Diabetes Blog Week: Day 1 - Message Monday.

Let's kick off the discussion by talking about why we are here, in the diabetes blog space. What is the most important diabetes awareness message to you? Why is that message important for you, and what are you trying to accomplish by sharing it on your blog? (Thank you Heather Gabel for this topic selection.) 

Why am I here? Honestly, I don't really know.

I started this blog when I was feeling a little lost. I was living abroad, struggling with my diabetes care, and I guess I was searching for that genuine "me too" feeling that I now have, thanks to this community.

My healthcare since my diagnosis has been far from sub-standard. I've always been lucky enough to have access to a good healthcare team, a DSN who is only a phone call away, a dietitian if I need to see one, and, most recently, psychological care, because the emotional side of living with diabetes is just as important as the physiological side.

Between them, they can help me change my insulin doses, hone in on my carb counting skills, teach me about different bolus settings on my insulin pump. But what they can't do is tell me they understand. That, for me, is where community comes in. I always say my healthcare team can tell my how to use my pump, but they can't tell me how to live with it. Purchasing a pump garter to stash my pump in with that dress or what to do with it in those intimate moments is only something you learn from those that live with diabetes (and wear an insulin pump) too.

So why am I here?

I've always referred to blogging as my diabetes therapy. Writing down my thoughts, whether privately or through this blog, helps clear my head. Seeing my thoughts in front of me helps me to organise and realign where I'm currently at, and in the same breath helps me see what I need to do to get to where I want to be. At the same time, it's my way of giving back to a community that has given me so much.

I always remember something Kerri writes in her blogs frequently, regarding her motivations for blogging, and that's that she googled diabetes during those pre-blogging years, and the results were scary. I cannot tell you how grateful I am that when I googled diabetes 6 years ago, I got blogs. People living with, owning, type one diabetes. They gave me hope for my future. They still do. And I will be forever grateful for that. I'm here to add another story to the hope column.

This week is Diabetes Blog Week (thank you to Karen at Bittersweet Diabetes for organising this for the seventh year running! Seventh!) To read more most from Day 1, please click here. For more information about Diabetes Blog Week, click here. 

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 7 - Continuing Connections.

And I've caught up...finally! Diabetes Blog Week (plus a week and a day), it's been fun! The biggest of thank yous to Karen of Bitter-Sweet Diabetes for organising this once again, and bringing the community together.

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The very first inspiration for Diabetes Blog Week was to help connect our blogging community, and that continues to be the most important reason it's held every year.  So let's help foster and continue those connections as we wrap up another Dblog Week.  Share a link to a new blog you've found or a new friend you've made.  Or pick a random blog off of the Participant's List, check it out and share it with us.  Let's take some time today to make new friends.

Like last year, I'm kind of gonna cop out of this one. I'm crap when it comes to picking just one blog, so here are a list of links!

• "I can because somebody believed I could"
• "Because I believe, and my coffee mug says so".
• "I can always see, feel, live a full life beyond my chronic illness".
• "Having diabetes did not make these things possible but spark the flame that brought these things to light" - beautifully worded by George.
• "All I had running through my head was 'I can't'. Meeting John made me break through at and turn it into 'I can'". - and I couldn't be happier for Emma. 
• "Despite diabetes, I was able to have a healthy, happy baby boy" (and he is too cute for words!)
• "...diabetes is an intensely personal but also deeply relatable, and ultimately human subject. I share what will make a difference and leave the rest for me".
• "Regardless of how much or how little you share, your voice is important, and our community flourishes as a result." - a reminder from Kerri that our voices matter.
• "You will never hear/read me discuss my deepest, darkest, recurring feelings about diabetes."
• "I know this. But I feel this." - last Diabetes Blog Week, there was a post written by Kev that made me cry. This year, it was this one.
• "You see, it is time to let go." - heartbreakingly beautiful. 
• "I want my own feeling surrounding my diabetes to change" - this post definitely resonated with me. 
• "I would like to see all People With Diabetes empowered enough to take charge of their diabetes, advocating for the drugs, treatments acceptance and support they need and deserve"
• "While on some level people's perceptions play a part of things, I think in myself some changes need to be made"
• "Change starts today".
• The good, the bad, the ugly.

Happy reading!

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 6 - Favourites And Motivations.

Still playing catch up...

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If you have been blogging for a while, what is your favourite sentence or blog post you have ever written? Is it diabetes related or just life related? If you are a new blogger, and don't have a favourite yet, tell us what motivated you to start sharing your story by writing a blog.

It was weird going back through old blog posts, and interesting to read just how much things have changed since I first started this blog: where I'm at in my personal life, where my health is at, how my writing has changed and what I use this blog for. 

My motivations for blogging are often changing. 

More often than not, it's to clear my head (diabetes therapy!)

Sometimes it's to share information.

Or tell a story. Celebrate an achievement. Vent after a bad day. 

And sometimes it's because I just want to. Sounds a little silly, right? Wanting to blog about life with diabetes and share with the Internet? I enjoy writing. And I'm proud of this little corner of the Internet. This is my platform to connect with others. I've made friends as a result of this blog. And, emotionally, I'm much better off for having it.

To read more posts for day six of Diabetes Blog Week, click here.

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 5 - Foods On...Monday?!

(Ok...so I fell a bit behind when it came to Diabetes Blog Week. But I'm determined to finish, so today I give you day 5...a few days late!)

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Taking a cue from Adam Brown's recent post, write a post documenting what you eat in a day. Feel free to add links to recommended recipes/shops/whatever. Make it an ideal day or come-as-you-are day - no judgements either way.

I was a little bit unsure about this post. I've written before about the mind-fuck that I experience when it comes to food, guilt and diabetes. I also said that I wanted to stop fearing food diaries. Okay, this isn't a food diary per se, but it's all about sharing those food-related choices. So I'm doing it. 

Breakfast consisted of these little beauties: egg frittatas, recipe courtesy of Jen. Blood sugar friendly egg bites with tomatoes and spinach in them. I mix up the veggies I put in them, but tomato and spinach is my favourite. Kale is pretty good too, actually. Three of these will do me until lunch time. 

Lunch consisted of a cheese and pickle sandwich, made with Warburton's Sandwich Thins (because bread is my food nemesis) and a cereal bar. And a coffee. Always coffee (with sugar-free caramel syrup).

And for dinner, I had a chicken kiev with sweet potato fries and salad. Sweet potato is one of my favourite things to cook with. Mash it, roast it, fry it, bake it, love it! And I had mango for pudding (because I'm absolutely obsessed with the stuff at the moment!)

To read more posts for day 5 of Diabetes Blog Week, click here.

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 4 - Changes.

Today, let's talk about changes in one of two ways. Either tell us what you'd most like to see change about diabetes, in any way. This can be management tools, devices, medications, people's perceptions, your own feelings - anything at all you feel could use changing. OR reflect back on some changes you or your loved one has seen or been through since being diagnosed with diabetes. Were they expected or did they surprise you?

The biggest thing I want to see changed? 

Access. 

Access to insulin.

Access to glucose meters.

Access to test strips.

Access to education to learn how to live a life with diabetes.

I've written about it before. Many times. And I've spoken with those working on changing this. Insulin isn't a luxury, it's necessary to live.  

To read more posts for day four of Diabetes Blog Week, click here.

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 3 - Clean It Out.

Yesterday we kept stuff in, so today let's clear stuff out. What's in your diabetic closet that needs to be cleaned out? This can be an actual physical belonging, or something you're mentally or emotionally hanging on to. Why are you keeping it and why do you need to get rid of it?

Guilt. That's what I want, need, and am trying, to get rid of. Diabetes-related guilt.

It comes in many forms. A high blood sugar when I thought I'd carb-counted my meal precisely. A low blood sugar when I'm looking after my godson. Feeling down when I have a lot of good in my life, yet I can't can't snap out of that funk. Or after comments other people are making regarding my health/food/diabetes-related choices.

One of the things you're taught in school is kindness. Be kind to others, treat them how we wish to be treated ourselves.

And that's true, don't get me wrong.

But what about being kind to ourselves? Going easy on ourselves, and remembering that we're only human and there's only so much we can do?

I try my best to keep my blood sugar levels in line, and my head in a good place to make that happen. Sometimes, the two aren't in sync, and when they aren't, that's when I feel the most guilty: I'm lucky enough to have access to test strips and insulin, I wear an insulin pump, I don't have to pay for my health care. I have no reason to feel the way I sometimes do, I just do. And because I feel that those feelings are unjustified, I don't spend time addressing the situation. Instead, I tell myself to get on with it.

I don't ease up on myself mentally. I don't give myself the time to work through where I'm at emotionally. I don't vocalise where my head's at, worried that comments from others will make me feel even more guilty.

Since my appointment last week, I've really tried to ease up on myself emotionally, take things one day at a time and not expect everything to fall back into place overnight. It's so much easier said than done, and still early days, but I feel so much better for it.

I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. And I don't have it all figured out. But I'm here, pursuing a career post-graduation, travelling, hanging out with family and friends, rambling away on this blog, excited about what comes next. All, apparently, a whole lot more fun when you're not giving yourself a hard time. 

Source

To read more posts for day three of Diabetes Blog Week, click here.

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 2 - Keep It To Yourself.

Many of us share lots of aspects of our lives online for the world to see. What are some aspects of diabetes you choose to keep private from the internet? Or from your family and friends? Why is it important to keep it to yourself? (This is not an attempt to get you out of your comfort zone. There is no need to elaborate or tell personal stories related to these aspects. Simply let us know what kinds of stories we'll never hear from you.)

I share a lot on this blog. And there are things I'd wish I'd done differently when I started this blog. I basically wasn't expecting to still be writing this blog today, so didn't really think twice about what went on here in the early days. There's not a lot I can do about that now, though. We all know how the Internet works: once something's out there, it's very hard to take it back. What I can do, however, is make sure that I'm comfortable with what I'm disclosing on here. 

Like most other diabetes bloggers, I want this blog to be seen as a reliable account of living life with type one diabetes. Therefore, I need to share, and I need to share honestly.

So I do: stories of low and high blood sugars, going to university, moving abroad, moving home and finding a job, exercising, hanging out with friends. Sometimes I even share stories I don't remember.

What I don't share are the names of my friends and family. Because although their stories are closely linked with mine, they are their stories to share. I've chosen to share aspects of my diabetes life online, but they haven't chosen to put their lives on the Internet. And any pictures I use are always used with their permission. Particularly when it comes to my littlest friend. 

I've stopped sharing my blood results. There's a lot of context that goes alongside an hba1c result. What's not a great result for one person might be a really improved result for someone else. The context matters, and, although I knew this, when I first started blogging it wasn't really something I really thought about. Now, however, I have, and I'm choosing to keep those results private. 

I don't share all the crappy times as I'm going through them. I often write them out on this blog, to help organise my thoughts, but I never actually press publish. If I do, it will be when I'm in a better place mentally, and it will be to reflect on, not focus on. The difference is subtle, but I think it's there. 

I don't doubt that what I share and don't share will change as my life changes. For now, what I choose disclose is what I'm most comfortable with as a twenty-something still trying to figure out what comes next. 

To read more post for day two of Diabetes Blog Week, click here.

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 1 - I Can.

In the UK, there was a diabetes blog theme of "I Can..." that participants found wonderfully empowering. So let's kick things off this year looking at the positive side of our lives with diabetes. What have you or your loved one accomplished, despite having diabetes, that you weren't sure you could? Or what have you done that you've been particularly proud of? Or what good thing has diabetes brought into your life?

I truly believe that the things we experience and the people we meet help shape and influence what we do in the future and who we become. Kind of like those Orange mobile adverts that graced our televisions a few years back.

I was 17 years old when I was diagnosed with diabetes, and since then I have moved away from home. I went to uni, made some life-long friends, lived with some of them whilst there, went on a year abroad and graduated. 

I've since moved back to my hometown. I've landed a job I enjoy. 

I've had the opportunity to connect with, and meet, so many lovely people within the DOC. 

I started this blog and found a love of writing (even if it is still a little clumsy and all over the place). 

Whether it's because of diabetes or in spite of diabetes, I don't know, but the people I've met and the things that I've done have taught me that I can live the life I want to live with diabetes.

Can't ask for more than that!

To read more blog posts for day one of Diabetes Blog Week, you can find link list here. 

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 7 - My Favourite Things.

As we wrap up another Diabetes Blog Week, let's share a few of our favourite things from the week. This can be anything from a #DBlogWeek post you loved, a fantastic new-to-you blog you found, a picture someone included in a post that spoke to you, or a comment left on your blog that made you smile. Anything you liked is worth sharing!

Keeping up with all the blogs during DBlogWeek is a mammoth of a task, one that I haven't managed to achieve (whoever has managed to do so deserves a medal!) Nonetheless, a lovely list of DOC delights for you, that I have managed to read over the course of the week:

• How a 10 year old would change the world for PWDs.
• The one about The Apple and The Cake - I'm so glad that Kate decided to start a blog, and the response she got on this post is brilliant! Go, Kate, go!
• Have you been offered structured diabetes education?
• "Diabetes should not rank any higher than your #2 priority..."
• Dear media: please read this poem and take note of what is said. Please (again) and thank you.
•  "'Cause for the first time in forever, my fingers don't feel numb..."
• "We're stronger and confidence runs through our veins..." (might want some tissues for this one. Just saying.)
• How diabetes can be turned into a beer metaphor :-) 
• Si se puede entender esta frase, se puede entender este blog de una "bloguera" en Perú. And if not, you can either give Google Translate a go or just skip to the next link!
• "It ain't about how hard you're hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward..."
• "From the outside, a life with diabetes may look something like...but from the inside, we know differently..." - beautifully written post!
• Scott's blog is a secret too. I'm not the only one!
• "It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be better than it was" - I think this is a code by which we can all live by.
• The strength of the DOC.
• Is that drink regular or diet? - everyone needs to know this diabetes life hack!
• Diabetes life hacks from Diabetes Mine.
• 'SUM' more diabetes life hacks.
• "Use your boobs!"
• These Saturday Snapshots made me smile.
• This girl is an inspiration - she should be incredibly proud, and this is the perfect link for me to wrap up DBlogWeek 2014 with!

To read more blog posts for day six of diabetes blog week, you can find a link list here. 

Finally, I would like to say a huge thank you to Karen for, once again, organising diabetes blog week (it's in it's fifth year, guys! That's awesome!) It's been a pleasure taking part!  

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 6 - Saturday Snapshots.

Back for another year, let's show everyone what living with diabetes looks like! With a nod to the Diabetes 365 Project, let's grab our cameras again and share some more d-related pictures. Post as many or as few as you'd like. Feel free to blog your thoughts on or explanations of your pictures, or leave out the written words and let the pictures speak for themselves.

Life with type one diabetes, for the most part, looks a lot like this:

There's also a lot of this:

And sometimes I have days that leave me feeling like this*:

 (*Although not because I was told to eat my pasta!)

But I still went ahead and saw a bit more of the world:

(Clockwise from top left: Toulouse, Madrid, New York, Florida).

 And even though living with this is often sucky and leaves me feeling like I'm looking at the world like this:

 

  On the whole, I'm happy like this:

Happy Saturday, wherever you are!

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 5 - Diabetes Life Hacks.

Share the (non-medical) tips and tricks that help you in the day-to-day management of diabetes. Tell us everything from clothing modifications, serving size/carb counting tricks to the tried and true Dexcom-in-a-glass trick or the "secret" to turning Medtronic Pump's backlight when not on the home-screen (scroll to the bottom of this post). Please remember to give non-medical advice only!

After an evening of travelling from my uni home to my Mum and Dad's, I can finally get up today's Blog Week post (albeit a bit late!)

Diabetes life hacks.

I can't say I have all that many, if I'm honest. Although, having spent the most part of my journey this evening reading posts for this prompt, I think it's safe to say that there are a lot of hacks I will be trying when I start on my insulin pump. 

At present though, this is what I can offer you:

• Alarms: I'm reliant on them. I have an alarm that goes of at 9.30pm every night, which is when I take my Levemir injection and I've also activated the reminder alarms on my meter - if my blood sugar clocks in at above 14mmol, my meter will alarm an hour later to remind me to re-test. Likewise, with low blood sugars, my meter will alarm after 15 minutes to get me to re-check my blood sugar and make sure I'm back within range.
• Carbs & Cals: I have both the Carbs & Cals book and app on my phone, and I wouldn't be without either. It's great to be able to refer to, especially when eating out, and weighing out exact portions just isn't possible.
• Glucotabs in the plastic tubes: Yes, they're pricier, but knowing that my diabetes paraphernalia goes from my handbag to my uni bag to my gym bag to whatever-other-bag-I-wish-to-use, I want to know that my glucose tablets aren't going to disintegrate. So, I fork out the extra money for the ones in a plastic tube. 
• Easy-to-grab diabetes supplies: From September 2012 through to August 2013, I travelled a lot - I was on my year abroad and I also ventured Stateside for a two week holiday with my family. Airport queues are often long, and no one wants to be that person that's holding everyone else up. Travelling with diabetes means that I may well be that person that holds up everyone else (my carry on does always contain needles, after all) so to make airport security as quick and easy as possible, I keep all diabetes supplies in one clear bag that I can then show security. No rummaging in my bag for each individual item.

To read more posts for day five of diabetes blog week, you can find a link list here.   

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 4 - Mantras And More.

Yesterday we opened up about how diabetes can bring us down. Today, let's share what gets us through a hard day. Or, more specifically, a hard diabetes day. Is there something positive you tell yourself? Are there mantras that you fall back on to get you through? Is there something specific you do when your mood needs a boost? Maybe we've done that and we can help others do it too?

Something I constantly remind myself is the following:

I try my best.

I check my blood sugar. I count every carb. I make allowances for exercise and illness. I rotate my injection sites. I go to my appointments. I do everything I can to be as healthy as can be. 

Some days, I get it right. 

Other days, I've screwed up before I've even had breakfast. 

The point is, I try. I try damn hard to manage my diabetes. 

And when I have those days that have worn me into the ground I remember this:

"Tomorrow will be a new day; the sun will rise and what seemed to have defeated you the day before becomes something you've conquered and survived."

These are the words of one of my friends, and they've stuck with me ever since she uttered them to me. In fact, I carry them in my purse so her words are with me at all times. They help me day in, day out. Here's hoping they help you too!

To read more posts for day four of diabetes blog week, you can find a link list here.

 

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 3 - What Brings Me Down.

May is Mental Health Month so now seems like a great time to explore the emotional side of living with, or caring for someone with, diabetes. What things can make dealing with diabetes an emotional issue for you and/or your loved one, and how do you cope?

Sometimes, I feel like I lead a bit of a double life.

Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I don't know how else to describe it. Let me explain:

To some, I'm Vicki, a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a friend, a language student, a Brownie leader and, yes, a type one diabetic. 

To others, I'm Vicki, a daughter, a sister, an auntie, a friend, a language student, a Brownie leader and, yes, a type one diabetic, who also happens to write a blog and do other diabetes-related stuff online, and sometimes offline. 

My blog is my therapy, my little bubble in which I can talk diabetes, from the triumphs to the meltdowns to advocating for myself and others. 

It's also my little secret. 

A few of my closest friends know this exists. My sister recently found out (although I don't actually know if she reads this - hey if you are!). But the rest of my family don't know. 

When I first started this blog, I had no idea it would turn into what it has. So I didn't think to mention it when I started. Now, however, it's grown more than I ever imagined, and it's getting harder and harder to keep a secret. I recently had a blog post published on the JDRF website, which I was so proud of, but I also panicked, as it was linked on Facebook with my name, and the people on my Facebook could see it. I know one of my uncles saw it, as he "liked" the link. Whether or not it gets mentioned the next time I see him, I don't know. Guess I'll have to wait and see.

It's not that I don't want my family, or other friends of mine, to know about it. I'm incredibly proud to be a part of this community. I guess I just worry about how they will react to it, especially as this is something I've kept under wraps for over a year now. It just seems the longer it goes on, the harder it is to "out myself" as a diabetes blogger.

As for how I cope with it, well, the support I get from my friends that know about this blog is incredible, and the DOC never fails to blow me away with the amount of advice and support it offers! Thank you just doesn't seem like enough.  

Of all the things I could have written about, this is what I choose. Not exactly where I thought this post would go, but there you go! Don't get me wrong, diabetes brings me down in lots of other ways too - I'd be lying if I said I hadn't had the occasional pity party or had days of endless frustration. But right now, it's this "double life" that is getting me down. 

Maybe in the not too distant future I'll find it in me to tell my family and other friends.

Probably blog about it too ;-)

To read more blog posts for day three of diabetes blog week, you can find a link list here.

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 2 - Diabetes Dream Device Wildcard.

Today's topic is actually meant to be "diabetes poetry" - not really my thing. So instead, I'm opting for a wildcard topic: Diabetes Dream Device. 

This continues to be one of the most popular DBlogWeek topics, so let's have another crack at it! Tell us what your fantasy diabetes device would be? Think of your dream blood glucose checker, delivery system for insulin or other meds, magic carb counter or anything else you can think of. The sky is the limit - what would you love to see?

There are countless meters for people with diabetes, all of which have different unique selling points, but, for me, there isn't one that has all the functions I'd like it to have. So, here's my dream device, a glucose meter that......

Looks like a One Touch:
When I was diagnosed, I was given a One Touch Ultra Easy, and I loved it. It looked more like an mp3 player than it did a meter, and I think because of that, very little attention was drawn to it. Then, a couple of years later, I was given a Verio IQ, and this one looked somewhat like an iPod. Again, discrete, very little attention was drawn to it. And it had a light at the test strip port which was great when it came to testing my blood sugar at night. Would definitely like to see a light on a meter! 

Has the bolusing skills of an Accu-Chek:
I currently use the Expert meter by Accu-Chek, and the main reason I haven't switched back to a One Touch is because of the bolus wizard. The meter is programmed with my insulin to carb ratios, my correction factor and certain "health events" (for example, -20% when I exercise or +10% for illness). I check my blood sugar before a meal or snack, input the number of carbs, add a health event if applicable, and press bolus. The meter estimates how much insulin I need, and factors in a correction dose if need be. Awesome!

Hooks up with my laptop like a Bayer:
I personally haven't really used a Bayer meter (was given a Contour USB to try, but went back to my One Touch after a few weeks), but the one thing I loved about it was that I could just plug it into a USB port on my laptop and download the data, quickly and simply. No need for cables or anything else. 

Multi-tasks like a FreeStyle-r:
The Abbott FreeStyle Optium and their recently released Optium Neo not only perform blood glucose checks, but also have the ability to check for ketones. Not that I need to do this often, but to have my glucose meter double up as a ketone meter would be a huge pro!

And is also:
Accurate! Accuracy is so important in blood glucose meters. And, not that I've started on a pump yet, but I am soon, and I'd love for this dream meter to be able to link with the pump, so I can bolus remotely, no matter which company makes it! 

Asking for too much? Maybe. However, this is a dream device.

But all these features are available on individual meters, so I don't think it's unjustified for me, a PWD, to want my meter to integrate all of the above.

What would your dream diabetes device be?

As I mentioned at the beginning, today I've opted for a wildcard topic, a list of links for which can be found here. To read blogs that centre around today's actual blog week topic, click here.     

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 1 - Change The World.

Let's kick off Diabetes Blog Week by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for Medicare patients, SDP funding or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not you "formally" advocate for any cause, share the issues that are important to you.

Photo credit: The 100 Campaign.

Insulin access for all - that's my itch.

Insulin isn't a luxury, it's necessary to live.

Back in February, a charity called The Pendsey Trust caught my eye, and Lucy, the charity's founder, agreed to an interview. Listening to Lucy's documentary The Doctor Who Dreamed, and hearing more about the charity was a real eye-opener for me.

Insulin isn't a luxury, it's necessary to live.

Yet, in many countries around the world, insulin isn't readily available, and I can't comprehend that. So I'm now quick to support other charities/campaigns that are working towards the same goal: The 100 Campaign, Spare a Rose (in aid of Life for a Child), T1 International, to name but a few.

Insulin isn't a luxury, it's necessary to live.

I know it's Diabetes Blog Week, which means reading diabetes blogs kind of takes over (been there, trust me!), but, whilst it's day one and you're not trying to catch up on a week's worth of blogs, please take a look at the work the organisations above do. Their work is incredibly important!

Insulin isn't a luxury, it's necessary to live.

To read more blog posts for day one of diabetes blog week, you can find a link list here. 

Diabetes Blog Week: Day 7 - Spread The Love.

As another Diabetes Blog Week draws to a close, let's reflect on some of the great bloggers we've found this week. Give some love to three blog posts you've read and loved during Diabetes Blog Week, and tell us why they're worth reading. Or share three blogs you've found this week that are new to you.

I think it’s safe to say that Diabetes Blog Week 2013 has been a success. My exam revision was 100% ignored in favour of reading D-Blog Week posts! Now, I know this prompt says to share three blogs that are new to me, but I have four, and they’re not all going to be new, (I'm breaking all the rules for this post!) but ones that I think are definitely worth a read!

Kim's blog is one of my D-Blog Week finds! One minute I'm close to tears, next I have the biggest grin on my face! I just hope I can stay as positive as she is once I hit 20+ years living with type one diabetes!

I've been reading Daisy's blog for a while now, and I never, ever, get bored of her writing. Every post is a pleasure to read; she writes in such a truthful manner that I can go from smiling to crying in a matter of seconds! 

Dave's blog is another D-Blog Week find and I'm so glad I stumbled across his writing. I love his ability to make diabetes funny, something I feel is necessary. His posts throughout D-Blog Week have always brought a smile to my face. 

Although not technically a D-Blog Week find, I'm still new to Scott's blog. I love his writing style and how positive his outlook is when it comes to living with diabetes. Again, I just hope that I have that same outlook further down the line.

So they're my four! Go check them out. There are so many more I could list here, but instead I'm just going to update the links page on this blog. Huge, huge thank you to Karen at Bitter-Sweet Diabetes for, once again, organising Diabetes Blog Week. I've loved it! See you again next year?!?!