It took quite some time before the diagnosis became clear. I lost 19 kilos and was drinking almost 10litres a day. When I received the diagnosis at the hospital I'd reached a point where I could barely see athing, because my blood glucose had reached such a high level.
Of course I'd heard about diabetes, but what exactly that meant in terms of eating habits, sports, and lifein general was new to me. Today I'm leading a pretty normal life again. And I can cope well with my job:cooking and all the stress that comes with it. I don't feel restricted by diabetes.

For my kids my condition and the insulin pump are a matter of course. My daughter is very careful whenwe play, because she knows that Daddy is wearing a pump. When my son was little he would always stuffthings in his belt and say: ‘Hey, I have a pump just like Daddy.’

I've had to make some adjustments in the way I do sports. Before, I could just throw on my running shoesand shorts and off I went. I could run for one or two hours without a problem. Now I have to check myblood glucose first and adjust the insulin level. Then I have to see how I'm doing the following daybecause my body usually reacts to the physical strain with a 24-hour delay.I'm currently training for a marathon. I participated in two marathons before I was diagnosed with diabetes:one in Paris and one in New York. In Paris I noticed that there were actually stops for runners with diabetesso that they could check their blood glucose levels – isn't that incredible?For me the pump is definitely the best choice, because it allows me to have an extremely active life andbecause it's the best way of controlling my blood glucose. I always have a pen with me, though, just incase the pump breaks down.

My advice to you: Don't worry too much. Diabetes is a condition that forces you to live more consciously and to take care of yourself.