The pleasure of blogging for you hits me with a sobering realization. I have a lot to be thankful for this year. When I say this is a gratifying experience, those words pale in comparison to how I really feel. It is my hope that everything I share with you serves a purpose for you, as much as it proves to be therapeutic for me. When I divulge to people that I'm a blogger, they seem to react with surprise. Popular opinion about blogs is that most of them are crafted by unqualified characters that use the Internet as public property to launch personal attacks. Not me.

I don't write this stuff, willy-nilly. I have a fair amount of experience in diabetes. I have seen a lot and I have done even more. I've been a passenger on the D-Train since July 5, 1985. That was my date of diagnosis, at the ripe age of 7. I look back and laugh because one of the most imprisoning events of my life happened just after Independence Day. I was at the beach watching fireworks, eating Vienna Finger cookies, and dying of thirst. Literally. The next day, my parents hauled me into Dr. Wu's office and my baptizing blood sugar was well over 300. I don't remember the number exactly. But I do remember we didn't go home. My parents took me to the hospital by way of McDonald's. I had a Happy Meal. How's that for foreshadowing?

The information I share with you comes from the battlefields. My purpose here is of greatest importance - your benefit. The enlightenment I share, and the feedback you provide, is what I treasure most. Today I give thanks to all of you reading The Diabetes Blog. Have a happy and safe Holiday Season!