Georgia Middleton

My name is Georgia, and I have created this fundraiser to spread some awareness around Type 1 Diabetes. 

A little bit about my Type 1 Diabetes story

I have Type 1 Diabetes. I was diagnosed when I was just 11 years old. I am so thankful for my parents knowing the signs and symptoms, as they had a friend with T1D. This was the reason they took me to the doctor and I was diagnosed before it become an emergency! After hearing my symptoms which had been going on for around 4-5 weeks, the GP tested my blood glucose level which showed a super high level! He told us to pack a bag, we are heading to the next big hospital (1.5 hours from us!) where we will spend the week in the hospital learning about T1D, 'our new normal' as my Mum would say. Throughout that week, my parents and I learnt how to draw up insulin in syringes. They needed to inject me 2 times each morning and 2 times each night. We needed to learn how to count carbs, weigh food and manage low blood sugars. I experienced my first hypo (low blood sugar) in the hospital, and I will always remember the overwhelming feeling that came over my body. I had 2 beautiful nurses who would visit my room as they had heard a young 11 year old girl had been diagnosed. They were Type 1 Diabetic themselves, and I was grateful for the representation and seeing them live their lives. I wondered how I would manage this for the rest of my life. I took each day, each new learning experience in my stride. During that week in hospital, only once had I had a teary 'why me?' moment while my Dad thought I was sleeping. I managed to hold it all together until the first night at home, where it became a reality for my family. 

As a parent now, I cannot imagine the heartache and worry my parents suffered. Managing Type 1 Diabetes is an every-moment-of-the-day process. 

I currently manage my diabetes with an Insulin Pump and CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor). Working in childcare, often the children notice that I am wearing these things and are interested to know what they are! The older children love learning about my CGM (or Dexcom) and often ask to see my arm and if my CGM has changed spots since last time! We've had many conversations about what a pancreas is and that everyone needs one, only that I have a broken one! When I've had to (discreetly) slip a few mentos from my pocket and into my mouth to help keep my blood sugars in a safe range, they are insistent that they too need some 'medicine'! 

I am always up for a convo or answering questions!