Divabetic

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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