Table 3.

Thematic map with themes, subthemes, and illustrative quotations.

Theme and subtheme		Example quotation
“What my life looks like”
	Existing routines and the impact of disruption	“I am hopeless. If a routine changes for me, that’s it, I’m like off the rails.” [Female participant; aged 56 y; >5 y since diagnosis]
	People’s understanding of their condition	“More worried about taking my Metformin than probably any of the other drugs that I’m on.” [Male participant; aged 61 y; >10 y since diagnosis]
	Relationships with others	“I mean they seem to concentrate more on the insulin dependent ones and us tablet controlled ones seem to be left to our own devices.” [Male participant; aged 62 y; >5 y since diagnosis] “I mean if we’re out and something is available to eat, she gives me the nod if I should eat it.” [Male participant; aged 80 y; <5 y since diagnosis]
	What it “means” to live with T2Da	“I’ve got it, can’t do anything about it, it’s under control, I’m not worried about that.” [Female participant; aged 73 y; >10 y since diagnosis] “I always call it the fat diabetes when I say I’ve got diabetes, it’s not insulin, it’s the fat one.” [Female; aged 56 y; >5 y since diagnosis]
Changes in self-management of T2D over time—what and how
	The “drip drip” effect	“I do actually think it was an incredibly productive way of engaging with people, because it was ‘light touch.’” [Male participant; aged 50 y; >10 y since diagnosis]
	Take what you need—and stick with it	“No, no nothing was unhelpful. I enjoyed getting them and where it was needed, I changed things. But there wasn’t a lot to change because I was doing the right thing and I realised that because of the messages.” [Female participant; aged 74 y; >5 y since diagnosis]
	The system as a vehicle between then and now	“The variety of messages was good the way they suggested different ways to remind yourself. Make a note of it somewhere, ask someone, make sure a family member is watching over you if you don’t think you’re going to remember. I think there was about nine or 10 different ways, but you can only say it so many times. By differently wording it sometimes—as I said before—it makes you read it again.” [Male participant; aged 54 y; >5 y since diagnosis]

^aT2D: type 2 diabetes.