I coined the phrase “Divabetic” watching Patti Labelle on stage during a Luther VandrossTribute show in New York City in 2003. She said, “Diabetes doesn’t have me. I have diabetes.” Her bold, outspoken attitude about living with diabetes inspired me. I wish more people would adopt her approach and speak about living with diabetes. Informing your friends, co-workers, and family members about how to treat high and low blood sugar levels doesn’t just help you. It helps them, too.
Talking about diabetes isn’t always easy. But opening up could help you with coping with diabetes if you need it. If I had known more about my boss, Luther Vandross‘s type 2 diabetes, maybe I could have helped prevent his stroke from occurring.
Hopefully, Patti LaBelle’s iconic song, New Attitude, can inspire you to talk about your experience living with diabetes.
It can be hard to get started, or it’s just not the right moment. Maybe it’s easier to deal with your diabetes alone.
Help Us Light the Way During National Diabetes Awareness Month (November)
Approximately 96 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Did you know that over 80% don’t know they have it? Prediabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
This November, join Divabetic’s Blue Candle initiative and encourage your friends, co-workers, and family members to be screened for pre-diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers a quick, easy online Pre-Diabetes risk test.
Be by their side when they check, and share your experience of living well with diabetes so they can see that living well with diabetes is possible. Together, we can help others come out of the dark, address their diabetes health status, and start living their lives to the fullest.
Clarence Waldron talks about his stroke, recovery, working as Senior Editor and Writer of Jet Magazine, and his memories of Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin.
Twenty years ago, Clarence interviewed Luther’s mother, Mrs. Mary Ida Vandross, for Jet Magazine after Luther suffered a stroke due to mismanaged type 2 diabetes.
Clarence’s story is an excellent reminder of why it’s essential to ACT F.A.S.T. if you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke. The acronym FAST (Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Time) has been used by the National Stroke Association, American Heart Association, and others to educate the public on detecting stroke symptoms. Earlier treatment results in a greater chance of recovery, a reduced likelihood of permanent disability, and a lesser need for extensive rehabilitation.
We’re sharing excerpts of interviews from our favorite Divabetic podcasts over the years.
This excerpt is from our Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Turnaround podcast with Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, and gospel singer Pat Lacy.
Jill Weisenberger is recognized internationally for her expertise in nutrition, diabetes, and prediabetes. She worked as a nutrition counselor, diabetes educator, and health coach in hospitals, research, and private practice settings. Jill helps leverage resources, recipes, and scientific insights to find better ways to improve eating and smart living, reduce the risk of mismanaged diabetes health-related complications, and support better health. Jill Weisenberger is the author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide, 2nd edition, Diabetes Weight Loss Week By Week, 21 Things You Need to Know About Diabetes and Your Heart, and The Overworked Person’s Guide To Better Nutrition. Additionally, she offers the Prediabetes Meal Planning Crash Course, Prediabetes Turnaround, Type 2 Eating Guide, and a Stick With It Video Course. Gospel Singer
Pat Lacy, who has worked with The Sounds of Blackness and Luther Vandross, shares her experience living with type 2 diabetes and how she modified her lifestyle to take charge of her health. This podcast features music from Pat Lacy’s upcoming gospel album, I’m Taking You To Church.
Click this linkfor the full Prediabetes & Type 2 Diabetes Turnaround podcast.
We’re excited to announce our special line-up for Divabetic’s World Diabetes Dayedition of Diabetes Late Nite. Coach The CureHealth Educator, Trisha Artman will stop by the studio to share her experience coaching families on how to live their best life with diabetes and the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin will provide musical inspiration. Join us here on Wednesday, November 14 from 6 – 7:30 PM.
Trisha is a Board Certified Educator, Health Coach and Writer. With personal diabetes experience, compassion, and professionalism, she nurtures trusting relationships—promoting healthy changes in an empowered environment.” Since the theme for World Diabetes Day 2018 ‘the Family and Diabetes’ we reached to Trisha for advice about dealing with emotions and diabetes prior to our podcast interview.
Q: Let’s talk about your family and diabetes. Can you share your own experience of how your family dealt with your initial diagnosis as well as how it might have changed over the years?
Trisha Artman: My diagnosis was a shock to my entire family. As my health quickly declined prior to diagnosis, I can remember my Mom rattling off a list of possible reasons for my dramatic weight loss, constant urination, unquenchable thirst, etc. None of which was Diabetes! It didn’t run in my family and was definitely not present in every day commercials as it is today.
My mom cried hysterically as the doctor told us my diagnosis, which for me at that time, meant that what I had wasn’t good. Overtime, I realized that my mom and I have very different approaches to life’s hurdles. Neither of which are wrong, just different. My mom’s first response is to express her emotions before moving into action, whereas I like to move right into action, get myself back into balance, and then release my emotions.
At first, I took on all of the responsibilities that come with Diabetes and did my best to make it seem like no big deal. I was seventeen and in a mad dash to get back to my “Normal” life as fast as possible. I learned what I needed to do and did my best to move on. My family let me lead the way, while they learned along and supported me.
As my relationship changed over the years with Diabetes, going from love hate, love hate, love…so did my relationship with my family. When I was following through with all of my health responsibilities, my family respected my privacy and independence. However, if I reached a burnout point and fell short on my health routine, my respected privacy and independence became a thing of the past.
Today my family and I are extremely close and Diabetes was a diagnosis for us all. We have been pushed beyond our comfort zone each and every day, both as individuals and also as a family, but we choose to keep going. We had to learn a new rhythm, build a trusted support system to deal with ALL of our emotions, and learn to clearly communicate our wants and needs.
Honestly, we have come a long way!
Q: How do you feel a diabetes diagnosis can change the family dynamic?
Trisha Artman: Specifically, if the parent is living with diabetes? And if the child is living with diabetes?
Whether a parent or a child is diagnosed with any type of chronic illness (diabetes or different), there is a sense of responsibility that the child/family may take on. The feelings of stability and safety may become disrupted and unclear, for both the individual diagnosed and the family and can lead to feelings of fear, anger, resentment, and more. The parent or child may have to rely on their family in different ways then pre-diagnosis, both physically and emotionally. Everyone in the family plays a different role to maintain the family’s rhythm, healthy or not.
Communication! Communication! Wait, did I say communication? Yes, you want more conversation now, not less! When someone you love is diagnosed with an illness, its important that everyone in the family has an opportunity to express what the diagnosis means to them. There is a grieving process that needs to happen for both the individual and the family. Life as the family knew it has changed and deserves the opportunity to be mourned before moving forward.
Kids especially, are so observant of what’s going on at home and know when something has changed in their environment. If left unaddressed, kids may internalize the illness of their parent as being their fault or their responsibility to fix or change. Siblings may experience rivalry over parent attention and/or the guilt of “Why not me?”
Parents of a child that is diagnosed may have conflict over methods of care and responsibility. They begin to place the blame on themselves for the cause of their child’s illness or on others out of frustration. Other parents may become consumed with guilt and try to take over the daily tasks of Diabetes (chronic illness), in an attempt to ease the burden or in some cases make it invisible.
Integrating a Healthcare professional or Coach as part of your team, right from the start, can help you avoid the unhealthy behaviors and instead, open up the lines of communication and get clear. These are skills that can be taught, learned, and practiced right at the beginning of your diagnosis. You and your family deserve to feel safe to explore and understand the impact of what has changed, and how daily life will now be moving forward.
Q: What are the pro’s and con’s for being a ‘hands off’ parent when dealing with their children’s type 1 diabetes?
Trisha Artman: The benefit of being a “hands off” parent has the potential to encourage responsibility and independence within your child. Parents may also feel that they have more freedom in their own daily routine. However, “Hands off” can’t be so black and white. To become successful at the “hands off“ approach, we need to introduce some highlights of grey in there.
Clear communication and expectations must be established between all relationships in your child’s life. This includes with you and your child, family, medical team, school, psychologist and/or coach, etc.
Your main job as a parent is to keep your child alive and thriving. Helping them to establish healthy relationships and expectations will encourage them to become their own self-advocate and gain the independence they want and deserve.
The cons of the “hands off” parenting approach are that you have no idea what’s going on with your child! Your child could be struggling in many more ways than just their blood sugar. Remember, communication doesn’t have to be overbearing, it just needs to be effective.
Q: What are the pro’s and con;s for being a ‘hands on’ parent when dealing with your children’s type 1 diabetes?
Trisha Artman: The benefit of being a “hands on” parent is that you are involved in the emotional and physical well being of your child. You are present to support and guide your child if needed or wanted. You may be able to prevent a problem from occurring before it happens, if the opportunity presents itself.
The con of being a “hands on” parent is that you have to make it a priority to carve out self care for yourself. Parents can lose sight of their own needs (to an extreme), in order to keep up with every detail of their child’s care. This behavior may discourage independence and self-advocacy within the child and leave the child unprepared to manage their health without the aid of the parent present. Too “hands on” can also create resentment within the child towards the parent, diminishing communication and encouraging the child to act out as a form of control.
Q: Best-Selling Author Brenda Novak expressed her concerns over sending her son living with type 1 diabetes to school when he was younger on a recent Diabetes Late Nite podcast because of the lack of knowledge about type 1 diabetes among the school administration and staff. What advice can you offer to other parents concerned about this issue?
Trisha Artman: Parents, I’m sure you have many feelings about sending your child off to college, especially when they are living with a chronic illness. I think this means that you’re a very good parent! I say, have your feelings and really allow yourself to feel them…its what you do next that matters most! Transition yourself from a helpless position, in this situation into a place of empowerment. Set up a meeting with your child’s school nurse and administration and start building relationships. This is another partnership and one that must be successful.
Bring your recent medical plan from your child’s doctor with you and start the process of a 504 plan with your school. By law this requires your child’s school to have trained professionals to meet the health and educational needs of your child (don’t let them discourage you, Diabetes is included in 504 plans).
Bring your child to school so they can meet each teacher and professional that they will encounter throughout the school day, so you, your child, and the professional can feel comfortable to ask and answer questions. Leave feeling prepared and confident.
Communication is the name of the game!
Q: You were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at 17, what advice can you offer to others who will be heading off to college soon and maybe managing their diabetes alone for the first time?
I suggest that they first take the time to imagine everything they want from their college experience. Really sit and enjoy the feelings that come along with this new experience. Then bring their diabetes into their visualization…what do they need in place right now with their health to make their college experience, health wise, seamless?
Do they need a diabetes refresher course on how to count carbs, treat low/high sugars, emotional wellness, identify burnout, nutrition, pump management, alcohol and diabetes, sex education, etc?
These are all real life questions and concerns and need to be addressed BEFORE vs. after they find themselves in the situation.
College is another time for major growth and independence. Create new relationships that keep you healthy and happy, and living the life that you choose to live.
Establish a relationship with your school medical team and introduce yourself. Find out if you can schedule your medicine and supplies to be picked up or delivered before you run out, etc. Take down names and numbers and make yourself feel comfortable. Set yourself up for success in every way possible!
*During this time especially, talk more not less!
Coach The Cure Trisha Artman is offering a Complimentary Breakthrough session to discuss your top health goals, and what you would like to accomplish. Additionally, you’ll have a chance to get clear on what is in your way, and how to quickly take action and experience healthy change NOW. CLICK HERE
There are many reasons that Aretha Franklin is the legend of legends, a groundbreaking singer with the fortitude to transcend race and genre, using that tremulous voice as the bulldozer to break down every barrier set up in her way.
Aretha’s own health journey is sparking a discussion about the uncertain connection between pancreatic cancer and diabetes. Long-standing diabetes can be considered a risk factor for pancreatic cancer. It causes a modest increase in risk of 1.5- to two-fold. Some of the other risk factors for pancreatic cancer include smoking, chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), family history of pancreatic cancer, obesity and certain genetic syndromes.
Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport, Diabetes Strong’s owner Christel Oerum, Beautyphonics CEO and “Beneath The Makeup”Author Suzanne Perez, Jessica Clark, Coach the Cure Trisha Artman, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Aretha Franklin’s ‘Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics’ courtesy of SONY Music.
Diabetes Late Nite is a fast-paced, full-filled hour of diabetes education and wellness advice that encourages listeners to “laugh a little, learn a lot.”
The mystery is set in the fictitiously decadent world-renowned Gingerbread Men Cookie Baking Competition in New York’s Central Park Zoo. Mr. Divabetic’s healthy culinary misadventures continue in this year’s escapade as he enters the competition with headless cookies and pureed kale hot cocoa for the judges to sample. As if this dreadful combination wasn’t bad enough to land him at the bottom of the throwdown, his mother, Mama Rose Marie, is accused of poisoning one of the celebrity judges! Things go from bad to worse when the snake phobic Mr. Divabetic hears about the giant python’s escape.
Now, the happy healthcare host must decide to face his fear of snakes and recipe rejection or throw in his apron and risk getting caught up in another murder investigation. Can Mr. Divabetic and his team of amateur sleuths hunt down the real killer and get Mama Rose Marie out of jail? Will he be the next murder victim? Can he ever create an edible recipe?
The cast of Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondesfeatures Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), The Happy Diabetic Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, Coach The Cure’s Trisha Artman, Jillian Walsh, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones, Lorraine Brooks and Max Szadek.
Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes courtesy of SONY MUSIC.
Divabetic will be hosting November’s Diabetes Late Nite with music by Aretha Franklin on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 6 PM EST in celebration of World Diabetes Day.
November 14th is a significant date in the diabetes calendar because it marks the birthday of the man who co-discovered insulin, Sir Frederick Banting. Banting discovered insulin in 1922, alongside Charles Best. Insulin isn’t just a drug. It’s the difference between life and death for millions of people with diabetes – and it’s something they will need every day for the rest of their lives.
How much do you know about insulin?
Mr. Divabetic has created a new game to test one lucky listener’s ‘INSULIN IQ’ featuring a series of questions about insulin for November’s podcast with musical inspiration from Aretha Franklin’s rendition of ‘Teach Me Tonight’ from her Aretha Franklin Sings The Great Diva Classicsalbum courtesy of SONY Music.
Can’t wait until Wednesday, November 14th? Test your knowledge with these two ‘Teach Me Tonight Challenge’ questions (answers appear at the bottom of this blog post):
1. What is the most common methods of injecting insulin?
a. insulin syringe
b. insulin inhalers
c. insulin pens
2. In ancient times, doctors would test for diabetes by?
a. Check the patient’s eyes
b. Tasting the patient’s urine
c. Listening to the patient’s heart
Are you concerned about the average price of insulin skyrocketing in recent years – nearly tripling between 2002 and 2013?
Join us in calling for increased transparency and more affordable insulin. More than 377,207 people have signed the American Diabetes Association’s petition to support those struggling with insulin affordability. Add your name today. CLICK HERE
Don’t miss November’s Diabetes Late Niteon Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 6 PM, EST with Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport, Owner of Diabetes Strong Christel Oerum, Makeup Artist & Skincare Expert Suzanne Perez, Mama Rose Marie and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. TUNE IN
Answers: 1. (a.) The most common method of injecting insulin is by syringe, but there are a lot of other options available, such as insulin pens, inhalers and pumps. Talk to your doctor to find out what’s best for you. Answer 2 (b). In ancient times, doctors would test for diabetes by tasting the patient’s urine to see if it was sweet. People who tasted urine to check for diabetes were called “water tasters.” Other diagnostic measures included checking to see if urine attracted ants or flies.
