Janice's Type 1 diagnosis led her to take up regular ballet classes. And she's been dancing ever since.
I was diagnosed with Type 1 in 1961 at the age of 8 years. My mother sent me to ballet lessons "to keep the blood sugar down".
I became obsessed with it and auditioned for a professional school at the age of 15, was accepted and began a full time course when I was 16 years old - eight years after diagnosis.
The next three years were one of discovery in terms of just how much 90 minute classes, all day, kept the blood sugar down.
I soon realiased I had to adjust my insulin drastically.
In addition I new to living in London, on my own, so had to deal with all the changes in diabetes control.
At 19 I was accepted as a dancer with The Italian Operetta Company and spent the next two years living and working as a dancer, in Italy.
Even though I was offered a contract for a third year I decided I would return home. I married, taught dance, did some dance work with some well-known celebrities and then changed profession completely and worked in advertising for 10 years. I had my first child at 33 and my second at 35.
When both children began their secondary education I went to university and graduated at 51 years of age.
I then took a Post Graduate Certificate in Education, at the Royal Academy of Dance in London with Qualified Teacher status and have since worked as a teacher.I retire in a years' time at the age of 64. I like to think that being a Type 1 diabetic has not stopped me doing what I wanted to in life and I always been healhty and never developed any complications.
