Tag: diabetes stories

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Divabetic Mysteries: Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, Part 3

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, is packed with loads of diabetes information and self-care tips wrapped up in a cozy mystery radio drama.

Brief Synopsis: The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything seems low pressure and low calorie until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives. Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation! Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive? Or will he be trading his fruit suit for coveralls with stripes? Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller, Dave Jones, and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Special thanks to our colleague Wendy Radford.

Divabetic Mystery Podcast’s goals are: Encourage people with diabetes to problem-solve issues related to their self-care, like their favorite TV detectives (i.e. write things down, search for clues and share information with your healthcare collaborators and ask questions) Manage diabetes as a team rather than go it alone. Make learning about diabetes fun and interesting. This year, Divabetic is talking about re-framing the way we look at ‘mistakes” as “discoveries” rather than “regrets.”

Don’t miss the first podcast of the year featuring guest Rachel Zinman, a yoga instructor and author living with LADA. Rachel shares a Guided Meditation about Compassion. It’s our 6th consecutive year of partnering with Rachel at the start of the New Year to encourage our loyal listeners to reset with a fresh, clear mindset about managing their diabetes.

Visit: https://divabetic.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/divabeticorg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/divabeticorg

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/official_divabetic

Podcasts: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1

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Mama Rose Marie Stars in Divabetic’s Mystery Podcast

From time to time, podcast listeners ask me who plays ‘my mother’ on Divabetic’s mystery podcasts. The talented actress playing “Mama Rose Marie” is my actual mom. It’s a blessing that she participates every year. She’s a good sport too.

Our mystery podcast storylines routinely put her in dangerous situations to rescue me. She’s escaped prison, shook her shimmy in a Coney Island burlesque show, hit glass-shattering high notes in Christmas carols like Celine Dion, and dressed up as a pirate, ninja, and snow leopard. Once, she was even knocked unconscious by a deranged scientist who impersonated her in an attempt to get me to endorse a ‘magic pill’ for curing diabetes. Thankfully, she woke up in time to kick his butt and save me from jeopardizing my reputation.
In reality, my mom has been with me every step of the way on the Divabetic journey and I couldn’t be happier. She sold the first “Divabetic” t-shirt in Columbia, SC, in 2003. She was a  National team member of our signature Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes outreach program, worked backstage on the national TV show, dLife, demonstrated How to Prada Your Pineapple on several local TV shows, judged Divabetic’s Hat Boxing Competition, beautifully decorated our healthy Halloween program, The Broomstick Bash, and much much more over the past nineteen (!) years of outreach.

I love my Mom. Thank you, thank you! You have given my mom and me so many wonderful and magical memories. Working side-by-side with her to present diabetes outreach diva-style has brought me joy, enriched my life, and made me a better person.
I hope you will tune in to this year’s mystery podcast to find out what trouble my mom gets in to save me! I wish everyone could have a mom like mine; if you don’t, let us team up with you so we can stay happy and healthy together.
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“I Sought Out As Much Information And Support As I Could”: Della Reese

When I found out I had Type 2 diabetes, I was upset because I knew nothing about the condition and had nothing to fight it with,” said “Touched By An Angel” actress and music legend Della Reese. “So I sought out as much information and support as I could,” the entertainer explained. “I talked to my doctor about an aggressive diabetes management plan that included daily exercise and smaller portions.

Before landing the role as Tess on “Touched by an Angel,” Reese was an accomplished singer who rose to national fame in 1957 with her song, “And That Reminds Me.” She had several other hits, including “Not One Minute More,” “And Now,” “Don’t You Know?” and “The Most Beautiful Words.”

When she made the move to television, Reese saw success in parts on series including “The Love Boat,” “MacGyver” and “The Young and the Restless.” She also had her own television variety hour called “Della” and was the first black woman to co-host “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.” She went on to play Tess in “Touched by an Angel’s” 1994 debut and continued through the end of the series in 2003.

“I’m proof that you can take control of your life. You can be stronger than diabetes,” she added. “I lost 20 pounds and lowered my blood sugar from between 275 and 300 to between 67 and 110.”
According to the University of Michigan, blood sugar levels of 300 mg/dL or more can be dangerous. If you experience mental confusion, nausea, or dizziness, proceed to the emergency room. Please be proactive and talk to your doctor if you’re worried about any symptoms of high blood sugar.
Click HERE to convert your blood sugar levels to an A1C using the American Diabetes Association’s Conversion Calculator.
Della Reese passed away in 2017. She was 86.

 

Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Do you need a little help staying on track with your diabetes self-care?

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Mother’s Day-themed Baking Party with special guests, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller, on Thursday, April 28, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

Win gifts courtesy of Arthel Neville Design FABULOUS East/West Tote, Dr. Remedy’s Enriched Nail Care gift set, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes‘s Camper Cozy Mystery, Walden Farms Zero Calories, Zero Net Carbs Salad Dressings, and Peak 10 Skin’s Save My Sole Foot Rescue Cream during Mr. Divabetic’s random drawings. You must be present at our Baking Party to enter our gift drawings to win.

Over 150 people registered for our last Divabetic Baking Party on Zoom, so don’t miss out!

REGISTER NOW – FREE REGISTRATION

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Diagnosis To Diva Stories: My Type 1 Diagnosis Was A Scene From A Fellini Movie

Hearing you’ve just been diagnosed with diabetes can be difficult. And painful. Still, February’s Divabetic podcast guest, Fran Carpentier, describes her experience like a scene from a Fellini movie. 

The Brooklyn-born media maven was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age fourteen. Fran remembers the weeks before her diagnosis, “having rapid weight loss, unquenchable thirst, and exhaustion. it was bad.”Although her type 1 diabetes diagnosis was life-changing, Fran admits that her Italian mother, Stella, provided some much-needed yet unintended comic relief in the doctor’s office. “Naturally, I was scared and very nervous,” Fran recalls. “However, when the doctor uttered the diagnosis—’Frances has diabetes‘— my mother fainted and collapsed onto the floor.  Her sister, my Aunt Elizabeth, and I had to pick her up. We kept fanning my mom while Dr. Handelsman—a renowned diabetologist of the time—attempted to reassure her about my diagnosis. First, he tried to calm down my mother by telling her that I was fortunate to be diagnosed when I was and not forty years earlier. He went on to explain that the reason I was ‘lucky’ was because today we had insulin; a few decades earlier, I’d be dead. When my mother heard the word ‘dead,’ she collapsed and fainted again.”

The doctor pulled Fran aside and said, “I usually put a newly diagnosed child with juvenile diabetes [which is what type 1 was called in those days] in the hospital for a week.” Back in 1969, which is when Fran was diagnosed, hospitalization for diabetes was pretty typical. Dr. Handelsman continued, “But I can tell that, if I put you in the hospital, I would need at least two beds—one for you, and one for your mother.” 

The good doctor added, “So, instead of sending you to the hospital, my nurse will teach you how to give yourself insulin injections, then I’m going to send you home. Come back tomorrow and we’ll teach you more about how your daily life will be from now on.” 

The Carpentier family’s theatrics continued after they got home from the doctor’s office. “That same evening, my mother’s ten sisters came over to our house to ‘mourn’ me,” says Fran. “To this day, I blame their reaction on the ignorance and fear that was associated with diabetes then. Sadly, a lot of ignorance and fear are still prevalent today.”

If all that extra drama seems almost too much to handle, then you don’t know Fran, who went on to explain, “Later on in bed that first night, I told myself that God must have sent diabetes to me for a reason. Somehow, that outlook served to motivate me in managing my diabetes for the past fifty years.”

She adds, “I think I had enough of a sense of self to not be ashamed of my condition. I spent a lot of time in the early days allaying my parents’ fears.”

For the past fifty years, Fran Carpentier has been an outspoken diabetes advocate, a passionate fundraiser, and a Divabetic inspiration in her personal and professional life. 

For close to three decades, Fran worked as the Senior Editor at Parade, the national Sunday newspaper magazine that, during her tenure, reached more than 70 million readers every week. Fran had the opportunity to meet celebrities, best-selling authors, thought leaders, leading doctors, and top scientists in diabetes. “As a journalist, I had direct access that got me in front of as many diabetes experts as possible. Then, every November, I would oversee an article on diabetes in the Sunday issue. Our goal was to share with our millions of readers what was new in diabetes and where everyone—including people living with diabetes, their families, their friends, their co-workers—could find hope.” 

In 2006, I met Fran Carpentier for the first time when she attended Divabetic Makeover Your Diabetes national outreach program at Gotham Hall in New York City. At the time, she was still working for Parade. She remembers attending our ‘Glam More, Fear Less’ style event offering one-on-one diabetes education with free makeover services as “the fun and fabulous.” In addition, she says, “The men and women at the Divabetic program had really great energy.”

Hear more of Fran’s funny and fascinating memories of living with type 1 diabetes on Divabetic’s February podcast. 

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Divabetic Cozy Mystery: Kill Me Madam, Part 3

Britannia Coffin’s death was NO accident. The police have determined that she was murdered! Britannia’s body was discovered near the dumpster in The Kitchen Island parking lot, and it was covered in cash! Apparently, the store was also robbed. The police found Millicent Merriweather, the Kitchen Island store shop owner, locked in the storeroom. The store’s cash register had also been emptied. 

This is big news! The death of a member of one of Nantucket’s founding families coupled with this robbery has the whole town buzzing. And everyone, except Max, is glued to the TV and radio for the latest updates. 

Max: Oh, well, I bet  the competition is going to be canceled. We’d better pack up and head back to New York.

Tonya: Max, we can’t leave now. You might have been the last person to see Britannia Coffin alive.

MaryAnn: That’s true. An eyewitness reported seeing a suspicious man with Britannia in the parking lot right before she was killed. The police think he’s the murderer!

Patricia: That sounds like it could be you!

Max: But I’m innocent.

Mama Rose Marie: Son, if you are a suspect in one more murder, we’re going to have to buy a getaway car!

Patricia: Hey, Max, what are those receipts sticking out of your pocket?

MaryAnn: Let me see, this one’s an herbal pain reliever. They seem harmless on TV but they can interact with other medications and cause problems.

Patricia: I advise my patients to always consult with their doctors before buying them.

MaryAnn: And this receipt is for Botox injections.

Max: What? That’s not mine. I don’t know where that came from.

Patricia: Botox isn’t just for wrinkles, silly. It’s also used to ease hand and foot pain caused by nerve damage. Given her health issues, it must be Britannia’s!

MaryAnn: There’s a list of dates, times and numbers on the back of this receipt. It looks like Britannia must’ve been logging her blood sugars.

Patricia: Good for her! Diabetes and data go hand in hand. Without data it’s hard to know what to change and where to focus on in your self-care management.

MaryAnn: Keeping your blood sugars within a range can help alleviate pain related to neuropathy.

Tonya: Wait! Maybe Britannia stuffed these receipts in your pocket on purpose. They’re clues! In my book, Fixin’ to Die, my character, Kenni Lowry nabs the culprits and solves the murder using clues just like these.

Mama Rose Marie: We should turn them over to the police.

Max: No, if we go to the police they’ll find out who I really am and then it will be all over the papers just like it was in New York.

MaryAnn: It’s a good thing you put on that pirate costume before anyone recognized you.

Max: This can’t be happening again. My baking career won’t survive another scandal.

Tonya: Then, our only option is to stay and solve this murder.

Max: Tonya. (pause)  I swear you left my food processor in New York just so something like this would happen.

Mama Rose Marie: Stop bickering you two and let’s put on our thinking caps. Max, who else was in the store when you were there?

Max: Just the owner and Britannia. Britannia was at the cash register when I walked in. Then, Britannia and I left together to go to her car.

Patricia: What about in the parking lot? Did you notice anything unusual?

Max: I got too distracted by all the shiny new food processors in her trunk. Oh, Wait!  As I was leaving, Britannia took a box out of the back seat and headed across the parking lot to the antique shop.

Tonya: What was in the box?

Max: I didn’t notice. I was in a hurry to get back to the prep kitchen.

MaryAnn: Hold on a second, didn’t Peggy tell us Britannia rarely left her house because of her neuropathy?

Patricia: She sure did!  Maybe Peggy lied to us to protect someone?

Tonya: You mean like her husband, Floyd? Peggy said his lobster business wasn’t doing well and the news reports  said Britannia Coffin was rich. Money is always the top motive for murder in my novels!

MaryAnn: Well, if Peggy wasn’t lying to us, then Britannia must have had a pretty compelling reason to leave her house this morning  if she was in pain.

Mama Rose Marie: Whatever’s in that box might tell us. We’d better head over to the antique shop and find out.

Max: No, no, no! This is exactly why I left New York. Please, I don’t want to get mixed up in any more murders.

Tanya: Too late. Let’s retrace your steps and get to the crime scene.

Narrator: Our team heads over to the Petticoat Row Shopping district where The Kitchen Island store is located. 

The women-run retail district, Petticoat Row, on Centre Street was an entirely post–Civil War institution, which developed in the 1860s and lasted into the 1930s. It comprised between two and twelve businesses at a time and involved about thirty female proprietors in all. While whaling created conditions that led some island women to enter the commercial sphere, it was actually the economic and population disruptions that followed the collapse of whaling that brought Nantucket women into the paid workforce in significant numbers.

The Kitchen Island is a quaint baking store packed with tableware, cooking tools, appliances and recipe books as well as delicious pastries. The stylish owner, who just happens to be one of the Decadent Desserts on Deck sponsors, is Millicent Merriweather. 

SOUND EFFECT: store bells

Narrator: After exchanging pleasantries, our team gets down to business with their investigation. 

Tonya:  Millicent, was Britannia in your store for any particular reason?

Millicent: She was bargain hunting for a new zester.

MaryAnn: If she loved a bargain, I’ll bet she also saved money by buying generic medications like Metformin for her diabetes. It’s just as safe and effective as the brand name but it costs a whole lot less.

Millicent: Oh who knows; all she wanted to talk about was entering her famous lemon meringue pie in today’s competition.

MaryAnn: Are you sure? The Perky Pie Princess told us Britannia had dropped out.

Millicent: And you believed Peggy? I wouldn’t trust anything she had to say about Britannia. Especially after what happened between them.

Max: I don’t trust her either after that crack she made calling me an amateur baker. But go on, tell us what happened?

Millicent: Peggy’s husband Floyd was involved in one of Britannia’s slip and fall scams. He lied on the stand. Britannia is the reason Floyd did jail time.

Mama Rose Marie: The big house really changes you; I should know.

Max:  Mom, what are you talking about? You were behind bars less than an hour.

Mama Rose Marie: Well, an hour in the pen feels like a lifetime.

Tonya: Do you two mind? Can Millicent finish what she was saying?

Millicent: Paying off the fines almost made Floyd lose the family’s lobster business. To make it worse, Britannia walked away scot free thanks to her high-powered lawyers.

Max: She sounds pretty devious to be scamming people with phony slip and fall lawsuits given her condition.

MaryAnn: Her neuropathy would make her more prone to fall. So how did they prove it was a scam?

Millicent: It turned out Britannia wasn’t using her Nordic poles that day like Floyd testified. The judge threw out the suit because Britannia hadn’t taken the necessary safety precautions.

Mama Rose Marie: Mmmm. My Bridge partner also suffers from neuropathy. Her doctor wants her to check her feet daily but she has difficulty bending over.

Patricia: Her doctor is concerned she could develop a bad infection if she cut her foot. A hand mirror can remedy that. By placing a mirror on the floor you can easily see the bottom of your feet.

Tonya: Anywho. . .was anyone else in the store with Britannia?

Millicent: Loretta Hussey. I overheard Britannia tell her to make room on her mantle for another second-place ribbon!

Patricia: Oooo! That must’ve made Loretta mad.

Tonya: Yeah, but mad enough to commit murder?

Millicent: She was furious. Britannia never missed an opportunity to ruffle Loretta’s feathers. Just last week Britannia announced she was going to sell all the Hussey family treasures. There’s motive enough for murder right there!

Patricia: What would give Britannia Coffin the right to sell Loretta Hussey’s family possessions?

Millicent: Britannia used to be married to Loretta’s older brother. She got the house and everything in it in the divorce settlement. Britannia was heartless. I heard Loretta say, “You’ll get what you deserve!” as she stormed out of my store.

Tonya: But wait! Wasn’t Britannia‘s murderer the same person who robbed you?

Millicent: Maybe – I did tell the police I saw a strange man in the parking lot right before Britannia was killed! He should be at the top of the list of suspects, right next to Loretta!

Max: Oh, no. That strange man had to be- (Tonya cuts me off)

Tonya: -Just one more question.

Millicent: Anything. The sooner Britannia’s killer is caught, the happier I’ll be.

Tonya: Can you think of anyone who would rob you?

Millicent: No. Like I told the police, whoever it was grabbed me from behind and in these high heels, I lost my balance and fell over. Next thing I knew, I was blindfolded and shoved in the stockroom.

Patricia: You know, flats are better for your back and your feet. No one needs to wear 5-inch heels.

Max: But those shoes ARE fabulous!!  Do they hurt?

Millicent: What can I say – “Pretty is Painful.” But wait, you look kind of familiar. I think I’ve seen you before. Take off that eye patch!

Mama Rose Marie: Oh, Bartholomew! Look at the time! You promised to take me to the antique shop across the parking lot. Let’s go!

TO BE CONTINUED 

 

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast, Kill Me Madam, cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

HEALTH TOPICS

A new study suggests that Botox, or botulinum toxin, may offer successful relief for neuropathy, not just one form, but two.

 

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31 Days of Divabetic Podcasts, Day Twenty Nine

Divabetic (Divabetic.org) presents a month-long showcase celebrating 10 years of diabetes podcasting. Each of the featured podcasts spotlights our favorite guests, topics, poems, games and/or musical inspiration. Enjoy!

On Day 29, we’re spotlighting Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Ricky Martin podcast from June 2019.

We’re talking about ‘Diabetes & Pride’ with musical inspiration from Ricky Martin.

Since Ricky Martin came out in 2010, he’s been a prominent voice for LGBT rights both in the U.S. and in his native Puerto Rico. Ricky Martin said, “I just wanna be free,” upon receiving GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award, which honors gay entertainers who promote equal rights. Martin opened up his life to Vanity Fair in its April 2012 issue and spoke candidly about his twins, Matteo and Valentino, and his longtime partner, Carlos Gonzalez.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Stonewall Uprising (June 29, 1969). It is widely considered to be the single most important event leading to the gay liberation movement.

Diabetes can have a serious psychological and emotional impact, and can affect self-management as well as the individual’s quality of life.  It has been reported that low levels of self-esteem have been associated with diabetes and diabetes management. Evidence shows that self-esteem can be a key factor influencing health care behaviors.

Low self-esteem is the prime driver of self-harm among gay and lesbian students reports Psychology Today.

For the first time, a new study, “Psychological Correlates of Self-Harm within Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual UK University Students,” reports that low self-esteem may have a bigger influence on self-injury behaviors than depression or anxiety.

How does being gay or bisexual affect your diabetes self-care? And what’s it like to be gay, lesbian, bisexual and/or transgender living with diabetes?

As an openly gay man, Mr. Divabetic is honored to shine the spotlight on members from the LGBTQ+ community living with diabetes. Guests include Stephen Bernstein, Greg Rubin, Maria Salazar, Maya James and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.

 

 

Our monthly podcasts are dedicated to Music Lovers living with, at risk and/or affected by diabetes. We aim to be the epicenter of the circle of care, a link between patients and their health care providers, a translator of clinical speak and a bridge between denial and acceptance, fear and confidence

Divabetic was inspired by the late music legend, Luther Vandross and created in 2005 by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, who, as Vandross’ assistant of 14 years, witnessed his boss, mentor, and friend struggle in silence and solitude with the diabetes and its related complications. Since its inception, Divabetic has presented outreach programs in 15 major U.S. cities, reaching hundreds of thousands of women, their families and health care professionals.

Experience more of our GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS philosophy at divabetic.org

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‘Facing The Challenges of Living with Diabetes Everyday’ by Jessica Clark

Facing the challenges of living with diabetes everyday can be tough! And we’re not afraid to talk about it. You shouldn’t feel afraid either to express that ‘the struggle is real’ to friends, family and co-workers. 

Need some inspiration for living ‘out loud’ about your diabetes?

 Our Divabetic friend, Jessica Clark will stop by the studio to share her experience of living with the up’s and down’s  of type 1 diabetes on November’s Diabetes Late Nite. Join us here on Wednesday, November 14 from 6 – 7:30 PM. CLICK HERE

Recently Jessica shared a very personal post on FB describing one of her saddest and most sincere diabetes moments. Below is what Jessica wishes you knew about her, the diabetes edition:

Every minute of my life is a calculation. And if it wasn’t, or I did it wrong, it can mean long-term tragic consequences. Even death.

I don’t feel good. Ever.

If I tell you I don’t feel good, then I REALLY don’t feel good.

It never works the way I want it to.

I can do the same thing every day, every detail, and have it still come out differently or wrong.

No one understands it.

But everyone is an expert on it.

I get judged for it.

It ruined my self-esteem.

Nothing is easy or straightforward

It changed me as a person, and sometimes I hate that.

I wonder how things could have been different if I didn’t have it.

I wonder what I would physically look like if I didn’t have it

I’ve been made fun of by my family and those closest to me regarding it

No matter what, I am seen as a complainer, wet blanket, trying to get attention, etc.

I go to bed every night not really knowing if I will wake up

I’m treated medically by people who learned how to care for me in books that are decades old

It’s fucking expensive to keep me alive

I feel like a burden physically and financially on people

I spend more to stay alive than people realize, even with insurance.

Giant for-profit corporations dictate the care I can receive and my quality of life.

A cure wouldn’t be profitable

My life is “managed” or “controlled”

Once you aren’t little or cute, few people genuinely care or help.

I’ve lost feeling in all of my fingertips.

I am diagnosed as “significantly visually impaired” because of it. Poor vision and night vision in my left eye. No peripheral vision, depth perception, or night vision in my right eye.

It isn’t easy or simple

It isn’t just eating well or working out

People judge and criticize my food choices.

My skin doesn’t get thicker or tougher to harsh remarks

I have to be “rude” and turn down items I can’t or shouldn’t have. (But then if I do have them, get judged or questioned, see above)

I subsequently make people feel “shitty” once I tell them why I can’t have said item.

But mostly, it’s lonely.

It’s really really lonely.

Here are several more of Jessica’s FB posts illustrating how ‘the struggle is real’ for millions of people living with type 1 diabetes:

“Diabetes awareness month real life post! Today was so shitty. Cracked windshield, dead (expensive) battery, so many things. I’m exhausted! Buuuut it’s 11pm and my blood sugar is 48 and I’m TIREEEDDD. But I can’t go to bed, because I might die. Sooo I’m not hungry or thirsty, but I’m drinking a juice box, eating to save my life. And this isn’t a once in a life time dramatic post. This is weekly, monthly. This is my ugly tired 11pm post of diabetes. This is T1D life. Jdrf one walk shirt was not planned lol.” – Jessica, November 2, 2018, 10:07 PM

“Most days, you control the diabetes. Some days, it controls you. Today was that day for me. It’s scary, and painful, but it’s not often. Bad enough I had to leave work, BG high enough I *probably* should have seen an ER (I didn’t, can’t afford healthcare costs. That’s another story. Lol) Shout out to all of my diabetic friends out there living through this shit we have to deal with.” – Jessica, October 10, 2018 at 4:16 PM

“This is the diabetes you don’t see. Tired, ready for bed, low blood sugar. Every time you test it drops lower and lower, and you keep treating and treating. You can’t breath, you’re confused, and your tired! But you can’t sleep, because if you sleep before it’s safe, you might not wake up. This is real. This is my life, every minute, of everyday, to some degree. This is the me you don’t see.” – Jessica, September 30, 2018

“Waking up to messages, comments, shares, from around the world is amazing, and I thank all of you. The gratitude I have, to have this life, and all of you in it is amazing. It is no secret that I am a “loud and proud” diabetic. A sometimes (unapologetically) open book. I love being able to help share moments that are common threads in the Diabetic community, but that little or no one vocalizes. I love being able to express what others cannot, for various different reasons. I would like to continue to do more for the community, in any way I can. I plan to work on more blogs, podcasts, events, whatever. If you would like to join me, come on in!” – Jessica, November 7, 2018

“My reason for sharing these moments is not to put a rain cloud over Diabetes or Diabetics. It’s simply to show how STRONG and how Human we really are. Most diabetics face challenges no one will ever see or know. Giving a voice to some of the moments and emotions is so important. Letting others know your feelings, and offer their help is crucial in being able to LIVE this wonderful life.”– Jessica, November 10, 2018

We’re celebrating World Diabetes Day with musical inspiration from Aretha Franklin on Diabetes Late Nite scheduled for Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 6 PM, EST. 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 Health Educator 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.  TUNE IN

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.”

https://youtu.be/tcpky_48Z7g

 

 

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