“I was so overwhelmed by the diagnosis of diabetes and suffered from memory weakness.”

Natalie Balmain was only 20 years old when she was told she had type 1 diabetes and was very devastated and suffering from memory weakness.

“I’m a strong person, but being diagnosed at that age affected my mental health. After the diagnosis, I had memory weakness. I tried to commit suicide,” she says. I will.

“It happened really quickly. I left the hospital and then it hit me. I had to inject myself, and I couldn’t deal with it. I myself I dumped my room in the trash and tried to drink a bottle of shampoo. My roommate called my dad and he called an ambulance. The rest is blurry. “

Now Natalie is using her experience to advise Coronation Street We talked about Summer Spellman’s recent diabetes story and to actress Harriet Bibby about her feelings.

“I was the same age as when I was diagnosed, so I was asked to talk to Harriet.

“You just know who you are and think about your future life. Then diabetes comes and pulls it away from you. You need to mourn the life you imagined.”

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Unlike the more common type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes has too high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. Insulin delivered via insulin injection or pump is required to control blood sugar levels.

After her diagnosis, Natalie, now 35, suffered from depression for four years, exacerbated by the number of hypos she experienced. Hypoglycemia (hypoglycemia) occurs when the blood sugar level becomes too low. Usually less than 4 mmol per liter.

Symptoms include sweating, impaired vision, tremors, poor concentration, hunger and anxiety.

They usually occur when someone delays a meal, drinks alcohol on an empty stomach, or does a lot of exercise.

Natalie said: “I felt I was completely out of control of my life. I couldn’t go for a long walk or even clean my house without feeling sick.”

On the screen, high school girl Summer struggles to agree with her diagnosis and collapses after being convinced that energy drinks and fruit cider will not disrupt her blood sugar levels. Natalie, who lives in Manchester and works as a hospital director for communications, says she also found a significant impact on her lifestyle very early in diabetes.

“I was a student when I was diagnosed. At that time, my blood sugar was out of control and I had to quit the party,” she recalls.

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Alcohol has a big impact on Type 1, and I would have a hypothesis from dance. There were so many risks that I had to grow very fast. “

Natalie was diagnosed in 2007 while studying at the University of Birmingham. I came just three months before her 21st birthday. Like summer on the screen, her first symptom was weight loss, followed by intense thirst.

“One night I drank a lot of water and threw it back. Also, my vision was blurred, but I didn’t think it was serious.”

Diabetes was diagnosed only when Natalie went home to visit her parents. On the screen, the summer family noticed her weight loss and thought she had an eating disorder. Angry summer denies it, and Natalie says it reflects her experience.

“My parents were horrified because I lost 3.5th place. I was 5 feet 7 inches and fell to 6th place,” she recalls.

They took her to the GP, who performed a finger stab blood test showing that Natalie’s blood glucose level was 39.9 mmol / l instead of the usual 4-7.

She was sent to the Royal Hospital of Worcester, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and a nurse immediately taught her how to inject.

“She said,’You will do these for the rest of your life.’ I couldn’t turn my head,” Natalie recalls.

She began to recover after she started antidepressants and took a carb counting course in her mid-20s. The course teaches people how to better control their blood sugar levels by matching their insulin dose to the amount of carbohydrates in their diet.

Collie actress Harriet, 23, says she is very grateful for Natalie’s insights and admits she knew little about diabetes before being handed the story.

“One of the things Natalie and I talked about was that when you have diabetes, you can’t be as spontaneous and carefree as you want,” says Harriet.

“If you go out, you need to know that you have enough insulin.

“Natalie said you have to grow fast. Type 1 diabetes is a never-ending condition. You have to take insulin for the rest of your life, but it’s very hard to understand. It’s difficult. “

Natalie solved the problem with her own hands, made life a little easier, and helped others. In 2017, she launched her own fashion line, Type 1 Clothing. The garment features zippers and stylish holes in the human injection areas, such as the top of the arm, abdomen, and upper thigh.

She is still frustrated that people confuse two different types of diabetes.

“People who read diabetes can be cured with a diet, but definitely not for type 1 diabetes. People also think it’s a self-harm. I’m on my first date Asked everyone at: “So what did you eat to give it to yourself?” It’s cruel and wrong.

“I’ve seen Type 1 not portrayed correctly in Hollywood, so Coronation Street and Harriet contacted the British Diabetes Society and me because it could save someone’s life.”