Two sisters from Dungannon have opened up on their fight against diabetes ahead of a 100 mile walk from Dublin to their hometown later this month.
Emma Donnelly, 23, and sister Claire, 26, were both diagnosed with diabetes in their teens, and were forced into altering their daily routines ever since.
The Co Tyrone girls’ dad is also a diabetic and the family have had to learn how to deal with the condition over the years.
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Ahead of the charity walk on 23 April in which they will take part, Emma told MyTyrone the biggest challenge the sisters face is that they always have to be alert to sudden changes in their sugar levels.
“I was diagnosed when I was 16, my dad had it in the family and he got it when he was 16 as well,” Claire said.
“Then my sister got it when she was 14, so it’s very much genetic within our family.
“I was lucky that I knew about it and I knew what way the whole regime worked in terms of putting in insulin and matching what you eat with that, which can be a challenge.
“Everything has to be so measured and you have to try and match your insulin ratio up with it, which can be a bit of a guessing game.
“It’s all about keeping on top of it, and that can save you from the long term implications of it later on in life," added Claire.
Claire explained how she had to learn to listen to her body and understand when it was time to take it easy.
"One of the biggest things for me was when I was going to university and going out with my friends, I always had to keep myself aware and not get too carried away.
“You always have to be alert and test your sugar levels to make sure they are not dropping or going too high.
“You have good days and bad days with it I suppose, sometimes there is just things going on with your body that you just can’t control.
“Anything could do it - exercise, sleep, being out of routine. Even when you’re doing all you can it can become quite frustrating but you just have to remain positive about it," added Claire.
The Donnellys’ diabetic journey has been made somewhat easier by the fact that they grew up with their dad’s own condition, and the fact that they can support each other through it helps, according to Emma.
“When we were both diagnosed we weren’t completely shocked, we would have been careful with what we ate and drank and stuff like that anyway.
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“It’s a great comfort having that support - when I first got diagnosed my biggest fear was hospitals and needles and all of that.
“Knowing that the nurses knew the set up with dad and Claire definitely made that a bit easier for me.
“That has definitely saved me and made it a lot easier whenever I did get diagnosed.”
Emma and Claire work in HR and recruitment and are keen travellers, and say they try not to let their diabetes define them.
Emma added: “We want to just live life the best we can, whether that be through work or travelling or nights out, there is no point in letting it stop you.
“There’s no point in just sitting in the house all the time, so we try to get out and make the most of life.”
The 100 mile ‘Walk For Life’ from Dublin to Dungannon is being organised by the Armagh Tigers Charitable trust, with the money raised going towards Diabetes Education and Awareness in Northern Ireland, as well as the World Vision Korogocho Slum School Kenya Project.
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