However, people without diabetes can get this type of hypoglycemia too.
A doctor can use tests to identify diabetes in people with the condition and prediabetes in those at risk.
Don’t miss Divabetic’s 6th Annual Diabetes Mystery podcast, Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes, on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, 6 – 7 PM, EST.
Mr. Divabetic’s culinary misadventures continue in this year’s escapade as he enters the fictitiously decadent Gingerbread Men Cookie Baking Competition at the Central Park Zoo. As if his dreadful combination of headless cookies and kale hot cocoa wasn’t bad enough to land him at the bottom of the culinary throwdown, his mother, Mama Rose Marie, is accused of poisoning one of the celebrity judges. Things go from bad to worse when the snake phobic Mr. Divabetic needs a clue that’s guarded by a giant python.
Can Mr. Divabetic and his team of amateur sleuths hunt down the real killer and get Mama Rose Marie out of jail? Will he be the next murder victim? Can he ever create an edible recipe?
The cast of Gingerbread Men Prefer Blondes features Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay BA, DTR), Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Dave Jones and Lorraine Brooks. We will be featuring music from the original Broadway cast recording of‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ courtesy of SONY MUSIC.
This story of diabetes mystery and intrigue provides proof that you don’t have to feel trapped in a diabetes life. You can make changes, even tiny incremental ones, and get into a life that feels just right for you.
Catherine Lawrence celebrates 50 years of living with type 1 on Divabetic’s 9th Year Anniversary podcastwith music from P!nk.
Below, Catherine shares her successes as well as a few stumbles from living life with type 1 diabetes to the fullest! Tune in to hear her full interview .
Catherine Lawrence’s 5 Decades of Diabetes
1st Decade – Age 9-19
I was 9 years old when I was diagnosed [with type 1 diabetes] and it was very traumatic, not just for me but for my mother as well. I remembered that it took two aides at the hospital to hold me down for my very first blood test. You can just imagine a 9-year-old seeing a huge needle coming at her.
I remember asking the nurse why I had to get up so early in the morning and go down the hall to do my urine test when the young boy, around my age, across the hall just had to put his urine in a container and the test was done for him. The nurse explained that he had had diabetes longer than I had and already knew how. BUMMER! I ended up spending 1 month in the hospital learning everything.
Speaking of testing, way back then, 1969, we were using test tubes, drops of urine and water and then put a Clinitest tablet into the tube to get a certain color. Blue (negative for sugar) was the best and brown (very positive for sugar) was the worst. And, that is how I had to do ALL my urine tests for the next well over 10 years or so. This was not something I could carry in my purse. But, being so young, thankfully I was not going out many places except for school and to play. These urine tests always put quite a bit of stress on me as I tended to get the “brown” color a lot. Blue would please me to no end! My endocrinologist called me “brittle.”
In the early years, it was so hard NOT to want to eat the things I liked so much, such as candy, cookies and esp. birthday cake. I wanted to be just like all the other kids and eat the same things they did. There were no sugar free items available on the grocery shelves that I could eat. Fresca, Tab and then sugar free Shasta was available to drink which made me very happy! It was also hard for my mother because I had a twin sister and brother who were not diabetic, and she had to try to keep their sweets from me.
Sometimes I filled my syringe in the morning with insulin then went to my room and just squeezed it all out onto the rug because I had a very hard time with giving myself injections. The doctor did not want my mother to do it for me cause I needed to learn to take care of myself. Most times I would sit for what seemed like an eternity, and just stare at the pinched skin of my thigh in my left hand and the syringe in my right and wait for the courage to plunge it into myself. I struggled quite a bit with all of it in that 1st decade and I was in a state of denial for quite some time.
There was so much to learn, and it was all so overwhelming at such a young age, but I am grateful I had such an awesome endocrinologist, and even though my family was learning along the way with me, they were supportive and helpful. I guess we all learned together that 1st decade.
2nd Decade – Age 19-29
Getting older led to working and getting out more socially, such as dating, going to a movie or out dancing, etc. and this created a new set of problems. I believe by then they had test strips that you could carry in your purse and urinate on in the bathroom and compare it to a color chart on the bottle. That was a big improvement as it provided the freedom to go out, be with my friends and do more things, but it still didn’t provide a precise picture of my blood sugar levels. It was hard being in my 20’s, working, partying and constantly wondering what my blood sugars were. I was still learning how to “listen” to my body and differentiate between the low and high blood sugars and dealing with the frequency of the swings between the two. Many times when my body was trying to e me something was wrong, I would either ignore my symptoms and avoid doing a blood test or I didn’t trust the symptoms and would tell myself I was just sleepy or that the anger I felt was due to some external pressure. It took a noticeable change in my behavior or and obvious physical change to take place to provide a clue to those around me that I needed help. Not knowing exactly ALL the time what my blood sugar was and feeling either sleepy or angry was extremely frustrating. Then the very first blood glucose meter was on the market I was thrilled! It was quite large, about as big as a small purse and I had to carry it over my shoulder! However, I was so grateful for this as it provided a clear picture of what was going on with my blood sugars and was making my life less stressful. I still had the swings in my blood sugar levels but at least now I knew exactly where the levels were and could attend to them immediately and properly.
I learned the hard way about one of the many complications of diabetes when I was studying to be a surgical tech in my early 20’s. I was having a good deal of trouble reading the board and taking notes. I went to an ophthalmologist, thinking I would just need a prescription for glasses, but he instead diagnosed me with diabetic retinopathy. He told me I would need laser therapy in order to try to save my vision. I was so frightened about the actual laser treatment and whether this would save my sight or not. I had to drop out of school due to treatment and recovery time. The laser treatment consisted of 4500 laser burns in one eye and 1500 in the other one. I was so blessed to have an excellent doctor who saved my vision! I have not had one bleeding vessel in either eye since then.
I met a young man in my mid 20’s whom I taught about the disease, its complications and daily proper care. He learned quickly how to give me a test, what physical signs to look for and their meanings and even how to give an injection. He helped me a great deal. At age 28 we married and have been now for 30 years.
3rd Decade – Age 29-39
Life was getting better with my diabetes. I was more in tune with what was going on with my body and blood testing had gotten SO MUCH better. I was able to know, in real time, what my blood sugars were and that was an immense step forward for me, and ALL diabetics. I was learning more and more about the complications and the various ways I could prevent some of them.
When I was 39, I discovered the insulin pump. It WAS A LIFE SAVER. I still wear it today. No more injections, except to change my site, and having ready access to giving myself insulin when my blood sugar is high and to be able to cover the carbohydrates that I eat at meals, WITHOUT HAVING TO INJECT insulin is amazing. Just the fact that I did NOT need to carry insulin and syringes around with me was such a relief. Just because someone has an insulin pump DOES NOT mean your diabetes is out of control, it is just the opposite – helping to keep it more under control.
TESTING, TESTING, TESTING of one’s blood sugar is of upmost importance to any diabetic, but especially to one that wears an insulin pump. And I did at least 8-10 blood sticks a day to keep track. Someone on an insulin pump needs to be able to do at least 8 tests a day to keep track of the fast-acting insulin that is being given to the body throughout a 24-hour period. I was, and am, very fortunate to have an excellent Certified Diabetes Educator to help me.
4th Decade – Age 39-49
Some years later more complications began to surface. I began to have stomach issues which led to ER visits. Gastroparesis was thought to be the culprit, but luckily for me testing confirmed it was not. Through trial and error my Gastroenterologist finally found a medicine that has seemed to help with symptoms. I had cataracts in both eyes removed which was caused by the diabetes. I have stage 1 kidney disease but am doing very well with that. It has stayed at that stage for quite some time now due to not only a medicine but by also drinking a ton of water every day. My heart is okay for now, but, as the doctor says, “I have some rust in my pipes” and that is also due to the diabetes.
5th Decade – Age 49-59
Well, after still dealing with the swings of blood sugar levels, I finally decided it was time to try a CGM, continuous glucose monitor. I have recently begun to use this tool and it has proven to be extremely useful for me, especially at night. It has an alarm which will sound when it reaches the parameters I have set for high and low blood sugar numbers. This provides a much tighter control throughout the day and MOST IMPORTANTLY the alarm wakes me at night so I don’t have the fear of dangerous levels that may go unchecked. It is not “real” time, but it comes very close to the actual number and it also shows me whether my level is stable or headed up or down. Now, this was initially stressful for me as I was seeing what my numbers are constantly throughout the day. I would get so upset to see it going either high or low. It was hard in the beginning to see all those numbers and that just added stress which just sent my levels even higher! Argh! It has been a learning curve and my endocrinologist told me I have always HAD these number, I just never saw them. My CDE said that your blood sugar can change as fast as your blood pressure. Always learning something new about diabetes!
Living for 50 years with diabetes is just amazing to me, considering I was not always the best diabetic I could have been. I fought it constantly, and still do to certain degree. Diabetes can be CONTROLLED, but you must learn all you can about proper diet, consisting especially of portion controls of your food, exercise and stay aware of what is going on with your body. That is why I always tell other diabetics about the importance of testing blood sugars. Doctors also need to be able to let their patients do more than 4 blood tests a day! That simply is not enough. I am a volunteer at my local hospital, in the Diabetes Management Center, and we see a lot of Type II diabetics. I have to say that I’m grateful I am a Type I diabetic, as I grew up with it and became used to the diabetic way of life. I believe it is much more difficult to be diagnosed later in life and then be forced to abruptly make all the necessary changes to diet, lifestyle, etc. I see all the time how hard it is for some Type II’s to handle. Continued research is so important for advances in care and control and, at the very least, I hope research continues with implantable insulin pumps as I know technology can and should do this! Check out the non-profit called the Implantable Insulin Pump Foundation. The diabetic community needs to push for this research!
Nevertheless, living with diabetes has been, and continues to be and “adventure”. I continue to read all I can to keep up to date with all the latest information, ideas, advances, etc. and my endocrinologist and the Center where I volunteer are excellent sources of help and formation. Every diabetic needs to be their own advocate at every doctor’s visit and ask as many questions as possible. There are NO stupid questions. AND, ABOVE ALL, DO YOUR BLOOD TESTS!!!! They can save your life. The future ahead looks very promising for a diabetic, and so long as a diabetic follows ALLL his or her doctor’s orders, and stays as active as possible, it CAN work. There will always be complications, but so many of them can be prevented with good care of your disease. There is so much promise out there and I’m looking forward to living to see all the changes!
GLAM MORE FEAR LESS! Share your experiences of living with diabetes and mark a milestone with us on Diabetes Late Nite. To be a guest on Divabetic’s podcast e-mail Mr. Divabetic at: mrdivabetic@gmail.com
Listen to Divabetic’s 9th Year Anniversary podcastwith musical inspiration from P!nk. Guests include Beyond Type 2’s T’ara Smith, Catherine Lawrence , Dr. Sara (Mandy) Reece PHARMD, CDE, BC-ADM, BCACP, FAADE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Glamazon Beauty owner Kim Baker, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Hosted by the happiest health care “MC,” Max “Mr. Divabetic” Szadek.
A white terrier, became the first dog to receive insulin in Frederick Banting and Charles Best’s laboratory on July 30, 1921 in Canada.
The scientists took blood samples from the dog every 30 minutes and saw a temporary drop in blood sugar from 0.2 percent to 0.12 percent. Banting was not knowledgeable enough about new developments in testing blood sugar to check for diabetes accurately, so he checked the urine, which was less reliable.
Banting & Best
The dog died the next morning due to an infection, but the scientists noted the first signs of anti-diabetic action from the extract, which they had named isletin.
“Diabetics the world over owe much to the true, brave, faithful, loving little dog who played her heroic role as part of her day’s work.” -Frederick Banting, 1940
The next challenge in the discovery of insulin they faced was to find a method of producing islet cells, and therefore insulin, on a mass scale, so that it would have some use as a wide-scale medicine for diabetes.
Realizing that a supply of dogs for pancreas ligation was going to limit the progress of the research, Banting and Best moved on to using the pancreas of cows as source material.
Divabetic and Central Farm Markets proudly present Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day on Sunday, September 29, 2019, 9 AM – 1 PM. This free health and wellness event features health information for both pets and pet owners alike!
Enjoy Market Food Tours, Live Cooking Demonstrations, Family & Dogs Scavenger Hunts, Dog House Decorating for Kids, Amazing Service Dog Demonstrations, Live Music, Veterinarian Talks & Ask A Diabetes Educator Sessions!
Plus, visit 40 vendors for fresh local pork, chicken, fish, cheeses, produce, dairy, baked goods, prepared foods to go, eggs, flowers, and ice cream.
Meet Tabouli: The World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog!
Meet the World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog: Tabouli Gallagher and his trainer, Debby Kay at Collar Greens Health & Wellness Day on September 29, 2019.
Debby Kayhas been a been an internationally recognized leader in medical, diabetes alert, and scent detection dog training for over 40 years. Her Super Sniffer® program is now in 22 countries, helping people utilize the remarkable talents of the dog’s nose. The best selling series of Super Sniffer® books are available online at: www.debbykay.com.
Available on Amazon
Can’t make it? We’re talking to the owner of the World’s Most Famous Diabetes Alert Dog, Tabouli Gallagher, Elizabeth Gallagher on August’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from Phyllis Hyman scheduled for August 13, 2019, 6 PM, EST. TUNE IN
Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained to alert their owners in advance of low (hypoglycemia) or high (hyperglycemia) blood sugar levels before they become dangerous.
Tune in to find out how this service dog not only helps Elizabeth who is living with type 1 diabetes, happy and healthy but also inspired a series of children’s books, “Tabouli: The Story of a Heart-Driven Diabetes Alert Dog” by Matt Pelicano
Cutest Dog Contest
Win $500 Gift Basket! Enter Our Cutest Dog Contest
Healthful, plant-based foods can demonstrably improve both insulin sensitivity and blood pressure, according to new research from comprehensive review and meta-analysis of nine studies. Moreover, plant-based diets can prevent or reduce weight gain, as well as reduce low grade inflammation, two other factors that contribute to a person’s risk of diabetes.
A “predominantly plant-based” diet centers on both healthful plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, and less healthful ones, such as potatoes and sugars. These types of diets could also include some products of animal origin.
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 above all, education.
Divabetic® was inspired by the late R & B legend, Luther Vandross, and created and founded by his long-time assistant, Max Szadek. Divabetic®, a combination of the word ‘diabetic’ with the letter ‘V’ inserted for Vandross, evokes feelings of power and the positive attitude associated with the great DIVAS Luther loved like Patti LaBelle.
About a quarter of people with Type 1 diabetes ration their insulin because of cost, according to a study published last week by T1International, which advocates for insulin access and affordability. Internationally, 18 percent of people with Type 1 diabetes reported rationing their medication at least once in the past year, exposing themselves to potentially serious complications.
Two vials of insulin for $250 — with insurance coverage — seemed kind of steep to Joseph Strank. But he paid it anyway because he needs the medication to manage his Type 1 diabetes, which keeps his body from producing its own insulin.
But last year, when the cost increased to $250 for just one vial, the 60-year-old Philadelphia resident knew he had a problem.
“I was limiting my carbs so I wouldn’t have to give myself as much insulin,” Strank told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
We’re talking about ways to proceed with ‘CAUTION’ when coping with Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) with musical inspiration from Mariah Carey.
Diabetes Late Nite inspired by Mariah Carey
Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, 2015 AADE Diabetes Educator of the Year Susan Weiner, MS RDN CDE FAADE, Mama Rose Marie, Yoga For Diabetes Director & Author Rachel Zinman, WeAreEatNeat.com’s Lloyd Owens, Type 2 Diabetes What To Know Community Moderator Nick Zevgolis, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed into law a measure that caps copayments of insulin to $100 a month.
The bill, sponsored by Representative Dylan Roberts, who lost his brother due to diabetes, requires the Department of Law to investigate the pricing of prescription insulin drugs and submit a report of its findings to the governor, the commissioner of insurance, and the judiciary committees of the senate and house of representatives.
“For Coloradans living with Type 1 Diabetes, insulin is essential to their survival. It is the same as oxygen. The skyrocketing cost of insulin is outrageous and it is literally putting people’s lives at risk,” said Roberts. “With this new law, Coloradans will no longer be forced to choose between this life-saving and life-sustaining drug and their other expenses.”
“This bill will save me personally $35 a month because of my private insurance. For other people, it could save them all the way up to $2,000 or more a month,” said Betsy Ray, an insulin user, following the bill signing.
Rep. Dylan Roberts’ little brother, Murphy, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 10 in 2004. Murphy died last year after suffering a fall that resulted from a diabetic seizure.
“Our family learned to live with diabetes and how crucial insulin is to staying alive,” Roberts said.
New Half-Price Insulin Faces Criticism
A half-price version of Eli Lilly’s popular Humalog insulin is now on sale. But people with diabetes and critics say the measure falls short, given that patients who require insulin outside the U.S. pay far less than the $137.35 per vial price for lispro. In the U.S., the cost of insulin for Type 1 diabetics has almost doubled over a five-year period, prompting some to cut back on their medication.
We’re talking about ‘hush hush’ topics in diabetes wellness such as intimacy issues, fears and food phobias with musical inspiration from H.E.R. on May’s Diabetes Late Nite.
H.E.R. chooses to keep her true identity a secret but that’s proving harder to do after winning Best New Artist and Best R&B Song Grammy Awards this past year.
Guests include Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Cheryl Farley “Food as Medicine” Nutritionist, Dr. Dugan Maddux and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.
Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from H.E.R.’s “I Used To Know Her: The Prelude” album courtesy of SONY Music.
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.
Walmart offers a low-cost insulin option without a prescription, but it’s far from ideal for all patients.
According to Vox, doctors and diabetes advocates point out that while ReliOn may help patients in a pinch, especially those without health insurance, it’s also a formulation (known as “human” insulin) that came on the market in the 1980s, more than a decade before more refined insulins started to emerge.
The newer insulins, known as analogs, appear to be more effective at preventing dangerous blood sugar swings in people with Type 1 diabetes or those at a higher risk for severe low blood sugar. (The evidence of insulin analog’s benefits is less clear for Type 2 diabetes, but the studies are also low quality so it’s difficult to make conclusive statements.)
There’s one more problem: Because it’s available without a prescription, patients can get the drug without the supervision of a doctor, and they sometimes get into trouble as a result. So stories have surfaced about patients who required emergency care because of severe blood sugar highs and lows after self-dosing with Walmart insulin, or even dying as a result.
The cost of the four most popular insulins has tripled over the past decade, forcing many of the millions of Americans with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes who rely on the drug to skimp on or skip doses.
We’re talking about ‘HUSH HUSH’ topics in diabetes wellness such as insulin’s staggering costs, intimacy issues, fears, and food issues on Diabetes Late Nite with musical inspiration from H.E.R. courtesy of SONY Music.
H.E.R. chooses to keep her true identity a secret but that’s proving harder to do after winning Best New Artist and Best R&B Song Grammy Awards this past year.
Guests include Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, Cheryl Farley “Food as Medicine” Nutritionist, Dr. Dugan Maddux and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from H.E.R.’s “I Used To Know Her: The Prelude” album courtesy of SONY Music.
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’.
On April’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast, Dan Houdeshell will share how his son’s untimely death, Kevin, spurred his family to take action to pass legislation to help save the lives of millions. Tune in to our exclusive interview on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST.
Kevin Houdeshell, who was living with type 1 diabetes died at 36 years old because his pharmacy refused to give him insulin after his script had expired.
Kevin Houdeshell
“He tried three times to call his doctor’s office and, four days later, he passed away from not having his insulin,” his sister, Amy Houdeshell told USA Today.
His parents, Dan and Judy Houdeshell, were stunned to learn what had happened. “In the wee hours of the morning, we are wondering how can your son, or anyone, stand in front of a pharmacy desk and be turned away for a life-sustaining medication,” says Dan.
Kevin’s unawareness about his worsening diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) may be due to a pervasive lack of information within the community reports Insulin Nation.
“I have been in contact with so many people [with Type 1] since Kevin’s death [who] are not aware of DKA, its symptoms, the results if not rectified, and how fast DKA can kill someone or put them in grave danger,” Dan told Insulin Nation. “Many (others) in the medical profession (including ER hospital settings) are not are not aware of what can happen if someone goes without their insulin for any amount of time.
A year after Kevin died, he appeared with his wife and daughter on local TV and their heart-wrenching interview helped trigger what is now known as Kevin’s Law in Ohio.
Kevin’s Law allows pharmacists to give up to a 30-day supply of even expired prescriptions of life-sustaining drugs.
“I never imagined we would reach so many people with that one little story about my brother,” Houdeshell said.
Currently HB 64 (also known as Kevin’s Law) has been passed in 12 states and allows a pharmacist to dispense an emergency supply of insulin to a patient without a current prescription.
“No one should have to die because of an expired prescription and can’t get hold of your doctor,” said Amy and Kevin’s parents, Dan and Judy Houdeshell.
Dan Houdeshell feels that there is still much work to be done even in states that have passed legislation. “It’s important to note some versions of the law have flaws,” he told Pens & Needles. “Some states allow only one refill, EVER. That is not acceptable.”
Diabetes Late Nite inspired by Luther Vandross
TUNE IN: April’sDiabetes Late Nitepodcast on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST. Guests include FANDROSS CEO Seveda Williams, Keith Anthony Fluitt, Diabetes Advocate Dan Houdeshell, Pam Henry MEd, Luther Vandross Historian Leon Petrossian, Zhacary Smith, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Luther Vandross’s “Forever, For Always, For Love” album courtesy of SONY Music.
Don’t miss Clued Inn, the first-time ever Diabetes & Heart Health Escape Room Experience scheduled for Diabetes Alert Day, Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in New York City. Register now: https://cluedinn.org/
Heart attack, panic attack, and hypoglycemic reaction (low blood glucose) have symptoms which are common to all three conditions. However, treatment for all three are very different.
Symptoms of a Heart Attack:
Shortness of breath
Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to you neck, jaw, shoulder, or upper back. (Note: women may have a heart attack without chest pain.)
Indigestion, heartburn or abdominal discomfort
Nausea or vomiting
Cold sweat
Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness
Unusual fatigue
Symptoms of a Panic Attack:
Sensations of shortness of breath or being smothered
Over-breathing (hyperventilating)
Nausea or abdominal distress
Dry heaving and/or gagging
Sweating
Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded or faint
Feeling of choking
Palpitations and/or accelerated heart rate
Chills or hot flushes
Trembling or shaking
Numbness or tingling sensations
Fear of losing control or going insane
Feeling that death is imminent
Symptoms of a Hypoglycemic Reaction (Low Blood Glucose):
Rapid heartbeat
Blurry vision
Sudden nervousness
Unexplained fatigue
Pale skin
Headache
Hunger
Shaking
Dizziness
Skin tingling
Sudden mood changes
Trouble thinking clearly or concentrating
Loss of consciousness, seizure, coma
What You Should Know About a Heart Attack
Heart disease is the most common cause of death for both women and men in the United States. However, of the nearly 500,000 heart attack deaths that occur each year, more than 239,000 are in women. Women’s symptoms may occur more often when women are resting. Mental stress may trigger heart attack symptoms in women. Sweating is typical for a heart attack, as is nausea, especially for women. Women of all ages should take heart health seriously. Women under the age of 65, and especially those with a family history of heart disease, need to pay close attention to heart disease risk factors. A heart attack is dangerous, and requires prompt medical attention.
You can’t deep-breathe your way out of a heart attack, but you can deep-breathe your way through a panic attack. If you feel your heart is racing, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth several times in a row. If it helps, you’re probably just panicking. If it’s a heart attack, that deep-breathing is going to hurt.
What You Should Know About a Panic Attack
A panic attack is very sudden in onset and includes an intense fear and anxiety. Panic attacks will be over within 10 minutes (and often less), while heart attacks can last much longer. During a panic attack your body goes into fight or flight mode – your breathing rate increase, muscles tense, and heart rate quicken. A panic attack imposes no immediate danger; it is not going to cause a heart attack. Though it can feel like it, a panic attack won’t kill you.
What You Should Know About a Hypoglycemic Reaction (also known as an Insulin Reaction)
The American Diabetes Association defines hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose, in terms of two levels. Level 1 is when the blood glucose level is lower than 70 mg/dL. Level 2, known as severe hypoglycemia, is when the blood glucose level is lower than 54 mg/dL and requires the assistance from another person to treat. Severe hypoglycemia is classed as a diabetes emergency. If you experience any of the symptoms of hypoglycemia, even if you suspect anxiety, you should check your blood glucose. If you have low blood glucose and it causes symptoms, do not ignore it. Low blood glucose can be potentially life-threatening.
How to Treat a Heart Attack:
Call 911 or your local emergency number. Whenever you’re in doubt about your symptoms, seek care without delay. Only medical tests can rule out the possibility of a heart attack.
Chew and swallow an aspirin, unless you are allergic to aspirin or have been told by your doctor never to take aspirin.
Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed.
Begin CPR if the person is unconscious.
Lifestyle Changes to Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease:
Quit or don’t smoke.
Exercise regularly.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Eat a healthy diet that includes whole grains, a variety of fruits and vegetables, low fat or fat-free dairy products, and lean meats. Avoid saturated or trans fat, added sugars, and high amounts of salt.
How to Treat a Panic Attack:
Use deep breathing. While hyperventilating is a symptom of panic attacks that can increase fear, deep breathing can reduce symptoms of panic during an attack.
Close your eyes. Some panic attacks come from triggers that overwhelm you. To reduce the stimuli, close your eyes during your panic attack. This can block out any extra stimuli and make it easier to focus on your breathing.
Find a focus object. Some people find it helpful to find a single object to focus all of their attention on during a panic attack. Pick one object in clear sight and consciously note everything about it.
Picture your happy place. What’s the most relaxing place in the world that you can think of and picture yourself there; try to focus on the details as much as possible. This place should be quiet, calm, and relaxing.
Lifestyle Changes to Manage Panic Symptoms:
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, smoking and recreational drugs. All of these can trigger or worsen panic attacks.
Practice stress management and relaxation techniques. For example, yoga, deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation may be helpful.
Get physically active. Aerobic activity may have a calming effect on your mood.
How to Treat a Hypoglycemic Reaction:
Early symptoms can usually be treated by following the 15-15 rule. Eat or drink 15 grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate. Fast-acting carbohydrates are foods that are easily converted to sugar in the body, such as glucose tablets or gel, fruit juice, or regular soda (not diet soda).
Check your blood glucose again in 15 minutes. If it is still low (below 70 mg/dL) repeat the step above.
If your next meal is more than an hour away, you will need to eat one carbohydrate choice as a snack (along with protein) to keep your blood glucose from going low again.
If you have type 1 diabetes and your blood glucose drops too low, you may pass out. If you do, a drug called glucagon should be injected into your skin, like you do with insulin This can be done by a family member or friend who has been taught how to do it. Since glucagon may cause you to vomit, you should be placed on your side when the injection is given. If no one knows how to give the injection, you should be taken to a hospital. You need a prescription for a glucagon kit. You should awaken about 10 minutes after the glucagon is injected. If you do not, you should be taken to a hospital at once.
Lifestyle Changes to Manage Blood Glucose:
Pay attention to feelings of hunger and give your body what it needs to function properly.
Always carry a fast-acting carbohydrate with you in case you need to treat an insulin reaction.
If you can’t figure out why you have low blood glucose, call your healthcare provider, as your medicine may need to be adjusted.
Understanding the symptoms for heart attack, panic attack, and hypoglycemia is important so you can receive the right treatment. In addition, it’s also important to make lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of heart attack, manage panic symptoms, and manage blood glucose.
Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE
Dr. Beverly S. Adler, aka “Dr. Bev”, is a clinical psychologist and Certified Diabetes Educator with a private practice in Baldwin, NY. She was honored in 2016 with the “Certified Diabetes Educator Entrepreneur of the Year Award.”
She is the author/editor of two diabetes self-help books which include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes. She has published articles in print and online about diabetes management – always with the focus on emotional adjustment. Dr. Bev has been quoted in numerous magazines and contributed to a monthly diabetes advice column online. She is a frequent contributor to the Divabetic Diabetes Daily Wire, where she blogs about diabetes topics from the psychological perspective.
Dr. Bev has lived successfully with type 1 diabetes for 42 years. You can connect with her on her website www.AskDrBev.com and on Twitter @AskDrBev.
Join us for Clued Inn Escape Room, the first-ever, free Diabetes & Heart Health Escape Room Experience on National Diabetes Alert Day, Tuesday, March 26, 2019, 5- 10PM in New York City. Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Space Limited. BOOK NOW
Facing the challenges of living with diabetes everyday can be tough! And we’re not afraid to talk about it. You shouldn’t feel afraid either to express that ‘the struggle is real’ to friends, family and co-workers.
Need some inspiration for living ‘out loud’ about your diabetes?
Our Divabetic friend, Jessica Clark will stop by the studio to share her experience of living with the up’s and down’s of type 1 diabetes on November’s Diabetes Late Nite. Join us here on Wednesday, November 14 from 6 – 7:30 PM. CLICK HERE
Recently Jessica shared a very personal post on FB describing one of her saddest and most sincere diabetes moments. Below is what Jessica wishes you knew about her, the diabetes edition:
Every minute of my life is a calculation. And if it wasn’t, or I did it wrong, it can mean long-term tragic consequences. Even death.
I don’t feel good. Ever.
If I tell you I don’t feel good, then I REALLY don’t feel good.
It never works the way I want it to.
I can do the same thing every day, every detail, and have it still come out differently or wrong.
No one understands it.
But everyone is an expert on it.
I get judged for it.
It ruined my self-esteem.
Nothing is easy or straightforward
It changed me as a person, and sometimes I hate that.
I wonder how things could have been different if I didn’t have it.
I wonder what I would physically look like if I didn’t have it
I’ve been made fun of by my family and those closest to me regarding it
No matter what, I am seen as a complainer, wet blanket, trying to get attention, etc.
I go to bed every night not really knowing if I will wake up
I’m treated medically by people who learned how to care for me in books that are decades old
It’s fucking expensive to keep me alive
I feel like a burden physically and financially on people
I spend more to stay alive than people realize, even with insurance.
Giant for-profit corporations dictate the care I can receive and my quality of life.
A cure wouldn’t be profitable
My life is “managed” or “controlled”
Once you aren’t little or cute, few people genuinely care or help.
I’ve lost feeling in all of my fingertips.
I am diagnosed as “significantly visually impaired” because of it. Poor vision and night vision in my left eye. No peripheral vision, depth perception, or night vision in my right eye.
It isn’t easy or simple
It isn’t just eating well or working out
People judge and criticize my food choices.
My skin doesn’t get thicker or tougher to harsh remarks
I have to be “rude” and turn down items I can’t or shouldn’t have. (But then if I do have them, get judged or questioned, see above)
I subsequently make people feel “shitty” once I tell them why I can’t have said item.
But mostly, it’s lonely.
It’s really really lonely.
Here are several more of Jessica’s FB posts illustrating how ‘the struggle is real’ for millions of people living with type 1 diabetes:
“Diabetes awareness month real life post! Today was so shitty. Cracked windshield, dead (expensive) battery, so many things. I’m exhausted! Buuuut it’s 11pm and my blood sugar is 48 and I’m TIREEEDDD. But I can’t go to bed, because I might die. Sooo I’m not hungry or thirsty, but I’m drinking a juice box, eating to save my life. And this isn’t a once in a life time dramatic post. This is weekly, monthly. This is my ugly tired 11pm post of diabetes. This is T1D life. Jdrf one walk shirt was not planned lol.” – Jessica, November 2, 2018, 10:07 PM
“Most days, you control the diabetes. Some days, it controls you. Today was that day for me. It’s scary, and painful, but it’s not often. Bad enough I had to leave work, BG high enough I *probably* should have seen an ER (I didn’t, can’t afford healthcare costs. That’s another story. Lol) Shout out to all of my diabetic friends out there living through this shit we have to deal with.” – Jessica, October 10, 2018 at 4:16 PM
“This is the diabetes you don’t see. Tired, ready for bed, low blood sugar. Every time you test it drops lower and lower, and you keep treating and treating. You can’t breath, you’re confused, and your tired! But you can’t sleep, because if you sleep before it’s safe, you might not wake up. This is real. This is my life, every minute, of everyday, to some degree. This is the me you don’t see.” – Jessica, September 30, 2018
“Waking up to messages, comments, shares, from around the world is amazing, and I thank all of you. The gratitude I have, to have this life, and all of you in it is amazing. It is no secret that I am a “loud and proud” diabetic. A sometimes (unapologetically) open book. I love being able to help share moments that are common threads in the Diabetic community, but that little or no one vocalizes. I love being able to express what others cannot, for various different reasons. I would like to continue to do more for the community, in any way I can. I plan to work on more blogs, podcasts, events, whatever. If you would like to join me, come on in!” – Jessica, November 7, 2018
“My reason for sharing these moments is not to put a rain cloud over Diabetes or Diabetics. It’s simply to show how STRONG and how Human we really are. Most diabetics face challenges no one will ever see or know. Giving a voice to some of the moments and emotions is so important. Letting others know your feelings, and offer their help is crucial in being able to LIVE this wonderful life.”– Jessica, November 10, 2018
We’re celebrating World Diabetes Day with musical inspiration from Aretha Franklin on Diabetes Late Nitescheduled for Wednesday, November 14, 2018, 6 PM, EST. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport, Diabetes Strong’s owner Christel Oerum, Beautyphonics CEO and “Beneath The Makeup”Author Suzanne Perez, Jessica Clark, Coach the Cure Health Educator Trisha Artman, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach. Throughout the podcast we will be playing music from Aretha Franklin’s ‘Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics’courtesy of SONY Music. TUNE IN
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.”
