Each day Abbey Moar, 19, goes about her life like every other young adult.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
From the outside looking in you would never know Ms Moar of Ararat in Victoria's south west, suffered from an auto-immune condition.
Ms Moar's immune system is activated to destroy the cells in the pancreas which produce insulin - resulting in a diagnosis of type one diabetes.
For four years Ms Moar has worked with health services as she adapted her diagnosis into her everyday life.
OTHER NEWS:
At 15 years of age, Ms Moar said it was her school teachers were the people who tipped her off something could be wrong.
"I was sleeping after school and just wasn't my normal self," she said.
"One of my teachers was concerned and spoke to me which made me think about my health a little more.
"I'd lost about five kilograms in two weeks so my health deteriorated quite quickly."
Ms Moar said her parents grew more concerned and booked in a doctor's visit.
"I didn't even get to that appointment in the end," she said.
"My grandfather is also a type one diabetic and it was very handy that he had all the necessary equipment and came around and tested my sugar levels for me.
"I was then taken to outpatients at the Ararat hospital and was rushed down to Ballarat Base hospital."
Ms Moar said it was comforting having her mother by her side as she spent a night in the Intensive Care Unit.
"I was told I was very lucky I went to the hospital when I did because the outcome could have been a lot worse," she said.
"It was pretty full-on in ICU - you are connected to all the machines. You just have to take things step-by-step.
"After my night in ICU I was transferred over to the children's ward after that which was much better."
MORE NEWS:
Ms Moar said after the diagnosis the following weeks were slightly "chaotic".
"You are connected with all the health services you need," she said.
"The biggest thing for me was needles. I hated needles and the thought of having to have multiple needles a day was scary.
"I became more comfortable as I learned to give myself my injections."
Ms Moar said she felt like she manages the impacts of the auto-immune disease on her everyday life "pretty well".
"I still play sport and socialise with friends," she said.
"I guess it's a little different in that I do know my limits if I do go out with my friends. You quickly learn that you need to look after yourself because it affects you the next day."
Ms Moar said one of the biggest frustration was around the difference between type one and type two diabetes and the public's misconceptions.
"People assume because I have diabetes I can't have anything sweet at all," she said.
"It's not the case. I can have everything in moderation and don't have to miss out on anything."