That’s when my consultant, Dr Schofield at the Manchester Royal Infirmary, mentioned a treatment called teplizumab. Dr Schofield explained that this treatment could extend the amount of time I had before becoming insulin dependent, by targeting the immune system, stopping it from attacking my insulin-producing cells for a while.

I was really keen to continue living my life as I was doing, without insulin, for as long as possible. I did my own research, and Dr Schofield put me in touch with a professor in Birmingham who’s a leading researcher on early-stage type 1 diabetes. He told me that if his own child were developing type 1, he’d want them to have teplizumab. That really reassured me.

I knew my blood sugars were rising and was told that I would soon be dependent on insulin to manage them. The window to have the treatment was closing fast, so I decided to go ahead.

Starting treatment

I had the treatment at Manchester Royal Infirmary in September 2025. Teplizumab is given as an infusion, ideally over 14 consecutive days. The team looking after me were amazing. I cannot thank them enough. They worked tirelessly, not only to ensure that the whole process ran smoothly and safely, but to get to know me and ensure that I felt comfortable.

This was invaluable as the treatment course wasn’t all plain sailing. On the second day I had a fever, and on day three my blood pressure dropped suddenly, and I fainted. I was diagnosed with cytokine release syndrome, which is a known side effect of treatments like teplizumab. 

It was scary and I remember thinking at the time, “What have I put myself through?” but the team were brilliant and managed it straight away. I felt unwell with a fever and extreme fatigue for a couple more days which meant my treatment had to be paused on day six.

However, after that, the rest of the treatment went much more smoothly. By the final week, I was working remotely from the hospital during the day and feeling completely fine. It really was a rollercoaster, but I’m so glad that I did it.

Within two weeks of finishing the treatment, I started seeing changes in the readings from my continuous glucose monitor. With some small tweaks to my diet, my time in range has jumped from 70% to 95%, and my blood sugars aren’t spiking as frequently or for as long after meals.

After finding out about my early-stage type 1 diabetes, I’d previously asked my doctors if there were any treatments or research trials I could be on. And at the time there was nothing.

But in early 2025, my consultant in Exeter told me, “There’s a possibility we may be able to get hold of a drug that could push back your full type 1 diagnosis.” And then it clicked that this drug – teplizumab – was something I’d read about before on Diabetes UK’s website and in the news.

I knew it was being used in the US and knew the data that was out there showing it could delay type 1 diabetes by two or three years. So, I wasn’t concerned that it was ‘new’ and I didn’t really hesitate. Because I had that insight from my pregnancies of what it’s like dealing with the daily grind of insulin injections, blood sugar checks and carb counting – the idea of pushing type 1 back that bit further was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss.

Some people might say, “oh two extra years without type 1, that doesn’t sound a lot”. But for someone living with type 1 diabetes, they’d probably do anything to have even an extra week without it. And hopefully two years is the minimum, and then researchers can develop something that means five years, or 10 years, or ultimately forever, without type 1.

Everything happened quickly after that. But I know the team at Exeter worked incredibly hard to get me access to the drug and get everything ready to treat me with it. I felt very lucky because I just had to say “yes” and then turn up. I wasn’t feeling particularly apprehensive, just excited.

I’d need to go into hospital every day for 14-days to receive the course of teplizumab. I decided to book that time off work. I spent around three or four hours each day in the hospital. They started me on a very low dose of teplizumab, gradually increasing it until day five.

The doctors had talked to me about possible side effects. They explained that my white blood cell count would drop and that I might feel unwell mid-way through the course. They were right – around day five I had nausea and some vomiting and did feel rough for a couple of days.

But I was monitored closely the whole time and apart from that everything went fine. It was actually quite nice having this new daily routine and spending time with the lovely nurses.

Over the years, I’ve tried numerous technologies, insulins and hypo treatments, to find what works best for me. 

I grew up administering insulin injections around 5-7 times a day but when I hit my teenage years, I was incredibly lucky to be introduced to pump technology. With this tiny little device, I felt pretty invincible.

With all of this technology, I feel so unbelievably lucky that it’s right at my fingertips, even with diabetes being a tough condition. I’m forever grateful that there are individuals working so hard to develop this technology – making our lives better and ultimately saving lives.

My treatment and how I handle my diabetes has changed drastically since my diagnosis. 

In the early years, I was prescribed oral medication, but it did little to improve my glucose levels. My HbA1c remained extremely high, and finger-pricking gave me constant fear and anxiety, feeling like I was failing without knowing how to help myself. 

Despite changes to my diet and trying to walk more frequently, my glucose levels rarely dropped below 10 mmol/L.

Things changed when I moved to Norwich – they quickly started me on insulin, which I inject daily. Over the past two years, I’ve learned to accept insulin – not as a defeat, but as a kindness to my body. 

Overall, the move to Norwich itself has had a noticeable difference in my physical health and wellbeing. The slower pace of life – access to nature walks and being able to prep my own meals has made a real difference. I walk regularly, make balanced food choices, and have developed a much clearer understanding of how carbohydrates affect my body. My HbA1c has improved significantly. 

Another major change is that I’ve been provided a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) through a clinical trial.

 "Having constant, real-time glucose readings has been empowering and life-changing. It’s given me a much fuller picture of my glucose patterns without the stress and discomfort of finger-pricking. It’s been invaluable in helping me make informed, timely decisions about my diabetes care."

For many years, I did nothing to manage my diabetes – although I did lose weight over time. From my heaviest, I managed to drop to 16 stone over a period of about 4 years. I hovered at this weight for around 5 years, from 2020 to 2025.

After my kids were born, I took more of an interest in my diabetes. I was fortunate to have access to private health checks through work and, because of those private health checks, I discovered that my HbA1c was 86mmol/mol. I decided to act and attended appointments with my GP and diabetes nurse. I was prescribed Metformin. From there, my HbA1c numbers started to drop, and by Christmas Eve 2024, they were down to 63mmol/mol. 

In May 2025, I was out walking my dog with a close friend. He was discussing how he had been diagnosed with prediabetes and that he had invested in a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). I spent the next few weeks thinking about how I ought to do the same to turbo-charge my diabetes management.

I took the plunge and ordered a box of two CGMs that would last a month, which was quite costly. I count myself really lucky that I was able to afford that, as I recognise this sadly isn’t the case for many. 

When I spotted my erratic glucose levels after using the CGM for the first time, it was then that  I realised that my diabetes was incredibly volatile. I decided enough was enough.