When diagnosed thirteen years ago one of the insulins she was put on was Monotard. She remembers it was cloudy and she had to mix it with short-acting insulin using a syringe plus it stung every time she injected. At the age of ten she found the procedure too complicated and started to use pens. Also early on she was put on four injections a day but the insulin has changed over the years as different things have been more fashionable or they have worked better for her. Currently she is on Lantus and Humalog. As a teenager, what she really disliked about diabetes control was to do the 'finger pricking' and she "rebelled" by not doing her blood sugar tests.

Initially she was on Mixtard 30. During puberty her insulin regime changed to ActRapid. Later, her consultant suggested NovoRapid and glargine (Lantus). Says that she now enjoys more flexible eating times. She decided to change to the diabetes clinic in the city where she is studying but she has only seen the new diabetes care team once in two years. She finds that once a year appointments are insufficient because so many things can happen to you in the meantime plus it is difficult to form a good, friendly rapport with the nurses.

Since the age of six and until recently her insulin regimen consisted of Humulin I and Humulin S twice a day. Recently, she changed to Lantus and NovoRapid because she likes the idea of having more flexibility over mealtimes. One week after she changed her insulin regimen she was rushed into hospital with DKA (diabetes ketoacidosis) and spent one week in intensive care, the same occurred again two weeks later. In all she has been in intensive care six times with DKA. Afterwards, she has tried different types of insulin but none seems to have worked. Four months ago she was put back onto her original insulin but on four injections a day instead of two. No more incidents of DKA have occurred but she worries about the long-term effects of ketoacidosis. Anyone changing their insulin regimen has to do regular blood sugar tests.

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.

She is on analogue long-acting insulin (glargine) and on a fast-acting insulin; NovoRapid that she injects with her meals. She highly recommends this insulin regimen because it is flexible and you can eat what you want and when you want. In her experience diabetes is more difficult to control when you are a teenager because of the hormonal changes. She experienced heavy periods and her doctor recommended a contraceptive pill (Microginol) to help with the problem. Last year she did a three-day hike in the Peak District and says that you can definitely do sports if you have diabetes. You just need to plan ahead.

He has an injection of NovoRapid with his breakfast, lunch and dinner and one injection of Insulatard in the evening. Last year he had problems in managing his diabetes. He was experiencing many hypos and felt awful and unable to do his surfing. He reduced his insulin dosage and while he was avoiding hypos he started to experience highs (hyperglycaemia). He says that his diabetes has been more difficult to control since becoming a teenager because of all the hormones and other changes. His attitude now is that despite all the problems you have to keep fighting at controlling your diabetes in order to live a normal and healthier life. Says that he knows about the consequences of poor control and does not want to end up blind or plugged into a dialysis machine.

She has used the same insulin regime since diagnosis; Human Insulatard and her HbA1Cs are always between six and seven so she does not see the need to change. She has been doing her blood sugar tests since the age of five but she was unable to do her own insulin injections. Her parents were doing the injections for her until last year. She asked her consultant at the adult clinic for help and she was referred to a psychiatrist. After a year of cognitive therapy she started to do her own injections. Now she feels confident, independent and has a busy social life.

She has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1997. As a child she used to experience many hypos and also loss consciousness several times. Her local children's diabetes clinic transferred her to another, bigger hospital. For a long time her mother used to go and check on her twice during the night to make sure that she wasn't having a hypo or even more worrying, experiencing a diabetic coma. She has fewer hypos now, but she always carries her glucose tablets wherever she goes. She injects long-acting insulin in the morning (Glargine) and a fast-acting before each meal (NovoRapid).

Her diabetes was very unsettled for a long time but recently she has managed to have and maintain good control. One of the main motivations for doing so is that she and her fianc'e would like to start a family after they are married. She says that the media often reports scary stories about pregnancy and diabetes and that it is important to say that women who have good control do have similar chances of having a healthy baby as non-diabetic mothers. Currently she is on Lantus and on NovoRapid.

Diagnosed in 2000 and initially his insulin regimen consisted of Lantus and NovoRapid. He found it difficult to manage his diabetes and his blood sugar levels fluctuated a lot between high and low. In retrospect says that he would have benefited from more one-one advice and guidance from a diabetes nurse or other specialist. He now has an Insulin Pump and says that his control has improved substantially. For him, managing diabetes well comes down to experience and having the necessary support and information.