NYC Parades – Divabetic

Season 3 of one of my favorite Acorn TV shoes, Under The Vines, tackles the challenges of adult-onset blindness. The blindness of the owner of the neighboring vineyard, Hilary (Catherine Wilkin), is worsening. What Hillary is experiencing isn’t just a great storyline in a TV drama; it’s more common than you think.

One of the leading causes of blindness in U. S. adults is mismanaged diabetes. Diabetes Retinopathy is a condition caused by diabetes, which disrupts the body’s ability to convert food into energy and can damage the eyes.

Many people with diabetes don’t realize they have it until organ damage has occurred, so regular health and vision check-ups are essential.

Hilary struggles to accept her condition and ask for help. She is stubborn, willful, and narrow-minded, much like many people struggling with worsening health conditions. She flatly refuses her rival, Miranda’s offers to take her to the doctor, clean her house, and help run her vineyards. Of course, Miranda has ulterior motives for helping Hilary, but that’s another story.

If you’re concerned about your vision, follow the advice of healthcare collaborators on how often you should go for exams. Always contact an eye care provider when you have a change in vision or something wrong with your eyes. Wear your prescription glasses and contact lenses when necessary.
If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar levels tightly managed, and manage your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure.

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness worldwide. They cause the eye’s lens to harden and turn yellow. In the US, nearly 20.5 million people over 40 have cataracts.

The type of treatment available depends on your condition. Providers can treat some forms of blindness with medications or glasses but can’t treat others, such as those where your eyes are missing or completely damaged. In these cases, your provider may recommend visual rehabilitation. Vision rehabilitation aims to enhance visual functioning to meet your goals and improve your quality of life.

Actors Rebecca Gibney and Charles Edwards star in Under The Vines as two city slickers who inherit a failing vineyard, Oakley Vineyards, in rural New Zealand. The only problems are that neither of them has ever done a hard day’s work—and they despise one another.

Under The Vines is a fun, easygoing watch.

This post is sponsored by Colgate, but opinions are my own.

I feel TOTALLY READY for anything when I appear at various parades around New York City dressed in my world famous fruit suit and a healthy smile to raise awareness for diabetes in a fun, new way.

It’s great to take to the streets to raise visibility for diabetes and help to educate the world about diabetes. For starters, you quickly grasp the enormity of the diabetes population when you’re wearing a suit with the word, ‘DIVABETIC’ scrolled across the back in big gold letters. People are constantly stopping me to take pictures to send to their friends and family members living with diabetes. Plus, you have a very good indication of what the general public’s knowledge is about diabetes when you start asking them questions.

Over the years I have found that I need to plan ahead for a day long shoot if I’m going to be successful. I always carry a bottle of water, a small pack of nuts and plenty of sunscreen.

Additionally, as a man at high risk for diabetes because of my family history of diabetes, I make sure my dental health is a priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with diabetes are twice as likely to develop gum disease [1]. On top of brushing and flossing every day to prevent plaque, cavities, tartar build-up, I also visit a dentist twice a year. It also doesn’t hurt that for my daily brushing I use Colgate Total, the only FDA approved toothpaste^‡ that can reverse and prevent gingivitis, an early form of gum disease. After all, when you have a healthy smile, you feel ready for life.

[1] Centers for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2011.pdf

‡Colgate Total® toothpaste is approved through the New Drug Application process to help prevent gingivitis in the general population. Not approved for the prevention or treatment of serious gum disease or other diseases.

Tag: NYC Parades

Under The Vines: Adult-Onset Blindness

Why I’m Totally Ready for Anything!