I see each day as a new opportunity to get things right

Having lived with diabetes for almost three decades, 41-year-old Kate Stevens has learned a lot about how to look after herself, both mentally and physically. This is her story

- Karen Fittall

“Maybe it’s because I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 29 years ago, just after I’d turned 12, but I’ve always tried to think of living with it as playing the long game, rather than being about success or failure on any given day.

“I’ve always believed that if you get something wrong, it’s not a reason to give up. And it’s not a reason to beat yourself up about it, either. Instead, I see each day as a new opportunity to get things right.

“Don’t get me wrong – because I was still a child when I was diagnosed with diabetes, I’ve always had an awareness that I have to take care of myself in a way that others don’t. So I eat well and exercise regularly, but I’m by no means perfect.

“I guess my perspective is that while discipline is required when you have diabetes, and you can’t pretend you don’t have it, you can’t let all the joy get sucked out of your life, either. I think it’s really important not to obsess about making a mistake. You’re always better to learn from mistakes, rather than being so scared of making one that you are scared to try things.”

A child’s perspective

“I was with my family on holiday in the UK when I was diagnosed.