Just let me say for the record

OK, not a song title, but a lot of peoples' favourite line from We are Family, famously the subject of a deliberate mishearing by Peter Kay, whose line Just let me staple the Vicar  is one of those once heard, never forgotten mis-hearings. Click the link above, listen, and laugh...

Anyway, #DiabetesWeek 2016 is themed "setting the record straight", which is what brought that line into my song-obsessed head, so I thought I'd like to take the chance to just let me say for the record by making ten (not very original) points about Type One Diabetes:-

• You can get Type 1 at any age. I got it at 40

• Not all diabetics are overweight, let alone fat.

• Type 1 diabetics can eat whatever they want.

• Diabetics can do whatever they want: sport, travel, driving and any job, however stressful and demanding.

• We not only CAN eat sugar, we sometimes actually NEED sugar.

• Just because we look fine doesn't mean we feel fine.

• At any given time, we are only one small miscalculation away from becoming seriously unwell.

• The fact that this seldom happens is because we are by necessity very good at understanding how our bodies work, anticipating problems and dealing with them.

• In fact we are almost NEVER without some physical symptom and awareness of diabetes.

• People with diabetes are unusually strong, determined and positive, despite having a condition which often makes them feel weak submissive and negative.

I don't want people to patronise me, sympathise with me or make a fuss. I just hope that those around us will realise and understand how very hard we have to work just to lead a normal life.

One final point: the many fellow sufferers that I have got to know through social media are without exception living proof of the idea that misfortune makes you a stronger and better person. I salute each and every one of them. In fact, We are Family.