BRETT Lee will today be feeling pretty proud of himself. Just over ten years ago he was diagnosed with type two diabetes; a discovery he admits left him devastated.

Yesterday, the 47-year-old completed the Diabetes UK Walk The Extra Mile Challenge five-mile walk through the grounds of Castle Howard.

He completed it with his 11-year-old son, Robert, to raise money for the charity which he says has been a huge help to him over the years, Diabetes UK.

It has been a tough time for Brett because not only is he now insulin- dependent and having to watch everything he eats and drinks, he spends much of his time caring for his disabled wife, Jo.

Before he was diagnosed, Brett experienced the common symptoms of diabetes, including being a constant thirst and suffering from foot infections which failed to heal.

With researchers in Newcastle announcing last week that they may have discovered a way to reverse the disorder through diet and exercise alone, we spoke to Brett about what it was to live with the disease.

He said his initial reaction to the diagnosis was one of complete shock. “When the GP told me I had diabetes it knocked me off my feet. Nobody in the family had the condition and it has taken me a long time to accept it,” he said.

“You are thinking you have just been diagnosed with diabetes and how is my life going to change?”

As a carer for his wife, he admits he has found it difficult coping with the psychological side of managing a serious, life-long condition.

“I was put on anti-depressants as I have had some pretty low points but I have been helped through it by the diabetic clinic at my local hospital. The nurses and specialists have been brilliant.

“It didn’t sink in for a long time and I hit the booze big, and my wife was pregnant at the time. I remember having my first appointment at the diabetes ward on a Wednesday but was unable to make it because my wife was in labour.”

Brett has since made significant lifestyle changes and now follows a healthier diet. He is beginning to feel more in control of his diabetes and wants to help others who are struggling with the condition.

“I have come a long way since my diagnosis and this is down to the support I received from my diabetic team. I am finally starting to feel more positive about my diabetes.,” he said.

Despite this, Brett still admits to encountering prejudice from people who believe that type two diabetes is exclusively caused by years of bad diet and unhealthy living.

“People say you have been eating the wrong stuff or drinking too much – that you have brought it on yourself.

“When I was diagnosed I was blown away. I said ‘is it something I have done wrong’ but my diabetes specialist said it could happen to anyone.”

While some people with the type two condition can control their blood sugar levels through diet and exercise, Brett has to take daily insulin injections.

He said: It was a downer at first but it’s something you do every day, although it does get on your nerves sometimes.

“I take every day as it comes. I don’t eat what I want when I want, but on a weekend I might have a few beers and curry. You can’t deny yourself completely or you would go mad.”

While Brett must carry on using insulin, research funded by Diabetes UK and carried out by a team from Newcastle University has discovered that type two diabetes can be reversed by an extremely low-calorie diet alone.

In an early-stage clinical trial of 11 people, all reversed their diabetes by drastically cutting their food intake to only 600 calories a day for two months. And three months later, seven remained free of diabetes.

Professor Roy Taylor, of Newcastle University, who led the study and is also director of the Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre, said: “To have people free of diabetes after years with the condition is remarkable, and all because of an eight-week diet.

“This is a radical change in understanding type two diabetes. It will change how we can explain it to people newly diagnosed with the condition. While it has long been believed that someone with type two diabetes will always have the disease, and that it will steadily get worse, we have shown that we can reverse the condition.”

Such research is only possible with the help of constant funding and donations.

Following yesterday’s event at Castle Howard, Diabetes UK regional fundraising manager Ann Rowe said: “On behalf of everyone at Diabetes UK I would like to convey our thanks to Brett and Robert. The funds they raise will go a long way in helping us continue to support the 30,350 people diagnosed with diabetes in North Yorkshire and help us find the estimated 17,000 people in the region who are unaware they have type two diabetes, and fund research into finding a cure.”