I knew it would surface on Youtube, sooner or later.

I’m on a six week “X-Pert” diabetes awareness course, an option I was delighted to be offered an opportunity to attend. (Diabetes is a Chronic incurable condition that tends to lead to lots of unpleasant complications over time, but knowledge is power and a sensible lifestyle can delay the need for intervention).

It is rather odd attending a course with ordinary members of the public, some of whom obviously left school at an early age and never touched a text book again. To hit the right target audience it inevitably has to be dumbed down somewhat but I found that reconciling the various prescribed medicines explained to the notes afterwards was rather difficult. (My friend JMB the retired pharmacist would no doubt excel at this though).

I sat next to a Lady who seemed to want to say “aah” in a loud voice after every minor point was made by the instructors, as though she was getting some form of divine revelation. I’ll make sure I don’t sit next to her this week!

I wasn’t paying too much attention as I was reading my handouts, but two old soldier types in blazers also turned up who insisted that they needed to sit with a table in front of them. After much huffing and puffing, the staff managed to track down a table and I noticed during the break that they both had sip-cups. I scurried off to the Supermarket to buy cakes for work (it was my birthday) and when I came back before the end of the break, they had gone, the only evidence of their possible presence being a pair of empty milk bottles. I’m curious about it now on reflection and will enquire if I remember.

I also met quite a few people who had the condition much worse than myself to the point that it interfered with their work and home life. It was interesting that one long term sufferer revealed that this was the first opportunity he had been able to find out about his condition outside of a hospital or surgery. (The event was in a health centre but the room was also the Creche).

We have been promised a trip to the Supermarket on week 4, in the company of a dietitian. That will make a change!

(*Well, I will be in five more weeks. The X-Pert Programme website is here)