Tag: insulin

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Purple Hearts Takes On Affordable Insulin

The romantic drama “Purple Hearts,” streaming on Netflix, stars Sofia Carson as Cassie, a struggling singer-songwriter living with type 1 diabetes. She has to ration her insulin while working numerous jobs.

Her lack of access to healthcare sparks a desire to marry someone in the military to get quality health insurance. If that plotline seems a stretch, you’re probably not a fan of 90 Day Fiancé.

Once Cassie meets and marries a Marine, she quickly attains insulin, an insulin pump, and a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). This whirlwind romance also includes lightning-fast medical care.

Although “Purple Hearts” is a break-out hit with over more than 150 million viewing hours, some people have scorned the depiction of the lack of access to affordable insulin. To their credit, the actors and writers consulted with Laura Pavlakovich, founder of You’re Just My Type, and Dr. Michael Metzger, a medical consultant, to create an accurate depiction.

“I think we were all truly blown away by how all-encompassing having type 1 diabetes is”, Sofia Carson said in an interview with Beyond Type 1.

Earlier this year, Congress passed a law that would cap the monthly cost of insulin at $35 for the millions of Americans who rely on the drug.

The Affordable Insulin Now Act, which would take effect in 2023, would limit cost-sharing under private health insurance for a month’s supply of certain insulin products at $35, or 25 percent of a plan’s negotiated price, whichever is less.

Barry Manilow’s classic hit, “I Made It Through The Rain”  sparks real-life confessions about overcoming challenges related to diabetes self-care on this episode of Divabetic’s monthly podcast.

Hear how Alyson Williams, who is living with type 2 diabetes, made a triumphant return to the stage after her near-death experience from COVID and “The Rollercoaster Ride Of Diabetes” blogger, FatCatAnna, who is living with type 1 diabetes, opens up about her attempted suicide and managing diabetes in a mental hospital.

Additionally, we’re sharing an honest, no-filter look at the daily grind of living with diabetes and practical ways to help you pivot and stay positive. We encourage others with diabetes to live life to the fullest and apply Barry Manilow’s attitude to their daily lives.

“I believe that we are who we choose to be. Nobody is going to come and save you. You’ve got to save yourself. Nobody is going to give you anything. You’ve got to go and fight for it,” says the Grammy, Tony, and Emmy award-winning music icon with 50 Top 40 hits, 12 #1 singles, and more than 85 million albums.

Guests include The First Lady of Def Jam Alyson Williams, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, diabetes advocate, blogger, and mentor FatCatAnna. Music from The Essential Barry Manilow courtesy of SONY Music.  Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.

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Mayor Adams’s $10 A Day Diet Dispels Common Myth About Healthy Eating

“There is a myth out there that states eating healthy is too expensive. You can take a bag of lentils which costs about $2.80. You can make lentil stew, lentil burger, you can make lentil pasta,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

He pledged to live on a $10 a day plant-based diet to dispel the myth that healthy diets are expensive.
 
Mayor Adams’s motivation to eat healthy seems to stem from his mother’s battle with type 2 diabetes health-related complications. It’s important to point out that mismanaged diabetes leads to complications, not diabetes alone.
 
In 2016, Mayor Adams witnessed his mother inject herself with insulin to manage her Type 2 diabetes.  
 
He said, “Despite several years of being on this injection routine, the grimace on her face clearly showed that she had never gotten used to the sharp pain. When I left her home, I sat in my car and had a conversation with God. “I am not a doctor,” he added, “but I wish I could do something for my mother to address her diabetes.”
 
I grimace too when people beat up on insulin.  Insulin is a miracle! Every day I am grateful to Sir Frederick Banting and Charles Best for their discovery. So many wonderful people, including my brother, require insulin therapy to stay alive. Turning insulin into the enemy makes me nuts. 
 
That said, I respect the Mayor’s initiative to dispel common misconceptions about healthy eating and to bring awareness to the healthy food deserts in New York City. 

“We want you to show New Yorkers- not only what happens in the hospitals-  but we want to show New Yorkers that you can have culturally sensitive food that is healthy. That is not what people have been shown,” said Mayor Adams.

While Mayor Adams has long claimed to be a vegan, the mayor did have to admit on Monday that he does eat fish. “I aspire to be plant-based 100% of the time. I want to be a role model for people who are following or aspire to follow a plant-based diet, but, as I said, I am perfectly imperfect, and have occasionally eaten fish.”

We’re talking about ‘THE SWEETEST TABOO’ aka ‘ADDED SUGAR’ on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast with musical inspiration from Sade.

Divabetic’s podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Tameka Milline, Catherine Schuller, Kathy Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage’, and Stephanie MacKendree. Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from ‘The Essential Sade’ album courtesy of SONY Music.

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?

Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris, aka The Diabetic Pastry Chef on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, 7 – 8:30 PM, EST on Zoom.

REGISTER NOW

 

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Divabetic Mysteries: A Great Way To Learn About Diabetes!

Divabetic Mysteries are podcasts that use a cozy mystery format to educate people about diabetes and diabetes self-care. Our goal is to encourage people with diabetes to act like detectives. When unexpected issues related to your diabetes health occur, search for clues, take notes, consult with your healthcare team and work together to solve problems.

Hopefully, the intrigue and deception will draw you in and challenge you to see if you can figure out the puzzle before it’s revealed.  Our stories always end on a positive note to wrap the story up with an important life lesson and bow. Invariably, Mr. Divabetic’s dreams of becoming the Next Food Network Star remain intact thanks to the encouragement of his friends and mother long enough for another misadventure.

We hope you feel like you’ve just spent time with some good friends by the time you reach the end of the podcast. Our team enjoys rehearsing and performing these podcasts for you annually. Thank you for listening!

Our ‘A Christmas Peril’ podcast was inspired by Kevin Houdeshell’s tragic true-life story. Thanks to the Houdeshell family for their advocacy efforts on behalf of the Emergency Insulin Act of 2019 and the emergency prescription refill legislation. Known as Kevin’s or Howdy’s Law, it allows pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of a chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached – a common-sense act that could save a life.

Starring Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, USA Best Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie Gentle, Terri Seidman, MaryAnn Nicolay, Trisha Artman, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis, Seveda Williams, and Wendy Radford. Special thanks to the Houdeshell family, and Pharmacist Mandy Reece. Original music by Ivan Hampden Jr., Celine Dion’s vocals courtesy of SONY Music. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Video by Joe Hackney from Pixabay.

In the spirit of Scrooge’s awakening at the end of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we encourage you to honor Christmas in your heart by living in the Past, The Present, and the Future. Try to embrace the Spirits of all Three and the lessons that they teach.

 

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Don’t Miss February’s Divabetic Podcast With Music From Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra helps us mark the hundredth year anniversary of the first person receiving insulin on Divabetic’s February podcast scheduled for Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 6 PM, EST.

In January 1922, Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy dying from diabetes in a Toronto hospital, receive an injection of insulin and was literally brought back to life.

By 1923, insulin had become widely available, saving countless lives around the world, and Frederick Banting and J.J. R. Macleod, the two scientists who began preparations for the first insulin treatment to be administered to a human, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine. To this day, it’s still the quickest that a Nobel Prize was awarded following the discovery of a medical breakthrough.

Frank Sinatra was an American singer and motion-picture actor and one of the most sought-after performers in the entertainment industry.

He is responsible for bringing jazz out of itself and into popular music and making it stick. Instead of being the singer with the band, he made himself into an instrumentalist—of the voice.

Many considered Frank Sinatra to have been the greatest American singer of 20th-century popular music.

Podcast guests: Fran Carpentier, Mama Rose Marie, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Throughout the podcast, we will be featuring music from The Voice Of Frank Sinatra courtesy of SONY Music.

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Rachel Zinman Says She’s On A Balancing Beam, Not A Tightrope Managing Her Blood Sugars

“Usually, my first thought in the morning is what’s my blood sugar?” says our friend Rachel Zinman, who has been living with type 1 diabetes for thirteen years. After that, the Yoga For Diabetes author tells herself, “I have to get up, get my meter and check my blood sugar levels.”

Before she adopted diabetes psychologist Mark Heyman CDCES’s “diabetes might be challenging, but I’ve got this” motto,  Rachel viewed the numbers on her meter as judgments. Now, she sees her morning blood sugar levels more or less as just numbers. As a result, she doesn’t take them so personally.

“Working with my diabetes educator taught me to manage my diabetes in terms of a balance beam rather than a tightrope,” she admits.

Now, Rachel shifts her mindset when she experiences high or low blood sugars. “I don’t think I will fall off a tightrope. I’ve learned I’ve got room to change things and open up my range like I’m on a balance beam. That has really changed how I feel. I feel better. I feel like I have a lot more freedom with food and insulin.”

She confesses she’s blown away that she can enjoy her favorite breakfast food, avocado toast with normal blood sugars!

Rachel shares a guided meditation on January’s Divabetic podcast scheduled for Tuesday, January 11, 2022, with music by Teddy Pendergrass, as part of our New Year’s tradition to help center listeners’ minds, bodies, and souls.

Click HERE to read the three things that help Rachel Zinman start her day with a positive mind frame.

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Divabetic Celebrates World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on November 14 to mark the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting. He discovered the insulin hormone along with Charles Herbert Best in 1922. According to experts, an estimated 463 million people worldwide are living with diabetes.

The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is “Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?”, putting across the timely message for diabetes care.

The World Diabetes Day organization highlights a greater need for education on disease and treatment, dietary changes, and exercise to keep blood sugar levels within tighter management.

We’re advocating for insulin for all. A hundred years ago, Frederick Banting and Charles Best sold the patent for $1 each to be accessible for all. Today the cost of insulin has increased by over 1,200%. Why the cost of insulin has skyrocketed is more complicated than a hashtag or meme to explain. You can point the finger at manufacturers, insurance companies, middlemen, politicians but still, miss a few others. Regardless of who is to blame, the hard truth is that this crisis forces people to resort to drastic measures to stay alive. Many, many, many people are rationing their insulin with tragic consequences. This has to stop. Maybe it’s time on World Diabetes Day to advocate for #insulin4all?

Artwork courtesy of Miss Diabetes. Visit: https://missdiabetes.com

Over the years, Divabetic has presented many free outreach programs and podcasts supporting World Diabetes Day.

Earlier this week, we hosted both a podcast and virtual program in support of World Diabetes Day.

On this podcast, we’re celebrating people’s ability to thrive living with diabetes with inspiration from the great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, who lived with diabetes before the discovery of insulin. Guests include Toby Smithson, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.  Throughout this podcast, we feature music from Puccini: Great Opera Arias courtesy of SONY Music.

This past Thursday, we hosted a free program, ‘Once In A Blue Moon’ featuring Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport LCSW, PsyD, MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR and Catherine Schuller on Zoom

We have proudly partnered with the American Diabetes Association, Mount Sinai and Beth Israel Hospitals in New York, NY, and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. We’ve also taken to the streets and hosted free health fairs at Union Square Park and the Apollo Theater in New York, NY.

However, one of our fondest World Diabetes Day memories dates back to a decade ago. Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller persuaded Wendy Williams to “GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS” on national TV! As a result, Wendy wore a blue dress on her daytime TV show supporting World Diabetes Day. It was a fantastic moment!!

https://youtu.be/6b0a7Ic0YEs

In early September, Wendy Williams was allegedly rushed to the hospital for psychiatric services. One source said,” Wendy was drinking every day, even while filming the show,” leading to her hospitalization.

Thankfully, the TV star recently posted this message on Instagram: “HOW YOU DOIN’? I MISS YOU ALL! As everyone knows, my health has been a hot topic.” She added, “I’m a woman of a certain age, and I know enough to listen to my doctors and will return to my purple chair as soon as we all agree I’m ready. I’m doing everything I can to get back to work, but right now, Wendy has to focus on Wendy.”

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t1international’s Insulin Crisis Digital Demonstration Campaign Needs You!

1 in 4 people with diabetes is forced to ration insulin — too often, fatally — because costs continue to skyrocket! Join Mr. Divabetic in supporting @t1international’s Insulin Crisis Digital Demonstration Campaign. Added bonus: @miss__diabetes will animate you!

@T1International aims to highlight the severity of the insulin crisis.

Miss Diabetes @miss__diabetes

In 1923, the discoverers of insulin sold its patent for $1, hoping the low price would keep the essential treatment available to everyone who needed it.

Now, retail prices in the US are around the $300 range for all insulins from the three major brands that control the market reports the BBC.

Submit your photos to fellow diabetes advocate @miss_diabetes by September 10, 2021.

LEARN MORE

Be part of my animation for T1International and their Insulin Crisis Digital Demonstration!

Here’s how:

Step 1: Take a selfie of yourself holding a sign that states 1 in 2 Can’t Access INSULIN #insulin4all #insulin1in2 – these hashtags are important, so don’t forget to add them! (Your message just has to be visible.)

Step 2: Post a photo of yourself to your Instagram and Tag T1International and @missdiabetes

 

Step 3: Submit your photo to Miss Diabetes and let her do her magic! 

This global demonstration is open to anyone who wants to send a message to Big Pharma and to people who don’t know about the insulin crisis that is affecting people with diabetes.

If you participate, you will be entered into a random drawing to win a Custom Portrait Print of Yourself (giclee printed) by Miss Diabetes! DEADLINE: 9/10/21

Please help us highlight the insulin crisis during the 100th year of the discovery of insulin and to #advocatedontcelebrate #insulin4all

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Divabetic Mysteries: A Christmas Peril

Join us for Divabetic’s Annual Mystery podcast: A Christmas Peril scheduled for Thursday, September 30, 2021, 6 PM, EST.

The holidays are full of surprises after Mr. Divabetic becomes the new pastry chef at the St. Nicholas Nursing Home. But adjusting to life in a Christmas Village is not all sugarplums and candy canes. Especially when a cantankerous resident, a real-life Ebenezer Scrooge, named Mr. Pincher almost dies——shortly after eating one of Max’s peanut butter swirl brownies. So despite all of the ingredients for danger, Mr. Divabetic, our team of amateur sleuths, and his overly protective mother must set out to find the real culprit. Or will his name end up on a lethally naughty list?

This year’s Divabetic Mysteries: A Christmas Peril is based on the real-life story of 36-year-old Kevin Houdeshell who ran out of insulin over the New Year’s holiday in January 2014. He ended up with dangerously high blood sugars that spiraled into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), leading to him die alone in his apartment.

Thanks to the Houdeshell family for their advocacy with the Emergency Insulin Act of 2019 and the emergency prescription refill legislation, what happened to Kevin doesn’t have to happen to anyone else in several states. Known as Kevin’s or Howdy’s Law, it allows pharmacists to dispense an emergency supply of a chronic maintenance medication if the doctor cannot be reached. States that have passed Kevin’s Law include Ohio and Florida in 2016; Arkansas, Arizona, Illinois, and Wisconsin in 2017; Idaho, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee in 2018; and Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Utah, and West Virginia in 2019. In many states, votes in favor of the legislation were unanimous.

Starring Mr. Divabetic. Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Nicolay  BA, DTR, Catherine Schuller, Terri Seidman, Wendy Radford, Seveda Williams, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, and Trisha Artman.

 

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Be Take Part of T1International’s Insulin Crisis Digital Demonstration with Miss Diabetes

It’s been a hundred years this year since the discovery of insulin, and @T1International is having a global digital demonstration campaign to highlight the severity of the insulin crisis.

In 1923, the discoverers of insulin sold its patent for $1, hoping the low price would keep the essential treatment available to everyone who needed it.

In 2019, retail prices in the US are around the $300 range for all insulins from the three major brands that control the market, reports the BBC.

Many people living with type 1 diabetes struggle to survive because they cannot afford or access their life-saving insulin, blood glucose strips, or basic healthcare. Others are caught in conflict where there is little humanitarian assistance for people with diabetes.

Miss Diabetes @miss__diabetes

The #insulin4all campaign unites the diabetes community to fight together for access to diabetes supplies, care, and treatment for everyone.

There is an active global community fighting for #insulin4all. Advocates have pushed for Universal Health Coverage and demonstrated outside Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, Indiana. Others are building networks in their countries and carrying out advocacy plans to ensure insulin and vital supplies are available and affordable.

Miss Diabetes is creating animation for @t1international and their Insulin Crisis Digital Demonstration Campaign! She would love to invite you to be a part of it!

Just post a photo of yourself with a poster stating 1 in 2 Can’t Access INSULIN #insulin4all #insulin1in2 – and tag @T1International  and @MissDiabetes and you can see an illustrated version of yourself in the animation!

The animation will be part of T1International’s annual workshop on September 18, 2021, so please email your photos in by September 10, 2021!

LEARN MORE

We’re talking with two leading doctors (an Optometrist and a Retina Specialist, and Surgeon)and two diabetes advocates about eye health, and vision loss related to diabetes with musical inspiration from TLC.

Diabetes can cause diabetic retinopathy (DR). In its early stages, you may not notice any symptoms or changes to your eyesight, and you cannot tell that this condition is damaging your eyes. If it is not detected and treated in a timely manner, your vision can be damaged permanently.

Guests include Sherrol Reynolds M.D. (Associate Professor and Chief of Advanced Ophthalmic Care at the Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry, President of the National Optometric Association (NOA)), Rishi Singh, M.D. (Retina Specialist and Staff Surgeon at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic), Andrea Sledge, Natalie Karabel, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Hosted by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek.

Throughout our podcast, we are featuring music from TLC’s CrazySexyCool album courtesy of SONY Music.

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Bride’s Guide To Diabetes

My maternal grandmother, Mary Zinni, living with diabetes, was married 100 years ago on June 12, 1921. She was a kind, hardworking mother of five. When my grandmother wasn’t preparing meals, she made her own pasta and sauce, cleaning and caring for her family, she was writing letters to help other family members and neighbors come to America. Although my grandfather didn’t know how to read or write, my grandmother read and wrote in English and Italian.
Her oldest granddaughter, Lynne, remembers finding her once she passed out at the bottom of the cellar stairs from low blood sugar. My mother says she took one shot a day (I assume it was insulin) and never spoke about her diabetes.
Unfortunately, my mother says my grandmother was born in the wrong era, which means she was ‘too bright’ for her time. However, her intellect was gifted to her daughters, granddaughters, great-granddaughters, college graduates, knowledgeable, and very accomplished women.
 
This year, two of her great-granddaughters were married! One in Newport, RI, and the other in Missoula, MT. Both weddings were delayed due to COVID. However, the year-long wait didn’t manageto dampen spirits or dim any of the dazzle! Each wedding was spectacular in its own way. If I am partial to one, it’s because I officiated it!
 
Enjoy helpful tips for those living with, at risk, and affected by diabetes on their ‘Big Day’ on Divabetic’s Bride’s Guide To Diabetes podcast.

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