new attitude – Divabetic

09/18/2023

Patti LaBelle’s New Attiude About Living With Diabetes

I coined the phrase “Divabetic” watching Patti Labelle on stage during a Luther Vandross Tribute show in New York City in 2003. She said, “Diabetes doesn’t have me. I have diabetes.” Her bold, outspoken attitude about living with diabetes inspired me. I wish more people would adopt her approach and speak about living with diabetes. Informing your friends, co-workers, and family members about how to treat high and low blood sugar levels doesn’t just help you. It helps them, too.

Talking about diabetes isn’t always easy. But opening up could help you with coping with diabetes if you need it. If I had known more about my boss, Luther Vandross‘s type 2 diabetes, maybe I could have helped prevent his stroke from occurring.

Hopefully, Patti LaBelle’s iconic song, New Attitude, can inspire you to talk about your experience living with diabetes.

It can be hard to get started, or it’s just not the right moment. Maybe it’s easier to deal with your diabetes alone.

Help Us Light the Way During National Diabetes Awareness Month (November)

Approximately 96 million American adults—more than 1 in 3—have prediabetes. Did you know that over 80% don’t know they have it? Prediabetes increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

This November, join Divabetic’s Blue Candle initiative and encourage your friends, co-workers, and family members to be screened for pre-diabetes. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers a quick, easy online Pre-Diabetes risk test.

Prediabetes Risk Test

Be by their side when they check, and share your experience of living well with diabetes so they can see that living well with diabetes is possible. Together, we can help others come out of the dark, address their diabetes health status, and start living their lives to the fullest.

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.

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.

Clarence’s story is an excellent reminder of why it’s essential to ACT F.A.S.T. if you or a loved one is experiencing a stroke. The acronym FAST (Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, and Time) has been used by the National Stroke Association, American Heart Association, and others to educate the public on detecting stroke symptoms. Earlier treatment results in a greater chance of recovery, a reduced likelihood of permanent disability, and a lesser need for extensive rehabilitation.

You’ll quickly hear Clarence’s upbeat attitude and ferocious appetite for music and divas have served him well during his recovery. Throughout this podcast, we feature music from Aretha Franklin’s Get It Right album and Luther Vandross’s Live At Radio City Music Hall 2003 20th Anniversary Edition album courtesy of SONY Music.

We’re sharing excerpts of interviews from our favorite Divabetic podcasts over the years.

This excerpt is from our Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes Diagnosis Turnaround podcast with Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDCES, CHWC, FAND, and gospel singer Pat Lacy.

Jill Weisenberger is recognized internationally for her expertise in nutrition, diabetes, and prediabetes. She worked as a nutrition counselor, diabetes educator, and health coach in hospitals, research, and private practice settings. Jill helps leverage resources, recipes, and scientific insights to find better ways to improve eating and smart living, reduce the risk of mismanaged diabetes health-related complications, and support better health. Jill Weisenberger is the author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide, 2nd edition, Diabetes Weight Loss Week By Week, 21 Things You Need to Know About Diabetes and Your Heart, and The Overworked Person’s Guide To Better Nutrition. Additionally, she offers the Prediabetes Meal Planning Crash Course, Prediabetes Turnaround, Type 2 Eating Guide, and a Stick With It Video Course. Gospel Singer

Pat Lacy, who has worked with The Sounds of Blackness and Luther Vandross, shares her experience living with type 2 diabetes and how she modified her lifestyle to take charge of her health. This podcast features music from Pat Lacy’s upcoming gospel album, I’m Taking You To Church.

Click this link for the full Prediabetes & Type 2 Diabetes Turnaround podcast.

07/14/2020

31 Days Of Divabetic Podcasts, Day Fourteen

Divabetic (Divabetic.org) presents a month-long showcase celebrating 10 years of diabetes podcasting. Each of the featured podcasts spotlights our favorite guests, topics, poems, games and/or musical inspiration. Enjoy!

On Day 14, we’re spotlighting tonight’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast inspired by Patti LaBellle. Back in 2003, Patti LaBelle inspired me to coin the phrase ‘Divabetic’ when she said “I have diabetes, diabetes doesn’t have me.” Her outspoken attitude about living with diabetes pierced my heart as I sat in the audience. I wished that Luther had spoken to me about his diabetes and how to help him in case there was an emergency. Of course, you can’t turn back the clock. All I can do is share my experience with you in the hope you will be motivated to involve your family, friends and co-workers in your daily diabetes self-care.

Tonight’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast also signifies a new milestone in diabetes outreach for Divabetic. For the past decade we have produced at least one podcast each month of every year.

“All great achievements require time,” said Dr. Maya Angelou. She added, “Nothing will work unless you do.”

I staged a ‘comeback’ and so can you!

Back in July 2010, I was brokenhearted and discouraged. A full year had passed since Divabetic lost it’s major funding for it’s national outreach program, Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes and there was no light in sight. I felt like a failure. I was staring at a pile of rejection letters from numerous foundations and pharmaceutical companies requesting funding and another pile of requests from women with diabetes and/or certified diabetes educators begging us to bring Divabetic – Makeover Your Diabetes to their city. So it’s probably not a shock to learn that I said, “no” when it was suggested that I host a podcast.

Why would I want to do something new when I had just failed so miserably and let so many people down?
Starting over is not easy. However, I’ve had to do it several times in my life. In 2003, when I found my boss, Luther Vandross after he suffered a devastating stroke related to mismanagement of type 2 diabetes. In 2005, when Luther Vandross died and I lost my job (as well as my identity). In 2009, when Divabetic lost it’s major source of funding. Somehow after suffering every one of these ‘soul punches’ I persisted and so can you! That’s the message of this milestone.

Thank you to my team, our guests, SONY Music and you, our listeners for an amazing decade of diabetes podcasting. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for your help in helping me get back my groove. GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS!

We’re celebrating Divabetic’s 10th Year Podcast Anniversary with music from the world’s most famous “Divabetic”– Ms. Patti LaBelle. She has inspired us to adopt and promote a ‘NEW ATTITUDE’ about living with diabetes!

Thank you to our loyal listeners for sharing your stories, questions, concerns, and successes with us over the past decade. Our aim has been and continues to be to broaden the appeal of diabetes education with music, beauty/style, games, real-life stories, cozy mysteries radio dramas, and laughter.

10th Year Podcast Anniversary guests include: Patricia Addie-Gentle, RN, CDE, Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Andrea Chisholm OB-GYN, Luther McRae, Mama Rose Marie, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller, Terri Seidman and special guests.

Our monthly podcasts are dedicated to Music Lovers living with, at risk and/or affected by diabetes. We aim to be the epicenter of the circle of care, a link between patients and their health care providers, a translator of clinical speak and a bridge between denial and acceptance, fear and confidence

Divabetic was inspired by the late music legend, Luther Vandross and created in 2005 by Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek, who, as Vandross’ assistant of 14 years, witnessed his boss, mentor, and friend struggle in silence and solitude with the diabetes and its related complications. Since its inception, Divabetic has presented outreach programs in 15 major U.S. cities, reaching hundreds of thousands of women, their families and health care professionals.

Experience more of our GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS philosophy at divabetic.org

07/04/202007/04/2020

Patti LaBelle Inspired The Phrase: ‘Divabetic’

July’s Divabetic Inspiration, Ms. Patti LaBelle performs tonight on A Capitol Fourth on PBS and NPR, July 4 at 8 PM. EST. TUNE IN

It seems only fitting on the 4th of July to reflect back to the time when Patti LaBelle’s electric persona sparked my desire to become a diabetes advocate.

Yes, it’s true the world’s most famous ‘Divabetic’, Patti LaBelle inspired me to coin the phrase ‘Divabetic’ in 2003. During a Luther Tribute concert at Madison Square Garden she stopped singing and admitted to the sold-out audience that she was living with type 2 diabetes.

Ms. Patti LaBelle said, “I have diabetes, it doesn’t have me.’ and I thought to myself as I looked up at her on stage, ‘she’s a DIVA, not a diabetic’.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon

It’s always been inside of you, you, you

And now it’s time to let it through

Seconds later, I realized that the ‘V’ in ‘Divabetic’ was a subtle reference to my boss, Luther Vandross’s last name. These initial thoughts are what pushed me to step out of my comfort zone and pursue diabetes advocacy. Shortly thereafter, I started making ‘Divabetic’ t-shirts as a one-time diabetes fundraising effort. My t-shirts had ‘Divabetic written on the front and ‘Sugar’s The Bitch. Not Me.’ written on the back.

I personally gave Patti LaBelle one of my first Divabetic t-shirts and told her that she inspired me to coin the phrase ‘Divabetic’. We were both visiting Luther’s mother, Mrs. Mary Ida Vandross at her home in Philadelphia, PA. I told her how much I appreciated what she said up on stage and mentioned that I wished Luther could have been as open and forthright about his diabetes as she is.

Of course, I’ll never really know what would have happened if Luther had adopted Patti LaBelle’s attitude. Could he have avoided a major health crisis? All I know is that I wouldn’t have felt as helpless as I did when I found him on the floor of his home after he suffered a debilitating stroke.

Since the day I presented Patti LaBelle with a Divabetic t-shirt, she has happily proclaimed herself a ‘Divabetic’ on TV and radio and in magazine interviews. She has helped me to show women living with, at risk, affected by diabetes that they are NOT alone.

https://youtu.be/kxCcTfAkaE0

Let Ms. Patti LaBelle inspire you to create your very own entourage of healthcare professionals to live with diabetes like a diva!

According to the American Diabetes Association, your diabetes wellness healthcare team should include: your primary doctor, endocrinologists, registered dietitian (RD), certified diabetes educators (CDE), eye doctor, podiatrist, dentist, therapist, and loving, caring friends, family and co-workers.

You just gotta ignite the light

And let it shine

Just own the night

Like the Fourth of July

My journey may seem ‘glamorous’ but the truth is that diabetes devastated my life and my dream. It silenced Luther Vandross’ beautiful voice. I encourage you to make time and ‘keep your house a home’ by learning to prevent a diabetes health-related complication such as stroke from occurring.

We’re celebrating Divabetic’s 10th Year Podcast Anniversary with music from the world’s most famous “Divabetic”– Ms. Patti LaBelle. She has inspired us to adopt and promote a ‘NEW ATTITUDE’ about living with diabetes!

10th Year Anniversary Podcast guests include: Patricia Addie-Gentle, RN, CDE, Lorraine Brooks, Dr. Andrea Chisholm OB-GYN, Luther McRae, Mama Rose Marie, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN, Dr. Beverly S. Adler PhD, CDE, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller, Terri Seidman and special guests.

One lucky listner in our random drawing will win a Dario Blood Glucose Meter starter kit. This all-in-one pocket-sized device can track blood sugar fluctuations and trends and identify hyper/hypoglycemic episodes right from your smartphone, providing readings within as little as 6 seconds. It’s scientifically proven, HIPPA compliant, and includes Dario Coaches to offer support and motivation to help manage your diabetes.

We’d like to acknowledge everyone who has taken measures to protect our Divabetic community members living with diabetes and their loved ones by wearing cloth face coverings and social distancing.