Do you inject your own insulin?

Whilst clearing out my room at my mum's home, I came across this...

At first I thought it was pretty funny and my mum and I had a laugh at it, especially considering it was hidden amongst more commonly found certificates, such as dancing awards and so forth.  I couldn't actually believe they gave out certificates for being a 'fully qualified self injector of insulin'...it just seemed funny.

However when I saw the date I had been "awarded" with the certificate, I began to realise that it was something to be proud of.  6th August 1998 - I was 5 years old and had been a diagnosed type 1 diabetic for just over a year and a half.  Whilst most children my age were learning to tie their own shoe laces, I was successfully giving myself life-saving injections on a daily basis - pretty impressive!

So if you've ever been given one of these certificates, or even if you haven't but you had to learn how to self-inject your insulin, don't play it down!  You save your own life every day.  As the certificate says...I offer you a "Hearty Congratulations. Very well done"!