Something to be Grateful For

The fabulous Mike Durbin has challenged his fellow diabetes bloggers to post each day of Thanksgiving Week to acknowledge blessings we've received as a result of diabetes.

I don't know that I'm going to make it to seven: I don't know that I'm going to make it to two. (I've written several posts in the last couple of days, and I feel the hot breath of laziness close upon the back of my neck.)

But, this one is a big one.

See, one of the things I think a person needs for a full life is something to be involved in, a way of doing good that absolutely nobody in authority expects you to do. To qualify in my mind, the "cause" would be something that no employer, family member, or even church leader that would attempt to make me do. Purely voluntary, done solely from belief and passion. Political or social movements, charities, community organizations, teaching kids to read - there are thousands of things a person could do along these lines.

Now, I've got diabetes. Diabetes provides a focus for my efforts. I tell my story as part of my efforts, and I try to provide a little support. Some of what I do is intended to help the larger Diabetes Online Community better understand Type 2, but mostly I just seek through blogs and tweets to lighten peoples' loads just a little bit. While I may someday do more to represent diabetes to society as a whole, what I'm doing now feels productive and worthwhile.

I'm grateful for something to do.

I went a long time without finding something that fit for me. Sure, I've done a whole bunch of little things, but I've not have a specifiec

Fake Diabetes Statistics

We read many statistics that are faked or exaggerated. Here, there's no mystery: I'm telling you I made them up.

73.6 -- The number of hours of sleep I lose in a year while putting off loading my pill sorter.
2 -- The number of test strips per container that, once used, escape and try to make it to the border.
0 -- The number of members of the "diabetes police" sent to the hospital each year by enraged diabetics.
12,873 -- The number of members of the "diabetes police" sent to the hospital each year in the imaginations of enraged diabetics.
6.2 -- the percentage of health information sites on the Internet that are actually run by people genuinely interested in the health of others.
95 -- the percentage of 'finger wipers' who think that 'finger lickers' are a little bit disgusting.
98 -- the percentage of 'finger lickers' who think that 'finger wipers' are a little overly fussy.
1 -- the number of blood tests per lancet encouraged by lancet manufacturers.
17.6 -- the average number of blood tests per lancet by anybody that's been testing for more than a week.
99 -- the percentage of diabetics who've secretly wished a high blood sugar episode on some officious carb pusher.
15,872 -- the number of new diet books published each year.
3 -- the number of new diet books published each year that actually help a significant number of people achieve meaningful and lasting weight loss.
9.8 -- on a scale of 1 to 10, the amount of fun I've had making up these statistics.

Bob Pedersen