In retrospect, managing diabetes is not just about insulin and diet; it’s about understanding the full scope of the condition and taking proactive steps to protect your long-term health. For years, I underestimated how serious it was and avoided confronting the reality of living with diabetes. The journey has been long, and while the technology and medical care I now receive have drastically improved my quality of life, I still deal with the consequences of those early years of not managing the condition well.

The lesson here is clear: diabetes doesn't take a back seat. It is relentless and unforgiving if left unchecked. Looking back, I realise that managing your diabetes well isn't just about avoiding minor inconveniences. It can literally save your life and prevent irreversible damage to your organs. If you're living with diabetes, it's essential to stay vigilant because once you hit that point of no return, like I did, there’s no easy way out.

Life after my transplant

Nine years after my transplant, I’m living a full life, raising my five-year-old son who is my motivation to keep going, to stay healthy, and to honour the gift of life that my donor gave me.

Having gone through so much, I now want to share my story with others. Diabetes is a relentless condition, and my journey proves just how serious the consequences can be. I hope that by raising awareness, particularly among young people, I can help someone else avoid going through what I’ve experienced.

Every day is a new chance, and I’m determined to keep living fully – for myself, for my son, and for Sally.

It is a lot to constantly be thinking about when my next meal will be, what type of exercise I’ll be doing, how many units of insulin to take, and more. There is so much more to think about. Going out for meals can be challenging as I have to guess the carbs and might get this wrong. As many others living with diabetes will know, I can’t just leave the house without ensuring I have my diabetes supplies.

There is also so much more to consider when going on holiday – ensuring I have a letter from my doctor and that I’ve packed all the necessary supplies. It’s the mental load that comes with the condition, always having to think about it, which is tough.

As a family, my husband and daughters have learned exactly what to do when I'm having a hypo, always keeping my trusty apple juice ready. My husband often checks that I have supplies before we leave the house. Their support makes living with type 1 diabetes a bit easier. My young daughters are curious and much more aware of the condition than I was before being diagnosed. I'm thankful to all my family for their unwavering support.

One of the big challenges I faced since my diagnosis was trying for another baby. I wanted my daughter to have a sibling but was terrified and clueless about what this would mean for me. Learning as much as I could and talking to professionals calmed my mind greatly.

I entered the pregnancy prepared and informed, and those nine months saw my best glucose management ever. Thankfully, my pregnancy was straightforward, and my second beautiful daughter was born in January 2020, just before the pandemic hit. Another blessing. I share my story to highlight how life can change overnight. But it's how we choose to look at our new normal that matters.

"I’ve shifted my mindset from “Why me?” to “What can I do to make the best of this condition?” I became more active, more mindful of my nutrition, and ran my first half marathon last year. I'm also currently taking a nutrition course outside of work."

My message is that we all have the strength to make the best of the hand we're dealt. It's up to us to have the right mindset.

Walking for multiple days just following footpaths on a map and then camping is both mentally and physically tough. Adding the need to manage blood sugars on top of that doesn’t make it any easier.  

For me, the middle of the walk is always the toughest part - when the enthusiasm has died down and the end still feels ages away. But just keep going, one foot in front of the other is all it takes.  

Communication with your group is essential – hopefully, you feel comfortable and relaxed with the other people in your group. Before the expedition, I made my group aware that I have type 1 and what to do in emergency situations. It was helpful for me to have that talk so if I got into difficulties, I knew that they knew how to help me.  

During the expedition, I felt able to ask if I needed to sit down for a minute to check my blood sugar, treat a hypo, or just take the weight off my back for a couple of minutes. I think everyone appreciated having a rest before continuing with the day. 

So don’t give up! One of the best feelings ever is getting to the meeting point at the end knowing what it’s taken to get there! 

I felt quite proud that I was the only kid at primary school with diabetes. I took it in my stride. But when I reached my teens, I had some difficulties. I don’t think anyone knew at the time, but I was very controlling of my insulin and what I was eating. I had an eating disorder, basically.

It’s easy to see it now. I think it was triggered by being able to control something because a lot of time with diabetes, I felt out of control.

At school, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was really academic, sporty and into the outdoors. I’m determined to pursue what I want to do, regardless of diabetes. I always worked really hard to ensure it wasn’t a barrier to my ambitions.

After graduating with an English Literature degree from York University, I worked at a summer camp for children with disabilities in Canada.

When I came back to the UK, I got a job with the National Trust as a gardener. Physically, that was very tough, and it was tricky in terms of diabetes. I have found it difficult at times to know whether to make my needs known to employers. I don’t like to make a fuss.

When it comes to helping other people understand what it’s like living with diabetes, Bethany is happy to be open about her experiences to those who are genuinely curious.

“I don’t think you can ever stop people being inquisitive and if people ask me about what I’m doing, for example if they see me injecting, I’m happy to talk to them. But when people are judging before they’ve even tried to understand – that’s a lot harder to deal with. I always say ‘ask me about it, don’t tell me about it.’

“Diabetes is different for everyone – if I have type 1 and you have type 1 it doesn’t mean our experiences will be the same and I think people forget that, even people who have diabetes.” 

Bethany’s final reflections are on how we can help more people to understand diabetes.

“A lot of what I read is either so simple that it’s made for people who have never heard of diabetes, or it’s so complicated that only people with diabetes will really understand it. That middle ground where you can give friends or family or people you work with something that tells what they really need to know to understand would be so helpful. They don’t need to know everything, but I think they need to know more than they do now.”