I would've liked to become a nurse, but this wasn't possible because of my diabetes. Today I work in an office and I'm heavily involved in educating children. I'm also active in a number of patient advocacy groups.

I've always been very open about my condition and people around me have reacted very well to that. My philosophy is: I live with diabetes and not for diabetes! It was a lot more difficult 30 years ago: fixed injection times, fixed meal times, food with carbohydrates in it had to be weighed separately….

These days you can be much more flexible. During puberty I was very sick. I wasn't very disciplined and my blood glucose levels weren't stable. Then I figured it out…and now one thing is for sure: With the right amount of discipline, I can have all the freedom in the world! I like going to parties and doing sports and I can say that I adapt well to different situations in my life.

I spend quite a lot of time thinking about long-term consequences, especially since we cover this subject in my groups. It's hard for children to understand, though, because diabetes doesn't hurt now. How do you explain long-term complications to a child?

It's important to check blood glucose levels regularly and to follow the right therapy. I use an insulin pump and, because it isn’t really visible, I show it to the children if they ask me questions about it. For me, it's like an artificial pancreas outside of my body and I can operate it to suit my lifestyle.

I check my blood glucose levels between five and seven times per day and I check regularly at mealtimes and before I go to bed. When I'm out in public I do it discreetly under the table or in the ladies' room, but I don't have a problem with it. I'm happy and very satisfied with the way things are – my life is fun!

My advice to you: Live with your diabetes, not for it!