Tag: LADA

Posted on

Fill Out Our Love Across Life Stages of Diabetes Survey

If you’re living with diabetes, then you know firsthand the challenges it can bring to daily life, including in your relationships.

That’s why my organization, Divabetic, is proud to partner with Diabetes Sisters on the first-ever survey on love and relationships for women with diabetes, entitled Love Across Life Stages of Diabetes.

By taking this survey, you can help our organizations better understand your unique experiences and struggles with diabetes and their partners. Your insights can lead to better resources and programming to support you.

Your voice matters, and your participation in this survey can make a real difference. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts and experiences by taking this unique survey.


Co-authors of Divabetic’s ebook, “Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide To Love & Intimacy With Diabetes,” Dr. Janis Roszler PhD, LMFT, CDCES, LD/N, FAND, and Donna Rice MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES offer advice on discussing your diabetes diagnosis as well as issues related to intimacy, fertility, and menopause with the people you care about the most. 

Posted on

Don’t Miss Divabetic’s First Podcast In 2023

Mr. Divabetic talks with international yoga teacher and author Rachel Zinman, living with LADA diabetes, on Divabetic’s popular podcast on Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 6 PM, EST.

Rachel shares how she overcame the years of frustration and confusion associated with a misdiagnosis.

There have been many bumps in the road on Rachel’s journey with LADA diabetes (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults) related to her initial misdiagnosis.  She was initially misdiagnosis with type 2 diabetes. Although many of her symptoms were similar to type 2 diabetes,  she has another condition that may be more closely related to type 1 diabetes called latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA).

It’s not uncommon for someone with LADA to be initially misdiagnosed. Unfortunately, the years spent treating the wrong condition without success can take a toll on your mind, body, and spirit. She shares how yoga and meditation helped her to overcome years of frustration and confusion.

Rachel shares a guided meditation, “Compassion Meditation,” focusing on self-love and compassion to help you live well with diabetes. Rachel’s meditation references Tara, a female deity in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Tara personifies compassion and offers salvation from suffering. She is thought to have been born of empathy for the suffering world and is regularly invoked for protection, guidance, and deliverance from difficult situations.

In Hinduism, she is the second of the ten Mahavidyas, avatars of the great Mother Goddess Mahadevi.

In Buddhism, Tara is a savior deity who liberates souls from suffering. According to origin tales, she emerged from the tear of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara who cried when looking upon the suffering world. She is therefore associated primarily with compassion but can take on many forms to help and protect her devotees.

In her book, Yoga for Diabetes: How to Manage your Health with Yoga and Ayurveda, Rachel Zinman shares her journey and the hard-won wisdom gained from her own experience of yoga and diabetes.

“If you are at all open or curious to learn about an ancient holistic way of healing and supporting the body, this book is for you. Zinman is clearly an expert and looks so glowingly healthy at 50 years old, one may wonder just how much benefit we too can get from incorporating some yoga into our lives.”—Diabetes Daily

 

Posted on

Divabetic Mysteries: Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, Part 1

Divabetic Mysteries podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu is packed with loads of diabetes information, and self-care tips wrapped up in a cozy mystery radio drama.

Brief Synopsis: The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything seems low pressure and low calorie until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives. Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation!

Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive? Or will he be trading his fruit suit for coveralls with stripes?

Weight loss murder never tasted so good.

Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Dave Jones, Catherine Schuller, and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester Weir. Special thanks to Wendy Radford.

Posted on

You Don’t Even Know My Type of Diabetes!

Diabetes is one of the most widely misunderstood conditions around, which is surprising considering its widespread.

There are four main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes. But there are many types of diabetes, including Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY), Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA). There’s even a proposed term for Alzheimer’s disease because of the strong link between Alzheimer’s and blood glucose levels in the brain. Some experts suggest that there should be a Type 4 diabetes to describe cases of type 2 diabetes caused by aging rather than diet or genetics.

Unfortunately, these new discoveries haven’t hit the streets yet. In fact, the general public seems to be completely unaware that there is more than one type of diabetes. Add to that, some leading public health organizations aren’t helping to clear up the matter. 

NPR reports a 2016 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) failed to ask respondents to clarify which type of diabetes they live with. 

“Comingling of the data, particularly from the leading national public health institute of the United States, perpetuates the myth that diabetes is one disease sharing a name, while the reality is that Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are actually two different diseases in the diabetes family,” TD1 Exchange’s executive director Dana Ball and chief medical officer Dr. Henry Anhalt wrote in an open letter. 

More than 34 million people in the United States have diabetes, and 1 in 5 don’t know they have it. More than 88 million US adults—over a third—have prediabetes, and more than 84% of them don’t realize they have it. “

Lack of awareness from both patients and healthcare providers can play havoc with someone’s health. Many people are misdiagnosed with the wrong type of diabetes and struggle to manage their health and related issues of fear, confusion, and shame.

Healthline reports that research published in the journal Diabetologica in 2019 found evidence that more than one-third of adults over age 30 who receive an initial diagnosis of T2D may actually have T1D.

n a commentary about those research findings, Dr. Naveed Saleh wrote that “misdiagnosis… may persist even years later and lead to adverse health outcomes without proper treatment.”

Alicia Keys’ hit song, You Don’t Know My Name inspired this blog post.

I feel strongly that you can’t really be treated appropriately for your diabetes health unless your doctor knows who you are, starting with your name!

To me, it takes two to tango. It’s up to you to share personal information about yourself at your doctor’s appointments. How you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally is the starting point.  But opening up about your daily routines, habits, personal idenitity, feelings of loneliness, and social isolation can help your healthcare provider personalize your care.

It makes sense, right?

To provide the best care, your doctor must understand you and know what your life is like.

Sometimes this can feel uncomfortable.

Today, I know that sharing my sexual identity with my doctors is critical to my care. But that doesn’t negate that I  struggled with coming out to my doctors back in the late ’80s. Hopefully, my journey and Alicia Keys can inspire you to be open and honest with your doctor. It will help them to understand your medical conditions fully and recommend the best treatment choices for you.

Let’s not forget that knowing how to describe your symptoms accurately is helpful too.  

 

 

Posted on

La, LADA Means You Love Yourself Enough To Take Action

Once again we’re attempting to build a bridge between music and diabetes health with this Divabetic blog post.

Several women in the Divabetic community have shared their stories of being misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes when they actually have latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA).

It’s understandable because LADA shares symptoms that correlate with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In fact, LADA often masquerades as type 2 diabetes, given its adult onset and delayed need for insulin treatment. 

But imagine what it feels like to follow your doctor’s guidance word for word and still experience high blood sugars.

You may feel flustered and frustrated. You may feel like you’re spinning your wheels. You may just give up!

That’s why we’d like to urge you to  love yourself enough to take action.

It’s not easy to overcome feelings of anger and annoyance to advocate for one’s health especially if you don’t think your doctor is listening to you. This actually happened to Mila Clarke Buckley, who is known on social media as ‘The Hangry Woman‘.

“In 2016, at 26 years old, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. About a year into my diagnosis, I talked to someone who said my diagnosis didn’t sound right at all, that I should get the GAD65 test. I asked a couple of doctors, but they shrugged me off. On August 4, 2020. I found out that I have LADA – Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults, ” she shared in a blog post.

February’s Divabetic Diabetes Late Nite guest, ‘The Hangry Woman’ shares how she managed to overcome a misdiagnosis to become a powerful diabetes advocate on Tuesday, February 16, 2021, 6 PM, EST. Tune in to the conversation using the link below:

 

 

Let Mila Clarke Buckley inspire you to seek out a second opinion if you’re following your doctor’s guidance for managing type 2 diabetes but still experiencing with chronic high blood sugars. The only way to confirm a diagnosis of LADA is through a blood test that checks for antibodies against the insulin-making cells of the pancreas. Your doctor may also check for levels of a protein called C-peptide to get information on how much insulin your body is making.

We’re dedicating  ‘La La Means I Love You’ by the Delfonics to all the amazing divas living with LADA who advocated for their health.

Posted on

Our Seventh of Blue Christmas Gift Ideas from Asha Brown

On the seventh day of Blue Christmas my true friend, Asha Brown sent to me a copy of ‘Unleash Your Inner Diabetes Dominator: How to Use Your Powers of Choice, Self-Love, and Community to Completely Change Your Relationship with Diabetes for the Better’ by Daniele Hargenrader to inspire me.

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.

 

 

Asha’s pick: “Unleash Your Inner Diabetes Dominator” is a guidebook filled with inspiring stories showing you how to claim your personal power written for people with diabetes and our loved ones. Learn how to use your powers of choice, self-love, and community to completely change your relationship with diabetes for the better, and how to turn a perceived adversity into advantage.

After reading this book, you can expect to feel a paradigm shift in the way you look at diabetes, an increased confidence in yourself and your capacity to handle any challenges you are faced with, as well as a feeling of pride and accomplishment as you take the actions you need to take and see positive results.

3 BONUSES: Get an online health and wellness training program for FREE (over $100 Value) when you take action now. See diabetesbook.com for details.

Readers have also reported feeling a sense of freedom from the physical and emotional stress and anxiety of the day to day management of diabetes including type 1, type 2, pre-diabetes, LADA, gestatational, and MODY.

“This book is perfect for ANY person living with diabetes. It will help you learn how to live your life with joy and empowerment!,” says Asha Brown.

What is a Diabetes Dominator?

“Diabetes Dominator is a state of mind: Instead of diabetes being perceived as a weakness or a curse, diabetes can actually be a great source of strength if we choose to let it,” says Danielle. “We all have the power to turn adversity into advantage. Diabetes can be a catalyst for improving our lives, paying closer attention to what matters most in life, and for being of service to others. I didn’t always feel this way, and that’s why I wrote this book,” adds Danielle.

ABOUT DANIELLE: After Danielle Hargenrader’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis at age 9 and the unexpected and sudden death of her father a few years later, she ballooned up to 200 pounds, and battled clinical depression and a binge eating addiction for over 8 years. Through these adversities, she eventually took herself from obese to athlete. Her book ‘Unleash Your Inner Diabetes Dominator’  provides you witha shortcut (system) to the she took, and continues to travel to this day.

Asha Brown is the Founder and Executive Director of the amazing We Are Diabetes (WAD) organization. WAD is primarily devoted to promoting support, education and awareness for type 1 diabetics who suffer from eating disorders. WAD is dedicated to providing guidance, hope and resources to those who may be struggling, as well as to their families and loved ones.

Asha Brown was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 5 years old. As a dancer, actress and a fitness instructor by the time she was 17, the obsession with maintaining a healthy size and weight while coping with multiple autoimmune disorders (hypothyroidism, polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as type 1 diabetes) became a full-time job. Asha’s experience with symptoms of diabulimia led her to start the We Are Diabetes organization.

Today, Asha works with families, patients, and health professionals across the USA. She uses her personal experiences with ED-DMT1 to offer hope and support to those still struggling. She also establishes relationships with eating disorder facilities and diabetes organizations across the county to help connect people to appropriate care. Asha has presented at NEDA, AADE, and JDRF, among others. She writes for numerous websites including Diabetes Health, Diabetes Daily, and Beyond Type 1. She is a member of Diabetes Advocates and BEDA. 

If you or someone you know is a type 1 diabetic who is struggling with an eating disorder and are seeking support, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to WAD

For the past three years, Asha Brown has made our Diabetes Mystery podcasts truly sparkle! She’s played the organic farmer,  ‘Christine’ in ‘Phantom of the Okra’, the uptight, overworked personal assistant, ’Primrose Crump’ in ‘Suspect Boulevard’ and most recently the glitzy burlesque dancer, Coco Mimosa in this year’s Diabetes Mystery: ‘Gypsies, Tramps & Peas’. She truly brings out the best of each performance. I’m so grateful to Asha for sharing her wonderful acting talents with our listeners and helping us raise awareness for diabetes and educate people about diabetes self-care in a fun, new way.

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 us! 

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?

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

Proudly powered by WordPress