For Your Consideration

Welcome. I'm your host, Rob, and I'll be your diabetic for today... and every day... because in all honesty, there are no other diabetics accessing my posts directly. Oh, some diabetics might appear peripherally in the comments section, but none appeared in my previous attempt at a blog about diabetes, which was rather disappointing. I'd like to receive comments. Compliments, constructive criticism, corrections of misconceptions I might inadvertently perpetuate, etc. So long as it's not rude or inappropriate, it'd be nice to get feedback.

Look, I've tried to do this several times in the form of an autobiographical book. My first attempt was called The Suicide Note. Pretty grim, right? That title was chosen

 because I wanted to shock readers with the fact that diabetes could kill. But that's not quite accurate. Diabetes rarely kills; it's the complications of diabetes that kill. What's more, that title could scare off potential readers. My other idea for that version of my story was to have it bound in a metal cover so that if friends and loved ones couldn't get their poorly controlled diabetic to read it, it could be used to beat them about the head and shoulders to gain compliance.

Marketing ideas. I got them.

I then tried a more positive stance and started writing The Grand Inheritance. There is, however, a difference between writing to send a positive message and writing to get laughs. Besides, what was so grand about Type 1 diabetes? Nothing. At the very least, it's an ongoing annoyance. At its worst, it's crippling. 

No, wait... At its worst, it's deadly.

See? Much better.

Another thought eventually leaked into my head: What if I wasn't in the mood to write about whatever it was that was supposed to happen chronologically? Context can be everything. So let's say I'm writing about the history of diabetes, and suddenly I want to skip to some complication that happens to be bothering me that day. That would look like a mess in the pages of a book. But in a blog? I'm golden.

As mentioned, this is my second attempt at a diabetes blog. There'll be quite a bit of copying and pasting, with edits to correct my information when necessary, add clarity, and/or make something more humorous.

So allow me a moment to run down a few pertinent facts before I leave this post.

1. I have been a Type 1 diabetic since the age of seven, and I'm currently 56. That's 49 years of experience to share.
2. I am NOT a doctor. I'm a well-read guy who knows a lot, but not everything, and some of what I know may be outdated. If you want medical advice, seek a medical professional.
3. As I start this new blog on 30 September 2023, I am also a newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetic. Yes, I have TWO types of diabetes simultaneously!
4. Every diabetic is different. It's almost like we're human beings or something! Different people have VERY different experiences with medications, complications, doctors, and so on. What I write here will be about MY experiences.
5. I gotta say, being a July baby has given me easy access to the joke, "My sign? Oh, I'm a Cancer. Well, actually I'm a diabetic."

😂 I'm a card. (I should be dealt with.)

That's my introduction, folks. Good? Bad? Mediocre? Who am I to say? But I sincerely hope that this is the continuation of a journey that's both educational and entertaining. I'll be aiming for one post per week, so keep a lookout for my weekly ramblings.

Finally, I discovered that if I add a picture to my posts, it creates a thumbnail for me, which I think is a lot of fun. I usually tease something about a celebrity wife. That'll come in due time. Today, I choose to share the results on my physical therapy.

This is as far as I could get before it collapsed.

Yes, my physical therapy is all about creating things with Lego. Using only 2x8 bricks, I build a thing, take it apart, and build another thing, all in an effort to keep my hands functional. You'll just have to trust me when I say that this activity was approved by a neurologist. And for the record, I had many more white blocks to add to this monster, but it was all becoming unstable. In fact, I got two pictures of it before it collapsed. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.