Robert was diagnosed in 2015 aged 20 but it didn't come as a shock because his brother and a cousin also have type 1 diabetes. He participated in a Patient Education Programme similar to DAFNE. This course provided important information and advice on how to balance exercises with insulin and carbohydrates for effective management. Robert was also thrilled to learn more about the different types of technologies available to help manage the condition like glucose scans and those that are being planned for the future. Participants to the course set up a Facebook group and continue sharing tips and experiences about their condition. Robert is on Lantus and Novorapid.

Because he was so close to taking exams they put him on a fixed dosage of insulin twice a day. He stopped feeling tired and was able to sit his exams. Afterwards, his diabetes team started working with him towards achieving well-controled diabetes. Currently he is on long-acting insulin, Lantus and fast-acting Humalog that he injects when he eats. There was a period in which his HbA1C's were as low as 5 mml/l and he was experiencing frequent hypos. His doctor adviced him to relax his tight control. Says that his diabetes is very well-controlled and his HbA1C's are usually between 6 to 7 mml/l.

He has been doing his insulin injections since he was eight years old. He started to self-manage his diabetes when he was 15 years old. About seven years ago he changed his insulin from Humulin S to glargine and Humalog. The main reason for changing his insulin regime was the lack of flexibility regarding eating times. He admits that he no longer does glucose tests except when doing things differently such as changing insulin regimen, exercising more, changing diet, etc. A few years ago he was diagnosed by a private consultant as being clinically obese. The consultant put him on a diet and on Metformin tablets. Since then he has loss a total of five stones. Says that his obesity was the product of a bad diet and lack of exercise rather than because he is diabetic.

After diagnosis he gave up smoking, he started to play sports more regularly and made many improvements to his diet. He eats more vegetables and fruits and feels that his life style is healthier than before diagnosis. His diabetes is well-controlled and he attributes this to a combination of testing his blood sugar levels regularly, knowing how much insulin to take with each meal and healthy eating. For a while after diagnosis he tested his blood sugar levels before and after a meal until he became more confident about diabetes control. But says that finger pricking is the only thing about having diabetes that he doesn't like. After diagnosis he was put on two injections a day of Mixtard, but found it didn't suit his student lifestyle and asked his diabetes team to recommend another regimen. Currently he is on Levemir and fast-acting Humalog insulin that he injects every time he eats.