I was diagnosed in 1996 at 11 years old. Diabetes and I never got along. I would often be kept awake at night by severe leg pains and my HBA1c was never below 8% and snuck up to 12% on occasion, but I wanted to be 'normal' and not let diabetes get in my way. If only i knew!! In 2008 I decide that I wanted a family so I finally got my act together, did a carb counting course and got myself on a pump. My HBA1c went from 8.7 to a respectable 7. Well I thought id nailed it, go me!! But instead of a baby I got diabetic retinopathy. The years of neglect finally caught up with me, I was devastated. From 2009-2012 I had eye bleeds every couple of weeks leaving me with limited vision for days at a time, months of intense laser treatment, 3 eye injections and 3 eye ops, also thrown into the mix was a brief spell of panic attacks and a miscarriage! Not the greatest time of my life that's for sure. Through all this there was one thing I did have a say over, my diabetes control. A family was all id ever wanted and I couldn't give up. My HBA1c steadily lowered and things in my eyes stabilised. I felt well and in control for the first time since I was diagnosed. Then at the beginning of 2013 I fell pregnant. My HBA1c was 5.6% (38) and now at 5 weeks from my inducement date I have a healthy sized baby boy waiting to make his entrance. If I could tell teenage me to do things differently I would but I have to live with the mistakes I made. But there is always hope, you just cant give up.

Jennie
Dorset, United Kingdom