Dear Reader,

The following diabetic stories, written by an insulin dependent diabetic (Type 1) is called “Tales in the Insulin Vial”. The author describes situations and adventures experienced during his life. For example, the author describes his cross Canada bike trip (5000 miles) from Vancouver to St. John’s Newfoundland; and his kayak trip through western Canada (Banff to Winnipeg) on the old voyageur fur trade route (1200 miles).

The number of diabetics is growing aggressively and researchers have considered it pandemic. The worldwide diabetes population comprises almost 240 million persons. About 24 million or 10 percent are Type 1 diabetics (insulin-dependent); while Type 2 diabetics (non-insulin-dependent) make up 216 million.

There is an underlying warrior mentality in the book. It assumes that the diabetic is at war with a “beast or demon”. It shows no mercy and it is relentless in its pursuit to destroy the diabetic’s quality of life and, finally, kill them. The fight for life with diabetes is apparent in many of the stories, “Bully Boy, Warriors, Exceptional Day, Voyageur, Steel Legs and Kidney Transplantation”.

All the stories describe events that challenge the diabetic’s will and character to overcome his/her personal enemy and succeed in life. The stories hold nothing back, as diabetic reactions, blindness, dialysis, kidney transplantation, amputation and a failed pancreas transplant are discussed within the stories from a patient’s personal perspective.

I haven’t found another book like this in my review of diabetes literature. These tales take you from childhood through adolescence and into adulthood and show the challenges the diabetic condition presents and how those challenges were met. Many readers have told me they’ve found these stories informative and inspirational, and I hope you do too. Thank you for reading!

Steve Beriault
Author
Tales in the Insulin Vial
(available at amazon.com)