On a beautiful, sunny June morning staring out of the window I was interrupted from my day dreams by the consultant, "Good morning, you have me today, both diabetic nurses are away. I am going to explain to you about hypoglycaemia, commonly known as hypos." I'd almost forgotten. life was never going to be the same again.

Let me take you back two weeks before I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. "Did you have a good day at school? What did you do today? Did any of the children come out with any funny remarks?" Mum would say as she bombarded me with questions as she picked me up from school during my work experience placement. "Yes, I had a good day, I'm just really tired," I would reply as I fell asleep on the 10 minute journey back home. Once I got home all I could concentrate on was going to sleep, everything around me seemed such a blur. Looking back it was almost as if I was in a trance! I just couldn't be bothered with anyone or anything. I know people say the world of work is hard but I didn't expect to be this exhausted!

"If I'd have known work experience was going to have this affect on you Alice, I'd have asked school to let you go years ago! You've never slept this much even when you were a baby!"

I continued my work experience becoming more and more tired as the week went on, I enjoyed my time but I was glad it was over; hopefully going back to school would be a rest!!

Monday morning came as I rolled out of bed and got ready for school. "Hey mum, look at this, the working girl has lost weight! If I don't hold them up they'll fall down." "Hurry up, we are going to be late," my mum replied. I can recall it being a really hot day, that afternoon I consumed 2 litres of water, 1 litre of oasis and 500ml of fanta, but I was still unable to quench my thirst and wondered why I was constantly tripping off to the toilet. 48hours later, I staggered out of bed, tired and holding on to the walls as I walked to the bathroom. "Was that you getting up during the night again?" called my mum.

"Mum I feel really dizzy".

"Right, I'm calling the surgery. ok we have an appointment at 10."

We arrived at the surgery and explained to the doctor about my symptoms.

"I'll send you for blood tests and we'll get a sample of urine before you leave," explained the doctor. "Oh I've already brought a urine sample," my mum replied passing over the container for the doctor to test. It was from then that the urgency of the situation seemed to take over. I could see from the look on the doctor's face that something was wrong as she looked as the stick.

"This is very serious" she said as she dropped to her chair, "this is a very serious situation. You have 4+ of Ketones; the urine stick has turned purple! I'm sure you have diabetes mellitus, I'll ring the paediatrics' ward immediately to let them know you are coming."

I sat there in a daze, with my legs trembling trying to contemplate what the future holds for me. What did this really mean and how is this going to change my life.?

We entered the children's ward and were led down the corridors to a bed that seemed stark and cold compared to my one at home; despite the various brightly coloured jungle animals on all the bedding. There was a barrage of questions to be asked as the numerous forms were filled in. I answered them all in a state of robotic monotony. "Alice we need to take some blood tests and the doctor will be along shortly to see you," explained the nurse as she completed the last of the forms. Not only was I in a state of shock but mum was too. There was that feeling that hung in the air, neither of us saying anything, neither wanting to admit just how serious it was, how I could have gone into a diabetic coma and not come round. We just sat staring as the busy ward continued to hustle and bustle around us.

"Can I put this cream on your hand, this will hopefully numb it? before we take some blood from you." I came round from my daze. I looked at the clock, time passed extremely slowly. Ten minutes seemed like hours. Next came the clip clap of ladies shoes down the corridor. The echo getting louder with each step she took closer to me,

"Hello, I'm your paediatric diabetes specialist nurse, there's a lot to take in but we are going to take things slowly as we don't want you to become overwhelmed with all the information. I'm not going to ask you to do anything I wouldn't do myself."

At the same time she showed me the equipment I would need to test my blood sugar and proceeded to test her blood sugar, showing me what to do. "My reading is 4.6mmo/l lets see what yours is." I held out my finger as she pricked it, a tiny droplet of blood came out and she held it to the blood sugar strip. We waited anxiously and reluctantly looked at the blood sugar meter - 25.9 flashed vigorously in my eyes - "That's what we call hyperglycaemia." She held out an insulin pen in a bright coloured case, showing me how to assemble it and placing a needle on the top. All I could think of was how it resembled a fountain pen, and how whilst I was sat here being taught how to use something that would in effect stop me from dying, my friends were at school and probably complaining about the amount of homework they had and how much their wrists hurt from writing.

I was expecting a long needle, like a vaccination needle or something out of a horror film, but to my surprise it was only small and remarkably thin (5mm to be exact). She loaded the pen, pinching up a part of my leg with difficulty considering the amount of weight I had lost and.done. My first injection and blood sugar test was complete, not that bad after all. "The sooner you do this on your own the sooner you can go home but you still have a lot to learn. Oh and hear are some magazines for you to read" she said with a smile as a pile of leaflets bounced onto my bed, "oh and a few for you mum, just in case you have any questions." Great I thought, lovely bed time reading!! Though it might make the time go quicker.

"Look mum that little girl has a blood sugar meter too, she must be diabetic." A blonde haired little girl was jumping around in her cot playing boo with the curtains, "Stop it, Ellie, your disturbing the ward round" said her dad. "Sit down so I can take your blood sugar."

The little girl looked about two; she put her finger through the bars of the cot and her dad proceeded to take her blood sugar. Mum and I looked at each other in awe, both filling up with emotion. If a two year old can cope with it, I must be able to, I thought. In minutes she was rushed out of the ward, her body limp and lifeless in the cot. Traumatised by the recent event, we both sat in silence unaware of who this little person was but feeling overwhelmed by her experience. Half an hour later she returned to the ward to continue her game of "boo" with the curtains, as if nothing had happened. Her blood sugar levels had dropped so low she had needed a drip and her conscious levels had become dangerously low. "It was a bit touch and go," said her dad. Ellie continued to appear oblivious to what had just gone on. Part of me wondered whether it would be the same for me.

Overwhelmed. that's how I felt. It was just like being on a rollercoaster, emotionally going up and down as I came to terms with all the information that I had to digest and the changes it meant to my lifestyle. My life was to become one of routine. And the highs and lows of my blood sugar and the way it made my body react. The professional say 'Don't let in rule your life' but after having diabetes for 9months I am still unstable and inevitably I have no choice but to take each day as it comes. It is a disease that cannot be ignored, not even for one day!