"Understanding diabetes (type II)"

I was diagnosed with Diabetes Type II, in my early fifties. I am now almost sixty. I have experienced exceptional care within the NHS, in terms of tests and medication. At the beginning, I controlled this condition through diet / exercise. However, I am now taking five prescribed tablets per day. The surgery nurse reassures me that my diabetes is under control, but still requires an improvement to my blood sugar levels after the twice a year blood tests. The only thing I find missing in the NHS is some education with regards to what Diabetes is, why it needs to be treated so vigorously, and what the long term effects of the illness and the drugs are, with regards to me as a person. As you get older these issues start to weigh heavy.