Reflections of a Unicorn with Type 1 Diabetes by Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDCES, Part 3

The Middle Years of Living with Diabetes

By the mid-80’s my insulin regimen involved four shots per day: 3 fast-acting insulin shots (bolus) to be taken prior to each meal and 1 long-acting insulin shot (basal) taken before bed. I was now using a blood glucose meter to help manage my blood sugar. However, pregnancy presented new challenges for me. Insulin demands tripled over the course of nine months. I took extremely good care of my diabetes in order to keep my unborn baby safe. In 1988, I gave birth (via C-section delivery) to a healthy son weighing under 9 pounds. In 1990, I was pregnant again but I experienced a miscarriage in my 11th week of gestation. It was devastating to me (and I rarely talk about it to this day). My gynecologist claimed that the miscarriage was the result of my poor diabetes management. My diabetologist*, Dr. Henry Dolger, disagreed with that assessment. He told me that 20% of pregnancies end in miscarriage and it was totally unrelated to my diabetes self-care. In 1992, I was pregnant again and gave birth (via C-section delivery) to a beautiful baby girl weighing under 9 pounds. I happily devoted the next decade to exclusively raising my children.

Read Part 1

Read Part 2

*A diabetologist is a doctor who specialises in the treatment of diabetes.

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES has published two books which include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes. Available for purchase.

 

MY SWEET LIFE: Successful Women with Diabetes by Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDCES and Friends is a collection of life stories – each chapter written by a highly respected successful woman with diabetes. This group of diverse women share their stories how they find balance between managing their careers and/or family AND managing their diabetes.

The book is compiled by Dr. Beverly S. Adler who is also one of those women. “Dr. Bev” as she is better known, is a clinical psychologist and Certified Diabetes Educator in private practice, specializing treating patients with diabetes and also has had type 1 diabetes for 37 years. All those years ago when she was diagnosed, there were no role models with diabetes for her. This book is geared for women with diabetes who need role models who can inspire them. The book is written for the newly diagnosed woman with diabetes who is overwhelmed with her diagnosis. Or, for the woman who has had diabetes for a while, but can also benefit from uplifting, inspirational stories to encourage and motivate self-care (especially if they already are trying to cope with some complications).

Dr. Bev is joined by 23 contributing authors who are all women of exceptional accomplishments! Each story is unique and heartwarming, as these very special women share their triumph over diabetes. The reader can learn how the women’s experiences with diabetes helped to shape them into who they are today. The theme running through the book is that “diabetes is a blessing in disguise.”

 

Join the happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic and very special guest, Dr. Beverly S. Adler,PhD, CDCES on this episode of Divabetic’s popular podcast. Known as “Dr. Bev,” to her patients, this Baldwin, NY, self-proclaimed “Diabetes Diva” is uniquely qualified to treat patients with diabetes. Dr. Bev has firsthand experience living with Type 1 diabetes for 35+ years. Hear her personal philosophy and learn how she empowers the lives of others living with diabetes. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, find inspiration in “herstory!”

Reflections of a Unicorn with Type 1 Diabetes by Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDCES Clinical Psychologist and Certified Diabetes Care & Education Specialist, Part 2

 The Beginning of My Journey with Diabetes

It was a Monday morning in March 1975 when my GP (then known as General Practitioner, now referred to as Primary Care Physician) had me take a 5-hour oral glucose tolerance test in his office. On Friday, March 14, 1975, I returned to his office for the results of the test. He diagnosed me with “juvenile diabetes” (now referred to as type 1 diabetes). He gave me my first injection of insulin. There were no practice shots for me to learn how to inject myself. There were no diabetes educators or support groups for me to ask for guidance. He recommended a physician who was a specialist in diabetes for me to see for my care. That specialist (a diabetologist) was a wonderful man who helped to empower me to manage my diabetes. His name was Dr. Henry Dolgera “Founding Father” of JDF (now referred to as JDRF, formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). His office staff welcomed me at my first visit  and after reviewing the results from my glucose tolerance test asked me how my stay in the hospital was? I was alarmed, because I was never admitted to any hospital.  To this day I don’t know how high my blood sugar reading was, but it must have been significant.

“I was told at the time of my diagnosis that I would be blind after ten years of living with diabetes.”

Diabetes management in those days was one shot of insulin a day. There were no meters to measure blood sugar, only urine tests to measure sugar “spilled” into your urine. It was an imprecise tool as it measured the sugar which had collected in your bladder. As time went on, my regimen changed to two shots per day. I was told at the time of my diagnosis that I would be blind after ten years of living with diabetes. At 20 years old that was daunting news to hear. I decided to continue studying my college major of psychology, accepting that I could still practice psychology in the future even if I were blind as long as I was able to hear my patients. Thankfully, I was not blind after 10 years, or 20 years, or 30 years or 40+ years! In fact, I have never experienced any diabetic eye complications.

Read Part 1

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES has published two books which include insightful lessons of empowerment written by successful men and women with diabetes. Available for purchase.

 

MY SWEET LIFE: Successful Women with Diabetes by Beverly S. Adler, PhD, CDCES and Friends is a collection of life stories – each chapter written by a highly respected successful woman with diabetes. This group of diverse women share their stories how they find balance between managing their careers and/or family AND managing their diabetes.

The book is compiled by Dr. Beverly S. Adler who is also one of those women. “Dr. Bev” as she is better known, is a clinical psychologist and Certified Diabetes Educator in private practice, specializing treating patients with diabetes and also has had type 1 diabetes for 37 years. All those years ago when she was diagnosed, there were no role models with diabetes for her. This book is geared for women with diabetes who need role models who can inspire them. The book is written for the newly diagnosed woman with diabetes who is overwhelmed with her diagnosis. Or, for the woman who has had diabetes for a while, but can also benefit from uplifting, inspirational stories to encourage and motivate self-care (especially if they already are trying to cope with some complications).

Dr. Bev is joined by 23 contributing authors who are all women of exceptional accomplishments! Each story is unique and heartwarming, as these very special women share their triumph over diabetes. The reader can learn how the women’s experiences with diabetes helped to shape them into who they are today. The theme running through the book is that “diabetes is a blessing in disguise.”

 

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDCES on November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast with musical inspiration from one our all-time favorite divas, Whitney Houston.

Enjoy an exclusive listen of “Whitney Houston – I Wish You Love: More From ‘The Bodyguard’”  courtesy of SONY Music. This 25th anniversary of “The Bodyguard” soundtrack album features the hit song, “I’m Every Woman” echoing the recent statistics that 1 in 10 women are now living with diabetes.

Divabetic Delivers Big Divas on World Diabetes Day!

Our favorite divas from the world of entertainment, beauty/fashion, poetry and diabetes education, Whitney Houston, Constance Brown-Riggs, Karline Ricketts, Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle, Mama Rose Marie and ‘Dr. Bev’, join us to celebrate World Diabetes Day on Diabetes Late Nite scheduled for Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 6 -7:30 PM.

First up, we have an exclusive first listen of “Whitney Houston – I Wish You Love: More From ‘The Bodyguard’” ahead of the album’s release date courtesy of SONY Music.

The Bodyguard Original Soundtrack Album set a record for the most albums sold in a single week since the Nielsen SoundScan introduced a computerized sales monitoring system in May 1991, with sales of 1,061,000 copies during Christmas week of 1992, becoming the first album sold over 1 million in one week.

In November 1999, Houston and The Bodyguard Soundtrack, were named the “Top-selling R&B Female Artist of the Century ” by the RIAA, respectively.

Whitney’s iconic songs are inspiring us to discuss how to become your own ‘Diabetes Bodyguard’.

Safeguarding yourself and your diabetes health requires a healthy dose of Self-Compassion.

Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE discusses how the ‘negative talk’ inside our heads affects our diabetes. 

How do you talk to yourself?  Do you talk to yourself with kindness? Or do you  beat yourself up for being diagnosed with diabetes, unexpected high’s and low’s, your weight and/or unhealthy habits?

There is a vast difference between feeling sorry for yourself and feeling kindness toward yourself. When you see yourself as a victim, you indulge in selfpity. You are a bottomless pit of misery, and you may find yourself crying endless victim tears.

Dr. Beverly Adler (aka “Dr. Bev”, right) is an award-winning certified diabetes educator and diabetes psychologist. She has combined her first-hand knowledge of living with Type 1 diabetes with a PhD in clinical psychology to serve the mental health needs of those within the diabetes community. She’s also written two self-help books ( “My Sweet Life: Successful Men with Diabetes” and “My Sweet Life: Successful Women with Diabetes”) and many articles, and does speaking engagements.

Constance Brown-Riggs discusses her personal fitness journey as well as her new book, “Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World”.

Constance Brown- Riggs is an award winning Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, and the co-author of the new book, “Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World”. This guide provides information on native foods and flavors, strategies for healthy eating, recommended healthful pleasures, dishes for special occasions (or smaller portions), and carbohydrate counts for popular dishes for 11 popular ethnic cuisines. Help your clients learn to quickly identify the best choices for their meal plan, whether preparing ethnic foods at home, eating in restaurants, or traveling abroad.

Karline Ricketts believes“Beauty starts from the inside.”  In 1997, Karline opened her first salon in West Palm Beach, FL, to provide an upscale client environment for a growing ethnic consumer market. This former NYC  accounting professional, who spent many evening hours working for the legendary  Studio 54, retrained and retooled under the tutelage of Paul Mitchell Systems.

You can be an INSTANT WINNER! Enjoy a Divabetic Prize package featuring a Nu Naturals gift basket filled with diabetic safe, low glycemic tooth friendly sweeteners, a Cabot Cheese gift basket filled with an assortment of delicious low-fat cheeses, Dr. Greenfield’s Diabetic Foot, Hand & Body Lotions which specifically designed for people with diabetes with sensitive and delicate skin, and a TRU Chocolate gift box. TRU Chocolate is the only 72% dark chocolate snack that’s sugar free, gluten free, ethically sourced and incredibly delicious. It’s TRU, you can finally eat chocolate and be healthy with their chocolate covered flame raisins, almonds, wafers and gluten free pretzels!

November’s Diabetes Late Nite guests include Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE and Constance Brown Riggs MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN along with Poet Lorraine Brooks, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach featuring Patricia Addie Gentle RN, CDE, Karline Ricketts and Mama Rose Marie.

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.”

CLICK HERE to Listen to November’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tuesday, November 14, 2017, 6 -7:30 PM, EST.