Sometimes, being clever pays off. 🙂 We’re thrilled by the response to our Barbie-themed podcast on “Love and Intimacy with Diabetes” with ‘Sweet Romance‘ Co-Authors Janis Roszler LMFT, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND, PhD and Donna Rice RN, PhD, CCNE, CNE, which has become a summer YouTube hit.
I approached my friends, highly credentialed educators Janis and Donna, with an idea to discuss sex, sexual dysfunction, and diabetes using Barbie and Ken. Since Barbie and Ken aren’t equipped to have sex, talking about the sexual dysfunction issues that stop us from intimacy made sense to me.
The good news is that Donna and Janis willingly agreed to play along, and people from around the globe have been tuning into our conversation, which is packed with good advice and tips.
We’ve gained 100+ views on YouTube over the last month and hundreds on Blog Talk Radio, Spotify, and iTunes!! I’m happy we can offer free advice on a sensitive topic in an entertaining way.
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Romantic relationships play an essential role in our everyday lives. But when diabetes enters the picture, it can complicate even the most loving and open relationships. Many people don’t know that diabetes can impact physical and emotional intimacy. Intimacy-related issues can be complicated to discuss with a partner or a healthcare collaborator. But don’t let diabetes hinder the romance.
The Sweet Romanceseries provides practical information and expert advice on this sensitive subject. These comprehensive, interactive guides cover everything you need to know to enjoy a fulfilling sexual and emotional life despite the challenges of diabetes.
Living with diabetes can be a challenging experience, especially when it comes to your relationships. That’s why it’s important to talk to your loved ones about your diabetes diagnosis and how it affects your life. It can help you surround yourself with a more supportive and encouraging environment.
I often compare discussing your diabetes diagnosis to my experience of coming out as gay to friends, family, and potential partners. You can’t do either without accepting yourself and your diagnosis. But when and how you choose to tell friends, co-workers, or someone you are romantically involved with that you have diabetes depends on the person. There’s no golden rule.
I was never comfortable blurting it out at the beginning of a friendship or relationship, but I can understand why others choose to. Conversely, I understand that the longer you wait to tell someone, the harder it is to admit it. After walking the earth as a gay man for over three decades, I can tell you that keeping secrets is not an ideal way to create long-lasting, trusting relationships. At some point in your life, you realize it will never get easier, and it’s better to say it and let the chips fall however and wherever they will.
In our first-ever Diabetes & Relationships survey in partnership with Diabetes Sisters, 50% of the respondents said they tell their friends immediately about their diagnosis.
Co-authors of Divabetic’s ebook, “Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide To Love & Intimacy With Diabetes,” Dr. Janis Roszler PhD, LMFT, CDCES, LD/N, FAND, and Donna Rice MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES offer advice on discussing your diabetes diagnosis as well as issues related to intimacy, fertility, and menopause with the people you care about the most.
Sadly, it seems that most women prefer telling their friends rather than their lovers about their diagnosis. I assume fear of rejection is the main cause of the hesitation to disclose a diagnosis to a romantic partner. But the embarrassment of living with sexual dysfunction issues related to diabetes for women, including low libido and personal dryness, could also make someone tight-lipped about disclosing a diagnosis.
Romantic relationships play an important role in our everyday lives. But when diabetes enters the picture, it can complicate even the most loving and open relationships. Many people don’t know that diabetes can impact physical and emotional intimacy. Intimacy-related issues can be especially difficult to discuss with a partner or a healthcare provider. But don’t let diabetes hinder the romance. The Sweet Romance series gives you practical information and expert advice to tackle this sensitive subject. These comprehensive, interactive guides cover everything you need to know to enjoy a fulfilling sexual and emotional life despite the challenges of diabetes.
The common physical and emotional sexual complications of diabetes and treatment options for men and women
An overview of diabetes nutrition, physical activity, weight loss, and diabetes medications
Information on how aging impacts diabetes management and intimacy
Guidance on how to talk to your healthcare collaborators about intimacy-related issues
Ideas and techniques for building sexual intimacy and communicating effectively with your partner
Tips to help you avoid dangerous or money-wasting fraudulent sexual treatments
Authors Janis Roszler and Donna Rice use humor, helpful examples, and insightful questions to present key topics about sexual health in an engaging, approachable way. This series is perfect for anyone (regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, or health status) looking to rekindle intimacy with their partner or be proactive about their sexual and emotional well-being.
Living with diabetes can be a challenging experience, especially when it comes to your relationships. That’s why it’s important to talk to your loved ones about your diabetes diagnosis and how it affects your life. It can help you surround yourself with a more supportive and encouraging environment. Co-authors of Divabetic’s ebook, “Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide To Love & Intimacy With Diabetes,” Dr. Janis Roszler PhD, LMFT, CDCES, LD/N, FAND, and Donna Rice MBA, BSN, RN, CDCES, FADCES offer advice on discussing your diabetes diagnosis as well as issues related to intimacy, fertility, and menopause with the people you care about the most.
Their podcast interview will air on Tuesday, February 13, 2204.
To help us better understand your unique experiences and struggles with diabetes, the national nonprofits Divabetic and Diabetes Sisters are partnering on the first-ever survey on love and relationships for women with diabetes on the same day. This survey, titled “Love Across All Life Stages of Diabetes,” allows you to share your thoughts and experiences with us so we can create more meaningful programming and resources to serve you.
Please take a few moments out of your day to participate in this survey. You can find the link on our websites, Divabetic.Org and DiabetesSisters.Org, and our social media platforms.
Your input can make a difference in the lives of other women living with diabetes.
Divabetic’s ebook, “Sweet Romance: A Woman’s Guide To Love & Intimacy With Diabetes,” is available at Amazon.
We’re talking about how to open up with friends, co-workers and family members about your diagnosis and self-care needs with musical inspiration from Indigo Girls on June’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast on Tueday, June 9, 2020, 6 – 7:30 PM, EST. TUNE IN
Opening up to people and explaining how diabetes affects your daily life can be a game changer – for everyone. Sharing your diabetes life and explaining your needs will help you feel less alone with your diabetes.
“Just hearing the words out loud can help you process your thoughts. It can stop you feeling locked in a cycle of worry and make you less anxious,” states Diabetes U.K.
“When talking about your diabetes, reassure your friend or family member that they’re fine to come back to you with anything else they might want to talk about,” state our friends at Diabetes U.K. “Allow them to think about what you’ve told them before talking again.”
The downside of telling friends, co-workers, lovers and family members about your condition is the barrage of unwelcome comments like ‘should you be eating that?’ at holidays, social events, date nights and meetings. “This can be annoying or hurtful, but more often than not the intention comes from a good place,” states Diabetes U.K. “Just politely remind them that it’s your diabetes, and you know how to look after yourself.”
It’s important to know that emotional and psychological support are an essential part of any and every diabetes wellness program. It’s ok to seek out and/or ask for this kind of support from your healthcare team.
Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have been making music as the folk-rock duo Indigo Girlsfor over 25 years. Three of their 16 albums have gone gold, four have gone platinum, and they’ve been nominated for seven Grammys.
Guests include Dr. Andrea Chisholm (OBGYN), ‘The Flood Girls’ Author Richard Fifield, Patricia Addie-Gentle RN, CDE, BETTY Band Member, Singer, Songwriter Amy Ziff, ‘Open Up Your Bag’ Diabetes Picture Book Author Mike Lawson, and Poet Lorraine Brooks.
Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport aka ‘Diabetes Psyche’ has worked as a social worker and psychologist specializing in diabetes for twenty-eight years.
Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport shares advice for coping with coronavirus anxiety and stress for people living with diabetes in this video:
Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport started working with the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School, beginning under Dr. Jay Skyler,when he was one of the first physicians to recognize that there was an emotional and behavioral aspect to the management of diabetes. The world is slowly catching up to realizing that knowing what you have to do to take care of yourself is not nearly as difficult as being able to do it everyday!
We’re talking about how to minimize the drama in our diabetes lives with music from the ultimate diva, Maria Callas on Divabetic’s Diabetes Late Nite podcast (available on demand).
Maria Callas changed the way we listen to opera—and charged the ambition of the singers who followed her. Her ability to interpret a wide variety of different roles truly set her apart, establishing her as a phenomenon, an operatic diva. She was able to fully exploit the dramatic strength of her low vocal range as much as the high and bright notes of her high range.
Opera takes any type of dramatic story and tries to make it more exciting and more believable with the help of music. Symptoms and situations related to diabetes are often dramatic and come on very suddenly. But how do you react to them? Are you ‘drama queen’?
If there’s drama in multiple areas of your diabetes life, be honest with yourself—you’re the constant. Are you creating it? We don’t do anything repeatedly unless there’s something in it for us, so, what’s the payoff?
Every time we find ourselves immersed in something that seems overwhelming, we have an opportunity to learn how to deal with challenges better.
Guests include Dr. Wendy Satin Rapaport PhD, Jill Weisenberger MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, Lorraine Brooks, American Heart and American Diabetes Association’s Know Diabetes By Heart Ambassador Rob Taub, Yoga for Diabetes Author and Director Rachel Zinman and Patricia Addie-Gentle RN,CDE.
Throughout the podcast we will be featuring music from the Grandiose Stimmen: Maria Callas album courtesy of SONY Music.
