Diabetes is surprisingly common, with about 1 in 20 Australians diagnosed and living with it. Read on to find out more about the different types of diabetes and hear from three Queenslanders to learn what it’s like to live with.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a condition that happens when there’s too much sugar (called glucose) in the blood.
There are three main types of diabetes:
- type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition (where the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that make insulin) that can occur at any age, but most often develops early in life, particularly in children and early teens (10-14 is peak).
- type 2 diabetes, a long-term condition that is linked to diet, activity, and risk factors like age, family history, and genetics.
- gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that can happen during pregnancy.
All types of diabetes mean that the body can’t keep glucose at a healthy level, but they happen in different ways.
We get glucose from food, especially foods with carbohydrates (such as bread, fruit, potatoes, and corn). Some treats such as chocolate, chips, and soda also have glucose. We need glucose for energy—it powers our brain and muscles. But too much glucose can be harmful.
When we eat carbs, they turn into glucose in our blood. This makes our pancreas release insulin, a hormone that acts like a key to let glucose into our body’s cells to use for energy.
For people with diabetes, glucose doesn’t enter the cells as it should, so it stays in the blood. This high level of glucose can harm blood vessels and nerves, which might affect the heart, brain, kidneys, eyes, and feet over time.
All forms of diabetes are serious, but with the right care, people with diabetes can live happy and active lives.
Type 1 diabetes
In people with type 1 diabetes, the body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin, so glucose can’t get into the cells.
Type 1 diabetes happens when the body’s immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that make insulin.
This form of diabetes represents around 10 per cent of all cases of diabetes and impacts those diagnosed for the rest of their lives .
Your child may have diabetes if they show any of the 4T signs—toilet, thirsty, tired, thinner. Knowing the signs early could save your child’s life.
If your child also has tummy pain, vomiting, sleepiness, and deep breathing this may indicate a life-threatening condition.
Diabetes Australia has more information about symptoms, diagnosis, management and treatment of type 1 diabetes.
Rachel and Cooper’s story
Cooper was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2022, when he was just 8 years old.
‘We ended up at the (Queensland) Children’s Hospital where they knew instantly that he was type 1,’ mum Rachel said.
‘So, for the past year and a half, Cooper has been on insulin pens. I had to give up work and go on the pension because you’re up every couple of hours at night giving needles.
‘You could be up four times a night, so it’s been very tiring. It’s been financially hard.
‘So, I did have to go back to work this year just to be able to ... pay for everything.
In March, Cooper received his insulin pump, a small (mobile-phone-sized) battery-operated electronic device that is worn 24 hours a day, continuously delivering insulin.
‘It has been the biggest life changer for us. For the first time in a year and a half, I’m sleeping through the night and not having to get up four times a night,’ Rachel said.
'I’m not a walking zombie all the time. I’ve got my life back. I’ve got my child back. He’s continually happy. He loves his pump.'
Before the pump, Rachel and Cooper used to have to travel to the Queensland Children’s Hospital, over an hour each way.
‘He’d have to take a whole day off school,’ she said.
‘We’ve actually been transferred now to the diabetes clinic in Ripley, so that’s 15 minutes from our house. It’s wonderful. We feel so supported by them.’
‘What I’ve learned in the last three months has been phenomenal. I don’t walk into appointments and burst into tears anymore, which I did for a year and a half. I don’t feel lost. I don’t feel like I have no support. I just felt lost, and now it’s amazing.
‘Everything is going to be okay because it is.
‘My son plays soccer weekly. We have our life back. We can do anything that any other person does. He plays goalie. He loves it.’
Shari’s story
Shari was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 15.
‘I knew nothing of diabetes and nobody on either side of my family has had it at all,’ she said.
Shari had been diagnosed with a thyroid condition and a GP sent her for blood tests, which included a glucose (sugar) test.
‘I was catching the bus home, and I got a call from the pathologist, like, “Where are you? We’re sending an ambulance to you now,” and I was like, “What are you talking about?” And my blood sugar was off the charts. They thought I was going to fall over and die.
‘And so, they sent an ambulance to me, took me to the hospital and about two hours later they came back and they're like, “We think you are a type 1 diabetic.”’
Early in her diabetes journey, Shari had a difficult experience with a diabetes clinic and felt anxious and unsupported. She felt very much that she had to manage her diabetes on her own.
‘After that first experience with a clinic, I actually avoided doctors ... and never really had anybody looking after my diabetes at all.’
That was, until she met a kind GP who gently guided her.
‘He obviously has seen many diabetes patients like me because he would issue me a blood test, but he would walk me to pathology, because he knew that I wouldn’t get it done if he didn’t walk me there.
‘And so, he ... started doing things like that. And, you know, just not micromanaging me, but just gently being like, how's this going?
Shari and her GP were able to get her HbA1c (an average blood sugar level test) within range.
‘And then one day, I went in for my appointment and he just said okay, now it’s time. I’ve got you this far, but I need you to go to a diabetes clinic now, so we can take you to the next level. You’ll have support. They’ll be really nice. Don’t be afraid.
‘So yeah, he got me referred to the (Ripley diabetes) clinic and I went there and I’m proud to say that I haven’t ghosted them!
‘I love the doctors, especially Jordan ... I still remember my first appointment with her. I absolutely bawled my eyes out the entire time because I was so anxious about even getting there. And yeah, she's been great.’
What would Shari tell someone with a diagnosis of diabetes?
‘The thing I would tell other people on the journey would be to be kind to yourself and give yourself grace. Even when you’re doing everything "right", there will still be days where your blood sugars seem impossible to manage for no particular reason. It doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong, it’s just part of the reality of living with this condition.
‘The most important thing is not to be too hard on yourself about it as I know I have been in the past. Stay patient. Progress, not perfection, is what matters most.’
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is linked to diet, activity, and risk factors such as age, family history, and genetics.
With type 2 diabetes, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or the cells don’t respond to it properly. This makes glucose build up in the blood, which can cause harm over time if not treated.
The incidence of type 2 diabetes is increasing in children and young adults.
Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition, but with the right care, people can live long, healthy lives.
Diabetes Australia has more information about symptoms, diagnosis, management and treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Mohan’s story
Mohan was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2007.
‘It was going well with medication and everything until about 2017,’ he said.
‘My sugars have always been playing up and it's never been constant, so it's been a challenge for me and my doctor ... to keep it under control.
‘We've been trying with medication, increasing the dosage, reducing the dosage. I was mainly on tablets, right, like metformin and things like that.
Metformin is a medicine prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes. It lowers blood glucose levels by reducing how much glucose is released from the liver, and by helping the cells of the body absorb more glucose from the bloodstream.
‘In 2017, the GP suggested that I go on and start trying out some insulin options and I was prescribed with a (type of insulin pen). My GP then suggested that I start talking to an endo (endocrinologist),' Mohan said.
‘Every three months, I've been seeing my endo, for the past few years.
‘In 2022, I was asked to take a GAD (glutamic acid decarboxylase) antibody test, and I was declared a type 1.5 diabetes patient with latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA).’
LADA is a type of diabetes that starts in adulthood when an autoimmune process damages cells in the pancreas and it stops making insulin.
‘Since then, I've been wearing a continuous glucose monitoring sensor (CGM) on me. And I take two types of diabetic medication (a day).’
In October 2023, Mohan had a problem with his left foot and was diagnosed with Charcot foot. Charcot happens because the body can’t sense injuries because of a loss of feeling due to nerve damage (neuropathy) caused by diabetes.
For the past six months he has had to wear a Charcot restraint orthotic walker (CROW) boot, which is a rigid boot made to protect the foot from further damage and deformity.
‘I think I'll have it for the next six months if everything goes well and then I'll go into a normal footwear from there and have some orthotic inserts in them.’
In February this year, Mohan underwent heart testing, as a precaution.
‘We found out some blocks (blockages).
‘I underwent a procedure and I've had a stent put in me.’
A stent is a small mesh tube that holds open weak or narrowed blood vessels (or other passages) in the body—often used in the coronary arteries of the heart which supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscles.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a type of diabetes that happens during pregnancy. It usually goes away after the baby is born, but it can increase the risk of the baby developing low glucose levels in the first few days of life and also the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Every pregnant woman will usually have a test for GDM between 24-28 weeks (unless they already have diabetes). Some women may have this test earlier if they have risk factors, including having had GDM in a previous pregnancy.
For most women, GDM goes away after their baby is born, although some may continue to have high blood glucose levels after delivery. Having GDM can be a flag that the woman is at a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes in the future.
Careful management of GDM can help to lower the impact of glucose levels on a baby’s growth, birth and risk of lower glucose levels in the first few days of life.
While it is not related to a risk of the baby having diabetes early, it has been linked with the baby’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Diabetes Australia has more information about symptoms, diagnosis, management and treatment of gestational diabetes.
Steph’s story
Gestational diabetes is the fastest growing type of diabetes in Australia. About one in seven Australian women will have gestational diabetes during pregnancy. It usually goes away after the baby is born.
Some women are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes and some women may have no known risk factors.
All pregnant women (except those who already have diabetes) should be tested for gestational diabetes at 24-28 weeks of pregnancy. Women who have risk factors for it should be tested earlier in their pregnancy.
Steph didn’t have any known factors, so it was a big shock when her doctor told her she had tested positive for it.
‘Prior to my diagnosis, I only knew one person who had experienced gestational diabetes, and she was someone with known risk factors, I just never thought it would affect me too,’ she said.
‘I was embarrassed at first and felt guilty about what I’d been eating throughout my pregnancy so far. I had morning sickness constantly in the first trimester, and one of the only ways I could make myself feel better was by constantly snacking on all things bread. I was worried that my food choices may have harmed my baby.’
Steph was surprised to find out how many people she knew had the condition.
‘It turns out heaps of my mum friends had gestational diabetes even though most of them are fit, healthy, young people,’ she said. ‘And plenty more people knew someone who’d had it. It was great to hear their experiences, find out what foods worked for them and how it affected them and their babies.’
Gestational diabetes can often be managed with healthy eating and regular physical activity as well as careful monitoring of blood glucose levels.
It’s important that blood glucose levels are monitored and controlled during pregnancy to reduce long-term effects for mother and baby. Steph’s general practitioner (GP) taught her how to monitor her blood glucose levels using a finger prick test.
‘I tested first thing every morning and then an hour after each main meal,’ said Steph. ‘At first, I was told just to record what I ate and what my blood glucose levels were, and not worry too much about the numbers.’
Steph had a group appointment at the hospital with a diabetes educator and a dietitian where they talked a small group of expecting mums through more detailed recommendations.
‘They talked in more detail about exactly what types of foods we should eat and when, and what should be avoided,’ says Steph. They also made recommendations about levels of physical activity.
A diabetes management plan is personalised for each pregnancy.
Steph was initially able to control her glucose levels through diet.
‘I did a lot of research online to find out the best way to eat. In terms of diet, it’s mostly about managing your carb intake to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. I was surprised to find out you still get to eat a lot of carbs—you just have to spread them out throughout the day.
Most women can manage their gestational diabetes effectively by modifying their lifestyle, but around 10 – 20% of women with gestational diabetes will need insulin. When insulin is injected, it acts to reduce the level of glucose in the blood.
Insulin therapy is safe for the mother and the baby as it doesn’t cross the placenta. Insulin is no longer needed once the baby is born.
Steph belonged to this small group of women who needed to start insulin when her diet and exercise were no longer enough to keep her blood glucose levels within the recommended range.
‘My fasting level was always too high, and that’s generally just a hormonal issue—not something you can change much through diet,’ she said.
‘So, I had to start taking insulin. This was terrifying at first because I really hate needles, and suddenly I had to start giving myself a shot every night! But I got used to it quickly, and it did really help keep my blood glucose levels within a normal range.’
Steph says that having gestational diabetes helped her to eat more healthily and stay active.
‘It motivated me to eat much healthier, which was a good thing for me and the baby.’
More information
- 4 signs your child might have type 1 diabetes
- Diabetes (Queensland Government)
- Diabetes Australia