Up until I was diagnosed with diabetes I didn't have a clue what it was. But I quickly realised that it must be something pretty serious. I use a pump with a sensor, a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM), that constantly checks my blood glucose levels. The pump receives signals from the sensor just like a remote-controlled car so that I can see my blood glucose levels on my pump whenever I need to. That's how I know if I am above or below my border levels before the pump starts to beep. When it goes up or down I get a warning signal from the pump straight away.

I used to have to inject myself about eight times a day and up to 30 times if I had a tournament. Now that I've switched to an insulin pump, I don't have to add as much insulin. When I'm swimming, I can tell right away when my blood glucose levels aren't right. When the levels are high, I just can't swim very well. Right now I'm practicing five times per week for an hour and a half. Next year I'll start practicing six times per week, and also doing out-of-water exercising. After practicing, I have to eat complex carbohydrates like spaghetti, rice or potatoes. The easiest food for me to eat is a sandwich and the most difficult to manage is pizza. My blood glucose levels go up and down when I eat pizza. My CGM system makes it easier to regulate everything I eat because I can just change the alarm levels to help me react better to a glucose level increase, like with pizza.

Marijn's father: The diagnosis was a shock for us. But we soon understood that there was nothing we could do to change it. So we had to look into the options that were available for Marijn. There are some restrictions because of all the sports he does, but the sensor-augmented pump is a true relief. I think Marijn really has his life under control. He is so much more mature than other kids his age. He takes on responsibility for himself, and it seems totally normal to him.

My advice to you: You shouldn't feel restricted. Keep on living the same way you did before.