By Amelia Wynne For Mailonline
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Type 1 diabetic James Norton shared an impassioned post to his Instagram on Monday to raise awareness for World Diabetes Day.
The actor, 37, told how the condition can be a ‘complete b***h’ and ‘life threatening’ as he called for people to ‘show support’ for all ‘diabetic warriors’.
He went on to say that he was grateful to live in a country with free access to the medicine and tech that he needs while also calling for there to one day be a cure.
Kind: Type 1 diabetic James Norton shared an impassioned post to his Instagram on Monday to raise awareness for World Diabetes Day
For his post he posed with his two insulin pens and also revealed a sensor, which monitors glucose in the blood, on his side in another shot.
He penned: ‘Today is World Diabetes Day. It’s a day to raise awareness about diabetes. But also to simply show some love and support for all the diabetic warriors out there.
‘At its best, our condition is a constant faff. At its worst, it’s a complete bitch that can be potentially life threatening on a daily basis, if it’s not looked after properly.
Awareness: For his post he posed with his two insulin pens and also revealed a sensor, which monitors glucose in the blood, on his side in another shot
‘These two insulin pens I’m holding, as well as the @dexcom sensor on my bum, keep me alive every single day. You have no idea how valuable these small devices are to us T1s, and how grateful I am to live in a country where we have free access to this type medicine and tech.
‘That said, a cure would be nice. So go visit @jdrf_uk to see how you can get involved. And then go find a diabetic and buy them a Diet Coke.’
It comes after last November James took to Instagram to reflect on living with type 1 diabetes to shed light on Diabetes Awareness Month.
Candid: The actor, 37, told how the condition can be a ‘complete b***h’ and ‘life threatening’ as he called for people to ‘show support’ for all ‘diabetic warriors’
Alongside a shirtless picture of himself on the beach in Kent in which he showed off his Dexcom device the Grantchester star wrote that the condition was like having a ‘really annoying friend.’
He penned in the caption: ‘November is Diabetes Awareness Month, so this is a proud shoutout from a chilly beach in Kent, to all my fellow type 1 warriors out there. Being a type 1 diabetic is like having a really annoying friend.’
He went on: ‘It requires constant care and attention as well as patience and fortitude, but occasionally can be a strange sort of support, and even a power…
‘It helps you to be more empathetic. It encourages you to look after yourself and your health, as well as other people around you.’
Speaking out: Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose in your blood to become too high, which happens when your body cannot produce enough insulin
The second photo in the post showed the esteemed actor wearing a red beanie and posing with a diabetes charity wristband.
Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose in your blood to become too high, which happens when your body cannot produce enough insulin.
This is controlled by daily injections of insulin which keeps the blood glucose levels low and under control.
James went onto detail his new device called a Dexcom G6, which monitors the glucose levels in his blood and, via bluetooth, connects them to his phone.
Using his platform: It comes after last November James took to Instagram to reflect on living with type 1 diabetes to shed light on Diabetes Awareness Month
He wrote: ‘One of the reasons to be grateful right now as a diabetic is the progress being made in diabetes care, as well as the steps being taken towards a potential cure…
‘I am so lucky to have access to Dexcom G6, the device you can see attached to my arm. It bluetooths my glucose levels to my phone every few minutes, and so helps me to keep control of my sugar levels throughout the day and night…
‘It’s known as CGM (Constant Glucose Monitoring), and Dexcom have been a pioneer in this type of technology. Moving from the old fashioned finger prick blood test to CGM has been a complete game changer for me.’
He detailed how the device has improved his life: ‘Life is unpredictable as an actor making it hard to keep any routine, and so my levels used to be pretty erratic…
Struggle: Alongside a shirtless picture of himself on the beach in Kent in which he showed off his Dexcom device, he wrote that the condition was like having a ‘really annoying friend’
‘Since using Dexcom, not only have my average glucose levels vastly improved, but I also spend far less time thinking and worrying about my diabetes.’
‘Most importantly, it helps my long term health. The better a diabetic can control their levels, the less likely they will face health complications in later life
The devices vary in prices, and it is £1000 for a monitor which does not need a pump, £500 with an insulin pump and £40-60 for sensors.
James continued: ‘With all this in mind, it’s imperative that we make this type of technology available to all type 1s…
‘The reality is, many people with diabetes in the UK self-fund CGM and it’s not widely available on the NHS. This needs to change. Please help us spread the word!’
Currently on the NHS patients are entitled to getting CGM if they have type one diabetes and are pregnant, but in some areas it may be available to others.
Patients can also borrow CGMs if availability allows.
Type 1 diabetes causes the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood to become too high.
It happens when your body cannot produce enough of a hormone called insulin, which controls blood glucose.
You need daily injections of insulin to keep your blood glucose levels under control.
Managing type 1 diabetes can take time to get used to, but you can still do all the things you enjoy. This guide is here to help.
Type 1 diabetes is not linked with age or being overweight – these things are linked with type 2 diabetes.
Source: NHS
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