Through having diabetes for nearly 7 years now I have plenty of thoughts and feelings on this. I was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes from the age of 2 1/2. I remember having lots of thoughts running through my head.

When I was little I really hated hospitals and when I had to go in with the condition I was absolutely petrified. I was more scared than words can say. I remember how, when it was time to have my insulin......You don't want to know. I was just there minding my own business and the next minute it was obvious I was due an injection of insulin and well lets say I probably raised the roof.

As I got older I got used to the injections and I can inject myself..no problem and check my blood sugar myself too. I am aware when I feel I am going "low" sometime I feel that the energy is draining from me and on other occasions, if I am running or playing outside eg I feel that i have to slow down, that my batteries have run out. I always have access to lucozade or something though so I get whatever I need and I feel better after 5 or 10 minutes. I am always feeling that I am dufferent from everybody else.. you see I have coeliac as well which is an intolerance to gluten, this is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats products. I can get really upset about being different from my family and friends. There is a girl in my class at school who is always repeating to me "prick yourself..prick yourself" sometimes I think she is teasing me and my mum says that I should'nt get so worked up about it. There are other people around with both diabetes and coeliac. I am much better off than lots of other people and I do live a pretty normal life, even though I don't feel normal. I go to majorettes 3 times a week and we out on competitions all over the North West of England. I think this is really good and it helps me to keep fit and healthy.

As I get older I am hoping for a better life without the diabetes because I believe that expert scientists will come up with a cure that children can use for diabetes and coeliac. Altough I am fine now I do have concerns about my health in the future I can worry about my eyesight. My grandad who also has diabetes says when I get to my forties or fifties my eyesight can go down hill but that is along time off and I know that if I have good control over my blood sugar now, when I am young I have a better chance of staying healthy when I get older.

Sometimes at parties I struggle with the coeliac because I can't eat any of the food I get annoyed at this. I just wish someone would ask me about what I can eat or warn me about me about the food I can't eat, when I am there....but most people don't know.

Anyway thats it really.. I hope you enjoyed my essay ...Byeee.