A woman from Durham, who has lived with Type 1 diabetes for 50 years has received a medal from leading charity Diabetes UK.
Christine Mordue, 66, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was 15 years old, received the award from Diabetes UK in recognition of her courage and perseverance in handling the condition.
As mum-of -two Christine remembers, a lot has changed since she was diagnosed: “I had to boil glass syringes, which I used to inject insulin, to keep them sterile. We used a urine test to determine blood glucose levels and my diet was much more restricted.
“I was lucky that my mother had a sensible approach, despite all the scare stories that people would tell us. She made sure I ate well, prepared balanced meals and supported me to understand my condition.”
The Alan Nabarro medal is awarded to people who have lived with diabetes for 50 years. Alan Nabarro waged a lifelong battle against discrimination against people with diabetes. In 1968 he was awarded the OBE for his work with young people in London.
Christine continued: “Understanding and treatment of diabetes has come a long way, take for example, insulin pumps. I first used one during my second pregnancy, 36 years ago. It was bulky and cumbersome, stretching the length of my upper arm, whereas a modern pump slips discretely under clothing.”
Christine believes that diabetes education is important for people managing the condition.
She added: “I’ve had my ups and downs like anyone and there are times that I have found managing my diabetes difficult. However I’ve found education courses useful and I attended a DAFNE course just a few years ago. I was able to share experiences with other people with Type 1 diabetes and learn more up to date information about the condition.”
“People with diabetes are usually the experts on their own condition and I’ve been lucky to have excellent care throughout my life but understanding my diabetes has been the most important thing.”
