We were just 10 days away from the General Election when my GP gave me the shocking diagnosis that I had Type 1 diabetes.
I was told that my ketones – the chemical that can build up in diabetes – were “off the Richter scale”, and I needed to be admitted to hospital straight away.
Not only was it devastating to be told that at the age of 62 I had this condition, but also that I would have to inject myself with insulin at least three times a day.
There was no way I could miss the election campaign, so I promised my consultant that I would follow to the letter the medication regime recommended to me, and within a few days I started to feel better.
Looking back, I knew there was something wrong – but I had been just too busy to deal with it. I had been rushing around, missing meals and losing weight without even trying. I lost about three stones in as many months. Eventually my wife Catherine said, ‘enough is enough’. She went down to the doctors and said: ‘Can you book him in? There is something seriously wrong.’
While at first it was difficult to accept my new condition, I soon got into a routine. Thanks to technology and an app on my iPhone, I can check my blood glucose levels and get an instant reading by waving my mobile over a sensor on my arm. I inject four times a day to ensure my levels remain constant.
But what this experience has taught me is that having diabetes doesn’t have to define you.
After I revealed my diagnosis, so many friends and colleagues came out of the woodwork to admit that they had the condition too. The former PM, Theresa May, who also has Type 1, has not only been an inspiration, but she has also been very kind and considerate in offering advice on how to manage the condition.
She has said to me that life doesn’t have to change – and if she can do a job as important as hers – as Home Secretary and then Prime Minister – without it affecting her, I know I can do mine. Thankfully for me, the December 2019 election not only resulted in me being re-elected as MP for Chorley, and then again as Speaker – it also marked a positive turning point for my health. Just as the Parliamentarians for Diabetes Global Network is offering inspiration to people with diabetes that they can live safe, happy and fulfilling lives despite the condition – | am living proof of that.
While I was annoyed at first that I had diabetes, it is now the new normal and is as much a part of my routine as cleaning my teeth. If you suspect you have diabetes, then get yourself tested = with the right medical advice and small changes to your lifestyle, it really is something you can live with.
