'Responsibility' to share diabetes diagnosis

A type 1 diabetes patient says she has been sent "so many messages" of support after she started to share her experience of the chronic illness.

Beth Edwards, 26, was diagnosed with type 1, which is caused by the immune system attacking cells in the pancreas that control blood sugar levels, in January 2023 when she fell very ill shortly after moving to the island four years ago.

She said "it's so important for other people to raise awareness" and "I've got that responsibility to make sure other people understand what it's like to live with".

Edwards said: "I think anyone that has type one diabetes will tell you that it is such a challenge to live with - it changes your life drastically."

Type 1 diabetes affects about 400,000 people in the UK.

Edwards said she "had lots of different symptoms and I put it down to maybe having Covid or just feeling quite unwell" and she "deteriorated really quickly" before she was taken to A&E.

She added: "I remember when I was in hospital, I was like, okay, right, this is now this massive diagnosis that I've got to take on.

"It changes your life drastically; there's so many decisions you need to think about every day and also keeping yourself healthy and well as well as also alive."

Edwards said "before I was diagnosed I was really, really active" and "there's so many more things I need to factor in because of having the insulin supply".

"There's so much more preparation that's involved, which makes it quite challenging and sometimes I'm unable to do the exercise that I want to do," Edwards added.

She has been getting help from the charity Diabetes Jersey through support services like yoga sessions.

"I've met so many incredible people that are type 1... that support network is so valuable because they know what you're going through," Edwards said.

She said: "I think we all bond over that shared experience and there's just there's nothing like that.

"That's probably helped me more than I could ever know because moving to this island I didn't really know anyone and they were kind of my first set of friends here and that support network that I needed."

Diabetes Jersey chairman Bill O'Brien has praised Edwards for raising awareness of type 1 diabetes.

He said "Beth is a fabulous example" and "she is young in life and has overcome the diagnosis and has been able to implement a regime so that she can enjoy herself".

O'Brien added: "The charity believes that the support groups which it offers are so important to young people like Beth, because it gives them an opportunity to meet and discuss their issue with like-minded people."

Juliette Hart, 61, who attends yoga sessions run by Diabetes Jersey, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 15 years old.

She said: "It's an important charity because it brings us together... to discuss it with others who know what you're going through, it's really special.

"I've seen Beth at a couple of these sessions and it's inspiring to see to see young people come along.

"Then they can see the old timers like me and see I'm hanging on in there."

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