Yes, I’ve been a Type 1 for 56 years, I was 11 when I spent a week in the children’s ward in St Peters Hospital in Chertsey, the nursing staff were superb and I was discharged with the big glass syringe, large needles, a bottle of ProtamineZinc insulin and a bottle of soluble insulin and a metal gun that the glass syringe clipped into. You set the gun and held it against your skin and pulled the trigger......for an 11 year old, this made injecting a bit easier. But Dad & Mum still had to boil the syringe every morning before use.
Mum always made sure each day that I had my sweet cigarette box with 8 sugar cubes inside in my school bag.
With this insulin regime you had to eat each measured quantity of food at precise times each day. And of course, “managing” your blood sugar by testing your urine with Clinitest tablets........Oh, how times have changed.....
I give all new diabetics this advice.......it’s tough coming to terms with the condition, but with the technology available today it’s much easier than it was in 1963, the insulin pen and blood sugar monitoring allowed me to work all over the world undertake any sport and challenge I wanted to do.
If you listen to your body and look after yourself, then there’s no reason on earth why you can’t do everything you want and get to the age I am without any complications and still be fit to do more.
Last thing, remove stigmas and embarrassment and share and trust your condition with friends and colleagues !!!!