A Little Respect
Look at me. Look at the pain | In my eyes. | All that you see | Is my Overweight size. | Inside is a person Who needs to Be heard.
Read A Little Respect in its entirety here.
A Little Respect
A Little Respect by Poet Lorraine Brooks
Many people consider Type 2 diabetes to be the ‘Rodney Dangerfield’ of chronic conditions because it’s gets little to no respect from the general public.
Although Type 2 diabetes can wreak havoc from head to toe with health-related complications such as kidney disease, stroke, blindness and amputation, it isn’t considered as serious a health threat as cancer or heart disease, according to results from a recent American Diabetes Association focus group.
This lack of concern is particularly worrisome, considering the condition now affects Americans in record numbers : 24 million people have it, and another 57 million have prediabetes .
Poet Lorraine Brooks shares her insights about this issue in her poem, “A Little Respect”, written specifically for Diabetes Late Nite.
A LITTLE RESPECT by Lorraine Brooks
Look at me.
Look at the pain
In my eyes.
All that you see
Is my
Overweight size.
Inside is a person
Who needs to
Be heard.
Needs to let go of
The hurt
I’ve incurred.
I’m not uninformed
And I’m not unaware.
I am not lazy
And yes, I DO care.
I haven’t abandoned
My health or my needs.
I’ve just redefined
What it means
To Succeed.
I am not here
To live up to your charts
Or conform to your standards
For my body parts.
It’s not called depression
It doesn’t need meds
I won’t go to blazes and
I won’t drop dead.
I don’t have the answer
To all of life’s queries,
I don’t want to hear about
All of your theories.
Just treat me with value
As part of the clan
And do not compare me to those
Smaller than.
Look at me
Look at the smile
I reflect
And treat me with love
And a little
Respect.
Speaking about ‘Respect’, the Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin said, “I have diabetes, really, from years ago when I was really badly and grossly overweight. Now, I’m back to my natural size and thrilled about it.”
Aretha has struggled with her weight throughout her life, underwent surgery in 2010 for an undisclosed ailment. After being hospitalized, Aretha completely changed her lifestyle and lost 85 lbs. in 2012.
Diabetes Late Nite with music by A Tribe Called Quest LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/06/14/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-a-tribe-called-quest
It’s Not My Denial, It’s Yours
It’s Not My Denial, It’s Yours
I have diabetes and that I can’t deny.
I cannot spend time wondering
How or which or why.
Read It’s Not My Denial, It’s Yours its entirety here.
It’s Not My Denial, It’s Yours by Poet Lorraine Brooks
We’re still reeling from the recent sudden deaths of P.M. Dawn’s Prince Be and A Tribe Called Quest’s Phife Dawg from kidney disease related to diabetes this year. Both men died in the mid 40’s which seems way too young to me. The similarities of their life stories don’t stop there either. Both men admitted to being in denial about living with diabetes for quite a long time.
According to the American Diabetes Association ‘denial’ is so common among people living with diabetes that some doctors think it’s part of the process of accepting the diagnosis.
The trouble comes when you keep on denying your diabetes. Long-term denial stops you from learning what you need to know to keep yourself healthy and provides an opportunity for a diabetes health-related complication such as stroke, blindness, amputation or kidney disease to occur.
Poet Lorraine Brooks puts her own spin on the topic of ‘denial’ in her poem, ‘It’s Not My Denial, It’s Yours‘ from January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.
It’s Not My Denial, It’s Yours by Poet Lorraine Brooks
I have diabetes
and that I can’t deny.
I cannot spend time wondering
How or which or why.
Every day’s a challenge
But I meet it with a smile.
So please don’t ever, ever think
That I am “in denial“.
I think it’s more the other way.
The people,that I know.
I think denial is THEIR thing,
Because THEY do not know.
they do not know the pain we feel
With needles, and finger sticks.
They do not know how hard it is
And so they try to fix.
They tell us that if only we
Would do like Cousin Fred.
He stopped eating cabbage and
Now he is off his meds.
They tell us that we’re doing wrong
By eating birthday cake.
But they don’t see us counting all the carbs,
For heaven’s sake.
People think they know our deal
Because they know some others.
But each of us is different.
we are not like our brothers.
It’s simply not that easy
Than to just say DONT EAT THAT.
It’s simply not that easy to lose weight
And not be fat.
I wish that everybody would
Leave well enough alone.
And let us diabetic folks
Get answers on our own.
I’m not saying not to help
Or share your deep concern.
I’m saying that unless you’re here,
You’ve got a lot to learn.
So, I’m not in denial, no.
I’ve struggled and I’ve fought.
And everything I do and want to do
Requires thought.
So please just let me vent, and don’t feel like
I need advice.
I know that I must limit things like
Bread and fruit and rice.
Dont shut me down when I complain.
I sometimes scream and curse.
And don’t bellittle what I say by saying
It could be worse.
So I’m not in denial, no.
I just choose not to speak.
But you should not in any way
Consider that I’m weak.
I fight, I cry, I think, I pray.
I do it with a smile.
But please do not believe at all
That I am in denial.
LISTEN NOW: January’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast inspired by Adele. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR), Jennifer Jacobs, Dana Collins Carr and Cindy Lou, who is living with type 2 diabetes from Kentucky.
Salute to P.M. Dawn-Diabetes Late Nite
This July Divabetic celebrates our 6th Anniversary of podcasting!! It’s an wonderful milestone to reach for our team of diabetes advocates. We’d like to thank our growing number of listeners and guests for their support, encouragement, generosity and talent. There are now over 125 free podcasts available on demand, anytime, anywhere at divabetic.org, i-Tunes and Blog Talk Radio.
As many loyal fans know our Anniversary Diabetes Late Nite podcasts usually have a different format than our regular monthly podcasts. Last year, we featured highlights from the past five years of podcasting and the year before we presented the podcast in reverse order (Diabetes Late Nite inspired by Lisa Stansfield)!
This year we were planning on another first. We were scheduled to present new music from one of our two former musical inspirations, Meghan Trainor or Fifth Harmony courtesy of SONY Music. Both of these fabulous artists have new albums out that are podcast worthy. It would have been the first time that we repeated an artist on our podcast. However, our plans quickly changed after I learned the tragic news that the lead singer, Prince Be, of the group PM Dawn died of kidney disease at age 46 on Friday.
I’ve made a decision to repeat a ‘topic’ rather than a music artist for the 6th Anniversary podcast due to Prince Be’s recent death of Prince Be from kidney failure.
Prince Be had suffered from diabetes for more than two decades, and had various health problems over the years, among them several strokes, including one in 2005 that left him partly paralyzed, and gangrene, which led to the partial amputation of one leg.
The duo was known for mixing traditional hip hop with sensitive and positive lyrics and melodies throughout the 90’s.
On July’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, 2016, 6 – 7 PM, EST we will discuss kidney disease and diabetes with the music of PM Dawn.
Our hope is that presenting back to back podcasts on the same topic will help bring more attention and awareness to kidney disease in our diabetes community.
Kidneys, Diabetes, and A Tribe Called Quest Podcast
Hello Gorgeous!
Hello Gorgeous. Goodbye, Statistics! If you are among the 13 million+ women living with diabetes, you’re not a number; you’re a Divabetic Diva!
At Divabetic, we want to empower you or those you care about to stay healthy and positive about diabetes self-care management and to do it in a bold and sassy way. There’s no need to go it alone – we’re here to help you get your Diva Attitude and build your entourage of family, friends, and health care professionals. Start or continue your journey right here for a refreshing new approach to diabetes and wellness.
Don’t get down, count on Divabetic for the power of love and wellness with a wow! Here’s how to stay in touch, stay connected, and support our community.
Why We Care About Her: The Diabetes Difference Between Men and Women
Why care about diabetes and the women in our lives? Because diabetes affects women differently than men.
Diabetes affects women and men in almost equal numbers. However, diabetes affects women differently than men. Compared with men with diabetes, women with diabetes have:
- A higher risk for heart disease. Heart disease is the most common complication of diabetes.
- Lower survival rates and a poorer quality of life after heart attack
- A higher risk for blindness
- A higher risk for depression. Depression, which affects twice as many women as men, also raises the risk for diabetes in women.
Women of color have more reason to worry about diabetes. Certain racial and ethnic groups have a higher risk for type 2 diabetes. These groups include:
- African-Americans. African-American women are twice as likely to develop diabetes as white women. African-Americans are also more likely to have health problems caused by diabetes and excess weight.
- Hispanics. Hispanic women are twice as likely to develop diabetes as white women. Diabetes affects more than one in 10 Hispanics. Among Hispanic women, diabetes affects Mexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans most often.
- American Indian/Alaskan Native. Diabetes affects nearly 16% of American Indian/Alaskan Native adults.
- Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders are about twice as likely to develop diabetes as whites.
- Asian-Americans. Diabetes is the fifth-leading cause of death for Asian-Americans. Asian-American women are also more likely to develop gestational diabetes than white women and usually develop gestational diabetes at a lower body weight.
For More Information
Visit womenshealth.gov
Read How Diabetes Differs for Men and Women in Diabetes Forecast
Don’t get down, count on Divabetic for the power of love and wellness with a wow! Here’s how to stay in touch, stay connected, and support our community.
The Secrets of Midwives
‘The Secrets of Midwives’ by Sally Hepworth is a wonderful and worthwhile read. I strongly recommend this novel about three generations of midwives (a woman, her mother, and her grandmother) and the secrets they keep that push them apart and ultimately bind them together.
Neva Bradley, a third-generation midwife, is determined to keep the details surrounding her own pregnancy—including the identity of the baby’s father— hidden from her family and co-workers for as long as possible. Her mother, Grace, finds it impossible to let this secret rest. For Floss, Neva’s grandmother and a retired midwife, Neva’s situation thrusts her back 60 years in time to a secret that eerily mirrors her granddaughter’s—a secret which, if revealed, will have life-changing consequences for them all. Will these women reveal their secrets and deal with the inevitable consequences? Or are some secrets best kept hidden?
Honestly the only reason I picked up this book was because of the author Liane Moriarty’s endorsement on the back cover. I didn’t pick it up for several days but when I did I was glad that I did. I read this book in one day. I fell in love with all three main characters and enjoyed every plot twist. It’s a fun, enjoyable read. I strongly recommend it.
I plan on talking to Dr. Andrea Chisholm OBGYN about the character Neva’s condition, Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which is a prevalent condition among women women with diabetes on my next Mr. Divabetic Show podcast scheduled for July 2016. If your doctor suspects PCOS, he or she may recommend blood tests to measure hormone levels and check insulin and glucose levels, as PCOS causes insulin resistance, the hallmark of type 2 diabetes.
The Secrets of Midwives has been labelled “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s debut novel as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”. The Secrets of Midwives was also the highest selling debut Australian fiction of the year in 2015.
LISTEN: Mr. Divabetic Show on ‘Getting To Know Your Body’ with Dr. Andera Chisholm
Hello Handsome
Hello Handsome. Goodbye, Statistics! If you are among the 15 million+ men living with diabetes, you’re not a number; you’re a Divabetic Dude!
At Divabetic, we want to empower you or those you care about to stay healthy and positive about diabetes self-care management and to do it in a bold and confident way. There’s no need to go it alone – we’re here to help you get your Divabetic Swagger and build your entourage of family, friends, and health care professionals. Start or continue your journey right here for a refreshing new approach to diabetes and wellness.
Don’t get down, count on Divabetic for the power of love and wellness with a wow! Here’s how to stay in touch, stay connected, and support our community.