Divabetic Mystery Podcast: Suspect Boulevard

After writing and producing ten mystery podcasts, I can say that our Suspect Boulevard podcast is my favorite.

One reason is that the format loosely follows Billy Wilder’s iconic Sunset Boulevard film. Praised by many critics when first released, Sunset Boulevard was nominated for 11 Academy Awards.

  I tell the story of mystery, diabetes, and intrigue from backward to forward, and the setting is a gilded mansion in Beverly Hills.

My main characters, two famous sisters, author Marjorie Melbourne Blaze and her actress sister Marjorie Melbourne, elude to Jackie and Joan Collins.

Diabetes alert dogs are one of the many diabetes health topics in this podcast. I interviewed my friend Debby Kay, a diabetes alert dog trainer, scent detection expert, and author, about them, their skills, and the training required.

Having a dog that reliably alerts to blood sugar levels can help individuals regain their independence in daily life. This degree of detection by your side gives many people with diabetes the confidence to return to activities they love.

Here’s a quick synopsis of Sunset Boulevard: On a bright sunny morning, our happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, arrives at the resplendent Beverly Hills estate of NYT Best-Selling Author and Socialite Marjorie Melbourne Blaze. He’s here to deliver the keynote address at the Annual Heart of the Diva Gala on diabetes and women.

But he soon learns that a roomful of rich and famous faces is full of way more drama than he had ever expected . . . and now murder.

So, can Max and our team find the killer before this red-carpet event is covered in blood?

Divabetic’s story of diabetes mystery and intrigue stresses why it can be deadly to blame others for your heart’s misfortunes.

FEATURING Max “Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, Lorraine Brooks, We Are Diabetes Founder Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, Susan Weiner MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic,’ USA Today Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES and Mama Rose Marie. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

One way to help prevent complications is to take a team approach to managing your diabetes and involve your friends, family, co-workers, and healthcare professionals in your self-care. Showing close friends where you keep your supplies and informing them of what you need when experiencing a low is a great way to safeguard against a health crisis. Remember, asking for help is not a sign of weakness.

Divabetic® (divabetic.org) is a national nonprofit diabetes outreach organization committed to changing attitudes in people at risk, affected by and living with diabetes.

We strive to encourage prevention, early action, and education. Check out our free monthly podcasts (available on iTunes and BlogTalkRadio) and our Zoom outreach programs.

Under The Vines: Adult-Onset Blindness

Season 3 of one of my favorite Acorn TV shoes, Under The Vines, tackles the challenges of adult-onset blindness.  The blindness of the owner of the neighboring vineyard, Hilary (Catherine Wilkin), is worsening. What Hillary is experiencing isn’t just a great storyline in a TV drama; it’s more common than you think. 

One of the leading causes of blindness in U. S. adults is mismanaged diabetes.  Diabetes Retinopathy is a condition caused by diabetes, which disrupts the body’s ability to convert food into energy and can damage the eyes. 

Many people with diabetes don’t realize they have it until organ damage has occurred, so regular health and vision check-ups are essential. 

Hilary struggles to accept her condition and ask for help. She is stubborn, willful, and narrow-minded, much like many people struggling with worsening health conditions. She flatly refuses her rival, Miranda’s offers to take her to the doctor, clean her house, and help run her vineyards. Of course, Miranda has ulterior motives for helping Hilary, but that’s another story. 

If you’re concerned about your vision, follow the advice of healthcare collaborators on how often you should go for exams. Always contact an eye care provider when you have a change in vision or something wrong with your eyes. Wear your prescription glasses and contact lenses when necessary.
If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar levels tightly managed, and manage your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure.

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. They cause the eye’s lens to harden and turn yellow. In the US, nearly 20.5 million people over 40 have cataracts.

The type of treatment available depends on your condition. Providers can treat some forms of blindness with medications or glasses but can’t treat others, such as those where your eyes are missing or completely damaged. In these cases, your provider may recommend visual rehabilitation. Vision rehabilitation aims to enhance visual functioning to meet your goals and improve your quality of life. 

Actors Rebecca Gibney and Charles Edwards star in Under The Vines as two city slickers who inherit a failing vineyard, Oakley Vineyards, in rural New Zealand. The only problems are that neither of them has ever done a hard day’s work—and they despise one another.

Under The Vines is a fun, easygoing watch. 

Ozempic And Kidney Disease: What’s The Scoop?

The Morning Talk shows announced a new study shows Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic may delay the progression of kidney disease in diabetes patients.

By now, everyone knows that the injectable Ozempic can help manage blood sugars and reduce weight. Its growing popularity in Hollywood as a ‘miracle weight loss drug’ limited supplies and made it difficult for people with Type 2 diabetes to refill their prescriptions.
Keke Palmer, Amy Schumer, Stassi Schroeder, and more celebrities who’ve talked about their use — or hate — of semaglutide drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
Tracy Morgan, who is living with type 2 diabetes, said,” “I went and got a prescription, and I got Ozempic. And I ain’t letting it go … It cuts my appetite in half. Now I only eat half a bag of Doritos” on Today with Hoda and Jenna.
Novo Nordisk is asking health professionals not to prescribe Ozempic to new patients unless there are no suitable alternatives or there is a compelling clinical reason to do so to conserve supply for patients who are already stabilized on this medicine and who do not have suitable alternatives.
Sadly, one-third of people with type 2 diabetes develop chronic kidney disease because of damage to blood vessels and filtering cells in the organ, according to reports. So it makes sense that Ozempic can help reduce one of the health complications related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes: kidney disease progression. 
 
The once-weekly injection already has Food and Drug Administration approval as a preventive treatment for heart attacks and strokes, a major cause of death and hospitalization in people with Type 2 diabetes.
 
The trial, which began in 2019, enrolled 3,500 people with diabetes and kidney disease and assigned them to either Ozempic or a placebo for up to a planned five years. Researchers followed the enrollees to detect a drop in kidney filtering rates, end-stage kidney disease, or death from either kidney or cardiovascular disease.

 
The newscasters also mentioned that Ozempic may help with addiction issues. 

Join us for Divabetic’s Menopause & Diabetes Panel Discussion  & SugarFree Baking Demonstration on Zoom in honor of World Menopause Day on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, from 7 – 8:30 PM. It’s FREE.

Catherine Schuller moderates a panel featuring Dr. Julianne Arena, MD, FACOG, ABAARM,  Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide to Love And Intimacy With Diabetes co-author, COO for Diabetes Sisters Donna Rice MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES, and photographer, Amparo.

After our panel, Stacey Harris, The Diabetic Pastry Chef, demonstrates how to make her famous Sugar-Free Rum Cake Recipe and shares baking tips using popular sugar substitutes in your favorite recipes.

The purpose of World Menopause Day is to raise awareness of menopause and the support options = for improving health and wellness.

FREE PROGRAM – REGISTER NOW

Mr. Divabetic Raises Awareness for Diabetes At The Hollywood Walk Of Fame

The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic visits the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, CA.to raise awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way. At Grauman’s Chinese Theater, Mr. Divabetic talks to some of the world’s most famous celebrities and plays his new food game, Serve, Taste or Trash.

Which food would you serve, which food would you taste and which food would you trash if your choices were: mushrooms, mangos, and broccoli?
The Chinese Theatre in Hollywood is the most famous movie theatre in the world. Millions of visitors flock here each year, most of them drawn by its legendary forecourt with its footprints of the stars. Grauman’s Chinese Theatre opened over 70 years ago, with the 1927 debut of the original silent version of “King of Kings,” produced by Cecil B. DeMille. Since then, the Chinese Theatre has been the site of more gala Hollywood movie premieres than any other movie theater.

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?

In honor of National Diabetes Awareness Month, the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic presents its Once In a Blue Moon program. This free, fun-filled, informative hour of diabetes outreach is intended to rejuvenate and reignite your attitude. The happy healthcare host, Mr. DivabeticMaryann Nicolay MEd, NDTR, Wendy Satin Rapaport LCSW, PsyD, and Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller share expert ways to expand food choices, add sparkle, and boost spirits.

So have some fun spending time with us during our Once in A Blue Moon program on Thursday, November 11, 2021, 7 – 8 PM EST on Zoom.

 

REGISTER NOW – FREE PROGRAM