In this episode of The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I'm talking to Tom Russell, who was diagnosed with Type 1 just before starting university.

After developing symptoms while travelling, Tom returned home and was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Within weeks, he was dealing with insulin, university life, independence and all the challenges that come with a life-changing diagnosis.

In this episode, Tom tells me what it was like to navigate student life with Type 1, including sport, socialising and studies while learning how to manage his diabetes.

As part of his degree, Tom turned his own experiences into a final-year project, researching diabetes stigma and developing an innovative concept to help people manage insulin pump sites and reduce the risk of lipohypertrophy.

We also talk about tennis, diabetes technology and why Wimbledon finalist Alexander Zverev continues to inspire people living with Type 1 Diabetes.

• Being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes just before university
• Learning to manage diabetes alongside starting university
• Balancing sport, student life and blood sugars
• Living with both Type 1 Diabetes and coeliac disease
• The hidden impact of diabetes stigma
• How diabetes technology affects confidence and body image
• Designing a new solution for lipohypertrophy
• Looking after yourself when life gets busy

Tom's message is simple but powerful: don't let diabetes stop you doing the things you want to do. With time, knowledge and support, it's possible to adapt and keep moving forward.

As always, this podcast does not offer medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes.

Real stories, real people, real life with Type 1 Diabetes.

In this episode of The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I'm talking to Craig Tee, who was diagnosed with Type 1 at the age of nine and has now lived with it for more than 30 years.

Craig describes diabetes as a series of decisions. From the moment he wakes up, every meal, workout, meeting, family plan and business commitment involves choices that most people never have to think about.

We talk about the hidden mental load of Type 1 diabetes, the constant calculations behind everyday life and why diabetes management is about so much more than blood sugar numbers.

Craig also tells me how living with Type 1 has influenced the way he approaches business, leadership and resilience. His philosophy is simple: you either win or you learn.

In this episode:

• The daily reality of constant decision-making
• Managing blood sugars around work, business and family life
• The challenges of exercise, the gym and staying active
• The role of partners, parents and family support
• Learning from difficult days instead of seeing them as failures
• Why Craig believes you never lose, you only learn

This is an honest conversation about the mental load of diabetes, the strength it can build and why perfection is never the goal.

As always, this podcast does not offer medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes.

Real stories, real people, real life with Type 1 Diabetes.

In this episode of The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I'm talking to Sally Rice, whose Type 1 diagnosis came after years of being treated as a Type 2 diabetic.

After experiencing symptoms, Sally was initially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. But despite treatment, something never quite felt right. Five years later, further testing revealed the truth: she was actually living with Type 1 Diabetes.

In this episode, Sally tells us about the frustration of living with a misdiagnosis, the relief of finally getting answers and the challenge of learning to use insulin while training for the London Marathon.

But this isn't just a story about diagnosis. It's also a story about relationships. Not long after discovering she had Type 1, Sally attended a DAFNE education course, where she met her future husband. Today, they navigate life, travel and diabetes together.

We also talk about returning to running, managing Type 1 while travelling to remote destinations and why diabetes doesn't have to stop you living the life you want.

In this episode:

• Being misdiagnosed with Type 2 before discovering she had Type 1 Diabetes
• Starting insulin and adjusting to a new diagnosis
• Why Sally had to give up her London Marathon place
• Returning to running through Couch to 5K
• Meeting her husband on a DAFNE course
• Life as a couple where both partners have Type 1 Diabetes
• Travelling to remote places with diabetes
• Managing blood sugars with a lower-carb approach
• Why Type 1 doesn't have to stop you doing the things you love

Sally's message is one of reassurance and perspective: life may change after a Type 1 diagnosis, but with time, knowledge and confidence, it doesn't have to become smaller.

As always, this podcast does not offer medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes.

Real stories, real people, real life with Type 1 Diabetes.

In this episode of The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I'm talking to Stevie Hughes, whose life has been changed by his alert dog, Lucy.

Stevie shares how the loss of his mother shortly after diagnosis shaped his outlook on life and diabetes, the psychological side of living with Type 1, the challenges that technology can't solve and why mindset has been one of the most important tools in his diabetes management.

And then there's Lucy.

What began as a rescue dog became something much more extraordinary. Without any formal training, Lucy learned to detect Stevie's low blood sugars before his glucose monitor can, alerting him day and night and becoming what Stevie describes as his "guardian angel."

We also talk about his life as a touring musician, managing diabetes on stage, and why Stevie refuses to let Type 1 stop him from doing the things he loves.

In this episode:

• Being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 20
• The emotional and psychological impact of living with Type 1
• How Lucy became a natural diabetes alert dog
• Detecting hypos before a CGM alarm sounds
• Managing Type 1 while touring as a musician
• The importance of resilience, confidence and self-belief
• Why diabetes should never stop you living your life

Stevie's message is simple: believe in yourself, keep going, and don't let diabetes define what you're capable of achieving.

As always, this podcast does not offer medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes.

Real stories, real people, real life with Type 1 Diabetes.

In this episode of The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I'm talking to Paul White, CEO of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower programme.

You may have seen the familiar green lanyard with its bright yellow sunflowers in airports, shops, train stations and workplaces around the world. But how did a simple symbol become a global movement helping people with non-visible disabilities feel recognised, understood and supported?

Paul tells me the amazing story of how the programme began and grew to support millions of people across 95 countries. We talk about why hidden disabilities can be so difficult to explain, the importance of kindness and understanding and how something as simple as a sunflower can help people feel confident enough to travel, work and live independently.

As someone living with Type 1 diabetes, I've used the Sunflower myself, particularly when travelling and this conversation gave me a fascinating insight into the thinking behind it.

In this episode:

• The origins of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower programme
• How a simple lanyard became a global symbol of inclusion
• Why not all disabilities are visible
• Supporting people with Type 1 diabetes and other hidden conditions
• The importance of accessibility, understanding and confidence
• How businesses and workplaces are becoming more inclusive
• The story that changed Paul's life and the direction of the programme
• The new Sunflower Extra card and how it works
• Why feeling recognised can have such a powerful impact

Paul's message is simple: most people want to be kind – and sometimes all they need is a way to know when someone might need a little extra support.

You can find out more at www.hdsunflower.com.

And visit my website at www.thelongviewt1.com.

As always, this podcast does not offer medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes.

Real stories, real people, real life with Type 1 Diabetes.

In this episode of The Long View - Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I’m talking to Melissa Slemp. She's a coach, podcaster and author who brings an often overlooked perspective to life with Type 1 - the impact of hormones and menopause.

Diagnosed as a teenager in the early 1980s, Melissa spent years living with Type 1 without fully understanding the condition or its long‑term implications. She tells us how that lack of knowledge led to complications and how a wake‑up call changed everything.

Now a coach, podcast host and author of a new book, "Highs, Lows & Hormones", Melissa is passionate about helping women manage diabetes, hormones and midlife - a topic that’s still not talked about enough.

In this episode we talk about what happens when living with Type 1 diabetes meets hormonal change and why awareness, support and self‑advocacy matter more than ever.

In this episode:

• Growing up with Type 1 and limited understanding of the condition
• The long‑term impact of early diabetes management
• Diabetic eye complications and turning things around
• Pregnancy, routine and managing Type 1 through change
• The impact of perimenopause and menopause on blood sugars
• Why hormones make diabetes harder to predict
• Advocating for yourself and finding the right support
• Building community and supporting other women

Melissa’s message is clear: you are not alone - and you don’t have to just “get on with it.”

As always, this podcast does not offer medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes.

You can find Melissa's podcast by searching "Type 1 in Midlife" and you can find her book "Highs, Lows and Hormones" on Amazon.

Real stories, real people, real life with Type 1 Diabetes.

In this episode of The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I’m talking to Pete Lambert about his extraordinary story of resilience, burnout and recovery.

Diagnosed at just 18 months old, Pete has lived with Type 1 for more than 40 years. In this conversation he tells about the emotional and mental toll of long‑term diabetes management, including his experience of diabetes burnout — a period where the constant demands of the condition became overwhelming.

Pete also opens up about one of his lowest points when he lost his sight for a month due to complications, and how, just three years later, he went on to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

This episode explores both the challenges and the strength that can come from living with Type 1 Diabetes, and what it really takes to keep going.

In this episode:

• Growing up with Type 1 from infancy
• The reality of diabetes burnout and mental health struggles
• The impact of long-term diabetes management
• Experiencing diabetic eye complications and temporary blindness
• Rebuilding confidence and finding motivation again
• Climbing Kilimanjaro and leading outdoor expeditions
• Why “bad days” with diabetes are normal — and how to move forward

Pete’s message is simple but powerful: you can still achieve whatever you want with Type 1, as long as you take it one day at a time.

If you want to find out more about Pete's walking group, visit DG Outdoor Adventures - Hiking - Guildford, England

As always, this podcast does not offer medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes.

In this episode of The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I’m talking to Robyn Hawkins, a researcher looking at how people manage Type 1 at work and at university.

Her research looks at how the everyday realities often go unseen, from telling people about your diabetes, to handling hypos while commuting and coping in busy workplaces and shared spaces.

Robyn tells us what her research reveals about stigma, awareness and the small changes that could make a big difference to people living and working with Type 1.

In this episode:

• Managing Type 1 Diabetes at work and university
• Disclosure, stigma and lack of awareness
• The mental load of constant decision‑making
• Practical challenges, including food, spaces and schedules
• Why flexibility and support really matter

I'm so pleased to have been able to talk to someone who isn't Type 1 themselves, but who is working to find out what it truly means to live with and manage Type 1 Diabetes in environments that aren't always designed for it.

Because we all need a bit of help sometimes, right?

As always, this podcast is not medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes.

In this episode of The Long View – Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I’m talking to Gareth Squance, whose daughter Amelie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes just two months before we recorded.

Gareth describes himself as a problem‑solver. And when Amelie was diagnosed aged 15, the family found themselves in an intense time of learning, grief, data overload and emotional adjustment. In this honest conversation, Gareth shares what those early weeks were really like, from the shock of diagnosis to finding ways to support his daughter without letting diabetes define her.

This episode is a little different, as Gareth also turns the questions on me. We talk about the differences between a brand‑new diagnosis and living with Type 1 for 50 years and what both parents and young people need most in the early stages.

We also talk about Project Amelie, a system Gareth built to bring together diabetes data, communication with clinical teams and emotional support. And why “letting yourself feel it” might be some of the most important advice of all.

In this episode:

• A parent’s perspective on a sudden Type 1 diagnosis
• The emotional rollercoaster of the early weeks
• Grief, data overload and learning hour by hour
• Supporting a teenager without letting diabetes become her identity
• Using technology to simplify communication and care
• Hope, uncertainty and looking ahead

As always, this podcast does not offer medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare team before making any changes.

In this episode of The Long View: Living with Type 1 Diabetes, I’m delighted to be speaking to Candyce Norris Jenkins - life coach, speaker and mum, who has been living with Type 1 Diabetes for more than 30 years.

Diagnosed as a child, Candyce tells us about how she went from denial and burnout to facing serious complications, including diabetic eye disease and kidney failure. After two transplants and years of learning the hard way, she now helps other women move from simply surviving to truly thriving.

We talk about motherhood, identity and the importance of putting your own “oxygen mask” on first - a concept that could change the way you think about self-care.

Candyce tells us about:

• Being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes as a child
• The emotional impact of growing up with diabetes
• Ignoring diabetes in her teens and the consequences later in life
• Living with complications and undergoing two kidney transplants
• Pregnancy and motherhood after transplant
• The challenges of balancing diabetes and family life
• Her “oxygen mask theory” and what thriving really means
• Building confidence, clarity and control in daily life
• Supporting other mums through coaching and community

Whether you’re living with Type 1, caring for someone who is, or feeling stuck in burnout, this episode is full of honesty, insight and encouragement.

Resources & Links:

The Diabetic Mom Coach: www.thediabeticmomcoach.com

Contact me: [email protected]

And visit my website: The Long View - Living With Type 1 with Ruth CollinFollow The Long View wherever you get your podcasts for more real-life stories and conversations about living with Type 1 Diabetes.