'Don’t listen to what people may say to you about your diabetes.'

I was diagnosed with diabetes a month before my third birthday in 1973. It was a condition that my family had not heard of, and the prospect of daily my injections, was a shock to them, as nobody in my family had diabetes.

I think it would have been worse if I had got it later in life as I would be more used to eating certain foods and perhaps not have followed the healthier diet that I have now.

I was a novelty at school and had to wear a badge which stated, “I am a diabetic”. I still remember it to this day, a plastic cream coloured disc with a safety pin to attach to your clothes. Can you imagine wearing that today?

I remember cleaning my grubby badge one day with surgical spirit, and all the text came off! I never wore it after that.

I would get asked by my classmates, “What does that mean?” and would tire of giving people the same explanation, week after week.

I used to have school dinners and always remember that every day the children had lovely desserts, and I had a chopped apple.

At Christmas I was really lucky and had apple with a small spoon of custard! How things have changed!

Treatment has really changed, I was on one injection a day and had to do home urine testing.

It was quite exciting as it was like performing a chemistry experiment in your own bathroom with the test tube and dropper.

 A far cry from blood glucose monitoring! I also had a stainless steel syringe for injecting!

Diabetes has not stopped me from doing anything. I was reading about a person who was complaining that they couldn’t hold down a job, or do their own injections. Life is what you make it. You can either moan about things or be positive, embrace life and get out there.

I follow the latter example: I took an Open University degree and passed in 2001 and have a responsible job managing a youth centre as well as volunteering in the local community.

I have experienced a lot of negativity from the Asian community and feel this is a condition that they wish to sweep under the carpet. I was told that nobody would marry me because of my condition. What rubbish! I have been viewed as a freak.

I once went to a wedding and was drawing my insulin up in the bathroom. A couple of ladies walked in, gave me a disgusted look, and walked out again.

I didn’t bother explaining. My opinion was, “If you want to assume and not let me explain, I won’t bother”. I’ve also had people not sit next to me at weddings and move on purpose. Do they think they’ll catch it? How ignorant! 

I currently sponsor a young girl in India to enable her to fund her insulin/supplies. I would really like to meet her and say to her, “Don’t listen to what people may say to you about your diabetes. Get out there and live your life”.

Nabila Ritchie