Remembering Luther Vandross

Today I’m thinking of my boss, Luther Vandross, on the anniversary of his passing.  Luther changed my life twice. First, he hired me to be his assistant, and then his stroke, related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes, made me a diabetes advocate.

In 1995, he moved me from San Francisco (where I worked in Regional Theater) to New York City to become his full-time assistant.  It was two years after I worked on my first Luther tour, Never Let Me Go, in 1993.

It was a dream come true for a kid who loves soul music from Rochester, NY (I was a diehard WDKX listener) without professional connections. In 2003, I became his caregiver after he suffered a stroke due to mismanaged type 2 diabetes which led me on a path as a diabetes advocate.

My lack of knowledge regarding my grandmother’s diabetes and self-care dismissed concerns I might have had that mismanaged diabetes could destroy someone’s quality of life and health until it was too late. Calling diabetes ‘a touch of sugar’ is like saying a Great White shark is a Goldfish.

Luther was a generous, kind, funny, and hugely talented man. But sadly, I witnessed him struggle with food addiction. In reflection, I feel Luther’s behavior was similar to other addicts. He was either sober, abstaining from carbohydrates, or using, binge eating. No one talks about food addiction as they discuss or glorify drug use. But in my opinion, Luther was wrestling with a monster just as powerful and seductive as cocaine. Unfortunately, he lost the battle. He felt trapped in his body, and it caused him physical, mental, and emotional heartache.

But that’s not the whole story. Luther was a complex, multi-dimensional man, just like a multi-dimensional artist who was a successful songwriter, producer, vocal arranger, and vocalist. On many of his biggest hits, he showcases all of these skills.

The first time I met him, the sheer magnitude of his talent blew me away. He embodied the American Dream to me. He never had a Plan B because he felt if he did, then he wouldn’t pursue his dream. His bravery has influenced my life decisions and given me the strength to pursue my dreams.

Every July 1st, I renew my desire to help those at risk, affected by, and living with diabetes to ‘keep their house a home’ by learning to delay or prevent a mismanaged diabetes complication such as stroke.

Enjoy Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast guests, including Lisa Fischer, Jason Miles, Jeff James, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, and Chuck Flowers.

By the time Luther Vandross headed to the studio to record his fifth album, Give Me the Reason, in 1986; he’d become one of the most successful soul singers of the first half of the eighties. His four previous albums have been either certified platinum or double-platinum in America.

Luther Vandross’s fifth album, Give Me the Reason, comprised nine tracks, including the hits: So Amazing, There’s Nothing Better Than Love, Stop To Love and Give Me The Reason. We chose to spotlight this album because this is the first time Luther showcased his 100-pound weight loss on the album’s cover. He was not able to maintain or sustain the weight loss. Luther lost and gained at least a hundred pounds more than eight times while I worked for him. We’re discussing yo-yo dieting, self-love, and the power of positive talk can help you overcome feelings of failing or self-loathing related to body shape and size.

Today, I continue to present diabetes outreach with dazzle! Divabetic’s robust schedule includes newsletters, blog posts, virtual programs, and podcasts. I also work full-time for violinist Itzhak Perlman. Since Mr. Perlman, who has polio, uses a motorized scooter, I spend most days dealing with accessibility issues regarding air and ground travel and hotel accommodations. Mr. Perlman’s exuberance for life, humor and kindness, not to mention talent, make it all worthwhile. Although soul music and Rhythm and Blues will always be my first love, I’ve learned to appreciate classical music.

Itzhak Perlman is truly amazing! And yes, Mr. Perlman has listened to and enjoyed Luther’s music.

Over the past 20 years since Luther’s stroke, I have lost none of my passion for helping others at risk, affected by and living with avoid a similar fate to Luther’s. I am still keenly interested in eradicating the shame and blame associated with type 2 diabetes and elevating the conversation surrounding food addiction.

Throughout the podcast, we will feature music from Luther Vandross’s Give Me The Reason album courtesy of SONY Music.

Alexander Zverev Battles French Open Officicals About Injecting Insulin in Public

Imagine competing for one of the tennis world’s biggest titles and being told you can’t take your life-saving medication during a match because it looks weird.

At this year’s French Open, tennis player Alexander Zverev, who has been living with type 1 diabetes since age three, has struggled with tournament officials’ lack of awareness regarding insulin therapy.

Repeatedly he has been told to either seek medical attention or leave the court during matches when administering his self-care.

Even though many people living with type 1 diabetes are accustomed to getting strange looks from strangers when they administer insulin out in public, it still seems shocking to hear what’s happening at the French Open.

An umpire told Alexander that it looks “weird” if he injects himself on court. As a result, the official said he could not take insulin on court and was required to take a bathroom break instead. However, the French Open has a strict limit to the number of bathroom breaks a player can take under the rules, which Alexander noted could compromise his health, ‘guys, I might have to walk off the court four or five times. Decide what you want me to do’.”

To hear that he’s still winning matches while dealing with these issues is incredibly inspiring. In a previous match against American tennis player Frances Tiafoe, Alexander said there was a “supervisor who didn’t know that I was diabetic,” adding: “I then gave myself an injection, and he panicked and said I had to call a doctor if I gave myself anything.”

I hope Alexander’s brave stance in the face of opposition inspires others to take their medicine or injections as prescribed, even if they have to do it in a public place.

Managing your blood sugars with medicine or injection shouldn’t come with shame. Your health is a top priority, no matter what anyone else thinks. Always remember that.

Delaying your injection isn’t always possible, so you must do what’s best to manage your diabetes. You can’t control how other people respond. However, you can kindly and respectfully explain what you’re doing and why it’s essential if asked.

Thankfully, Alexander shared that this lack of understanding doesn’t happen at every tennis tournament stating, “on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) Tour, I do it on the court; here (French Open), they don’t allow me to do it,” Alexander told Eurosport Germany.

Let’s rally behind him as he heads into his Semi-Finals match tomorrow and do our part to raise awareness for insulin therapy.

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 AssociationAmerican 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.

Divabetic Podcast on Stroke

On Divabetic’s podcast, Clarence Waldron shares his stroke, recovery, working as Senior Writer and Editor from Jet Magazine, and his memories of legends 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.

When I was growing up Jet Magazine was everywhere — barbershops, salons, and waiting rooms. The digest-size magazine featured pop culture stories, What’s On TV, Wedding Announcements and Anniversaries, the (in)famous Jet Beauty of the Week, and Jet’s Top 20 Singles.

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 American Stroke AssociationAmerican 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.

Get It Right is Aretha Franklin’s twenty-ninth studio album, released in 1983 by Arista Records. It was produced by Luther Vandross, following his successful teaming with the singer for the Gold-certified albumJump to It. Album highlights include I Wish It Would Rain, I Got Your Love, and Every Girl Wants My Guy.

We Love Catherine Schuller!

Barbra Streisand singing ‘Being Alive’ from her The Broadway Album, you’ll hear it on next week’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast, is inspiring this post. Seriously, the combination of Barbra’s voice, lyrics from a popular Broadway musical, and the sunshine streaming through my window at 7 AM are like a multi-vitamin for an older gay gent like me. 

If there’s any truth to the saying or Madonna’s Vogue song lyric ‘beauty is where you find it then it’s clear I found it in Catherine Schuller. From the most moment we met, back in 2005, she has been a powerful, positive, and empowering force in my life. Always stylish, always upbeat, always sparkling! She has helped me to define and refine Divabetic’s GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS philosophy. Together found a way to stamp out the shame and blame associated with a diabetes diagnosis by making people feel better about themselves right now, not tomorrow. It’s funny how a bit of mascara, a bright-colored feather boa, and the hook to your favorite disco tune can push the clouds away.

I have plenty of reasons to love Catherine just for her work as Divabetic’s Image & Style Advisor on Divabetic’s national tour of Makeover Your Diabetes outreach programs. Her ability to comfort, care, and cheer on all types of divas (type 1, type 2, LADA, gestational, and prediabetes) was remarkable. But love beams are shooting straight out of my heart because of the passionate way Catherine lives after experiencing a stroke. I don’t think a day goes by that she doesn’t make the most of every moment.

During the pandemic, when I wasn’t sure if it was Monday or Thursday, Catherine managed to give Dr. Birx a run for her money! She took up my challenge to demonstrate many ways to tie a scarf on one of Divabetic’s past Zoom programs.

Next week Catherine joins me for the two-part stroke prevention webinar, Keep Your House A Home, for the Frazier Coalition for Stroke in Philadelphia. My good friend and health champion, Senior Health Educator for Center for Urban Health at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Neva White DNP, CRNP- BC, CDCES is organizing it.

Catherine plans to share her powerful testimony about advocating for her health after experiencing a stroke. After her husband told her to go upstairs and lie down, she told him in no uncertain terms to call an ambulance so she could get to a hospital. Her wise decision to seek help right away and not wait is why her recovery has been so excellent. Fortunately, Catherine’s quick thinking is precisely why she able to receive the stroke drug tPA. This potent clot-busting medication, tPA, may save critical brain tissue if a patient arrives at the emergency room within three hours of experiencing stroke symptoms. And there’s a new study that suggests that the traditional three-hour time window is too short. Combining data from multiple clinical trials, Maarten Lansberg, MD, PhD, assistant professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford, and colleagues from Belgium and Germany have shown that treatment can benefit patients up to 4.5 hours experience their first symptom. Their findings were published online on May 21 in the journal Stroke.

The timing of treatment is essential because giving a blood thinner like tPA during a stroke can cause bleeding inside the brain. The longer a patient waits to get treatment, the more likely the risks of treatment will outweigh the benefits.

My life and the lives of many others were devasted by Luther Vandross’s stroke, related to his mismanagement of type 2 diabetes. I can’t turn back time and change his outcome, but hopefully, you can change yours. Let Catherine Schuller inspire you to GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS, and advocate for your health today, not tomorrow! 

Divabetic’s Top 3 Podcasts of 2020

This year’s Top 3 Divabetic podcasts came together a little differently than before. Our top rated podcast from October featured an exclusive interview with singer, songwriter Angela Bofill. Angela’s fighting spirit after experiencing two strokes is truly inspirational. Additionally, it seems all the extra rehearsals and script revisions have paid off as our annual mystery podcast topped the Luther Vandross tribute for the first time in the ratings. We think you’ll enjoy these three shows no matter your situation in life right now.

#3: Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute Podcast

We’re celebrating the musical legacy of Luther Vandross and raising awareness for diabetes health-related complications (such as vision loss) on Divabetic’s Annual Luther Vandross Tribute podcast.

Diabetic eye disease, caused by diabetes, is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss. Because of the high risk for eye disease, all people with type 2 diabetes should receive an annual dilated eye exam.

A 2019 Vision Source study of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that more than 50% had issues with their vision in the past year, and 34% did not go for a professional eye exam. The major barriers to having an annual eye exam included not thinking they needed one (33%), unsure of where to go (25%), lack of insurance, (22%) and expense (22%).

Comprehensive eye exams are key to overall wellness and preserving a high quality of life. In addition to evaluating vision, annual eye exams can detect serious health issues, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, and even cancer.

Guests include Andre “Doctor Dre” Brown, Nat Adderley Jr.,  Dr. Khoshnevis, Danny Clay, and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE.  Throughout this podcast we will be featuring music from Luther Vandross’s album, ‘The Night I Fell In Love’ courtesy of SONY Music.

#2: Divabetic’s Mystery Podcast: Kill Me Madam

There’s a good indication that murder might be part of the recipe when Nantucket’s ten time reigning Baking Champion’s last name is ‘Coffin’. But resentment, greed and Britannia’s own bad dealings turn everyone into a suspect when she’s found dead in the parking lot just before the Annual Decadents on Deck! Bake Off competition is about to kick off.

Delusional baker and amateur sleuth Mr. Divabetic is even shocked to find himself being treated as a suspect in the case by the local police, after meeting her just once!

As if his life wasn’t crazy enough before, escaping a murderous mishap in New York and attempting a fresh start in Nantucket has turned into a complete and utter baking disaster, now Max, along with his friends and nosy mother, have to add tracking down a murderer to his To-Do list, as well.

Can our team hunt down the real murderer before they strike again? Will he become the next victim? Can Max ever manage to bake a cake that’s actually edible?

Divabetic’s Mystery podcast cast includes USA Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, MaryAnn Horst-Nicolay MEd, NDRT, Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Wendy Radford, Coach The Cure‘s Trisha Artman, Mama Rose Marie, Seveda Williams, and Max ‘Mr. Divabetic’ Szadek. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Broadway Cast Album of ‘Call Me Madam’ courtesy of SONY Music.

#1: Diabetes Late Nite Podcast Inspired by Angela Bofill

We’re talking about the symptoms, causes and prevention of stroke with musical inspiration from Angela Bofill.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability in the US. As many as 5 to 14 percent of stroke survivors have a second stroke within one year.

With her strong, distinctive alto, Angela Bofill carved a niche as an outstanding interpreter of soul ballads and became a mainstay on the Quiet Storm radio format.

Angela Bofill suffered two strokes but neither stroke could take away her positive, humorous personality and her fighter spirit. After she lost the ability to sing, she returned to the stage for “The Angela Bofill Experience” in which she skillfully narrated her life story, while her band and other singers .

Podcast guests include Angela Bofill, Catherine Schuller, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Neva White DNP, CRNP- BC, CDE, and Rose Hall from Tessie’s Teas.

Throughout the podcast we will feature music from Angela Bofill’s albums Angie and Angel of the Night courtesy of SONY Music.

Coming Up: Diabetes Late Nite Inspired by Aaliyah

We’re talking about a ‘New Year, New You‘ attitude about living with diabetes with musical inspiration from Aaliyah on Diabetes Late Nite scheduled for Tuesday, January 12, 2020.

Although Aaliyah died at the age of 22 and had a short music career due to her early passing, the singer’s music helped to redefine R&B, pop, and even hip-hop. And her legacy continues to live on. Her hard work ethic, creativity, and her sweet demeanor have inspired fans over the past two decades.

Diabetes Late Nite podcast guests include Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, Pendulum Glucose Control‘s Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph. D., CEO and co-founder of Pendulum Therapeutics and Virginia Valentine, APRN, BC-ADM, CDE, FAADE, Dr. Darren Wayne from MealBetix and Yoga For Diabetes Author Rachel Zinman.

Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from Aaliyah’s Age Ain’t Nothing But A Number album courtesy of SONY Music.

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