I've been blogging in my native language for one year and a half now, but always been contemplating to switching to English. So what better opportunity than this year's D-Blog Week?

Last year I've been following Karen's initiative from the sides, but this year I decided to join in. As I don't really know where my "official" blog is heading right now, the obvious thing to do was to use tudiabetes' blogging platform. So after a looong intro, here I am, taking a deep breath (like when you're waiting for A1c results after some time of not-so-good BG control) and attacking this day's topic: Find a Friend.

Well, since I've been lurking in the DOC I found a lot of friends. I found a lot of support. I found answers before even asking myself the questions. And I found out that I'm not alone and that never should feel guilt about my diabetes. I found laughter and hope and do's and don'ts. The DOC acted for me like an incentive to take better care of myself and the blogs I read are a daily reminder that I have to do my best. Everyday. That I have to pick myself up and move on. That I can do it. That we all wear blue every now and then and that Diabetes Stinks. Because, sometimes it really does.

Initially I thought of picking up one of the wildcard topics for today. The blogs in my reader are really known around DOC and I've already seen them all recommended in today's topic's posts. Well...almost all of them.

My blog recommendation for today is Olivia's blog, a teenager with diabetes that blogs at Diabetes Stinks. She's refreshing to read and inspiring for her courage to say it out loud how it's like to be a teen with diabetes these days. Reading her blog can be helpful for parents of CWD and CWD alike. Being diagnosed as I was entering my teens, Olivia's blog struck a chord for me as well. I would have loved to read her blog so many years ago. I would have loved to feel less alone then and have this kind of connection DOC offers.

So go check her out. I will surely do. As I'm sure my 12-year-old self would have appreciated her blog, my older self loves it too.