foot ulcers – Divabetic

Rolling Stone magazine credits Frankie Knuckles as being one of the most important DJs of all time. Unfortunately the ‘Godfather of House Music’ as Frankie Knuckles was commonly known died of diabetes complications at the age of 59 in 2014.

Born in the Bronx, New York, in 1955, Knuckles started his career as a DJ in the early 1970s. of the Eighties and Nineties’ He quickly became one of the most prolific house music producers and remixers in the 80’s and 90’s.

At his Chicago clubs the Warehouse (1977-82) and Power Plant (1983-85), Knuckles’ marathon sets, typically featuring his own extended edits of a wide selection of tracks from disco to post-punk, R&B to synth-heavy Eurodisco, laid the groundwork for electronic dance music culture— are widely attributed to the birth of the term “house” music (an abbreviation of ‘Warehouse’).

Frankie Knuckles created numerous dance classics, including early Jamie Principle collaborations “Your Love”(1986) and “Baby Wants to Ride”(1987); “Tears”(1989), with Satoshi Tomiiee and Robert Owens; “The Whistle Song”(1991); and his remixes of Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody”(1989), Sounds of Blackness’s “The Pressure” (1992), and Hercules and Love Affair’s “Blind” (2008). As his star rose so did the status of his collaborators which included Luther Vandross, Diana Ross, Madonna, Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson.

“[When] you’ve got someone as big as Luther Vandross and Michael Jackson sitting there saying, ‘Whatever you want, however you want it, I’ll stay here as long as you need me,’ that’s the reward right there,” Frankie Knuckles said in 2011. He went on to win a Grammy Award for ‘Remixer of the Year, Non-Classical’ in 1997.

The award-winning DJ’s death was due to Frankie Knuckles began to develop diabetes health-related complications in the early-2000s reported the Chicago Tribute.

In July 2008 he had his right foot amputated: He’d broken it during a 2000 snowboarding accident in Switzerland, leading to a bone disease exacerbated by late-breaking diabetes.

“When I saw it was gone I had a good cry, but when I woke up the next morning I felt 1,000% better,” Frankie Knuckles told the Guardian in 2011. “I didn’t realize how much pain I’d been in until it was gone. It was like all of a sudden the sun came out.”

Diabetes health-related complications can include nerve damage and poor blood circulation. These problems make the feet vulnerable to skin sores (ulcers) that can worsen quickly.

More than 80 percent of amputations begin with foot ulcers. A non-healing ulcer that causes severe damage to tissues and bone may require surgical removal (amputation) of a toe, foot or part of a leg.

The good news is that proper diabetes management and careful foot care can help prevent foot ulcers. In fact, better diabetes care is probably why the rates of lower limb amputations have gone down by more than 50 percent in the past 20 years.

“We lost Frankie way too soon,” said Frankie Knuckles Foundation (FKF) committee member Robin Robinson. “He was always ahead of his time. He recognized the power to unite people who had never partied together before. Gay and straight, black and white, young and old, rich and poor, they all came together to crush the traditional social divisions in their mutual love of his DJ-created music that was made for dancing together.”

The Frankie Knuckles Foundation (FKF) is a not for profit educational, and cultural organization dedicated to the advancement of Frankie Knuckles’ mission as the global ambassador of house music through media, conservation and public events continuing and supporting the causes he advocated.

The FKF is a recognized 501c3 and focused on these initiatives: music in schools, LGBTQ youth homelessness, AIDS research / prevention & diabetes research / education.

On the tenth day of Blue Christmas my true friend, Dr. Lori Shemek PhD, CNC sent to me a pair of diabetic socks to make my feet happy.

Divabetic is celebrating a Blue Christmas to bring attention to the mental health issues related to living with diabetes.

You probably know better than we do how diabetes affects your holiday experience. You might feel the weight of diabetes more at this time, because you can’t let go and celebrate like everyone else. Or maybe you do let go and then beat yourself up over it.

That’s why we asked our panel of experts, friends and past Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests to spread some holiday cheer by sharing their favorite products to help keep you ‘happy and healthy’ all year long.

Dr. Lori Shemek’s pick: Creswell Diabetic Socks. These socks easily stretch over ankles and bounce back into shape. loose fitting tops stretch over ankle for ease of dressing. The sock tops bounce back for a comfort fit without binding the leg. Allows for better blood circulation, so important for people with diabetes as well as those living with circulatory problems or neuropathy.

“Foot care is essential, protecting the feet and these socks help a multitude of foot issues,” says Dr. Lori Shemek, who holds a Doctorate in Psychology; she is a Certified Nutritional Consultant and a Certified Life Coach.

“With diabetes, due to lost sensation and reduced circulation, a simple blister can quickly worsen and give rise to serious infection. By assessing a patient’s specific risks and providing basic foot care, we are trying to prevent significant complications,” says Kevin Fraser, Certified Pedorthist at the Sunnybrook Centre for Independent Living in Toronto as reported by Globe Connect.

“Areas of concern might be a developing callous, or an area where the skin has hardened or become red because of pressure or rubbing from their shoes or seams in their socks,” adds Kevin Fraser.

“Peripheral neuropathy” is the medical term for the nerve damage that affects people with diabetes, making them less likely to feel a cut or blister on their feet. They are also more prone to poor blood circulation to the legs and feet, so their foot injuries do not heal as quickly.

These conditions mean that foot wounds in these patients can lead to ulcers and infection, and, in the most serious cases, to amputation.

What is a Certified Pedorthist?

Pedorthics is the science and practice of evaluating, fabricating and delivery of footwear and foot orthoses to prevent or improve painful or disabling conditions of the foot and ankle caused by disease, congenital defect, overuse or injury.

Dr.Lori Shemek PhD also recommends adding an appointment with a Registered Dietitian to your Christmas gift list.

“So many people with diabetes really are trying to navigate their way in living with diabetes,” says Dr. Lori Shemek. “An appointment with a Registered Dietitian is a great gift idea!“

A Registered Dietitian nutritionist is a food and nutrition expert who has met academic and professional requirements. Over half of RDNs hold advanced degrees. Some RDNs also hold additional certifications in specialized areas of practice, such as pediatric or renal nutrition, nutrition support and diabetes education.’

Dr. Lori Shemek is well known as a pioneer in creating global awareness of low-level inflammation and how it is responsible for and the core cause of most illness, disease, faster aging and weight gain.. She has been sending out the message about inflammation long before it was a buzz word.

Dr. Lori Shemek has uncovered the pathway to the core cause of weight: inflamed fat cells that not only promote unwanted excess weight gain and belly fat, but poor health as well.

Lori Shemek is a Nutrition and Weight Loss expert, a best-selling author and specializes in weight loss resistance. She has helped many people to once and for all.. lose the weight and feel better fast. She shows people how to spot sneaky foods that create weight gain, to kick sugar addiction to the curb, and shift from eating the wrong foods to the exact foods that burn fat.

Dr. Shemek is the author of How To Fight FATflammation! and the best-selling author of Fire-Up Your Fat Burn! She is a leading health and weight loss expert and also known as “The Inflammation Terminator.” She has made it her mission to help clients lose weight and educate the public on the toxic effects of certain foods and lifestyle choices and how they create inflammation in the body resulting in weight gain. She is a leading authority on inflammation and its role in weight loss, preventing disease and optimizing health.

On December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast we’re celebrating a Blue Christmas. I chose this theme in December because ‘Blue’ is the color that I most closely associate with diabetes and I feel that the mental health issues related to diabetes are often overlooked and ignored. Some listeners may feel that talking about depression is depressing which is understandable. However, I feel it is far more important to reach out to those coping with diabetes distress and burnout and let them know they are not alone. Please join

TUNE IN! Don’t miss December’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast featuring music by Elvis Presley on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, 6 PM, EST. We will be discussing ways to not let diabetes make you feel ‘blue’ during the holiday season with our panel of experts. Guests include ‘Walking With Peety’ Author Eric O’Grey, Chilbrook Kennels Breeder Author, Diabetes Alert Dog and Scent Detection Expert, Debby Kay, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and America’s #1 Energy Conductor, High Voltage. Throughout the podcast we will be featuring songs from the new “Christmas with Elvis and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra” album courtesy of SONY Music. The album brings together Elvis Presley’s best-loved yuletide performances from “Elvis’ Christmas Album” (1957) and “Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas” (1971) re-imagined with sublime and exquisite new arrangements performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

NEED MORE INSPIRATION? Our panel of experts, Divabetic community members and past Diabetes Late Nite guests will be sharing more Blue Christmas Gift suggestions on this blog for the next twelve days to help you enjoy the festive spirit of the season without compromising your diabetes health!

Are you feeling ‘blue’ this holiday season?

If so, you’re not alone. While it’s true that sadness and/or depression at holiday time can be a reaction to the stresses and demands of the season, people with diabetes are more likely to be depressed than others states David Spero BSN, RN for Diabetes Self-Management.

Diabetes can cause complications and health problems that may worsen symptoms of depression. Depression can lead to poor lifestyle decisions, such as unhealthy eating, less exercise, smoking and weight gain — all of which are risk factors for diabetes.

The good news is that diabetes and depression can be treated together. And effectively managing one can have a positive effect on the other.

If you think you might be depressed, seek help right away. Your doctor or diabetes educator can refer you to a mental health professional.

https://youtu.be/Uwfz5mMLSDM

Tag: foot ulcers

Divabetic Remembers Frankie Knuckles

Our Tenth Day of Blue Christmas Gift Ideas from Dr. Lori Shemek