Category: Inspiration

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic talks about the positive impact that practicing gratitude has on living with diabetes on Diabetes Late Nite with Poet Lorraine Brooks.

Expressing, or being in a state of, gratitude often requires reframing our current situation through mindfulness, or acute awareness, of how fortunate many of us are in our lives.

Research supports the fact that having more gratitude, or being in a state of gratitude more often, has been associated with increased quality of life, general happiness, better self-esteem and less depression.

 

Grateful by Lorraine Brooks

shopping in cities with big crazy malls,

answering emails and returning calls…

holiday parties with glitter and mirth,

visiting family from all round the earth.

hustle and bustle and running around

no time for resting – no time to sit down.

but is that really what this is about?

is Christmas supposed to be knocking us out?

to me it’s about, not the drinks and the food,

but rather the time we spend doing things good.

to me it’s about, not the presents and toys,

but rather the gratefulness, prayers, and joys.

The messages Christmas and Channukah do,

are peace, love, and kindness,

And thankfulness too.

Same thing with Kwanzaa and all of the rest.

they show us that gratitude’s always the best.

that Jesus’ family could not find a bed…

it meant he was born in a manger instead.

that oil that was barely enough to give light,

provided the comfort and warmth for 8 nights.

and instead of remembering why this is relevant,

we call out our brethren, and do things malevolent.

regardless the challenge we face day to day,

we’ve got to be thankful we’re really OK.

we’ve got to give thanks we have things we can use,

and we’ve got to give thanks we have freedom to choose.

I choose to be grateful for all that I’ve got

and not to be jealous of things I have not.

I’m grateful for numbers that stay in the range,

and try not to worry about things I cant change.

I’m grateful for meters, and lancets and pumps,

and people who help keep me out of the dumps.

I’m grateful for lights and the cool decorations,

and for holiday treats, if I use moderation.

I’m grateful i still have the will to succeed…

I have more than I hoped for, and more than I need.

so lets all make a promise to stop being hateful…

and focus on staying eternally grateful.

Reinforcing the relationship between gratitude and depression, new clinical research demonstrates that using a self-paced online training to increase gratitude directly improved mood and reduced symptoms of depression in adults with diabetes. As depression is a known barrier to improving self care (i.e., making dietary changes or getting more physical activity), learning to practice more gratitude may be a strategy toward behavior change for those with diabetes.

LISTEN: Diabetes Late Nite inspired by P.M. Dawn featuring games and prizes. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Lynette Luckers from the Marion Luckers Kidney Foundation, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Janis Roszler, RD, CDE, FAND and Leon Petrossian. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.

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Last night we celebrated our 6^th Anniversary of podcasting on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from P.M. Dawn. The group’s frontman, Prince Be lived with diabetes for more than two decades and developed various health problems over the years. He suffered multiple strokes, amputation and renal kidney disease during his short life.

Poet Lorraine Brooks shares her perspective on living with diabetes health-related complications in her newest poem, It’s Complicated written specifically for Diabetes Late Nite.

It’s Complicated by Lorraine Brooks

So many things can go wrong with our parts…

It’s scary to think of, I know.

The thought of a failure, infection or worse…

Of losing a foot, or a toe.

It can affect us in so many ways

And sometimes it’s not always plain.

Sometimes it sneaks up, disguised and alone

Sometimes there’s even no pain.

Some people suffer more than the rest

And have issues others don’t have to deal with.

But make no mistake in seeing the truth

It’s a disease we had better get real with.

Luther, and Patti…and, and Hanks and Prince Be

George Michael, Vaughn, Halle, and Quest

This disease has no boundaries, and doesn’t ask who…

And bad things can happen, in spite of our best.

Open the dialog, talk to your friends

Talk to yourself, and the people who mind you

And let your struggles and feelings be heard

And empathetic ears will invariably find you.

LISTEN NOW: 6th Year Anniversary Divabetic podcast featuring Poet Lorraine Brooks, Lynette Luckers from the Marion Luckers Kidney Foundation, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Janis Roszler MS, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Luther Vandross historian Leon Petrossian and Mama Rose Marie. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.

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The body positive movement has swept through social media. Accepting your body in a positive way is the message of the movement.

The movement appears to be doing a great job at encouraging people of all shapes, sizes, and colors to love their body. This appealing sentiment can be found all over social media, in particular on Twitter. On Twitter it is common to find celebrities standing up for those that aren’t shaped like supermodels by showing their own bodies as examples of what the “average” women really looks like.

Poet Lorraine Brooks shares her insights about body image in her poem, “Buttons”, written specifically for our free monthly podcast, Diabetes Late Nite.

BUTTONS by Lorraine Brooks

I’ve never had buttons

On top of my jeans

I’ve only been able

To wear size of “queens”.

Elastic has often been

Something I needed

In clothing that made me feel

Somewhat defeated.

I longed for the feeling

Of putting on pants

Not worrying if people

Looked at me

Askance.

No more stretch fabric

And no more a “plus”,

And seeing my booty

As big as a bus.

I’m tucking my shirt in,

I’m wearing no sleeves,

My body is freedom

My body believes.

The old grey sweatshirt

That I used to dread

I’m wearing a cardigan sweater

Instead.

I know that this “victory”

Might not seem much

And that I am not “perfect” or

Gorgeous and such.

But trust me and listen

When I have to say

I buttoned my jeans today…

Hip, hip hooray!

Don’t miss our 6th Year Anniversary Podcast featuring music by P.M. Dawn on Tuesday, July 9, 2016, 6-7 PM, EST. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Janis Roszler RD, CDE, Luther Vandross historian Leon Petrossian, Lynette Luckers from the Marion Luckers Kidney Foundation and Patricia Addie Gentle RN, CDE. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic. TUNE IN

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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

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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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