Shannon Maloney with her insulin pump.
Camera IconShannon Maloney with her insulin pump. Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie

Diabetes diagnosis somewhat a ‘relief’ for Coolbellup City to Surf runner

Jaime ShurmerCockburn Gazette

SHANNON Maloney went for a routine blood test when she was 20 and at the prompting of her mum also asked for a blood glucose test as she was drinking 7 litres of water a day.

“The week before my blood test I had been drinking around 7 litres of liquid per day and consuming an alarming amount of sugar as well, which was starting to scare me and became annoying as I went to the toilet every three minutes without fail,” she wrote on her City to Surf fundraising page.

She was told by her doctor to go to hospital immediately as she was at risk of going into a coma.

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The hospital established her pancreas had stopped working and diagnosed her with type 1 diabetes, which was some relief to Shannon who feared she had brought the diabetes on herself.

It has been four years since her diagnosis. She said road had still been bumpy at times so she had eased into the City to Surf with a 4km course and encouraged people to donate to Diabetes WA.

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