Anja Østergren Nielsen, Denmark

Video interview with Anja
Watch the video interview with Anja telling about her life with diabetes and how she has learned to cope with the condition - access here (9:27 min.)

About Anja
Anja Nielsen is a 22 year-old working at the national hospital, Rigshospitalet, while actively being involved as an advocate for the diabetes cause.

Anja lives a stressed life of high-powered studying and work while volunteering as an advocate for diabetes, answering emails and calls and offering advice.

So she understands the challenges faced by many young diabetics. “From my own experience, I know how much my blood sugar control depends on how I feel in general.”
Stress, a normal part of her life, makes her blood sugar levels unpredictable. “My first doctor was not good at seeing me as a person who happened to have diabetes; he only saw the ’diabetic’ and did not really understand why I didn’t always follow his advice.”

There is more to effectively managing diabetes than taking your insulin on time. It takes an emotional toll, and a deeper understanding of the attitudes, wishes and needs of young diabetics is desperately needed to improve the professional quality of care provided.

Why she’s involved in DAWN Youth
“My hope is that DAWN Youth together with other initiatives will help support other people with diabetes like myself,” Anja says. 

Anja’s advice to others
“My best advice to anyone living with diabetes is to find people your own age to talk to. When I am really frustrated by my diabetes acting weird, for instance when my blood sugar is low for the 5th time that day, there is nothing better than to complain to someone who truly understands what I’m talking about!”

She is good at following her own advice. “Some of my friends have gotten text messages at bedtime, written while I’m drinking my juice to fix my blood sugar before sleeping. I’m sure they don’t mind,” she laughs.