Gavin Ward
Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 itself is not inherited, but a predisposition to developing the condition can run in families.
I was diagnosed at the age of five at Christmas in 1971.
While some people with a family history of type 1 may be at an increased risk, most will not have the condition. While the exact cause is not known, some genetic risk factors have been found.
A distant cousin of my mum was the only family link we can find to trace the genetics. Unfortunately, both my sons, my youngest brother and one of my other brother’s daughters all have type 1 diabetes. The odds of this happening are extremely rare.
I now live in Pembury, a village in Kent, south east England and work as a geologist in the UK and Europe.
Exercise makes a big difference
Exercise has made it easier to control diabetes - from cycling, to rugby, to running, it all makes a huge difference.
I’ve done blood tests in mud, injections in the rain and eaten chocolate bars in 100 degree heat, in several countries and over several decades, all thanks to diabetes.
None of it was easy.
Let’s see what new challenges diabetes can throw at me on A2B50.