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 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’sLive 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 album, Jump to It. Album highlights include I Wish It Would Rain, I Got Your Love, and Every Girl Wants My Guy.
Luther Vandross’s song, Love Won’t Let Me Wait,is my call to action to encourage you not to wait if you or a loved one is experiencing the signs and symptoms of a stroke.
Luther’s lovely rendition of Love Won’t Let Me Waitappears on his Any Love album featuring a classic blend of Vandross romance and melancholy.
Sadly, twenty years ago this April, I found Luther after he suffered a stroke due to mismanagement of type 2 diabetes.
How does diabetes cause stroke?
Mismanaged diabetes causes glucose (sugar) to build up in your blood. Over time, high glucose levels can damage the body’s blood vessels, increasing the chance of stroke. High blood sugar levels can: Make blood vessels become stiff.
High blood pressure can also cause the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the brain to burst or be blocked, causing a stroke.
A person loses 2 million nerve cells every minute they don’t receive medical treatment during a stroke, so getting to the hospital early can be a lifesaver.
Unfortunately, there were several hours between when he had the stroke, and I arrived to rush him to the hospital. I think the time lapse is why Luther’s stroke was so debilitating.
At the time, I didn’t know the link between mismanaged diabetes and stroke. Nor did I understand the importance of acting quickly. Today, I do, so I’d like to remind you that some critical stroke treatments are available only if the stroke is recognized and diagnosed within 3 hours of the first symptoms.
My friend, Catherine, who suffered a stroke on the morning of Divabetic’s last ‘Divabetic- Makeover Your Diabetes’ program, acted quickly and received tPA, the “Clot Buster” drug. Her recovery is a testament to why you don’t want to wait. I’m happy that Catherine is living her best life because of it.
If you think you or someone you love is having a stroke, remember this F.A.S.T. test:
F – Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A – Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S – Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred or strange?
T – Time: If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately!
If you love listening to Luther’s voice, let his life inspire you to act quickly to help yourself or others experiencing a stroke. His sax-fueled cover of Love Won’t Let Me Wait is all the inspiration I need to help someone regain their health after a stroke.
“I’m diabetic, bad knees, bad back. Ladies, I’m old but I ain’t dead.” Blues legend B. B. King.
We’re remembering B. B. King on the anniversary of his birthday. We applaud his openness about living with type 2 diabetes for over 34 years.
Diabetes didn’t dim his dazzle or stop the music. For over half a century, Riley B. King – better known as B.B. King – defined the blues for a worldwide audience. It was widely reported that he gave over 15,000 performances since his career began in 1949.
As B. B. King explained in a Diabetes Health magazine profile, he took charge of his diabetes shortly after his diagnosis. King tested his blood sugar often and changed his eating habits. He realized diabetes probably ran in his family, but no one knew it. He thinks his father might have had it when he died while suffering from gout and “high blood glucose.” King’s mother was blind when she died at age 9 and likely had undiagnosed diabetes, he says. Not only did B. B. King keep on top of his diabetes, but he spread awareness about it, working as a high-profile spokesperson in the fight against diabetes. Later in life, he admitted the life of a touring musician made it difficult to manage his daily diabetes self-care.
B.B. King was one of the best-known blues singers and guitarists in the world. He recorded more than 50 albums, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, won a lifetime achievement award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1988, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1990 and a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1991.
In B.B.’s words, “When I sing, I play in my mind; the minute I stop singing orally, I start to sing by playing Lucille.”
Looking for a fun way to socialize without putting your diabetes wellness at risk? Are you interested in baking tips and recipes?
Back by popular demand! The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, hosts this free, fun Virtual Baking Party with our special guest, Stacey Harris,The Diabetic Pastry Chef, on Thursday, September 28, from 7-8 PM EST.
Join us for Divabetic‘s 9th Annual Mystery podcast, Tomorrow Is Not On The Menu, on Tuesday, September 27, 2022, at 6 PM, EST.
The happy healthcare host, Mr. Divabetic, lands his to-die-for job as a caterer for the nation’s hottest health guru, Wendy Wattage’s Wellness Retreat on the Jersey Shore. Everything is hunky-dory until the body of the nasty food critic, Marilyn Macaroni, is found stabbed to death with one of Max’s new chef knives. Now he’s the prime suspect in a big, fat murder investigation! Can he and his team of friends, diabetes educators, and his nosey Italian mother, Mama Rose Marie, find the killer before the police arrive? Weight loss murder never tasted so good.
Starring Mr. Divabetic, Best-Selling Author Tonya Kappes, Mama Rose Marie, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDCES, Maryann Horst Nicolay MEd, NTDR, Kathie Dolgin aka ‘High Voltage,’ Seveda Williams, Catherine Schuller and Lorraine Brooks. Produced by Leisa Chester-Weir. Music from The Pink Panther and The Return of The Pink Panther soundtracks by Henry Mancini courtesy of SONY Music.
Seeing Lucinda Williams’ triumphant return to live performance after suffering a stroke was the one most magical and life-affirming surprises in my life.
I never expected, when I bought tickets to see Bonnie Raitt (Lucinda was the opening act for Bonnie’s show) at the Beacon Theater in New York for my friend’s birthday, that I would see a stroke survivor reclaim her life and play music again. I was blown away!
Lucinda Williams suffered a stroke in November 2020 due to a blood clot on the right side of her brain. Although she is not sure of the exact cause of her stroke, she assumes it was caused by stress.
“What happens is your brain gets all… the wires get all crossed and you have to retrain your brain basically, to tell your arm to do whatever it is you’re trying to do,” Williams told the Rolling Stone. “So that’s the biggest challenge.”
She didn’t suffer speech aphasia from the stroke but walks with a cane, is unable to play guitar, and continues to experience pain on her left side. During her performance, she told the crowd that she hopes to play the guitar for us the next time she returns to New York!
Lucinda’s courage, strength, and perseverance remind me of my good friend and colleague, Catherine Schuller.
Catherine suffered a stroke on the morning of Divabetic’s last ‘Makeover Your Diabetes’ outreach at the Riverside Church in New York. Three years earlier, I found my boss, Luther Vandross, after he suffered a stroke related to mismanaged type 2 diabetes. To say I was heartsick when Catherine’s husband called me with the news of Catherine’s stroke is an understatement. However, Catherine’s life force and subsequent recovery serve as a source of inspiration for the Divabetic community.
Since her stroke, Lucinda Williams has been writing music. “The main thing is I can still sing. I’m singing my ass off, so that hasn’t been affected,” Williams told the Rolling Stone. “Can’t keep me down for too long.”
Barbra Streisand singing ‘Being Alive’ from her The Broadway Album, you’ll hear it on next week’s Diabetes Late Nitepodcast, 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!
We’re talking about the symptoms, causes and prevention for stroke with musical inspiration from Angela Bofill. 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 a stroke in 2006 and was paralyzed on her left side. She suffered a second stroke in July 2007 which required therapy and left both her speech and mobility impaired. One thing the strokes couldn’t take was Bofill’s 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 sang her hit songs.
Podcast guests include Lorraine Brooks, Catherine Schuller, Patricia Addie-Gentle, and Rose Hall from Tessie’s Teas.
Throughout the podcast we will featuring music from Angela Bofill’s first two albums, Angie and Angel In the Nightcourtesy of SONY Music.
Divabetic’s 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.
Experience more of our GLAM MORE, FEAR LESS philosophy at divabetic.org
