Celine Dion’s Health Crisis

Celine Dion said she’s been diagnosed with a neurological disorder called stiff person syndrome. But like a fabulous diva, she has surrounded herself with an entourage of care.

“I have a great team of doctors working alongside me to help me get better,” Dion said. “I’m working with my sports medicine therapist every day to build back my strength and my ability to perform again.”
We urge you to think like Celine Dion about your diabetes wellness. Don’t go it alone. Create your own entourage of healthcare collaborators, friends, and family members to help you manage your self-care and live your best life.

Stiff Person Syndrome, or SPS, is a disease that causes “progressive muscle stiffness and painful spasms” triggered by environmental factors such as “sudden movement, cold temperature, or unexpected loud noises,” according to Johns Hopkins, reports USA Today.

The disease is considered to be rare and only affects approximately one in a million people.

In an emotional testimony, Celine shared how her health has been affected by the disease.

“The spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal cords to sing the way I’m used to,” Celine Dion said. “I have to admit it’s been a struggle. All I know is singing; it’s what I’ve done all my life.”

We’re talking about matters of the heart related to diabetes with music from Celine Dion.

Heart disease is common in people with diabetes. The National Heart Association reports 65% of people with diabetes will die from heart disease or stroke. In general, heart disease death and stroke risk are more than twice as high in people with diabetes. However, managing your risk factors may prevent or delay the development of heart and blood vessel disease.

Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Janis Roszler, PhD, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Mila Clarke Buckley, The Hangry Woman, and Bella Krueger.

Throughout the podcast, we will feature music from Celine Dion’s Falling Into You album, courtesy of SONY Music.  We are proud to participate in Diabetes Podcast Week and support the Spare a Rose campaign to raise funds for Life For a Child.

Divabetic Remembers Mary Wilson

Mary Wilson, from the Supremes,  who sang with Diana Ross on eternal hits like “Where Did Our Love Go,” “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” and “Stop! In the Name of Love,“ has died at age 76.

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“I was extremely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of a major member of the Motown family, Mary Wilson of the Supreme,” Gordy said in a statement. “The Supremes were always known as the ‘sweethearts of Motown.,” Barry Gordy, Motown Records’ founder, expressed his sadness at the loss of a music luminary told Rolling Stone. “Mary Wilson was extremely special to me. She was a trailblazer, a diva and will be deeply missed.”

Mary Wilson began her career in Detroit in 1959 as a singer in a group called the Primettes that went on to become The Supremes, with members Diana Ross and Florence Ballard.

Mary Wilson stayed in the public eye up until very recently, appearing on the TV Show Dancing With the Stars and releasing her fourth book, Supreme Glamour. 

Her publicist, Jay Schwartz, confirmed the singer’s death to Rolling Stone, but did not reveal a cause of death.

Luther Vandross loved the Supremes and their music! Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin and the Supremes sit on his personal Mount Rushmore reported the New York Times. His twist was that he frequently emulated female singers with his voice – a synthesis of Franklin’s gospel fire, Dionne Warwick’s impeccable intonation and diction and Diana Ross’s yearning, which he then effortlessly glided from robust baritone to tremulous tenor.

 

We’re celebrating the musical legacy of Luther Vandross and raising awareness for diabetes health-related complications (such as vision loss) on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast.

Guests include Andre “Doctor Dre” Brown, Nat Adderley Jr.,  Dr. Khoshnevis, Danny Clay, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.  Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s album, ‘The Night I Fell In Love’ courtesy of SONY Music.

Tony Bennett Battles Alzheimer’s Disease

Tony Bennett has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, his wife, Susan, told AARP The Magazine.

According to his family, the 18 time GRAMMY winner is taking each day one note at time. Bennett’s greatest therapy is singing. He rehearses twice a week.

“He has devoted his whole life to the Great American songbook and now the songbook is saving him,” Susan Bennett told CBS This Morning.

Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease characterized by progressive memory loss that affects speech, understanding, and recognition of family and friends.

More than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, including one in 10 people age 65 or older.

There’s research suggesting a link between diabetes and Alzheimer’s, suggesting that people with diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, are at higher risk of eventually developing Alzheimer’s dementia or other dementias.

Alzheimer’s symptoms may initially include repeating questions, getting lost in a familiar place or misplacing things, and may eventually progress to hallucinations, angry outbursts, and the inability to recognize family and friends or communicate at all. Alzheimer’s has no cure.

Tony Bennett, first diagnosed in 2016, has so far been spared the disorientation and the episodes of terror, rage  and/or depression.

Susan Bennett said that he can still recognize family members, but the magazine reported that “mundane objects as familiar as a fork or a set of house keys can be utterly mysterious to him.”

His diagnosis hasn’t stopped him from performing. According to People Magazine the 94 year old singer has has concert dates scheduled for later this year, with the first in March.

“It kept him on his toes and also stimulated his brain in a significant way,” Bennett’s neurologist, Gayatri Devi told AARP The Magazine. “He is doing so many things, at 94, that many people without dementia cannot do. He really is the symbol of hope for someone with a cognitive disorder.”

“He’s not the old Tony anymore,” his wife, Susan, said. “But when he sings, he’s the old Tony.”

Bennett’s family kept his secret for four years, but decided to break their silence now with the release of his new album. The disclosure is a way to remove some of the stigma associated with the incurable disease, they said.

“Being open about a diagnosis in such a public manner takes great courage and compassion,” said Beth Kallmyer, vice president for care and support with the Alzheimer’s Association.

Editor’s note: It has not been reported that Tony Bennett is living with diabetes.

Meghan Trainor Diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes

Meghan Trainor has been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. The singer is set to welcome her baby boy in early February.

Approximately 2-5% of pregnant women develop gestational diabetes according to the American Pregnancy association.  this number may increase to 7-9% of mothers who are more likely to have risk factors. The screening for this disease usually takes place between your 24th and 28th week of pregnancy.

The 26-year-old mum to be is just two months away from welcoming her bundle of joy but now has to take extra care with her blood sugar levels as a result.

 

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Gestational diabetes is diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy. It is a temporary (in most cases) form of diabetes in which the body does not produce adequate amounts of insulin to regulate sugar during pregnancy. It may also be called glucose intolerance or carbohydrate intolerance.In women with gestational diabetes, blood sugar usually returns to normal soon after delivery.

“I got gestational diabetes, but so many women have it,” Meghan told Jimmy Fallon via a video call on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

“It was just the unknowing. I didn’t know what it was. It’s like a genetics thing. My mom had it and she didn’t even give me a full warning.”

The songstress added: “I just watch what I eat now. I write everything now, I check my blood. And we’re good now. I’ve been crushing it.

If you’ve had gestational diabetes, you have a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes. You’ll need to be tested for changes in blood sugar more often.

Tonight, we’re talking about BODY IMAGE & DIABETES with musical inspiration from Meghan Trainor. Guests include Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’ , the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE), Style Blogger Doris Hobbs, Emmy Award winning Producer Linda Bracero Morel,  Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie. Throughout the podcast we will be playing selected songs from Meghan Trainor’s “Thank You” album courtesy of SONY Music.

Rebel Wilson’s Nothing Is Forbidden Diet

“I (now) have this state of being,” says a slimmed down Rebel Wilson, ” which is not my quote, but I go, ‘Nothing is forbidden.’ We’ll be like, ‘Should we get In-N-Out burger?’ And I’m like, ‘Nothing is forbidden.’ I can go there, I just might eat half of what I used to eat before. You know? And I’ll have a burger, and a few fries, and then you feel fine.”

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In a recent interview with People magazine, Rebel went into more detail about how she has been shedding the pounds.

“Before I was probably eating 3000 calories most days, and because they were normally carbs, I would still be hungry,” Rebel Wilson confessed.

“So, I’ve really changed to eating a high-protein diet, which is challenging because I didn’t used to eat a lot of meat.”

The actress confirmed to her fans that she had lost over 60 pounds this year, putting a lot of the loss down to her passion of hiking.

She revealed the exciting milestone on Instagram on Sunday, sharing a photo of her weight on the scale, saying that she had reached her goal weight with time to “spare”.

“Hit my goal with one month to spare! Even though it’s not about a weight number, it’s about being healthy, I needed a tangible measurement to have as a goal and that was 165 pounds” Rebel captioned the instagram post.

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During an hour long Instagram Live video, the comedian fought back tears as she revealed to her fans that she did not treat her body with the “love and respect” it deserved in the past.

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“I would wear my weight as a bit of a barrier, so people wouldn’t get close to me,” she continued.

She has spent the better part of a year working to correct “bad habits to healthier ones”.

“I think I was emotional eating, and overeating at times, because I wasn‘t loving myself enough either,” Rebel Wilson said.

“And it does come down to that self-worth and self-love.”

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We’re talking about Amazing Weight Loss Journeys & Diabetes with musical inspiration from Jennifer Hudson on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Guests include Vanessa Hunter, Dr. Wendy Rapaport PsyD, Dr. Stewart Harris, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, and Autumn Reed.

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.”

 

Amy Grant’s Open Heart Surgery

Christian music star Amy Grant had undergone open heart surgery in June, but now the award-winner has opened up about what happened.

“I had an irregular heartbeat for the last 10 years, and it exhibited every day,” she explained. “It bothered me a little bit and then I’ve had a harder time singing in the last five years … everything kind of tightening up as I was trying to sing. I remember a couple times telling Vince, ‘I feel like I’m suffocating.’ It’s the weirdest thing, I’m breathing as deep as I can, but in my mind none of that had to do with my heart.”

 

Her surgery was a preemptive procedure, intended to fix a genetic heart condition discovered by accident. She was at a regular checkup in late 2019 with her husband, country star Vince Gill, when Gill’s cardiologist encouraged her to do some tests.

The tests revealed a dangerous birth defect called partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR), which if left untreated, could have disastrous results. Grant was told she needed to have surgery before she turned 60, when the risks of a sudden heart attack increased exponentially.

“If I have got something wrong, anybody could have something wrong,” Grant said. “My message would be, ‘Take a minute and take care of yourself.’ You don’t know that something is wrong unless you make sure it’s right.”

 

Cricket Star with Type 1 Diabetes Felt “Humiliated” at Airport

Former Pakistan cricket player, Wasim Akram with type 1 diabetes has slammed security officials at Manchester airport for saying they made him feel “embarrassed” and “humiliated”. He was rudely questioned and then ordered publicly to take his insulin out of its travel cold-case and place it in a plastic bag.

“I travel around the world with my insulin but never have I been made to feel embarrassed.I felt very humiliated as I was rudely questioned & ordered publicly to take my insulin out of its travel cold-case & dumped in to a plastic bag,” he posted on Twitter.

The sports star was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1997 during the peak of his career but refused to let the condition hold him back. He is generally regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket.

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We’re talking about ‘Diabetes, Sleep & Mental Health Issues’ on Diabetes Late Nitewith musical inspiration from the iconic Phyllis Hyman on Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 6 PM, EST.

R & B superstar 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.

Unfortunately Phyllis Hyman committed 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 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?

Podcast guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, ‘Sleep, Insomnia, Stress’ Author Patricia Farrell PhD, Kristina Wolfe, Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog’Author Matt Pelicano, Elizabeth Vaughan Gallagher, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach with Patricia Addie-Gentle.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from ‘The Essential Phyllis Hyman’ album courtesy of SONY Music

TUNE IN

Carbohydrate Counting Made Easy

Divabetic Remembers Penny Marshall

Penny Marshall, best known for her acting role in the TV series “Laverne & Shirley” and for her many achievements as a film director such as “A League of Our Own,” “Big” or “Awakenings,” has died from complications from diabetes. She was 75.

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to learn what her complications were, or even what type of diabetes she had even after reading numerous stories about her death in various media outlets.  Usually I hate headlines like this without details because I think it’s a missed opportunity to educate and empower people about the disease but I feel Penny Marshall’s many professional accomplishments can offer sound advice for anyone who is feeling helpless, overwhelmed or frustrated about living with diabetes. 

Behind the camera, Penny Marshall wasn’t afraid to ask for help. As the the first woman in history to direct a film that grossed more than US$ 100 million with the 1988 comedy “Big,” starring Tom Hanks, Penny Marshall told Reuters in 2012 that her key to success behind the camera was she would try anything and ask for help when needed.

“I talked to my crew and said, ‘Just tell me the truth.’ I turned to the crews and asked them for their help,” she said..

People with diabetes often feel like there is too much to think about and do every day in order to take care of the condition. Sometimes you may find that you just need an outlet to express yourself and vent.  Reaching out to your diabetes care team and your other supporters about how you feel lets them help you get relief, gain support and even possibly learn strategies to cope with your feelings and the disease.

There will always be ups and downs in managing diabetes, but leaning on your diabetes care team and support network can help. Here are four basic tips for dealing with diabetes distress from Alicia McAuliffe-Fogarty, PhD, CPsychol

Give yourself a break. No one manages diabetes perfectly.

Talk to your diabetes care team about how you feel. Your health care providers can help by teaching you about diabetes, creating a diabetes treatment plan with you to best fit your lifestyle, working with you to set treatment goals, and referring you to a support group or mental health therapist.

Do one thing at a time and set goals you can reach. Small changes add up to big results. Try setting SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Reward and congratulate yourself when you reach your goals.

Get support. You don’t have to do this alone. Most people say they manage their diabetes better when they get support.

After reading Penny Marshall’s obituary, I hope the general public sees that diabetes is a serious disease and not just a “touch of sugar.” Most people say they manage their diabetes better when they get support. Reach out. You don’t have to do this alone.


Enjoy December’s Diabetes Late Nite Available on Demand for Free

Enjoy December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring holiday music from Kelly Clarkson’s iconic Wrapped In Red album courtesy of SONY Music. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Kathy Gold  RN, MSN, CDE, FAADE, Glucose Delivery Necklace Co-Creator Kris Maynard, Dr. Sara (Mandy) Reece, PharmD, CDE, BC=ADM, BCACP, FAADE, Maria Sakowitz, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. LISTEN NOW