Tag: Dr. Michele Summers Colon

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Nails Salons Opening After the Virus: What You Should Know

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We get it—you want to put your best foot forward with Summer approaching. But pampering and pretty polish might not be worth the price for someone living with diabetes.

Too often poor sanitation practices, shared tools, and the work of overzealous nail technicians can result in skin injuries or infections even prior to the panepidemic.

For someone living with diabetes, an infection can raise blood sugar levels, which, in turn, can  increase the risk of serious complications like ulcers or even amputation.

If you choose to go to a nail salon, you should invest in your own nail kit and bring it with you. Let your nail technician know you’re living with diabetes before your mani or pedi begins.

After your mani or pedi is finished, keep an eye on your hands, feet and legs for any signs of redness or infection. If you notice anything unusual, call your doctor right away.

New York State Equipment Requirements for Nail Salons Reopening In June 2020

As of June 15, 2015, nail salons must maintain the following equipment at each workstation and provide it to workers, upon request, and at no cost:

  • A properly fitted N-95 or N-100 respirator, approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, for each individual who uses the workstation. All workers must have access to and be allowed to use these respirators when buffing or filing nails or when using acrylic powder.
  • Protective gloves made of nitrile, or another similar non-permeable material for workers with a sensitivity to nitrile gloves. You must have a sufficient number of gloves available so that each nail technician has access to and is allowed to use a new pair of gloves for each customer. All workers must wear gloves when handling potentially hazardous chemicals or waste and during cleanup, or when performing any nail service that has a risk of breaking the customer’s skin.
  • Protective eye equipment. All workers must have access to and be allowed to wear eye protection when preparing, transferring or pouring potentially hazardous chemicals.

A list of potentially hazardous chemicals commonly found in nail salons can be accessed here. 

Dr. Michele Summers Colon known as ‘The Holistic Podiatrist’ shares the healthiest height and style for  stilettos, a common dilemma women with diabetes, on April’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

LISTEN NOW

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Game of Groans: Everyday Aches & Pains Game, Pt. 1

Persistent aches and pains plague nearly one-fifth of adults in the U.S., according to the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, but Ya-Ling Liou, a chiropractor and author of Every Body’s Guide to Everyday Pain, refuses to buy the idea that pain is a part of aging. She has too many elderly patients who live pain-free.

“Everyday aches and pains can be caused by minor arthritis, joint pain and stiffness, muscle aches, cramps and inflammation,” says Rebecca Lee, a New York City nurse and founder of the natural health resource www.Remediesforme.com in an article on nextavenue.org. 

Mr. Divabetic plays his new health game, ‘Game of Groans: Everyday Aches & Pains’ at ‘Barbershop Talk: A Man to Man Discussion about Men’s Health Issues Breakfast‘ on Saturday, June 1, 2019, 10 AM – 12 PM at Jefferson Alumni Hall, 10202 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA. Try your luck! (answer listed at bottom of post).

Once certain underlying causes are ruled out with tests like bloodwork, MRI and X-rays, everyday aches and pains can be pinpointed back to other causes, such as infection, the flu, a cold, exercise, drug side effects, stress, depression or anxiety.

A lot of people reject the idea that stress can play a role in pain or make it worse. But Liou explains that because we don’t physically react the way animals do (fight or flight) in response to most stress, we don’t have an outlet for it. That energy has to go someplace in the body, finding its way to your GI tract or your lower back, for instance.

“As soon as you feel pain, you should ask yourself what were you doing?” says Liou. Plus, the way pain feels (burning, stabbing, sharp) may help you trace it back to its trigger. Because everyone’s brain determines pain differently, the way pain feels can be misleading, but typically, a burning sensation can spell nerve pain. Dull or achy discomfort can mean muscle pain.

What’s more, if you can change pain — make it better or worse, by moving, resting, elevation or applying ice — you can control the pain, and Liou says there’s hope to cure it.

When you stay on top of pain, ask the right questions and seek help when needed, you can prevent most aches and pains from settling in long-term.

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Mr. Divabetic talks with Dr. Corrine Morgan from Morgan Chiropractic Center in Philadelphia, PA

Dr. Michele Summers Colon known as ‘The Holistic Podiatrist’ discusses two common foot issues for people with diabetes, on April’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

ANSWER:  (B). Lower back pain. According to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, no less than 84 percent of adults in the U.S. will experience chronic back pain at some point in their life. Often occurring in the lower back, the pain may be caused by an injury or develop progressively due to arthritis, osteoporosis, or normal wear-and-tear.

Arthritis. Joint pain is also one of the leading types of chronic pain among American adults, typically caused by injury, infection, or advancing age. According to a report from the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative, arthritis is the most common cause, affecting over 51 million Americans (or roughly one of every two adults).

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‘Making Friends With Fear’ by Lorraine Brooks

What scares me about diabetes in me?

There’s so many things I could mention

From finding out “sugar free”  isn’t so free…

To dealing with my hypertension.

On some days there isn’t much that I can do

To keep from experiencing highs

And some days no matter which foods I pursue

My blood sugars are a surprise.

I’m fearful that this is affecting my heart

And maybe my eyesight will fade

There’s so many things I don’t know where to start

But I won’t spend my life being afraid.

On Halloween night I might have me a treat

And I promise myself not to feel guilt

I won’t overdo it, I won’t overeat

But I’ll enjoy life to the hilt.

See, here’s my philosophy, here’s what I know

And here’s how I do this disease

I don’t let fear stop me from letting me grow

And I won’t live in parentheses.

Make your own choices, make you own way

And get good professional care

Take care of your health each and every day

And take all your supplies everywhere.

So yes, I get frightened and yes, I’m concerned

And yes I can sometimes get weary

But when I apply all the things that I’ve learned

Diabetes gets less and less scary.

LISTEN NOW: On October’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we’re talking about what scares us most about diabetes with musical inspiration from the chart-topping band, Old Dominion.

Does diabetes and it’s health-related complications scare you? How does fear of diabetes affect your life and your daily self-care, and more importantly, what do you do about it?

Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Michele Summers Colon DPM, Dr. Andrea Chisholm MD,OB-GYN, Diabetes – What To Know founder & CEO Ansley Dalbo, Diabetes Advocate Cindy Lou, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, newly diagnosed Diva living with diabetes, Jackie, and Dr. Lori Shemek PhD.

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‘What Scares You The Most About Diabetes?’ on October’s Diabetes Late Nite

We’re talking about ‘What Scares You the Most About Diabetes?’ on October’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, 6 PM, EST with musical inspiration from the chart-topping band, Old Dominion.

Does diabetes and/or it’s diabetes health-related complications scare you?

According to the members of Divabetic, Diabetes – What To Know, Diabetes Type 2 Group Support Facebook communities, people fear experiencing diabetes health-related complications such as: amputation, blindness and kidney disease.

Many of our members posted messages about their fears including:

“The questions I didn’t know to ask. You just don’t know what you don’t know” – Marie Jean
“Not being in control of my appetite and not being able to lose weight!” – Chrysta
“Having kids and passing diabetes on to them” – Mallory
“Not having a family that I can talk about this!”– Gaye
“Not knowing if the meds I’m taking are actually helping or creating more of a problem. My belly is super bloated from metformin with digestive issues all the time.” –  Kristine
“There’s so much to fear, so much I don’t know, and so much to learn. I guess in hindsight, I don’t want diabetes to become my life.” – Stephanie
“My biggest fear is that I will never have it under control and it will over take my life causing harm to not only myself but my loved ones” – Karen
“My son died two years ago from diabetes health-related complications. He absolutely didn’t do anything to help himself. He lost his right leg and half his left foot. He was going blind and just totally gave up. I’m heartbroken that I lost him, but I watched him give up on himself. As diabetics, we have to fight every second we are alive to be as healthy as we can with this disease. Don’t fear, fight.” – Roberta
“I appreciate that there is a lot to be scared of. I had a few days of being afraid of all of these things when I was first diagnosed. But then I got a new mindset. I refuse to be afraid of it. I will fight it with everything I have for the rest of the days God gives me. And if it does eventually get me, well I will go down swinging. Life is too short and precious to be afraid. And there are so many good things we can do to fight it.” – Sam 

How does fear of diabetes affect your life and your daily self-care, and more important, what do you do about it?

Small amounts of fear may energize you and get you to pay attention, but the threat has to seem manageable. If there’s nothing you can do, and the future looks too awful, you will tend to give up and try to enjoy the time you have left.

Of course, some fear of diabetes is justified. The complications of diabetes are truly ‘scary’ as our members indicated in several posts. So are the effects fear can have on your family and your finances.

Fears are stressful, and stress isn’t good for diabetes. Fear increases insulin resistance and blood pressure and interferes with the body’s natural healing systems. It makes it harder to enjoy life.

So what do we do about it? Tune in to October’s Diabetes Late Nite to get advice from our panel of experts including:  Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Michele Summers Colon DPM, Dr. Lori Shemek PhD, CNC, Dr. Andrea Chisholm MD,OB-GYN, Ansley Dalbo  (founder of Diabetes – What To Know), Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and Jackie Mernit Muhlstock.

Throughout the podcast we will be playing selected songs from Old Dominion’s “Happy Endings” album courtesy of SONY Music.

The country band, Old Dominion’s success makes it hard to believe that its members were once just a group of individual songwriters trying to navigate Nashville’s music industry, playing tiny bars and hoping their songs would catch the right ears. They’ve quickly become of one ofNashville’s savviest songwriting collectives with their highly acclaimed new album Happy Endings. 

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.”

 

TUNE IN: Diabetes Late Nite on Tuesday, October 10, 2017, 6 -7:30 PM, EST.

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Stress of a Diabetic Diva by Eugenia Wells-Bassillio

As many of you may know I am a ‘PWD Type 1’ (person living with type 1 diabetes), I have been living type 1 diabetes since 2014. I have been a diabetic since 2005. Being a diabetic is hard since you must be on top of your disease at all times.  You don’t get a day off. I always have to check my blood sugars and carry my diabetes kit with me at all times to make sure that I’m prepared for anything. For example, I carry test strips, meter, alcohol swabs, lancet device, lancets, insulin – fast acting. Insulin – long acting ( in case I don’t get back home in time for my afternoon dose or since I’m at work before my morning dose), pen needles, glucose for lows, snacks, ice pack for summer time  in my purse before I head out the door. 

Managing my diabetes also means dealing stress. Stress is probably the hardest thing for me to manage! There’s always something to stress out about in daily life.  I mean how do you go through life stress free? Daily struggles are always there from family and kids to jobs and loads of bills that must be paid. The list goes on and on. I get stressed just thinking about ‘stress’, LOL.

On June 16, 2017, I was informed by my employer that my job of 8 years had been eliminated; this meant that I would lose my benefits on June 30th. This rocked my world! What was I going to do? I needed my meds, supplies and lifesaving insulin. Over the next few weeks my husband and I sat down and tried to decide what to do. We had no choice except to put me on his health insurance. This meant that we’d lose a good chuck of his check since he works for a small company. But what else could we do? Talk about stress! My blood sugars during those weeks and the following months have been out of control. Some mornings I’ve woken up with sugars over 250 and I’ve had to take more insulin to correct. This is, of course,  all due to stress.

People just don’t realize what a diabetic goes through. The highs/lows and everything in between are very tough on the body, spirit and family unit. I have tried to remain positive but it is very hard. I have been to two job interviews. I hope that one of them will pay off. In the meantime, I wake up every day and tell myself that I am priceless. That any employer will be glad to get me.  When I leave the house I make sure to fix my hair and put on my makeup. I grab a different color of lipstick and tell myself that today I will be in control. 

I guess I said all of this to just let someone out there struggling with depression, stress, uncontrolled sugars or whatever you are going through, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! We all face different things and that diabetes is hard. But remember this, God only gives his toughest battles to his strongest warriors! And believe me if you are diabetic, you are a warrior! Whatever seen or unseen battle you are fighting you are not alone.  

Pick yourself up, straighten your crown, and stomp that runway called life.

*Editor’s Note: Eugenia Wells-Bassillio is the founder of the ‘Diabetic Divas Unite’ Facebook page. She also recently started working at Baptist Hospital in Oxford, MS

Share your experience living with diabetes on the Divabetic blog. E-mail Max Szadek at: mrdivabetic@gmail.com

Tune in to Divabetic’s 4th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast, ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’ and learn how to manage your diabetes like a detective! LISTEN NOW

Don’t miss October’s Diabetes Late Nite with music by Old Dominion on Tuesday, October 10, 2017. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Dr. Andrea Chisholm, Dr. Michele Summers Colon, and Mama Rose Marie.

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Bunions & Diabetes

Chronically high blood sugar (glucose) levels can be associated with serious complications in people who have diabetes. The feet are especially at risk.

Dr. Michele Summers Colon known as ‘The Holistic Podiatrist’ discusses two common foot issues for people with diabetes, on April’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

A bunion is a common condition that involves an abnormal, bony bump at the base of the big toe, causing the joint to swell outward and become painful. The big toe may also turn inward toward the second toe as a result of the enlarged joint, which can then lead to difficulty walking, ingrown toenails and corns and calluses.

Although bunions are not usually a serious condition, they can be painful and embarrassing. If left untreated, they will usually grow larger and more painful over time. It is important to seek medical attention and discuss treatment options with your doctor.

Dr. Michele says, “bunions and hammertoes are genetic. Certain shoes can make the problem worse if you already have them but shoes won’t cause them.”

Bunions can form when there is an improper balance of forces exerted on the joints of the foot, causing instability in the joint of the big toe.

Surgery is only thing that will put the toes back in place.

Some people have a bunion but they don’t have a pain at all and they don’t need surgery,” says Dr. Michele. She adds, “You have to think about your pain level, are you getting pressure points and/or can you even wear shoes. When you answer those questions you can determine if you need surgery.”

Several diabetes foot-related problems can be prevented by taking careful steps to observe and care for your feet. Keeping tight management of your  blood sugar levels (in the ranges advised by your doctor), and following your recommended diet and exercise program are the best way to prevent all complications of diabetes, including foot problems.

LISTEN: April’s Diabetes Late Nite featuring music by Lang Lang. Guests include Dr. Michele Summer Colon, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach and Mama Rose Marie. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.

Tune in to our Diabetes Mystery podcast, “Gypsies, Tramps & Peas” in September to learn more about Diabetes Foot Health.

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Healthy Heights for Stilettos with Dr. Michele Summers Colon

Dr. Michele Summers Colon known as ‘The Holistic Podiatrist’ shares the healthiest height and style for  stilettos, a common dilemma women with diabetes, on April’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast.

Dr. Michele says to avoid stiletto shoes that are made of cheap products (such as plastic) and pointy toe styles. She recommends purchasing stilettos made of good quality leather with an open toed shoe box,  and a little front platform. A  style with a front platform is better for you because the platform lowers the angle between your ankle and the ball of your foot therefore decreasing pressure on the ball of your foot.

April’s INSTANT WINNER Challenge posed the question, “Shoes with high heels should be no more than …”?

Over 50 women entered our INSTANT WINNER Challenge about the proper height of high heels for  April’s Diabetes Late Nite. Unfortunately most of the women guessed the wrong answer – including me! My research stated that the correct heel height should be 2 inches high. However, Dr. Michele Summers Colon strongly recommends that high heels should be no more than 1 1/2 inches high.

“ A 1 1/2 inches high heels would be a kitten heel or a flat. Or you have find a shoe with a 2 inch heel but with a little platform in the front,” says Dr. Michele Summer Colon. 

Did you know the high heel made its way to the Western fashion scene in the late 1500s as part of a craze for all things Persian?

Those early heels were aimed at men and modeled on the riding boots of Persian cavalry. By the mid-1700s, however, they had become a woman’s shoe. Today, American women spend $20 billion annually on high heels, but the shoes haven’t been altered in a meaningful way for decades!!!

High heels cram toes into a tight pocket, directing excessive amounts of force to the heels. Sarah Jessica Parker, who was famous for wearing them, had to swear off them after her foot rebelled by growing a protective layer of tissue. But most women have long accepted the pain.

“My patients come to me and beg me to fix their feet,” says Michele Summers Colon in an interview with Bloomberg Business Week. She recently started 34 Minute Shoes—a reference to how long women can stand in normal heels without pain—which is also rethinking the heel.

34 Minute Shoes, Cole Haan, and others have focused on adding extra cushioning or creating a more customized fit around the foot. The Thesis team has zeroed in on the steel shank, a strip of metal a few inches long  that’s at the heart of most shoes. In high heels, its purpose is to provide the strength needed for the wearer to stand at an angle.

When a woman is walking in high heels, the end of the stiletto jams into the ground and sends a shock up through her heel. Standing still is just as bad, because about 90 percent of the pressure is on the toes. The extra give in the Thesis shank helps spread that load by allowing the foot to sit more naturally in the shoe instead of tilting forward or backward.

A physician, surgeon, health coach, yoga teacher, anatomy instructor, author and overall health & wellness expert, Dr. Michele Summers Colon has treated many women living with diabetes.

“They ask me to operate on them and inject them—anything so that they can keep wearing high heels, she says. “Women remain willing to put up with an awful lot of pain in the name of fashion. “They give lingerie a run for the money in terms of being a highly sexualized fashion accessory,” she says. “That’s at the heart of why [stilettos] are so popular and persistent and have become the archetypal grown-up women’s shoe.”

Are you ready to wear a Turban?  Evetta Petty, owner of Harlem’s Heaven Hat Shop shares advice on how you can make this style trend work on your terms. READ MORE

Diabetes Late Nite featuring music by Chinese pianist Lang Lang. Guests include Grammy Award winning artist, Lisa Fischer (featured on Lang Lang’s ‘New York Rhapsody’ album), the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie.  Throughout the podcast we will be featuring selected songs from Lang Lang’s ‘New York Rhapsody’ album courtesy of SONY Music. The album includes all-time classic Rhapsody in Blue, as well as Empire State of Mind, Moon River, New York Minute, Tonight, Spiderman Theme and many more. LISTEN NOW

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