Living with diabetes can feel like an emotional rollercoaster. At Divabetic we offer podcasts featuring experts on mind, body and soul to help you manage your emotions, fears and spirit.
When you have panicky thoughts, try to reframe them. Focus on what you can manage: Try to simplify self-management and focus on what you can manage rather than what you can’t manage. Connect with others and find a support group.
Barry Manilow’s classic hit, “I Made It Through The Rain” sparks real-life confessions about overcoming challanges related to diabetes health.
Babyface’s iconic hits help us celebrate Divabetic’s 12th Year Podcast Anniversary.
We’re talking about Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a chronic mood disorder that causes severe emotional, cognitive and physical symptoms in the week or two before menstruation.
We’re talking how our choice of words can make a difference in our attitude about living with diabetes.
David Rubenstein‘s talk with historian Douglas Brinkley at the New York Historical Society on US Presidents was fascinating. It was part of their Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency series. David’s talk discussed how the American presidency has changed over time, including its responsibilities, expectations, and symbolism.
I’m not a history expert or particularly interested in US history, but I find David Rubenstein’s humor and insight riveting. He makes history come alive by sharing interesting tidbits and insights into the lives of the Presidents.
On this occasion, David Rubenstein shared personal anecdotes about Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), Harry S. Truman, and Abraham Lincoln.
Thomas Jefferson hated to speak in public because of his high-pitched, squeaky voice. The only public speech he made was at his first inauguration.
David Rubenstein said Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s polio diagnosis might have helped the President develop the grit and determination to succeed in the Oval Office and win World War II. David shared how FDR wasn’t able to receive treatment to cure his polio because he went undiagnosed for thirty days. FDR was also obsessed with collecting postage stamps.
Harry Truman was the only 20th-century U.S. President who didn’t go to college.
Mary Todd Lincoln‘s unlikeable disposition could be responsible for her husband’s assassination. The First Lady’s rudeness caused General Ulysses Grant and his wife to decline an invitation to the Ford Theater. If the couple had agreed to accompany the Lincolns on that fateful night, there would have been the proper security to prevent John Wilks Booth from shooting the president.
Douglas Brinkley, a New York Historical Society presidential historian, will also moderate the discussion. Brinkley frequently contributes to CNN, MSNBC, and CBS on presidential history. David Rubenstein is the co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group and the host of History with David Rubenstein on PBS. He has written several books, including The Highest Calling: Conversations on the American Presidency and How to Invest: Masters on the Craft. He served under the Carter administration and purchased several copies of the Declaration of Independence for the public to view. He also owns the Baltimore Orioles.
Speaking of baseball, several Major League Baseball (MLB) players are living with type 1 diabetes. Jordan Hicks, a 25-year-old-starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, adjusts his routine to monitor his blood sugar, insulin intake and meal plan. “You Can be diabetic, and you can be a phenom,” Jordan Hicks said. “You can be phenomenal. You can do all those things. Just because you’re diabetic doesn’t mean you should let that take anything away from you.”
Mason Miller, pitcher for the Oakland A’s, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, wants to be a role model for children with diabetes. He has said that diabetes is part of who he is, but it’s not who he is entirely. He doesn’t need to be embarrassed about it or scared to share it.
Jason Johnson was the first MLB player to wear an insulin pump while playing on the field. To accomplish this feat, Jason Johnson needed to experiment with infusion sites and the best place to attach the pump to his Tigers uniform. He knew he had to wear the pump in a spot safe from line drives. He also knew he had to insert the infusion needle under the skin in a spot where it wouldn’t get yanked out by the extreme torque that a major league pitcher generates during his delivery. So, Jason Johnson decided to clip the pump to his belt near the small of his back, a few inches below his uniform number.
We’re talking about ‘Diabetes, Sleep & Mental Health Issues’ on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast with musical inspiration from the iconic Phyllis Hyman.
People with diabetes are 2 to 3 times more likely to have depression than people without diabetes. Don’t be afraid to seek help if you’re struggling with anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health issues.
Phyllis Hyman was a sensational singer-songwriter and actress. Deep-voiced and statuesque, Phyllis Hyman sang with a life-affirming energy and emotional intensity found in a few others.
Unfortunately, Phyllis Hyman died by suicide, leaving a suicide note behind in 1995. Part of the note read, “I’m tired. I’m tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you.” It has been reported that she suffered from bipolar disorder and depression and had a history of substance abuse, which involved alcohol and cocaine.
Phyllis teamed up with producer Norman Connors for her stunning cover hit of “Betcha By Golly Wow.”
Phyllis signed with Buddah Records in 1977 and moved to Arista Records in 1979, working with Barry Manilow on Somewhere In My Lifetime.
Podcast guests include Alyson Williams, Queen Diva, Patricia Farrell PhD, Kristina Wolfe, ‘Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog’ Author Matt Pelicano, Elizabeth Vaughan Gallagher, Stacie Shonkwiler, and Patricia Addie-Gentle CDCES.
Join us for Divabetic’s Menopause & Diabetes Panel Discussion & SugarFree Baking Demonstration on Zoom in honor of World Menopause Day on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, from 7 – 8:30 PM.
Catherine Schuller moderates a panel featuring Dr Julianne Arena, MD, FACOG, ABAARM, Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide to Love And Intimacy With Diabetesco-author, COO for Diabetes Sisters Donna Rice MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES, and photographer, Amparo. Amparo discovered, quite unexpectedly, in the ER, that she has diabetes after doctors told her her glucose level was over 800! Over the past six months, she’s taking charge of managing her diabetes while facing hormonal changes during menopause – it’s a true Divabetic Victory story.
After our panel, Stacey Harris aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef, demonstrates how to make her popular Sugar-Free Rum Cake Recipe.
One lucky winner will win a Divabetic Prize at the end of the program.
The purpose of World Menopause Day is to raise awareness of menopause and the support options = for improving health and wellness.
“80% of people with Alzheimer’s disease have either full-blown diabetes or insulin resistance. The link between insulin resistance and AD is so obvious to some researchers they’ve began calling it diabetes type 3!,” reports registered nutritionist Tim Reed BSc mBANT rCNHC for Medium.
Research has revealed a strong link between Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and high blood sugar levels. People with type 2 diabetes who mismanage their blood sugar levels—are two to three times more likely to suffer from the most common form of dementia.
Barry Manilow’s classic hit, I Made It Through The Rain sparks real-life confessions about overcoming challenges related to diabetes self-care on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.
Hear how Alyson Williams, who is living with type 2 diabetes, made a triumphant return to the stage after her near-death experience from COVID and “The Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” blogger, FatCatAnna, who is living with type 1 diabetes, opens up about her attempted suicide and managing diabetes in a mental hospital.
Additionally, we’re sharing an honest, no-filter look at the daily grind of living with diabetes and practical ways to help you pivot and stay positive. We encourage others with diabetes to live life to the fullest and apply Barry Manilow’s attitude to their daily lives.
“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning music icon with 50 Top 40 hits, 12 #1 singles, and more than 85 million albums.
Guests include The First Lady of Def Jam Alyson Williams, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, diabetes advocate, blogger, and mentor FatCatAnna. Music from The Essential Barry Manilow courtesy of SONY Music. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
”I’ve been living with type1diabetes for 57 years,” says diabetes advocate, mentor, and blogger FatCatAnna on August’s Divabetic’s podcast. “So I feel like a kid at heart.”
Anna shares what it was like to manage diabetes in the 1960s. “I started with one insulin injection a day. It was pork insulin called NPH.”
It might be hard to imagine that the first insulins developed were from animals. But over the last century, there have been several innovations in insulin therapy, starting with the isolation of insulin and the purification and concentration of animal pancreatic extracts.
The first commercial insulin formulations were made with animal insulins, primarily beef and pork insulins, which had PK and PD properties similar to human insulin. However, a common problem with animal-source insulins was the formation of anti-insulin antibodies, leading to lipoatrophy and insulin resistance in many patients. Processing techniques were developed to purify active insulin. By 2006, the manufacturing of pork insulin (Iletin II) for human use was discontinued.
Today’s insulins include insulin mixtures, concentrated insulins, and insulins with alternate routes of administration, providing a wide array of options for people with diabetes.
Not only have insulin formulations changed over the past fifty years but so has
diabetes self-care management. By the 1960s, the development of urine strips for detecting blood sugars and the single-use syringe allowed faster and easier insulin therapy options. This was still a far cry from today’s self-care tools. Specifically, the invention of the blood glucose monitor for home use, something we take for granted, was still several years away.
“Back then, I just did a jab in the morning,” says Anna. “Then, I had to eat like a soldier at 8 AM, 12 PM, little snacks in between, and so on.”
Fifty-seven years later, her curious mind keeps on top of all the new forms of insulin therapy and technology today.
“I like to learn all kinds of new and different things in technology,” she adds. “Now, I’m using a CGM (continuous glucose monitor). That’s a game-changer for anyone who is on insulin. The fact that gives you insight into what’s happening and warns you when you’re going high or going low helps you use your insulin properly.”
Hear FatCatAnna‘s full interview using this link on Blog Talk Radio using the player below:
Barry Manilow’s classic hit, “I Made It Through The Rain,” sparks real-life confessions about overcoming challenges related to diabetes self-care on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.
Hear how singer, and songwriter Alyson Williams, who is living with type 2 diabetes, made a triumphant return to the stage after her near-death experience from COVID and “The Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” blogger, FatCatAnna, who is living with type 1 diabetes, opens up about her attempted suicide and managing diabetes in a mental hospital.
Additionally, we’re sharing an honest, no-filter look at the daily grind of living with diabetes and practical ways to help you pivot and stay positive. We encourage others with diabetes to live life to the fullest and apply Barry Manilow’s attitude to their daily lives.
“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning music icon with 50 Top 40 hits, 12 #1 singles, and more than 85 million albums.
Guests include The First Lady of Def Jam Alyson Williams, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, diabetes advocate, blogger, and mentor FatCatAnna. Music from The Essential Barry Manilow courtesy of SONY Music. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
Rain comes.
The rivers overflow and flood the plains.
Our hearts become full
And sometimes anguish and fear is what remains.
Hearts ache
Hands and bodies fail or become weak
Powerless and fearful
Relief and painless thoughts are what we seek.
Minds change
And overwhelming feelings turn to fear
It can feel hopeless
We don’t know what to do or how to bear.
But
The rain does stop
And the sun comes out.
And whatever it is you’re upset about
You work it through and find a way
And just as Manilow would say…
You made it through the rain
And kept your point of view.
You learned to deal with hurt and pain
And find a pathway through.
You learned that even on bad days
The sun’s behind the clouds
And even in life’s alleyways
That you can beat the odds.
So buckle up and buckle down
Do what you need to do
And in the words of Barry M
We can’t smile without YOU.
Poet Lorraine Brooks reads her latest poem, “Don’t Give Up,” on the August episode of Divabetic’s podcast. Listen using the tuner below:
EntertainerBarry Manilow‘s classic hit, “I Made It Through The Rain,” sparks real-life confessions about overcoming challenges related to diabetes self-care on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.
Hear how The First Lady of Def Jam, Alyson Williams, who is living with type 2 diabetes, made a triumphant return to the stage after her near-death experience from COVID and “The Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” blogger FatCatAnna, who is living with type 1 diabetes, opens up about her attempted suicide and managing diabetes in a mental hospital.
Additionally, we’re sharing an honest, no-filter look at the daily grind of living with diabetes and practical ways to help you pivot and stay positive. We encourage others with diabetes to live life to the fullest and apply Barry Manilow’s attitude to their daily lives.
“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning music icon with 50 Top 40 hits, 12 #1 singles, and more than 85 million albums.
Guests include The First Lady of Def Jam Alyson Williams, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, diabetes advocate, blogger, and mentor FatCatAnna. Music from The Essential Barry Manilow courtesy of SONY Music. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
“The doctors were having trouble bringing me out of my coma due to COVID, so my angel, Valerie Simpson, told them to play my music in my ear,” confesses the First Lady of Def Jam, Alyson Williams, living with type 2 diabetes, on August’s episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.
“Sure enough, the nurse downloaded my music I opened my eyes and responded to her,” adds Alyson.
We are thankful to share that our friend, Alyson has made a triumphant return to the stage after a near-death experience from COVID. Currently, she’s touring worldwide with saxophonist and flutist Najee supporting their new rendition of Valentine Love which was first released in 1975 featuring Michael Henderson & Jean Carn.
Hear more of Alyson Williams’s incredible story, her triumphant return to the stage, and “Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” type 1 blogger FatCat Anna‘s account of her attempted suicide and managing diabetes in a mental hospital during the podcast.
Additionally, in August, we’re sharing poetry, an honest, no-filter look at the daily grind of living with diabetes, and practical ways to help you pivot and stay positive.
As part of my research for August’s podcast, I went to see Barry Manilow perform at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. It’s a hard job, but someone’s got to do it!! He’s an incredible entertainer. What I loved most was how comfortable Barry Manilow is in his skin. He thoroughly enjoyed performing the songs he’s performed over a thousand times for his devoted ‘Fanilow’ fans like it was the first time!
We encourage others with diabetes to live life to the fullest and apply Barry Manilow‘s attitude to their daily lives.
“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning music icon with 50 Top 40 hits, 12 #1 singles, and more than 85 million albums.
Guests include The First Lady of Def Jam Alyson Williams, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, diabetes advocate, blogger, and mentor Fat Cat Anna. Music from The Essential Barry Manilow courtesy of SONY Music. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
We love Barry Manilow. His classic hits are part of the soundtrack of our lives. We will be featuring his music on August’s Divabetic podcast scheduled for Thursday, August 11, 2022, 6 PM EST.
“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammys, Tony and Emmy award-winning icon who has 50 Top 40 hits, including 12 #1 singles, and sold more than 85 million albums.
https://youtu.be/AiBGva3dEKk
Poet Lorraine Brooks and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES are back with poetry and practical advice! Plus, the lovely and very talented, real-life DIVA-betic, Alyson Williams joins us to talk about her triumphant return to music after a 2-year health struggle.
And diabetes advocate and “The Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” blogger Fat Cat Anna tells it like is about living with type 1 diabetes and hypo-unawareness.
We’re talking about ‘Diabetes, Sleep & Mental HealthIssues’ on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from Phyllis Hyman scheduled for Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 6 PM, EST. TUNE IN
Phyllis Hyman was a sensational singer-songwriter and actress. Deep-voiced and statuesque, Phyllis Hyman sang with a life-affirming energy and emotional intensity found in few other female vocalists.
Though her uncompromising principles put her at odds with the mainstream music business, she worked consistently for 20 years—from the moment that jazz drummer Norman Connors discovered her in a New York club in 1975 to when she took her life in June 1995
Phyllis Hyman committed suicide, leaving a note behind in 1995. Part of the note read “I’m tired. I’m tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you.” It has been reported that she suffered from bi-polar disorder and depression and had a history of substance abuse which involved alcohol and cocaine. Who knows what accomplishments she would have achieved if she had lived longer?
If you’re struggling with some tough emotions or feeling lonely, don’t hesitate to call the Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
