A Scots student was given a surprise diagnosis of diabetes after a dramatic and unexpected weight loss.
Alyssa Faulkner, 24, dropped two stone without making any changes to her lifestyle at the age of 14. After feeling lightheaded and constantly hungry and thirsty, the Edinburgh University student went to her doctor for help – and was given the news that she had the condition, where blood sugar levels are dangerously high.
For the last decade, Alyssa has struggled to balance her condition with her studies and social life. But Edinburgh Live reports she is now fronting a new campaign pushing for people with diabetes to have better access to tech that can improve their quality of life.
Speaking about her diagnosis, Alyssa said: "They have something called the four T's - toilet, thirsty, tired and thinner. If people are going to the toilet a lot, constantly thirsty, very tired and losing a lot of weight these can be the most common symptoms to be aware of.
"I was only 14 when I was diagnosed with diabetes, and for the first year it didn't really hit me. After a while, you realise it's another full time job. I kept thinking it would get easier, but it doesn't really – you just have to work hard at it."
Managing the condition sees Alyssa figuring out how to maintain her blood sugar levels ahead of time. The amount of physical activity she performs and the food she eats can affect the amount of insulin she needs to take.
Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone in the pancreas that allows the body to use glucose as energy – but people with diabetes either can't produce it properly or at all, meaning they need to administer additional insulin to prevent their blood sugars from reaching unsafe levels.
She continued: "I wanted my life to be like everyone else's. In my first year of uni, I wanted to have the proper experience.
"I wasn't able to balance my social life and studies. I took it too far.
"It's an ongoing journey, you have to come to terms with the fact that it is hard and it's always going to be hard."
The constant calculations Alyssa has to figure out mean she has to plan ahead of time – to the detriment of her social life. It's only recently, after moving to Edinburgh, that she has been given access to tech that helps her manage her condition.
For the last decade she has made use of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system to check her sugar levels, and an insulin pump to directly feed insulin into her body. However, this requires her to constantly keep an eye on her sugar levels.
Modern advances in medical technology mean that people with diabetes can have access to what is known as a "closed loop" system. Also known as an "artificial pancreas", a closed loop system means that insulin can be administered automatically based on the readings from a CGM device.
Alyssa has only just been given access to a closed loop system in the last year. It makes her life with diabetes much easier to manage – but as she has found, it is not available to everyone. She is now working with Diabetes UK on a new campaign, Diabetes Tech Can't Wait, which is pushing for 'fair and equal' access to diabetes technology for all regardless of where they live.
She added: "I don't think people should have to fight to live their lives. Technology plays a major part in many people’s control over their blood sugar levels.
"It has been really instrumental in making sure that I can be independent because I have diabetes, and I am also prone to seizures. If I didn't have this technology then I wouldn’t be able to live by myself and I would really struggle."
Diabetes UK said: "Flash glucose monitoring, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), insulin pumps and hybrid closed loops - diabetes tech is life-changing.
"But only if you have access. We've seen progress in recent years, but we need to go further, faster. Access to diabetes tech must be based on your need, not on your postcode."
You can find out more about the Diabetes Tech Can't Wait campaign here.
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