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.

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.

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.

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.