PROFESSOR JULIANNE REID

ASSOCIATE PROVOST, CURTIN UNIVERSITY:

TYPE 1, 45 YEARS

On keeping control

I aim for quality of life and don’t let diabetes stop me doing anything. Sometimes it can get tricky to get the ‘balance’ right, and in these instances frequent monitoring of your BGLs become more important. I do a reasonable amount of travelling and always carry all my insulin with me. One time my back-up supply was in my checked luggage and my luggage

was lost, so I never do this any more. Increasing exercise levels can change your insulin requirements dramatically. When I walked the Inca

Trail in Peru, I halved my insulin doses through the day as it was challenging and much more exercise than I was used to. I enjoy good food and going to restaurants. I never eat dessert (unless it’s fresh fruit) but sometimes it’s hard to estimate sugar content, so I adjust my rapid-acting insulin dose to the best of my ability and monitor my glucose levels to check.