We need hope. I know that every day I live in great hope.

  • Hope that I will find the perfect pair of jeans in the perfect blue colour that make my legs look long and slender, my backside look perfect and that fit comfortably around the waist.
  • Hope that I will walk into my office one day to find a Nutella vending machine.
  • Hope that I will never again be served bad coffee.
  • Hope that my daughter will grow up in a world of equality for all.
  • Hope that when I get home today all the washing from our recent overseas trip will have been done, folded and put away.
  • Hope that I will walk into a vintage store and find an original (non-replica) Eames arm chair and ottoman for $150.
  • Hope that the whole cast of West Wing will come together for a movie. Please. Please, please, please, please.
  • And hope that diabetes will be cured.

You may have read over the weekend that type 1 diabetes has been cured. This article irresponsibly said the cure is ‘imminent’

I am possibly the world’s greatest cynic when it comes to reading about cures for diabetes. There is much eye rolling, exasperated sighing and sarcastic comments about being unemployed and shutting down this blog because no one will care about type 1 diabetes anymore because it won’t exist.

I simply don’t believe that the cure is ‘just around the corner’ or ‘five years away’.

But let me be really clear about this. I want a cure. I want diabetes to not be a part of my – or anyone’s – life anymore. And I am really, really pleased and eternally grateful that there are people far, far smarter than I working to find the way to a cure.

Having said that, I get concerned about the false hope that eventuates every time there are reports of research breakthroughs. Blue Circle APP

Feeling hope gives us a reason to believe and sometimes that is all we have to get us through the day.

But equally, I find I can’t put all my faith into believing that there will be a cure for diabetes because if there is not, what happens then?

I understand the need for the hype – it helps with funding and interest and gets people talking. And we need people talking about and funding research into diabetes. More and more and more.

And I do like to hear about the research and breakthroughs that are getting us a step closer to finding a cure.

But I believe that even if we are a step closer, there is still a very long way to go.

So, I take it all with a grain of salt. I read it and file it away. And then I move on. Hopeful. But realistic as well.