Mr. Divabetic – Page 148

06/22/201609/08/2016

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.

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06/21/201609/07/2016

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.

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06/15/201609/07/2016

Kidneys, Diabetes, and A Tribe Called Quest Podcast

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06/09/201609/20/2016

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.

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06/08/201609/10/2016

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.

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06/06/201607/27/2016

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

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06/01/201609/20/2016

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.

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05/15/201609/10/2016

Why We Care About Him: Some Things, Like Diabetes, Can Go Unnoticed

Why care about diabetes and the men in our lives? Because according to the National Institutes of Health, statistics show that when it comes to their own health, men have fewer checkups with a regular healthcare provider than do women. They remain unaware of the often hidden dangers of obesity, high blood pressure, depression, sexual dysfunction, and diabetes.

Men can have type 2 diabetes for years and not know you have it. Many men don’t know they have it until they develop problems such as vision loss, kidney disease, or erectile dysfunction.

According to dLife.com, men with diabetes suffer more from some diabetes-related health problems than women. The American Diabetes Association reports that:

In people who develop diabetes before the age of 30, men develop retinopathy (a vision disorder that can lead to blindness) more quickly than women.

Having the main symptoms of peripheral vascular disease – pain in the thigh, calf, or buttocks during exercise; cramps; change in temperature; sores that don’t heal, swelling – is linked to a two- to three-fold increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, or cardiac failure in men with diabetes.

Amputation rates from diabetes-related problems are 1.4 to 2.7 times higher in men than women with diabetes.

Historically, men have not been forthcoming about their health, particularly conditions like diabetes, depression, or sexual dysfunction. But today, many men are waking up to the fact that good health and longer life demand positive, consistent action.

For More Information

Visit womenshealth.gov

Read Men & Diabetes, Diabetes-Related Problems in Men on dLife.com

Read For Men, Ignoring Diabetes Can Be Deadly, a National Institutes of Health e-publication

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.

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05/14/201609/09/2016

Meet Max!

You know him as Mr. Divabetic, the fruit suit clad man-about-town, Divabetic’s resident master of ceremonies, and happy healthcare anchor on Diva TalkRadio, a podcast channel featuring diabetes edutainment and information. But when he re-appears from the studio booth and sheds his pineapple and watermelon jacket, he transforms into the mild-mannered, yet passionate Max Szadek, the founder and executive director of Divabetic and WEGO Health Activist Award nominee.

Inspired by his former boss, Luther Vandross, who suffered in silence with his diabetes, Max founded Divabetic to encourage women and their families to accept a diabetes diagnosis boldly, with a Glam More, Fear Less attitude. With a background in entertainment and armed with a team of diabetes health and wellness educators, fashionistas and a Sony music catalog, Mr. Divabetic is uniquely suited (with fruit, of course) to connect with audiences in an empowering mix of innovative outreach, style, and fun.

Mr. Divabetic’s enthusiasm is infectious, and you can follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and his world-famous blog for diabetes news, updates, and all things pop culture.

I’m on a mission to change attitudes in those affected by diabetes to stay healthy and upbeat about their care so they can continue to enjoy the glamorous life.

Max Szadek

Don’t get down, count on Mr. Divabetic for the power of love and wellness with a wow! Here’s how to stay in touch, stay connected, and support our community.

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11/08/201509/28/2016

4 Stages Before a Heart Attack

The signs and symptoms of Heart Failure are not always easy to detect. But with awareness of family history (genetics), personal behavior (diet, exercise regime, drug abuse, alcohol and sodium intake), and health related problems (diabetes, infection, anemia, and thyroid problems), a person may determine whether or not they may be at a high risk for Heart Failure.

Divabetic Club – Philadelphia will GO RED! on Thursday, February 18, 2016 to raise awareness heart disease in the diabetes community.

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have identified the Stages of Heart Failure. The stages are more recent and they complement the NHYA classification (See-Classifications of Heart Failure). The four stages are set up as follows: Stage A, Stage B, Stage C, and Stage D.

If you have a history of the aforementioned problems, or if you have a diet high in fat, abuse alcohol or drugs, or smoke, you may be a high risk candidate for Stage A Heart Failure.

Stage B Heart Failure candidates have probably never experienced symptoms of HF, but have been diagnosed with the disease. There is clear evidence of Heart Failure during diagnosis but no clear symptoms. At this point a physician may prescribe medication such as ACE Inhibitors or Beta Blockers (See-Glossary) There will be close monitoring of blood pressure (hypertension OR hypotension-See Glossary).

In Stage C, cardiac dysfunction is present, as are symptoms. Tiredness while performing simple activities like walking or bending over, are common symptoms. Shortness of breath and overall fatigue are present. In Stage C strict attention should be paid to exercise (consult your physician), eating properly (with low sodium intake) and little to no alcohol consumption.

Patients in Stage D of Heart Failure show signs and symptoms of HF even though they have undergone treatment and therapy. Monitoring of diet, exercise, and blood pressure is still adhered to during Stage D. Patients will probably be prescribed medications, depending on the person and the extent of Heart Failure. This stage is associated with surgical options (depending on severity) including, but not limited to:

Placement of a conventional Pacemaker;
Placement of a ventricular device such as a BiV (See-Biventricular Pacemakers May Help Heart Beat More Effectively in Advanced Heart Failure Patients)
LVR (See- Left Ventricular Reconstruction Surgery a Viable Possibility for Certain Advanced Heart Failure Patients); or
A heart transplant

As with all health concerns a person should consult their physician before making a self-diagnosis or practicing self-treatment.

DON’T MISS: Our special tribute to Natalie Cole on Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Adele on Tuesday, January 12, 2016, 6-7 PM, EST.