Hi! I’m Mark!
Why hello. What a pleasant surprise to be meeting your acquaintance on this random corner of the internet. Do make yourself at home, ideally with a decent cuppa and a biscuit or four.
So who is the Mark dude?
A good question. To be perfectly honest with you I’m still seemingly finding that out, but let’s focus on what I do know:
A proudly recovering alcoholic
Let’s get this out of the way: I’m an alcoholic. No shame, no clichés, just the honest truth. My journey with alcohol has shaped who I am, and while my body is now reminding me of my past misadventures, I’m grateful for the lessons and the second chances that entering recovery has given me.
Lives with type 3c diabetes and PEI
Thanks to a particularly unfriendly pancreatic joyrider – my debt for my previous life – I’ve been diagnosed with type 3c diabetes. If you’re wondering what this is, it’s a bit like type diabetes 1, but the pancreas has somewhat given up due to disease or damage. It means multiple daily insulin injections, constant vigilance of my blood glucose levels and an additional 180-ish micro-decisions a day.
As an added bonus, I also have Pancreatic Enzyme Insufficiency (PEI). What this means is that my pancreas no longer produces the enzymes needed to digest fat (lipase), protein (protease), or certain carbs (amylase). This is where Pancreatic Enzyme Replacement Therapy (PERT) comes to the rescue, in the form of CREON. Without it, well let’s just say post mealtime digestion becomes… interesting.
Enjoys the old
I was into beards and vintage gear before it was cool. My flat is a curated chaos of old cameras, gaming consoles (from NES to Wii, with a stealthy PS5, because reasons), and more questionable CDs and vinyl than I’d care to admit. If it’s retro, I’ve probably hoarded it.
Eats music for breakfast
Music is non-negotiable. It’s the soundtrack to my life, the thing that keeps me grounded and lifts me up. An added bonus, I’ve discovered too, is that if you get the right piece of music out you can actually raise your blood glucose level without actually eating or drinking anything. I know, crazy right?
Trade Unionist
Solidarity, always. Trade unionism isn’t just important to me, it’s essential. I could ramble on for many hours about why, and maybe I will someday. For now, though, if you’re not in a union, do yourself (and the world) a favour and join one.