My name is Laura and this is my story. All of the facts that are used in this essay are true. It's so hard living with diabetes, especially when you've had it for 10 years. When I was young my pancreas could still produce a small amount of insulin. At that age I was aloud to eat and do things as if I were a normal child. As I grew older things became harder to deal with. It all happened when I was about 7 years old. I started to feel left out and different. Although I knew I was different when I was young, I didn't feel it. All my friends around me were eating ice cream and sweets while I wasn't aloud.

At about the age of 9 years old I became stressed because everyone had been eating sweets and asking me if I wanted any for years, but I couldn't. That is why I started to eat loads of sweets without my mam knowing. At that point in time, I started to put on weight.

By the time I was 11 I was still eating without my mam knowing and I had put on a lot of weight. I now weighed 7stone. I tried to stop eating things I shouldn't, but It was impossible. If I tried really hard to stop eating my friends would wave sugar and other food I knew I couldn't eat in front of my face. I couldn't beat the temptation.

I am now 12 and weigh nearly 9 stone. If I try to eat anything behind my mams back she always finds out, so I don't bother any more. I also know that if I want anything to eat I have to test my blood sugar levels and have a needle. I still get stressed every now and again. It doesn't help that I also get stressed about different things such as homework (which I get bundles of) or my year 7 exams. It makes me really sad sometimes but I get over it by singing, trampolining, hanging with my best friend or just talking on the phone to her about gossip and different things. I get angry with my Mam when she goes on about the things I already know. If I do get angry I go to my bedroom and write a poem or songs as my best friend and I are in a band called 'The Sexy Babes'. I have loads of other emotions. Having diabetes has affected my weight and my eyesight. I have to wear glasses, I feel so ugly. I hate wearing them. I'm not beautiful like everyone else in my class.

Overall I would like to say, having diabetes is very stressful. Take care and keep control of your blood glucose levels. There are some very bad side affects that can happen. You could go blind or even have body parts amputated.