“Who is the Queen of England? Who is the Prime Minister?” On 17October 2014, I woke up at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow being asked these questions by a strange voice coming from someone I couldn’t see. I was temporarily blind.

My next memory is waking up on the ward with my left side paralysed from a mini stroke and my sight severely impaired. Luckily, both were temporary.

The doctor told me I had collapsed with a biabetic coma and that I would be taking insulin as I was now a type 2 diabetic. This meant that my body was either not producing adequate insulin or using it efficiently. Being overweight contributed to becoming diabetic.

Discovering that I was diabetic and had had a stroke was a shock, made even more shocking when my friends said that I had died twice while the doctors were working on me and had to resuscitate me.

I know how lucky I am to be alive and am grateful everyday to the NHS for the efforts they made to save my life. I eventually recovered with lots of support from different services in the borough.

“Diabetes is a growing health problem in Newham, with more people than the national average developing diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. This is partly due to high levels of deprivation and partly because a large proportion of Newham residents come from ethnic groups who are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

There are currently over 20,800 people living with diabetes in Newham and more than 1,600 people being newly diagnosed each year.” www.newhamccg.nhs.uk

World Diabetes Day is on November 14. This year also marks 100 years since the discovery of insulin. It might be a good time to reassess your lifestyle habits. If I had done this, I would have seen that I had early indicators of diabetes.

Every two minutes someone is diagnosed with Diabetes. (Diabetes UK)

Don’t let that be you.

The most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes are increased thirst, increased urination (particularly at night), and increased hunger. If you experience one or more of these symptoms make an appointment with your GP immediately.

Live Well Newham has launched a free Adult Weight Management Service it is a 12-week Programme with a variety of resources to help you lose weight, change your mindset and lifestyle. For more information email: livewellnewham@xylahealth.com.

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.