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My auntie had type 1 diabetes. She died from diabetes complications at the age of 30. I remember when I was still quite young, I used to help her get her injections ready. She taught me all about it. It was when you used glass syringes and you had to tap it to get the air bubbles out.
I was diagnosed when I was 29. I remember it was the day before my birthday. I was living with my (ex) husband at a military base in Germany. I self-diagnosed myself. I was watching a programme about the guy who invented insulin.
And I thought, that’s what I’ve got. I hadn’t taken a lot of notice, but I’d lost a lot of weight. It was a bit of a shock.
I was sent to the military hospital where I stayed for a couple of days where they taught me how to inject. I remember they advised me not to get pregnant. But it turned out that I was already! but I did manage OK. My son got married this Sunday gone.
I did go through a stage of thinking why me? But in the end I thought it was a good job it was me and not my sister as she wouldn’t have coped.