Enjoy this poem, Buttons, by Lorraine Brooks, whose monthly poetry contributions on Divabetic’s podcast help inform and enlighten our listeners. Over the years, Lorraine has helped me champion a weight-neutral approach to managing diabetes. She has shown me and countless others how focusing solely on the number you see on the scale can harm your diabetes health.
Taking a weight-neutral approach involves working outside the confines of weight loss as the primary goal for managing your diabetes. The goal is to respect the body and learn how to cultivate healthy habits. Unlike traditional approaches to weight loss, weight is not used as an indicator of health. The focus is on size acceptance, consistent self-care behaviors, and diabetes care. You can be healthy at every size.
BUTTONS by Lorraine Brooks
I’ve never had buttons
On top of my jeans
I’ve only been able
To wear size of “queens”.
Elastic has often been
Something I needed
In clothing that made me feel
Somewhat defeated.
I longed for the feeling
Of putting on pants
Not worrying if people
Looked at me
Askance.
No more stretch fabric
And no more a “plus”,
And seeing my booty
As big as a bus.
I’m tucking my shirt in,
I’m wearing no sleeves,
My body is freedom
My body believes.
The old grey sweatshirt
That I used to dread
I’m wearing a cardigan sweater
Instead.
I know that this “victory”
Might not seem much
And that I am not “perfect” or
Gorgeous and such.
But trust me and listen
When I have to say
I buttoned my jeans today…
Hip, hip hooray!
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic plays the food game, Serve, Taste or Trash! at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York.
On this episode of Divabetic’s podcast, we pay tribute to Doris Day. Her music, films, glamour, and perkiness are sources of happiness for many people.
Doris Day was the queen of early ’60s comedies, coyly flirtatious films filled with sexual innuendo and double entendres. The most famous of these, Pillow Talk (1959), the first of three that co-starred Rock Hudson, established her persona as an independent and successful career woman, as comfortable in the board room as she was in jazz clubs. Like her other roles, her character didn’t see herself as incomplete without a husband—an idea still quite revolutionary at the time. She got on with her life. Her characters often had chic apartments, exciting jobs, and smashing wardrobes. In most of her films, Doris showcased a spunky, can-do personality and jaunty independence.
Doris Day experienced many professional and personal ups and downs in real life, but nothing seemed to dim her dazzle. She said, “No matter what happens if I get pushed down, I’m going to come right back up.”
Often Doris Day credited her pets for their support during hard times. She was a lifelong animal lover and advocate who used her celebrity status to make a difference for animals.
Pets can help their owners overcome depression through their companionship and unconditional love. They possess the natural ability to help you relax and enjoy life more. Pets can also help when you experience times of loneliness. They can also help lower blood pressure; if trained, they can alert their owners to dangerously low blood sugar levels.
Pets can also help you improve your lifestyle. Eric O’Grey’s weight had ballooned to 320 pounds, and he was spending more than $1,000 a month on medications for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol when his naturopathic doctor suggested he adopt a shelter dog.
Eric took that advice, heading to the Humane Society, and adopted an obese middle-aged dog named Peety.
Together, Eric and Peety started walking for at least a half-hour a day. Eric also adopted a plant-based diet. Ultimately Eric lost 140 pounds, and Peety lost 25 pounds.
Hear Eric’s interview on this episode of Divabetic’s popular podcast.
Another book, Elle & Coach: Diabetes, the Fight for My Daughter’s Life, and the Dog Who Changed Everything, describes how a trained diabetes alert dog can help alert its owner to low blood sugar levels. It’s the true story of a Type-A mom struggling to care for a daughter with Type 1 diabetes and of an incredible service dog who changes their lives for the better.
Listen to our interview with Elle & Coach author Mark Dagostino about his book on this podcast:
Our Doris Day Tribute Podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES, Neva White DNP, CRNP, CDCES, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie, Best-Selling Author and Romance Psychology Expert Rachel Van Dyken and Marguerite van Reenen from South Africa.
Since its inception, Broadway Barks has helped thousands of NYC shelter animals find permanent homes.
The event prompted me to revisit a past Divabetic podcast with guest, Walking With Peety: The Dog Who Saved My LifeAuthor Eric O’Grey, who turned his type 2 diabetes diagnosis around after adopting a rescue dog.
Eric O’Grey’s weight had ballooned to 320 pounds, and he was spending more than $1,000 a month on medications for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol when his naturopathic doctor suggested he adopt a shelter dog.
Eric took that advice, heading to the Humane Society, and adopted an obese middle-aged dog named Peety.
Together, Eric and Peety started walking for at least a half-hour a day. Eric also adopted a plant-based diet. Ultimately Eric lost 140 pounds, and Peety lost 25 pounds.
Hear Eric’s interview on this episode of Divabetic’s popular podcast.
Podcast guests include Chilbrook Kennels Breeder Author, Diabetes Alert Dog, and Scent Detection Expert Debby Kay, Walking with PeetyAuthor Eric O’Grey, Poet Lorraine Brooks, ‘Yoga for Diabetes’ Author Rachel Zinman, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.
Throughout the podcast, we will feature songs from P!nk’s Beautiful Trauma album courtesy of SONY Music.
Over 37 million Americans have diabetes, and 96 million have prediabetes. This includes people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQAI+). About 25% of gay or bisexual men and 14% of lesbian or bisexual women have been diagnosed with diabetes, compared to about 10% of the general population.
If you’re a member of the LGBTQAI+ community, learn about factors that may put you at a higher risk of developing diabetes. Divabetic can help you take charge of your health. You are not alone; we see and hear you.
Mr. Divabetic is an openly cisgender gay man who advocates for diabetes. He sees similarities between accepting your sexual identity and accepting a diabetes diagnosis. Both identities seem steeped in shame and blame by the general public. Coming to terms with who you are and/or your health status is a powerful journey in self-love and self-acceptance.
“My coming out journey transformed my life,” says Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. “It was a powerful act of courage, self-love, and acceptance. Not everyone chooses to do it, and that’s okay. I traveled across the country to California to seek my truth. I needed that much distance from friends and relatives to feel safe. At the time, I felt I could resume my life on the East Coast if no one knew what happened on the West Coast. However, I realized once I kissed another man that I was gay and began the lifelong process of coming out to my friends, my family, my co-workers, and acquaintances. There were many difficult and awkward conversations. I have been shamed and have lost work because of it, but I don’t regret it. Coming out is a lifelong process because every time I meet and become friends with someone new, there’s a feeling inside me urging me to speak my truth. Keeping my sexuality a secret feels toxic.”
Poet Lorraine Brooks shares this beautiful poem, Out Gay & Here, to celebrate Pride Month.
Out Gay And Here by Lorraine Brooks
so tell me what it meant to you
in all your human glory
the fears, the chance, the honesty,
the day you told your story.
was shame the thing that kept you from
revealing your true wants?
were you afraid of hearing
all the ridicule and taunts?
or did you hold your head up, high
defying any doubt…
and did you shout with confidence
I’m here, I’m gay, I’m OUT?!?
did parents, friends, and foes alike
recoil in true disgust,
or did your people smile and say
we thank you for, your trust?
did you feel better having said
what some already knew,
and were you now beginning to
explore a better “you”?
is being out the best thing
that you’ve ever done so far?
or were you left with wondering
why you are who you are?
is life a bit more happy now
that you have said the word?
has anybody turned away
and left your voice unheard?
have you been embraced by
a community of peers?
and have you now acknowledged
that you’re one of all the queers?
you’re here, you’re out, you’re satisfied.
you’re lesbian, you’re gay.
you’re trans, you’re bi, you’re curious…
but mostly, YOU’RE OK!!
you’ve partnered with,
you’ve broken up,
you’ve shut your mouth,
you’ve spoken up.
you’ve bagged it up,
you’ve not complained,
you’ve used a whip,
you’ve been restrained.
you’ve doggy-styled,
you’ve been on top,
you’ve started it,
you’ve made it stop.
you’ve been alone,
you’ve been in pairs,
you’ve shaved it or,
you’ve cut its hairs.
you’ve used your tongue,
you’ve used your hands,
you’ve tied it up
with rubber bands.
you’ve worked it in,
you’ve done without,
you’ve muzzled it,
you’ve made it shout.
but in the end
you’ve all declared…
in voices loud and clear…
this is who,you are and now…
YOU’RE OUT AND GAY AND HERE!!!
The newly redesigned rainbow flag ensures inclusivity is at the heart of the LGBTQ+ movement. The new design incorporated intersex people into the movement and was led by Valentino Vecchietti.
On this episode of Divabetic’s popular podcast, Mr. Divabetic spotlights LGBTQAI+ people living with, affected by, and at risk of diabetes with music from Indigo Girls.
Research shows that LGBTQAI+ people have unique health disparities and worse health outcomes than their heterosexual counterparts regarding diabetes care and education.
Mr. Divabetic stops by the Gay Pride March in New York to raise awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way. The first March was held in 1970 and has since become an annual civil rights demonstration. Over the years its purpose has broadened to include recognition of the fight against AIDS and to remember those we have lost to illness, violence, and neglect.
Mr. Divabetic plays his food game, Serve, Taste or Trash! with participants and crowd goers to help encourage people to read nutritional labels. You might be surprised by the facts. In the game, you are given three choices of popular snack foods: a Kit Kat White Chocolate bar, a Balance Bar (Yogurt Honey Peanut), and a Vita Coco Pure Coconut Water with Orange, 11. 1 fl oz. To play, you must decide which item you’d serve, which you’d taste, and which you’d trash. Can you tell which one contains the most sugar? Kit Kat White Chocolate bar contains and the Balance Bar (Yogurt Honey Peanut) both contain 18 grams of sugar and a Vita Coco Pure Coconut Water with Orange, 11. 1 fl oz. Contains 20 grams of sugar.
We’re talking about ‘Diabetes & Pride’ on this episode of Divabetic’s popular podcast with musical and identity inspiration from Ricky Martin.
Since Ricky Martin came out in 2010, he’s been a prominent voice for LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S. and his native Puerto Rico. Ricky Martin said, “I just wanna be free,” upon receiving GLAAD’s Vito Russo Award, which honors gay entertainers who promote equal rights. Martin opened up his life to Vanity Fair in its April 2012 issue and spoke candidly about his twins, Matteo and Valentino, and his longtime partner, Carlos Gonzalez.
As an openly gay man, Mr. Divabetic is honored to shine the spotlight on members of the LGBTQ+ community living with diabetes. Guests include Stephen Bernstein, Greg Rubin, Maria Salazar, Maya James, and the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach.
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.”
Mermaids of nearly every imaginable description (Swedish Fish singing ABBAand Mime-Maids) lined Surf Avenue in Coney Island for the 41st Mermaid Parade.
It was an incredible display of art, body positivity, cleverness, and creativity.
This year’s parade is billed as the nation’s largest arts parade. Hip-hop legend Kool Keith was its king, and city Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo was its queen.
The main goal of the parade is to spread positivity and fun, and it continues to do so year after year.
The Mermaid Parade is all about body positivity. Body positivity is a movement that promotes acceptance of all bodies, regardless of size, shape, skin tone, gender, and physical abilities.
According to the Office on Women’s Health, a healthy body image means feeling good about looking and feeling comfortable in one’s body. Conversely, they report that having a negative body image can put one at a higher risk for mental health conditions, including eating disorders.
The true meaning of being positive about your body is self-acceptance and learning what is healthy specifically for you.
It’s a gathering of scantily clad folks who aren’t afraid to wear sequins, bare midriffs, fins, and sea-inspired costumes in broad daylight, with thousands of people watching.
The Mermaid Parade allows women to dress up as Drag Queens.
“Just like the Halloween parade — it’s all authentic New Yorkers. And this is an authentic New York event, she said.
The parade has been held nearly every year since 1983 but went virtual in 2020 and was canceled in 2021 because of the COVID pandemic.
The Mermaid Parade is a chance to get made up, express yourself, hear live music, see classic cars, and enjoy the creative spirit of New Yorkers.
Organizers estimate hundreds of thousands of people come out each year.
A ceremony on the beach also marks the start of the official summer swimming season on Coney Island.
Check out Divabetic’s Mystery podcast, Gypsies, Tramps & Peas.
Diabetes advocate turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Mr. Divabetic finally takes the plunge and ventures into a new career as a healthy caterer in Coney Island. With the help of his co-workers and nosy Italian mother, he heads for Coney Island to cater his first party aboard a yacht for his former swim coach, Ted Rockow. But his nautical soiree quickly capsizes when the guest of honor is found swimming with the fish. Was it an accident or foul play? Now Mr. Divabetic’s grilling Burlesque dancers, a lifeguard lothario, and some sequined mermaids, all intent on keeping their secrets buried deep within the sand.
Can Mr. Divabetic prove Coach’s death was a murder, not an accident? Or will he end up floating out to sea?
Will he sink or swim? Tune in to find out if he can solve the murder of his former swim coach with the help of his friends, some sassy mermaids, and a cooky fortune teller. Along the way to revealing the identity of the murderer, he uncovers expert tips for diabetes self-care during the Summer months.
USA Today Best-Selling Author, Tonya Kappes, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic,’ Seveda Williams, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay MEd, NDTR, Mama Rose Marie, and Lorraine Brooks help the fruit suit-clad sleuth in this seaside adventure.
Divabetic Mysteries podcast features music from the original cast recording of ‘Gypsy’ courtesy of SONY Music.
Poet Lorraine Brooks shares her poem about habits on Divabetic‘s Healthy Swaps podcast. We’re offering simple ideas to help you live your best diabetes life on our podcast.
We understand many people deal with diabetes distress and feel overwhelmed by the rentlessness of diabetes.
Feeling this way about your diabetes is understandable and it’s a natural reaction for anyone that’s been diagnosed with a long-term health condition.
Lots of people feel like this sometimes but it’s important you get help. If you don’t get support to help you cope, you’re more likely to reach burnout and that can be really serious. Please let us join you on the journey.
Habits by Lorraine Brooks
To do somethig once
Doesn’t make a habit yet
You have to repeat
Some habits are good
Like eating our vegetables
And counting our carbs
Bad habits die hard.
Our chooices become lifestyles.
And sometimes are poor
What is a habit
A behavior that binds us
But you can break free
To age with kindness
Cmes from having good habits
From when we are young.
I dont mind aging
Because I have formed habits\
That serve e well now
I’m aging like wine
Rich and mellow and sparkling
My habits paid off
I know I’m OK
I have worked hard to get here
And I will not quit
Be Kind To Yourself
Try to manage your expectations about your blood sugar levels and A1c test results and set smaller, more realistic goals.
It also helps to stop using phrases like ‘good’ or ‘bad’ blood sugar – as this can constantly feel like you’ve done something wrong. Talk about high or low blood sugar instead.
Taking time for yourself, like booking a massage or setting an evening aside for a long bath can help you relax.
We’re sharing healthy swap ideas on this episode of Divabetic‘s podcast. With a few simple swaps, you can help live your best life while managing your diabetes. Our experts offer straightforward, simple, and fun swap ideas for drinks, medications, self-care, and fashion. Plus, we share style tips and words of inspiration to help you maintain a healthy habit.
Developing these habits isn’t always easy. Adapting to a new routine can be tricky, and it’s often tempting to want to return to old ways if we don’t see immediate results. One of the biggest mistakes people make when forming a new habit is taking on too much too quickly. Focus on what’s working in your diabetes self-care plan before overhauling diabetes management. Instead of decluttering the entire house, why not focus on one room or closet? Why not focus on the calories you drink rather than everything you eat? If you want to eat healthier, try replacing one dessert daily with a piece of fruit rather than cutting out sugar completely. If you’re going to get into hiking, start with a walk at lunchtime. Setting small goals you can achieve will help keep you motivated along the way.
Guests include Catherine Schuller, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RD, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, MEd, NDTR, and MamaRose Marie. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
Clarence Waldron talks about his stroke, recovery, working as Senior Editor and Writer of Jet Magazine, and his memories of Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin in this YouTube video. Twenty years ago, Clarence interviewed Luther’s mother, Mrs. Mary Ida Vandross, for Jet Magazine after Luther suffered a stroke due to mismanaged type 2 diabetes.
This is what happens when you serve Grilled Asparagus prepared on an Outdoor Grill – they’re gone within minutes!
I have an intense dislike of peas, but I love asparagus. It’s a good thing, too, because asparagus is rich in minerals and vitamins A, C, and folic acid. It’s a fibrous vegetable that may support a healthy gut, as well as help lower blood pressure.
So easy to make too. Clean, cut, and trim asparagus spears. I like to cut off the white ends – they’re dense and hard to chew. On some pencil-thine spears (harder to manage on the grill), the white woody ends may not tenderize once cooked. On larger stalks, those same ends never soften. However, it’s not necessary to trim asparagus.
The night before, tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Then grill the asparagus for 8-10 minutes over medium flame until soft, and add lemon zest before serving. Delicious!
We’re sharing a few simple swaps to help you live your best life while managing your diabetes on this episode of Divabetic’s podcast. Guests include Catherine Schuller, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RD, CDCES, MaryAnn Horst Nicolay, MEd, NDTR, and MamaRose Marie. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
This podcast features music from Aretha Franklin’s Get It Right and Who’s Zooming Who albums courtesy of SONY Music
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic stops by the 10th annual Big Apple Barbecue Block Party at Madison Square Park in New York City. Hear how everyday people stay on track with their health goals while indulging in summertime fun.
Tina Turner is ‘simply the best’ for raising awareness for the link between untreated high blood pressure and kidney failure during her lifetime.
“I can’t remember ever getting an explanation about what high blood pressure means or how it affects the body,” Tina Turner said in an article for Show Your Kidneys Love, an international campaign for kidney health.
“My kidneys are victims of my elevated blood pressure” -Tina Turner
She was on dialysis after having a kidney transplant years ago due to untreated hypertension. Untreated hypertension can cause blood vessels to narrow, decreasing blood flow to the kidneys. Without proper blood flow, the kidneys cannot remove excess fluid and waste from the body — and as that fluid builds up, blood pressure will only increase further. Chronic kidney disease may cause arms, legs, and face swelling. It’s a dangerous cycle that can lead to kidney failure, but intervening early is possible.
“I considered high blood pressure my normal,” Tina Turner is quoted on Show Your Kidneys Love’s website. “Hence, I didn’t really try to control it. In 1985 a doctor gave me a prescription for pills of which I was supposed to take one a day, and that was it. I didn’t give it any more thought. After suffering a stroke in 2009 because of my poorly controlled hypertension I struggled to get back up on my feet. This is when I first learned that my kidneys didn’t work that well anymore. They had already lost thirty-five percent of their function. I tried to learn more about these organs’ function and meaning. Most people probably don’t even know where their kidneys are located and what they are for until their health is at stake.”
Mismanaged high blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure in the US.
Memorial Day Weekend is an excellent time to inform people of the link between alcohol and high blood pressure. Drinks with friends can be the best part of a three-day weekend, but when, what, and how much you drink matters.
Research shows drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure to unhealthy levels. Having more than three drinks in one sitting temporarily raises blood pressure. Repeated binge drinking can lead to long-term increases in blood pressure.
What is Moderate Drinking?
Moderate drinking means having no more than one drink daily for women and no more than two drinks for men.
One can argue that Tina Turner frequently admitted she didn’t smoke or drink alcohol. But she admitted that after being diagnosed with high blood pressure in 1978, she thought of it as her “normal” and didn’t attempt to control it.
“I put myself at great danger by refusing to accept the reality that I required daily medication for the rest of my life,” she wrote on Instagram on March 9.
“Show your kidneys love. They deserve it.”
We’re discussing kidney disease and diabetes on this Divabetic podcast with musical inspiration from P.M. Dawn.
Prince Be, the psychedelic pop-rap group P.M. Dawn’s frontman, suffered various health problems from mismanaged type 2 diabetes. He had several strokes, including one in 2005 that left him partly paralyzed, and gangrene, which led to the partial amputation of one leg. He died of renal failure resulting from complications of diabetes at age 46.
Renal failure (often called kidney failure) is when the kidneys stop working and cannot remove waste and extra water from the blood or keep body chemicals in balance. Acute or severe renal failure happens suddenly (for example, after an injury) and may be treated and cured. Chronic renal failure develops over many years, may be caused by conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, and cannot be cured. Chronic renal failure may lead to dialysis (cleaning the blood by passing it through a membrane or filter) or a kidney transplant.
Tina Turner believed most people don’t know their kidneys are located; this video proves they don’t know where their pancreas is either! Your pancreas produces insulin. Insulin lowers blood sugar levels in your body.
Etta James inspires this episode of Divabetic’s podcast.
After the six-time Grammy award winner conquered her drug addiction in 1988, she struggled with her weight. At the peak of her obesity, she reportedly weighed as much as 400 pounds. At just five foot three, this weight gain often left her bedbound, and when she did appear publicly, she was seen in a wheelchair. She was unable to perform during this period.
However, after successful gastric bypass surgery, she lost over 200 pounds and began to perform again.
She told Ebony Magazine in 2006 she could sing “lower, louder and longer” than before.
However, she still had enormous difficulty adjusting to her smaller stomach. “I had trouble keeping food down,” she said. Her mental health also suffered. “I went through a depression. You’re doing well, and then all of a sudden you’re not. I thought I was going to fail.”
Etta James’s openness about her frustrations in managing her weight after the surgery has helped other people cope with the same issues. It’s important to remember you’re not alone if you struggle with weight loss issues, depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem. You owe it to yourself to get comprehensive treatment for all your symptoms—including your mental health symptoms. Seek a referral to a mental health professional to get the treatment you need for any mental health issues you are dealing with.
As she entered her 70s, Etta James began struggling with health issues. She was hospitalized in 2010 for a blood infection and other ailments. It was later revealed that the legendary singer suffered from dementia and was receiving treatment for leukemia.
Podcast guests include Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Monique Renee Rolle, Catherine Schuller, Susan Greenberg Weiner, and Mama Rose Marie.
Throughout the podcast, we will spotlight Etta James’ iconic recordings from the All The Way and The Essential Etta James albums courtesy of SONY MUSIC.
Diabetes Late Nite podcast inspired by Etta James, is free on iTunes, BlogTalkRadio, and Spotify.
Yesterday, my mother and I went to the Palmetto Opera‘s performance of Great Voices from Broadway to Opera for a belated Mother’s Day celebration. The program featured some of opera’s greatest arias, duets, and memorable songs from the Golden Age of Broadway. My mom loves Phantom of the Opera, and I love Turandot‘s Nessun Dorma and La Traviata‘s Sempre Libera, so it was a win-win for both of us.
The concert also featured two songs from Italian composer Giacomo Puccini‘s masterpiece, La Boheme (O Mimi, tu piu non torni, O soave fancuilla).
Giacomo Puccini was born in 1858 and later diagnosed with diabetes in 1908. Numerous reports mention that he struggled to manage his diagnosis for much of his life. Understandably, managing diabetes was difficult before the discovery of insulin wasn’t until 1921.
Before insulin was discovered in 1921, people with diabetes were put on very strict diets with minimal carbohydrate intake. Some doctors prescribed as little as 450 calories a day! Sadly, some people with diabetes died of starvation.
On this Divabetic podcast, we intersperse highlights of the history of diabetes, self-care treatments, and innovations for the past hundred years as we discuss Puccini’s artistry and life.
Divabetic podcast guests include Toby Smithson, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES, FAND, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES. Hosted by Mr. Divabetic.
Giacomo Puccini’s artistic triumphs include La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly. Unfortunately, his last opera, based on the fable of Turandot, would remain unfinished due to his death from throat cancer in Brussels in 1924.
Plus, we had the added treat of hearing the Theme from The Godfather and The Impossible Dream from Man Of La Mancha.
People with diabetes and their loved ones probably considered the discovery of insulin the impossible dream.
A young surgeon named Frederick Banting and his assistant Charles Best figured out how to remove insulin from a dog’s pancreas in 1921. They continued to experiment with dogs until January 1922. Leonard Thompson, a 14-year-old boy dying from diabetes in a Toronto hospital, was the first to receive an insulin injection. Within 24 hours, Leonard’s dangerously high blood glucose dropped to near-normal levels.
The news about insulin spread around the world like wildfire. In 1923, Banting and Macleod received the Nobel Prize in Medicine, which they shared with Best and Collip. Thank you, diabetes researchers!
My boss, Luther Vandross, who had type 2 diabetes, recorded The Impossible Dream for his Songs album. He performed it many times in concert to the thrill of audiences. Recently PBS aired his performance at Royal Albert Hall in London.
Interesting Fact: The University of South Carolina boasts a top-rated music school with an Opera department.
We’re discussing minimizing the drama in our diabetes lives with music from the ultimate diva, Maria Callas.
Maria Callas changed how we listen to opera—and charged the ambition of the singers who followed her. Her ability to interpret a wide variety of different roles truly set her apart, establishing her as a phenomenon, an operatic diva. She could fully exploit the dramatic strength of her low vocal range as much as the high and bright notes of her high range.
Opera takes any dramatic story and tries to make it more exciting and more believable with the help of music. Symptoms and situations related to diabetes are often dramatic and come on very suddenly. But how do you react to them? Are you a ‘drama queen’?
Whenever we are immersed in something overwhelming, we can learn how to deal with challenges better.
Divabetic podcast guests include Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport LCSW, PsyD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES.
