'I am now one of two people in County Durham to be given an insulin pump.'

 I was diagnosed 14 years ago when I was 13. I was very ill, almost in a coma prior to diagnosis as it didn't run in the family, and so no-one knew the symptoms.

Having had Type 1 diabetes for 14 years and having had injections throughout that time, I am now one of the first two people in County Durham to be given the continuous blood glucose monitoring system with insulin pump, fully funded.

At the click of a button you can see the trend of your blood sugars, be alerted to changes either up or down, and it will even wake you during the night if youre going hypo!

It has absolutely changed my life. The control is so much better and depsite it being attached all the time, it is far less hassle. I am also now trying out a low GI diet in order to help blood control - I am a dance teacher, so it's helping keep my energy levels up too, and stopping frequent hypos followed by highs due to over compensation - things are much much better with the pump system - they should be available to everybody!

I teach dance and drama in a high school full time, so I am very active. The insulin pump now means I am less concerned about fluctuating readings, as I can suspend delivery during long periods of exercise and then resume it when I want - amazing!