I was I was testing finger print testing it was just coming in to be widely used and I was lucky to be able to get enough strips so I could see that my control was not as good as it could have been but you know I haven't I I was very careful what I was eating and how much I was exercising everything so nothing was changing with what I was doing but my control was getting worse. And then I was, it was suggested to me to go on to insulin. And that was, that was very scary. I'm not a big fan of being injected. So I was very worried about that until the day that I had to do it. I was very apprehensive, but the nurses were super supportive. And after I had the first injection, it was with pens, the pens were just becoming a big thing as well as opposed to syringes, it was amazing. It was so easy, it wasn't painful and it made me feel really good. The difference between not being on insulin and being on insulin was huge. So I wish I went on insulin sooner and I would always recommend to people that they should do it because it makes a huge difference to quality of life really, to the way one feels. And the support I had from the York team was amazing. The consultant, I can't obviously remember, his name was a long time ago. He was involved with research. I was a research student at the time. So he was good enough to share the level of detail that I was interested in. And I always want to know as much as possible. So he was very tolerant. And at that time, there was a study that came. I really can't remember what it was called. It was the first big study, I think it was American, on the importance of control, blood sugar control, to the long-term outcomes. And he actually shared the whole study with me, which was amazing. And then talked me through it because I had questions. So I had an amazing experience, actually, with the hospital team, which is completely different to the experience I had with the GP at university, who really didn't care. didn't have any facilities on how to test people and I guess the only excuse I can think of getting type 1 or even getting new diabetic people at university must be a very rare thing but it's no excuse. So I spoke with the university, I spoke with them and I remember they actually got some finger print tests to have in the clinic because they should. Again, in 1990s that was probably unusual. I'm sure now every GP should have that. It should be something just that they do. So in summary, my experience initially was very poor, but then when I was with the hospital it was amazing. It really was very good.