The Day for D-Blogging

Today is the fourth annual D-Blog Day. The day to blog about diabetes, and support others who blog about it too.

In November 2005, the first D-Blog day, I'd discovered and begun to read many of the blogs that were around back then. But I was yet to even post a comment on one of those blogs, let alone think about starting my own D-Blog. Despite that fact that I didn't respond to the call to de-lurk on -Blog day, seeing how the community came together was certainly a factor that played a big part in drawing me in to this fantastic community.

I started this blog less than two months later, but in November 2006, I missed D-Blog Day, wrapped up in depression and burnout, it took me several more days to be reminded that this is just what this community of people with diabetes is here for: to help us not feel so overwhelmed and alone.

Last year, I gave thanks to the community for getting me out of that funk. For understanding me. For inspiring me.

And I urge you to go back and read that post because, ultimately, I still feel the same way a year on.

Sometimes, though, I feel disconnected from the community. I don't always have the time that I'd like to read other blogs and post comments. I don't even have the time to write all that I'd like to here. I'm in a minority being outside of North America and sometimes the issues I face, especially with respect to insurance, are vastly different to those that others in the community experience. My two year fight for CGM coverage, as a prime example, was not the same as that faced by others. I don't always understand all of the issues others share, and I'm not sure that all my own issues are understood either.

But despite this, despite the number of times that I'm unable to offer support and feedback to others and the many times I don't directly get given it myself, the community remains very special to me.

To be able to open a browser window and connect myself instantly to so many places where I can read the personal day-to-day stories - struggles and triumphs - of others who live with diabetes, and who I can identify with, is priceless.

It's so far from anything that could have been imagined at my diagnosis 25 years ago, that I'd go so far as to call it magic.

Happy D-Blog Day!