2009 has been a year where I’ve been rather dominated by diabetes. I’ve been heavily involved in a diabetes support forum, writing diabetes-related poetry and articles here and elsewhere, and of course, dealing with the condition itself day-by-day. I wouldn’t say it has been controlling me, but I think that, in the coming year I need to find a better balance and look for more non-diabetes related activities and interests. I think it has been fairly inevitable that my first full year with the… Continue

‘Does my bum look big in this?’ In terms of your health, the right answer might be, ‘Well it looks bigger than your belly!’ It’s thought that body shape is a very potent indicator of susceptibility to diseases like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, and it’s better to be pear-shaped than apple-shaped. Pear shaped people put on weight around their hips, bottoms and thighs, whereas apple shaped people have bigger waists than hips – beer bellies and muffin tops are the things to watch out… Continue

When the horrid hypo headache hits you hard,

And you want to keep the shakes and sweats at bay,

Then please don’t turn to meat, for you must have something sweet,

And what better sweet to eat on Christmas Day?



Its minty taste’s divine and it’ll set you up just fine,

And make that hypo headache go away,

So don’t you mutter ‘Bah humbug!’, but a hearty loud ‘Hurrah humbug!’

And let the humble humbug save the… Continue

When I awake on Christmas Day,

I’m hoping that you’ve gone away,

For though I’ve tried to learn to love you,

There’s many a thing I’d place above you!



Diabetes, I know you care,

You never leave me, you’re always there,

But I would cope if you should go,

Just thought that I should let you know…



We’re very close, that much is true -

At every meal, it’s me and you,

And each night – oh how close you keep!

And never leave me while I… Continue

Injections are one thing when you are an insulin-dependant person with diabetes, but fingerprick testing is another thing entirely. Taking blood glucose measurements can hurt more than injections (in fact, it usually does – in my case, at least!), and you also tend to do it more frequently. I will test before every meal, then again if I am going for a run, and when I get back. I might also test if I want to know how a certain meal has affected my levels – did my blood sugar ‘spike’ and go high… Continue

Diabetes UK stirred up quite a controversy when they published a letter in their magazine ‘Balance’ from a nurse who said that the sight of diabetics injecting in public places was ‘disgusting’. It’s not the greatest thing in the world to have to inject insulin every time you want to eat, but it’s certainly not made any easier when we read of such intolerance and lack of understanding – particularly from a member of the ‘caring’ profession.… Continue

If you want to keep good blood sugar control when you have diabetes, it’s a good idea to keep a record of the various factors that can have an influence on levels...only problem is, there are an alarming number of things to consider!



Today I thought that I should start

A diabetic diary

Recording things that are of use

On subsequent inquiry.



To start with I would need to list

My levels through the day… Continue

In the early days after my diagnosis I would frequently wake up with a thumping headache – and that, without the benefit of an over-indulgence in alcohol! It took me a little while to realise that what was happening was that my blood sugar levels were falling very low during the night, but recovering by the morning. At that time I was on 20 units of Lantus as my slow-acting insulin and, although it is not supposed to have a ‘peak’ in its action… Continue

I’ve seen a few vlogs (video blogs) lately where people describe the contents of their bags, itemising the necessary, and unnecessary, things they carry around with them every day in order to be prepared for every eventuality. Well, as I have a face for radio and a voice for email, I decided it would be kinder to describe my bag’s contents in the form of a poem, so here it is…



My right shoulder sags from the weight of my bag,

Hunched… Continue

The history of diabetes and insulin throws up some rather remarkable and unlikely things. When first discovered and administered in the early 1920’s, insulin was seen as a new miracle cure for those condemned to death from diabetes. Not a cure, of course, but a radical new treatment that saw comatose patients rising from their beds and able once more to live their lives with some semblance of normality.

One of the problems with the insulin in… Continue

Dear Santa

Christmas is notoriously a time for over-indulgence, eating and drinking with abandon and not really worrying too much about the consequences of this once-a-year celebration, as it can all be remedied by the New Year Resolutions that are just around the corner. Last year, however, was my first with diabetes, and for the first time I had to consider carefully what I was going to eat and drink – how much I could safely handle… Continue