Instructions Not Included

Books are great. I was always a great lover of books as a child, and I'd get through several a week as a minimum. These days, I don't get as much time to read as I'd like. I've been trying to make my way through reading Les Miserables for several years. Rather a pathetic admission, and it doesn't please me. Especially since I've rather forgotten what's going on at the point that I'm up to, and will probably have to start over again anyway.  But to get to my point, I like to read. I like to know things. So, because my friends know me, I got brought Diabetes UK 'approved' cookery books whilst I was still in hospital (not pictured, since I just grabbed the first ones I saw), so I could read up on food. After I was discharged, I went on Amazon, and looked for books. I bought some in the sales at Borders (oh Borders, how I miss you...), and yes, I did read them. Some are more useful than others. 

The thing that I found though, was that as helpful and informative as some of these books are on a clinical level, there were things that I wanted to know that they just weren't telling me. What I wanted to know was not how people 'controlled diabetes'. I wanted to know how people lived with it. 

All I can say is thank goodness for the internet.  Somewhere in the bowels of the Diabetes UK website, I found a link to Diabetes Support. That place has been an absolute lifeline to me. And I can't even remember what it was that I searched for, which sent me to Six Until Me. All I know was that when I found Kerri's blog, I spent HOURS reading every post I could find. Then looked through her blogroll and found other blogs, which I read just as keenly. 

I think it was seeing how people handled the day to day highs and lows that interested me the most. Reading about their lives made feel stronger. These amazing people, who were so willing to share with the world the their day to day trials and tribulations made me feel as if I could do it too, because they were doing it. So there was no reason that I couldn't do it as well.

There's something about hearing about diabetes from some who is living with it. It's comforting. It's like being sat down with a friend, having a drink together, and knowing that you're not alone. So to every single one of you who writes a blog - thank you. I'd sit down for a drink in real life with any single one of you. And for those of you reading this, I hope it might make you feel less alone. Writing it certainly makes me feel less alone.