I was 9 when I became type 1 i took to it very quickly. Unfortunately when I became a teenager I rebelled against everything my doctor asked me to do. I didn't take my insulin I ate everything that was wrong for me and because of this I spent a lot of my early teenage years in hospital with ketoacidosis. This didn't stop me I carried on drinking and smoking eating all the wrong stuff, because of this when I was 16 I developed necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum in english leg ulcers on my shins. I suffered for many years in a lot of pain and travelling to the hospital every week. My legs very rarely open up now unless I accidently bump or cut them. The best control I ever had was when I was pregnant as I knew it wasn't just me anymore, but I continued to abuse my health after I had my children. I have been diabetic for 24 years now and I have neuropathy in my hands, feet and back due to the abuse, my hba1c were always 17mmol and above. I received a accu chek spirit combo pump on the 4th january of this year and it has been a god send, I now almost have it all sorted my blood sugars are so much steadier now that my recent hba1c was 6.8mmol. I feel so much better and healthier now that I look after myself properly. I wouldn't have been able to do this if it hadn't been for the pump and my partner they have helped me so much. I hope someone reads this and gets some help from it so they don't follow in my footsteps. I really hope they find a vaccine or a cure to prevent this in the future.

sandra jelley
Aldershot, United Kingdom