'My diabetes was undetected and I owe my life to my mother.'

I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes on 16 September 1958. I was  just four-years-old and had to spend three months in the Birmingham Childrens Hospital. I have had four children all born in the then Birmingham  Maternity Hospital, all healthy with no diabetes. 

My diabetes was undetected and I owe my life to my mother.  I was losing weight, at the kitchen tap at the water, no energy.  My mother took me to see our GP and was told I was playing up and to  take me home.  My mother took me back to him with a sample of my water and he couldn't get me to the  hospital quick enough. I was admitted and my parents told that it was touch and go for a while. 

I started to not feel when I  was going into hypos a few years ago and have to keep testing by sugar level as  don't know very often, only when my sight goes funny in them.  I am very lucky  to be on the Islet Transplant list, which I am awaiting now.

About three years ago I lost a lot of weight without trying and  various tests where done, but they couldn't find the reason.  Now I have put  weight on which I am trying to lose.  I have lost over a stone now, but now seems to be stopping.  I really need to lose another 1.5 stone so the transplant  will stand a better chance of working.