Thank you for visiting my JustGiving page. Here's my personal story:

Why I am running for Diabetes UK

When I was 17 years old, I went camping with three friends. It was our first trip without 'proper' grown-ups (i.e. our parents) and we were excited! One of the group, Helen, had type 1 diabetes. About 4 am after our first night, we were woken by Helen: her blood glucose levels had dropped dangerously low and she was delirious and crying out. If we didn't act fast she'd be in a coma, or dead. 

I will never forget trying (in the semi-dark) to light the unfamiliar camping gas stove to make hot chocolate while simultaneously trying to rub glucose gel into her gums. Helen recovered, remembering very little of the episode, but we were all shaken, and abandoned the trip.

Over the last 20 years, I have worked in a variety of health-related jobs, many of which have be in the field of diabetes. I currently support pharmaceutical companies with the development and launch of new treatments for diabetes. I am running the London Marathon for Diabetes UK because they offer a huge range of products and services to people with diabetes, which greatly complement the work I do in the pharmaceutical arena.

Thank you for your support!!!

What is diabetes - a simplified overview

In people without diabetes, the level of sugar (glucose) in our blood is controlled by two hormones - insulin and glucagon - which are made in the pancreas. The pancreas is a large gland found just behind the stomach. When blood glucose levels rise (e.g. when we eat), the pancreas releases insulin. Insulin helps muscle cells, the liver and fat cells take the glucose out of the blood. When blood glucose levels fall (e.g. when we haven't eaten for a while), the pancreas releases glucagon. Glucagon causes the lives to release glucose into the blood. The process is a very carefully controlled balancing act.

Type 1 diabetes: In people with type 1 diabetes, the cells in the pancreas that make insulin are destroyed and the person is not able to produce insulin. Type 1 diabetes generally occurs in younger life and requires lifelong daily injections of insulin to survive.

Type 2 diabetes: In people with type 2 diabetes, the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or the body doesn't respond to it. Eventually, the pancreas stops making insulin altogether and daily injections of insulin are required. Type 2 diabetes can occur in older age but is becoming more common in younger people because of genetic factors and lifestyle choices. 

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