FAST – Divabetic

09/18/2023

Patti LaBelle’s New Attiude About Living With Diabetes

I coined the phrase “Divabetic” watching Patti Labelle on stage during a Luther Vandross Tribute 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.

Prediabetes 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.

You’ll quickly hear Clarence’s upbeat attitude and ferocious appetite for music and divas have served him well during his recovery. Throughout this podcast, we feature music from Aretha Franklin’s Get It Right album and Luther Vandross’s Live At Radio City Music Hall 2003 20th Anniversary Edition album courtesy of SONY Music.

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 link for the full Prediabetes & Type 2 Diabetes Turnaround podcast.

11/01/201711/01/2017

Wendy Williams Educates Us About Stroke

TV talk show host, Wendy Williams fainted on-camera yesterday during her live broadcast. She did not have a stroke. But it looked scary. And I think Wendy’s fainting spell is a teachable moment for people to learn about stroke since what she experienced appeared to be very similar to the symptoms of a stroke.

If you missed the show, this is what happened:

Roughly 48 minutes into the show Wendy Williams was dressed in costume as the Statue of Liberty and her speech started slowing down as she spoke to the audience and she stumbled before falling to the ground.

She described being overtaken by a “hot” and “dizzy” feeling, adding, “The costume got hot. Right before passing out, I felt like I was in the middle of a campfire.”

Since a lot people thought she suffered a stroke I think it’s important to clarify a few things about stroke:

What Is a Stroke?

In a stroke, one of the many blood vessels that supply your brain with oxygen becomes damaged or blocked. If the blood flow is cut off for more than 3 to 4 minutes, that part of your brain begins to die

There are two types of strokes:

Hemorrhagic strokes account for about 13 percent of stroke cases.

It results from a weakened vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain. The blood accumulates and compresses the surrounding brain tissue. The two types of hemorrhagic strokes are intracerebral (within the brain) hemorrhage or subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Ischemic strokes result from a blocked artery. Ischemic stroke can be divided into two main types: thrombotic and embolic. Deprived of oxygen and other nutrients, the brain suffers damage as a result of the stroke. A thrombotic stroke occurs when diseased or damaged cerebral arteries become blocked by the formation of a blood clot within the brain.

Ischemic Stroke Treatment is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA, also known as IV rtPA, given through an IV in the arm). tPA works by dissolving the clot and improving blood flow to the part of the brain being deprived of blood flow.

How an you tell if someone is having a stroke? These signs include:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

A great way to remember how to detect a stroke is to use the acronym, ‘FAST’. The acronym stands for Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time to call emergency services. Facial drooping: A section of the face, usually only on one side, that is drooping and hard to move.

Risk Factors for Stroke

Because of the potential for high blood glucose levels, diabetes itself is a risk factor for stroke. Yet, many people with stroke also have other conditions that put them even more at risk.

These risk factors include: • Being over age 55 • Being African-American • Already having had a stroke or heart disease • Having a family history of heart disease • Being overweight • Smoking

People who have diabetes are two to four times more likely to have a stroke than people who do not have diabetes. They also tend to develop heart disease or have strokes at an earlier age than people without diabetes

Diabetes can also make it harder for your body to respond to a stroke. When your oxygen supply is cut off, other arteries can usually serve as a bypass. But if you have diabetes, those vessels may be hardened or clogged with plaque, a condition known as atherosclerosis. This makes it harder for blood to get to your brain.

While multiple studies say diabetes puts you at risk of conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure, you can help keep your risk low. Talk to your healthcare professional about the connection between diabetes and stroke, recognize the risk factors and take steps to stay healthy.

For more information contact the National Stroke Association: 1 (800) 787-6537

To avoid any misunderstandings I’d like to reinstate once again that Wendy Williams did not have a stroke. And if you don’t believe me, then you should tune in to her show. She appeared on her show today and addressed online commenters who suggested she suffered a stroke or heart attack. “No, I had neither,” she said.

EMTs soon arrived backstage, where she was evaluated. “The paramedics are in my office and they hooked me up to every EKG situation,” she said. “I was low on hydrogen — you know, the water. Not just any water, electrolytes.” Her blood pressure and heart rate checked out fine, nor did she suffer any bumps, bruises or aches from her fall.

04/18/201704/18/2017

Raising Awareness for Stroke in Honor of Luther Vandross

In honor of our Divabetic inspiration, Luther Vandross’ upcoming birthday on Thursday, April 20^th we’re raising awareness for stroke, a common diabetes health-related complication.

I’ll never forget the day I found my former boss, Luther, laying on the floor of his 5^th Avenue after suffering a stroke due to mismanaging his type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately his ability to make a full recovery was greatly inhibited because too much time elapsed between his initial stroke symptoms and receiving the proper treatment. Luther’s stroke was given the power to rob him of one of the greatest joys in his life; performing on stage. And we, the fans, also suffered from not hearing his voice.

My experience taught me just how important it is to act ‘FAST’ when you or someone you love experiences a stroke.

FAST is an acronym used as a mnemonic to help detect and enhance responsiveness to stroke victim needs. The acronym stands for Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time to call emergency services. Facial drooping: A section of the face, usually only on one side, that is drooping and hard to move.

Stroke is a condition in which blood supply to be the brain is affected. A stroke can sometimes lead to permanent damage including communication problems, paralysis and visual problems.

Statistically, people with diabetes have a higher risk of dying from heart disease and stroke than the general population.

Overall, African-Americans suffer more strokes than any other group of people. “There are statistics showing that [they] have about twice the mortality of stroke than Caucasians,” explains Ralph L. Sacco, MD, neurologist-in-chief at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fla., and spokesperson for the American Stroke Association. These statistics show just how high the stroke risk is:

For men between the ages of 45 and 54, which was the case for Luther, the risk of ischemic stroke — the most prevalent type of stroke, which is caused by a blood clot that blocks an artery — is three times higher in African-Americans than in Caucasians.

Awareness of your personal risk factors is the first step toward lowering your chance of stroke. Then, with a combination of medical treatment for conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes coupled with a heart-healthy diet and exercise plan, you can help keep yourself from becoming one of those statistics.

By maintaining stable blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol, people with diabetes can increase their chances of preventing a stroke

I hope you will learn from my experience and use the letters in “fast” to spot stroke signs and know when to call 9-1-1. If someone shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and say, “I think this is a stroke” to help get the person to the hospital immediately. Time is important! Don’t delay, and also note the time when the first symptoms appeared. Emergency responders will want to know.

LISTEN: Luther Vandross Tribute podcast featuring fans, friends and former bandmates with hits from the 1990’s. Guests include Paulette McWilliams, Pat Lacy, Tawatha Agee, Cindy Mizelle and Kevin Owens, band member Bryon Miller, Vandross family member, Seveda Williams, friends Darren Margo and David Jones, the Luther Vandross historian, Leon Petrossian and Luther super fan, Jane Goodman from Great Britain

LISTEN: Luther Vandross Tribute podcast featuring fans, friends and former bandmates with hits from the 1980’s. Guests include former band members Alfa Anderson and Ivan Hampton, Jr., SONY Music executive Jeff James, Seveda Williams, Dave Jones and Darren Margo.

Divabetic (divabetic.org), the organization inspired by Luther’s diabetes journey revisits the late singer’s career in the decade of sparkle, divas and big hair to celebrate the artistry of the prolific singer-songwriter and record producer. This Luther tribute podcast remembers the moments, the music, the man and the motivation to ensure that no one has to struggle with diabetes alone or in silence.

In honor to Luther, keep ‘your house a home’ and learn how to prevent a diabetes health-related complication from occurring. Help us spread the POWER of LOVE!