November 2006 was such an emotional month for me because I found out I had diabetes. I was completely shocked when I found out, I didn't really no much about it, I was scared and felt alone but then I realised I'm not the only one suffering and there are lots of people I could talk to.

It was early October when my parents saw a change in me. I became thirsty all the time and then I needed the loo a lot. I became tired easily and I was never as happy and smiley as I usually am. They took me to the doctors and she sent me for a blood test. When the results came back she told me I was diabetic and booked me and appointment at the hospital to see a diabetic doctor and nurse and so I could get educated about diabetes. My case was different to others though because I didn't become really ill because we caught it really early on. My appointment was booked for the middle of November and that's when I would get all my medication etc, however this didn't all go to plan.

About 2 weeks before my appointment was due I came home from school as usual and tested my blood on a home monitoring kit we had bought ourselves to see how my blood sugar levels were doing, and it read 'HI'. When I saw this on the machine I got really worried. My parents decided to take me to the hospital as they didn't want me to into a hyperglycaemia attack. At the hospital I my blood was tested and again the monitor was reading 'HI'. This really friendly nurse then entered the cubical I was in with an insulin injection. She was so kind and really comforted me; I didn't even feel it because she was taking my mind off it. From that point I felt officially diabetic because I had just had my first insulin injection.

After they'd sorted me all out on A&E they took me up to my ward were I would spend the next few nights. I was on Tropical lagoon in Old Church Hospital and again all the nurses were so friendly. At this point the thought of being diabetic hadn't really crossed my mind it hadn't sunk in that I was going to have this for the rest of my life.

In the morning nurses were coming backwards and forwards testing my blood and making sure I was all ok. Also I met my doctor and nurse and I liked them both. My nurse Diane was the best person I had to talk to because she new everything. She gave me a mini lesson on diabetes and gave me a computer game to play to help me.

After 2 nights in hospital I was able to go home as I was fine, they made sure before I left that I could do my injection myself and to my surprise I wasn't that scared to do it. Diane came and visited me a few days after I was discharged to make sure I was coping with doing my two injections myself. I didn't go back to school for 2 weeks, I just wanted to make sure my levels were stable before I did. Being back at school was really nice to because I was able to be with my friends and they were really supportive about it all as well, but still up to this point it still hadn't sunk In that this is a lifetime thing. It wasn't until about 3 weeks after being discharged from hospital that it did.

I was going to bed one night and found myself just wanted to cry because I felt really upset. My mum was there to comfort me and from that moment was when I realised that this is forever. I got myself all upset and even though my mum kept saying it will be aright and don't worry I just kept thinking will it ever be ok.

Christmas time was very different that year. I new I couldn't eat all the sugary foods like the cakes so I wasn't really looking forward to it. Even though I wasn't looking forward to it I still had a really good time because you don't have to have the sugary foods to enjoy Christmas. I got through the day with no worries and was still able to eat a little bit of Christmas pudding.

A few weeks after Christmas I stared to get really annoyed with my diabetes, it started getting really difficult, I kept getting cravings for chocolate and it was awful knowing I really couldn't have any. When I went to the hospital next I spoke to them about the way I felt and they were really understanding. They told me that I could go onto four injections a day if I didn't find the injections a problem, which I didn't. I decided to go for it and I am so glad I made that decision because I have so much more freedom now. I haven't got to eat at certain times and I can eat a bigger variety of foods. Just that change changed the way I looked at diabetes because before I felt different to other people but changing to a different insulin makes me feel normal that I can eat at different times.

Throughout the whole of 2007 my diabetes was fine all controlled, apart from the fact that I was always a little high it was controlled. In February this year I hit a bump in the road and my injections started to hurt and I just got fed up with it. I was putting on weight and I just felt controlled again. I went to my nurse and she just listened to all my problems and told me ways to solve them and all my problems just seemed to fade away. She was so helpful and comforting. She just had all the answers I was looking for and up to about the 6th/7th April 2008 everything was going perfectly fine.

On the 6th/7th April 2008 I became really sick, I was vomiting and I couldn't keep my food down. Because I wasn't eating anything I wasn't doing my injections which I have learnt now is the worst thing I could've done because I developed DKA ( Diabetic Ketoacidosis ). This is when your sugars are too high so my body produces ketones which are bad and I became dehydrated and everything just seemed to go wrong. I was put into hospital for 2nights and they sorted my out by changing all my doses of insulin and tort me about diabetes with illnesses. The DKA came as a big shock to me and because I am frightened of it happening again I am trying my hardest to keep my levels down. I have been home for about a week and a half and so far so good my levels have been staying below ten.

Diabetes is a big deal but if you ever have problems you must speak to someone because I have learnt to never leave things locked up inside because it makes things worse. Diabetes is not an enemy it's a friend. I know I've got this for the rest of my life so I don't want to befriend it I've got to get on with things as normal and carry on. I can't let it get me down a lot of people suffer from it young and old and we're all here to help each other.