Prince Be – Divabetic

05/28/202305/28/2023

Tina Turner, Mismanaged High Blood Pressure & Chronic Kidney Failure

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.

Podcast Guests: Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie, Lynette Luckers from the Marion Luckers Kidney Foundation, Chef Robert Lewis aka The Happy Diabetic, Janis Roszler, RD, CDCES, FAND and Luther Vandross Superfan, and Historian Leon Petrossian.

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.

01/02/201701/02/2017

Diabetes Late Nite Podcasts of 2016 Encore

We’re taking a look back at the past year in podcasting. I’ve enjoyed a tremendous year of meaningful moments with interesting topics, amazing guests, games, prizes and music on our shows. My goal has been to provide inspiration and motivation to keep you happy and health.

Every podcast is available on demand, anytime, anywhere at i-Tunes, Divabetic.org and blog talk radio. Enjoy!

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? How about January’s podcast featuring music by Adele. We discussed the best ways to set realistic goals about your diabetes health and also salute one of our favorite singers, Natalie Cole. Guests include Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE and MaryAnn Nicolay MEd, NDTR), Jennifer Jacobs, Dana Collins Carr and Cindy Lou, who is living with type 2 diabetes from Kentucky. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/01/12/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-adele

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Was it our February show with music by Tamar Braxton. Tamar inspired us to talk about sexy shoes that don’t just look good on your feet but that also make your feet feel good with a podiatrist. We also kick off our new game, “Which Shoe Do You Do?” with prizes courtesy of Earth Brand shoes. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/02/02/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-tamar-braxton

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out March’s show with music by Rachel Platten? We’re talking about the best morning routines for living well with diabetes self-care. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/03/08/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-rachel-platten

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out April’s show with music by Etta James? On this show, we discuss the different weight loss surgery options and how they impact your diabetes health. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/02/23/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-etta-james

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out May’s broadcast with music by Elle King? We take a deeper look into the topic of ‘Body Image and Diabetes’. Do you ever feel like you and your body are on opposite teams? Or like your scale has more authority than a therapist or a doctor? Maybe it’s time to discover, challenge and reset the beliefs that are holding you back from being unapologetically you in today’s perfection-obsessed society? Guests include Dr. Lori Shemek PhD, We Are Diabetes founder, Asha Brown, Author Ginger Vieria, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Divabetic Image & Style Advisor Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP and Mama Rose Marie. LISTEN : http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/05/10/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-elle-king

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out June’s podcast with music by A Tribe Called Quest. ‘Quest’ member, Phife Dawg’s sudden death at the age of 41, related to diabetes health-related complications, inspires us to talk about kidney disease and diabetes. Phife Dawg, born Malik Taylor, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in May of 1990. Experiencing constant thirst and bathroom visits, his grandmother, a nurse, tested him for diabetes after a performance in Connecticut. Initially, Phife admitted he did not take his diagnosis seriously, and maintained his same lifestyle.

“It’s really a sickness,” Taylor said in Beats, Rhymes & Life, Michael Rapaport’s candid 2011 documentary on the group. “Like straight-up drugs. I’m just addicted to sugar.”Guests include MaryAnn Nicolay DTR, Dr. Braxton Cosby, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Poet Lorraine Brooks, Funny Man Mike, Arnon Krongrad, MD, Catherine Lawrence and Mama Rose Marie. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/06/14/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-a-tribe-called-quest

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out July’s program with music by P. M. Dawn? P.M. Dawn’s lead singer, Prince Be‘s death, related to diabetes health-related complications, inspires our discussion on amputation and diabetes.Prince Be had suffered from diabetes for more than two decades, and had various health problems over the years, among them several strokes, including one in 2005 that left him partly paralyzed, and gangrene, which led to the partial amputation of one leg. Guests: Poet Lorraine Brooks, Mama Rose Marie, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Lynette Luckers from the Marion Luckers Kidney Foundation, Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, Janis Roszler, RD, CDE, FAND and Leon Petrossian. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/07/12/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-pm-dawn

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out Mr. Divabetic Show on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)? PMDD is a severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that start about 7 to 10 days before a woman gets her monthly period. Dr. Andrea Chisholm MD, OB-GYN discusses how hormones impact your diabetes health. Guest, We Are Diabetes founder, Asha Brown shares her own personal struggle of living with type 1 diabetes and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) too. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/07/19/mr-divabetic-show–premenstrual-dysphoric-disorder-pmdd

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out August’s with music by Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King. We all know what anger is, and we’ve all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or as full-fledged rage. Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But keeping your temper in check can be challenging especially while managing your diabetes. Diabetes is the perfect breeding ground for anger. Anger can start at diagnosis with the question, “Why me?” You may dwell on how unfair diabetes is: “I’m so angry at this disease! I don’t want to treat it. I don’t want to control it. I hate it!” LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/08/09/diabetes-late-nite–the-angry-show

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out September’s Diabetes Mystery podcast featuring music from the classic film score of ‘Sunset Boulevard’. Our third annual Diabetes Mystery Theater Podcast, ‘Suspect Boulevard’ revolves around dogs, dementia, diamonds and diabetes. This special mystery theater production is loosely based on Billy Wilder’s film, Sunset Boulevard. Our cast includes Poet Lorraine Brooks, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, ‘We Are Diabetes’ organization founder, Asha Brown, Catherine Schuller AICI, CIP, Susan Weiner MS, RD, CDE, CDN, Chef Robert Lewis, USA Today Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes and Mama Rose Marie. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/09/13/suspect-boulevard-diabetes-mystery-theater-podcast

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out October’s podcast featuring music by Meghan Trainor. Guests include Chef Robert Lewis aka ‘The Happy Diabetic’, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE), Style Blogger Doris Hobbs, Emmy Award winning Producer Linda Bracero Morel, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/10/11/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-meghan-trainor

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out the Diabetes Game Show hosted by Mr. Divabetic. During National Diabetes Awareness month, Divabetic teams up with prominent healthcare vendors to giveaway great prizes to celebrate our listeners’ ongoing commitment to self-care. Special guests: Pharmaceutical Chemist and Diabetes Physician, Dr. Stanley Greenfield and Carlos from the Diabetes What To Know community. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/11/01/diabetes-game-show

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out November’s podcast featuring music by Ella Fitzgerald. We continue our celebration of National Diabetes Awareness month with music from our favorite jazz legend “divabetic” who captured audiences everywhere with her astonishing vocal range, scat singing, and improvisational ability. Unfortunately she had to have both legs amputated below the knee. Despite ill health, she continued to perform at least once month into the early 1990’s. Although her quality of voice slowly deteriorated from the early 1970’s, even at the end of her career, her singing retained a remarkable rhythmic acuity. Diabetes Late Nite guests include the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach (Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Susan Weiner MS, RDN, CDE, CDN) Poet Lorraine Brooks, Ansley Dalbo, Best-Selling Author Anna J. Stewart, Leola and Cornelia,and Mama Rose Marie. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/11/08/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-ella-fitzgerald

What’s your favorite Diabetes Late Nite podcast of 2016? Check out December’s podcast with music by Leona Lewis. Can you really ‘get off’ your medication? I discuss how to the possibility of cutting down on three oral medications for anxiety, diet and erectile dysfunction with my guests including: Diabetes Alert Dog expert, Debby Kay CDT, CDTA, PDTI, Megrette Fletcher, MEd, RD, CDE, the Charlie’s Angels of Outreach, Janis Roszler RD, CDE, LDN, Emmy winning Producer, Linda Bracero Morel, Poet Lorraine Brooks and Mama Rose Marie. LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio1/2016/12/13/diabetes-late-nite-inspired-by-leona-lewis

11/28/2016

House and R &B vocalist Colonel Abrams Died at Age 67

Colonel Abrams joins a long list of men from the R & B and Hip Hop music communities who died of diabetes health-related complications this year. The list includes Phife Dawg (‘A Tribe Called Quest’), Prince Be (‘P.M. Dawn’), and radio personalities Doug Banks and Vaughn Harper.

Diabetes is 60% more common in black Americans than in white Americans. Blacks are up to 2.5 times more likely to suffer a limb amputation and up to 5.6 times more likely to suffer kidney disease than other people with diabetes. Diabetes is also a significant contributor to erectile dysfunction. Because men are less likely to engage in the health care system, primary and secondary prevention efforts need to be implemented in culturally appropriate, male-oriented venues.

Last year, Colonel Abrams was reportedly homeless and suffering from diabetes, and a crowd-funding effort by fans and friends was launched to get him back on his feet.

Colonel Abrams stated in a video: “As most of you may or may not know, a lot of recording artist don’t have medical coverage or benefits.” He went on to say… “The Colonel is very ill with no permanent place of his own to live at this time and limited financial resources.”

The Detroit-born, Manhattan raised singer began playing both piano and guitar while still quite young. By the mid 1970s he became part of the band Heavy Impact. But it was nearly a decade later that Abrams really made a name for himself with the big 1985 hit “Trapped”. Colonel Abrams also sang on several tracks that are considered to have laid the groundwork for what is now considered global dance music including the songs, “How Soon We Forget” and “Not Gonna Let.”

According to Soul Tracks: “By the mid 1970s he became part of the band Heavy Impact. But it was nearly a decade later that Colonel Abrams really made a name for himself with the big hit ‘Music Is the Answer.’ It began a string of dance hits that capitalized on the electronic sounds that were popular in the mid ’80s … Abrams continued to chart on the Dance and R&B charts into the mid-’90s, and performed around the world into the new century. He also formed his own Colonel Records and released music sporadically through the early part of this decade.”

The rate of diabetes among people who are homeless is on the rise along with diabetes health-related deaths. People who are homeless don’t have the finances to afford to monitor their blood sugar levels on a regular basis and healthy food choices.

Jan Boyd, a registered nurse who works with Withers on Operation Safety Net said, “People on the street don’t usually seek medical care unless the symptoms are making them uncomfortable. With diabetes, discomfort comes too late.”

And life expectancy for a person without a home is just 45-49 years, according to a study done by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council. The NHCHC also reports that the number one cause of death among the homeless population is complications related to chronic conditions like diabetes!

Dr. Jim Withers co-founded Operation Safety Net, which is part of the Pittsburgh Mercy Health System in Pittsburg, PA. Operation Safety Net provides healthcare to people living on the street, but Withers describes it differently: “The program is providing people with hope,” he says.

“Our philosophy is to treat people where they are,” said Withers, who has been treating homeless people since 1992. Operation Safety Net has helped transition more than 850 chronically ill homeless people into permanent housing since it started, and many of those people have been living with diabetes.

We have experienced so many diabetes health-related deaths in the urban radio and music industry. It is my goal to find a way to share these stories as a way to teach today’s music fans about diabetes on our free monthly podcasts. If you have any suggestions let me know.

LISTEN: Diabetes Late Nite inspired by A Tribe Called Quest. Phife Dawg, born Malik Taylor, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in May of 1990. Experiencing constant thirst and bathroom visits, his grandmother, a nurse, tested him for diabetes after a performance in Connecticut. Initially, Phife admitted he did not take his diagnosis seriously, and maintained his same lifestyle.

“It’s really a sickness,” Taylor said in Beats, Rhymes & Life, Michael Rapaport’s candid 2011 documentary on the group. “Like straight-up drugs. I’m just addicted to sugar.”

Phife’s initial resistance to treatment made it necessary for him to go on dialysis followed by a kidney transplant in 2008. This past March he died at age 45.