D•blog | Welcome to the Diabetes Stories website | riva greenberg

Believe in yourself to manage diabetes

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 11:44:28 -0400

I've been doing an ongoing Thursday shot-in-the-arm of inspiration from my book "The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes."

Emotional strength and resilience is critical to keep on keeping' on managing our diabetes. Here's today's powerful thought for reflection.

Excerpt:

How you feel about yourself influences how well you will take care of your diabetes. Do you treat yourself with the same regard, kindness and compassion you reserve for a friend?

When you believe in yourself, you live life expecting the best. When you believe in yourself and feel confident, the world responds to you with a very special magic; things seem to just go your way.

If you have spent much of your life saying "yes" to everyone around you, leaving you little time and energy for yourself, practice saying "no." You can't truly take care of anyone else when your own energy is depleted. And if your past has not reflected your greatness or your ability to manage your diabetes, remind yourself with love, that today is a new day; today you will take a new step.

Featured guest on HuffPost Live: Rise of diabetes around the world

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 16:07:37 -0400

http://embed.live.huffingtonpost.com/HPLEmbedPlayer/?segmentId=51b633e5fe34441e8c0004fe

Today I had the pleasure of attending a panel discussion about the rise of diabetes around the world - and what to do about it.

Michael Moss, author of "Salt Sugar Fat," about how food companies engineer our addiction to unhealthy food, was a fellow guest.

And just today the news reported that diabetes-realated deaths in NYC hit an all time high! [I come in around 11:50 by the way ;-)]

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Your history doesn't have to be your future when managing diabetes

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:48:54 -0400

Here's my Thursday d-lesson - a little reminder that no matter what we've been doing, we can do a little better today if we decide to do so.

My kangaroos, by the way, were inspired by the year I lived in Sydney, Australia. Here's today's excerpt from my inspirational D-book,

"The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes."

Excerpt:

Whether you've spent years ignoring your doctor's advice, or even avoiding your doctor, today you can decide to be the master of your diabetes. How? Begin by shifting your thinking.

If you've been seeing your diabetes care as something you "have" to do, see it as something you "choose" to do. You'll feel more in control.

Then see the benefit of doing the task. For instance, "By testing my blood sugar, I can keep it in target range and reduce my risk of complications." Focusing on the benefit helps remind you why the task is important.

The truth is everything we do in life is a choice. Changing your mindset from "have to" to "choose to" gives you more energy. With all there is to be gained, isn't it time you hopped to it?

Pre-diabetes is Stage 1 Type 2 diabetes

Thu, 30 May 2013 12:11:09 -0400

I'm skipping my usual Thursday posting from my book, "The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes," to direct you to my Huffington Post article this week, "The Lie That's Killing Us: Pre-Diabetes."

Would you do something different if you heard you had Stage 1 diabetes, rather than pre-diabetes? I think you'll find it an interesting read.

Appreciating parents of kids with diabetes, and the parent in all of us

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:16:49 -0400

The excerpt below is from my book, The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes- 26 life-lessons to stay strong managing diabetes. I also wrote another page for the book that I never used. It's for those of us who have diabetes to parent ourselves. It's below with the title: "G is for Gently Nudging Yourself Forward."

Excerpt: "G is for Grabbing onto Hope for You and Your Little One"

For parents, diabetes can feel like the death of your dream- a child who's happy, healthy and has every opportunity. The theft of childhood, a new family dynamic, finding the right doctors, exhaustion and worry are now fixed aspects of your life.

You may even feel guilty or like you let your child down missing the warning signs of diabetes. Know that this is not your fault; you couldn't have prevented it. Forgive yourself, you are the source of your child's strength now.

Help restore a sense of normalcy for, and around, your child. And don't neglect your other children, who are also affected. Create special days to celebrate each one of them.

You don't walk alone with diabetes

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:18:42 -0400

While I've been sharing each Thursday d-lessons to help you develop emotional strength to manage your diabetes, these are also ways to meet any challenge life may throw at you. So, here's today's excerpt from my inspirational D-book,

"The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes."

Excerpt:

When you have faith that you can meet the challenge of diabetes you do not walk alone. You have a direct channel to your inner strength and wisdom; a force that can help you accomplish almost anything.

Don't let your faith be beaten down by someone you knew who suffered with diabetes. They may not have had faith or made the best choices or had the benefit of all that's available today to help manage diabetes.

No matter what, know that there are gifts to be found when you walk this road in faith. So put your worries down and trust yourself. Know that you have an inner well of strengths to draw on when you need them. If you "act as if" you are successful managing your diabetes, you will be.

Reflection: Recall a time you brought your heart and passion to something so fervently you didn't doubt you would succeed. Decide now that you will bring this same spirit to how you manage your diabetes. Then "act as if" you already do.

Diabetes knowledge is the best medicine

Thu, 09 May 2013 08:30:42 -0400

In my continuing tips to help you "develop your emotional strength" to manage diabetes, here's another excerpt from my inspirational D-book, "The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes."

Excerpt:

Many people think taking care of their diabetes is up to their doctor or diabetes educator. But it's not. They're not with you during the day to remind you to perform your diabetes tasks - to test your blood sugar or choose broccoli over French fries. Diabetes needs to be managed every day by the person who has it - you.

Learning all you can about diabetes is one secret to living a full and healthy life. And you can do this. Think back to a time when you learned about something new, perhaps for a project at work or while in school. At first you didn't know much and might have felt frightened, but in time you relaxed and then gained new insights, understanding and skills.

Here are a few things to chose from you can do right away: Subscribe to a diabetes magazine, join a social media site online like TuDiabetes, Diabetes Connect or Glu, read a diabetes book (any one of mine), see if your hospital offers a diabetes class, and bring your doctor questions that concern you at your next visit. Knowing all you can about diabetes is not just smart, it's powerful medicine.

A bonding two days at Diabetes Sisters' "Weekend for Women"

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:48:25 -0400

About 100 women gathered for a full two days of bonding, learning, laughing and hanging out with fellow women with diabetes at Diabetes Sisters' annual conference, "Weekend for Women."

This was also the second year partners were invited, so I invited mine. He came and got to meet about 40 others who were learning more about their wife and girlfriend's diabetes, to air their feelings and learn more about how to be supportive.

I led a workshop, "Ignite Your Diabetes Power" Saturday morning. The secret? Identifying your strengths, building emotional resilience, knowing how diabetes works and knowing the actions to take to work it for you. It was a great workshop with about 60 of our d-sisters in attendance.

Saturday night I had a table full of sisters join me for dinner, including our guest host speaker, the irrepressible Mother Love. In fact, every time she passed me anywhere at the conference, her arms opened wide to embrace me and her warmth enveloped me. Her story of a family besieged with type 2 diabetes that has taken almost all her family members is tragic, while she has committed herself to helping others and getting the word out.

Bringing "Can-Do-Ness" to managing your diabetes

Thu, 02 May 2013 11:06:44 -0400

My third in my series of excerpts from my first book, "The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes." Each can help you build the emotional strength to do better managing your diabetes.

Excerpt:

A "Can-Do" attitude is a choice. Deciding we can do something energizes and inspires us. It can help you through frustrating times, and even help you make the tough choices when confronted with a brownie a la mode or strawberries a la diet whipped cream.

Sometimes, without realizing it, we choose to take a "vicim" attitude about our diabetes, and it stops us from taking good care of ourselves. It's natural to feel down or frustrated at times. When you do, accept your feelings. Then pick yourself up and move on again doing your best.

Keeping yourself healthy may require changing some habits you've had for a long time. But while bad habits and feeling sorry for yourself may be where you've been, they need not be where you're going. Tomorrow is created by every action you take today.

Reflection: Write down one thing you can do better in your diabetes management - and how you will do it. Maybe choose a few healthier foods, cook more meals at home, start walking after dinner. Then be specific how you will do it: what, when, where, for how long? The more specific you can be, the more likely you will be successful.

"Believe" in your power to manage diabetes

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:47:55 -0400

If you missed my last post, I've decided to post pages from my first book, "The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes." I wrote the book out of a personal passion and deep belief that we best manage diabetes when we have knowledge, tools, and - emotional strength to make good decisions every day and ride with the ups and downs of diabetes.

The book is shares lessons to develop your inner strength and wisdom. I consider it a gift to give yourself or a loved one who is living with diabetes. Here's an excerpt from "Believe in Your Power."

Excerpt:

Life will test you; in fact, it probably already has. When life tests you, it's an opportunity to find your inner strength, to renew your resolve, firm your commitment, clarify what's important to you and create new ways to achieve your goals.

Having diabetes can be your opportunity to reach for something higher. It can reveal to you just how strong and capable you are.

Open your heart to your own possibilities. Focus your attention inside yourself and hear your own wisdom say, "I am powerful, I am capable, I control my diabetes."

"Life is a joyful blessing," a short excerpt from my book, The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:17:35 -0400

As promised in my last post, I'm going to put portions of my first book here. I will try to do it every Thursday.

Having the emotional strength and stamina to take care of your diabetes is as essential as understanding how diabetes works and knowing how to take care of it. (Both of which happen to be covered in my two other books.)

I write books because it's a way for me to share my knowledge and help others do better. I hope these posts provide a little inspiration and help you build your "strengths muscle." At least you don't have to go to the gym!

Excerpt:

"Living with diabetes is something you learn to do each and every day. On some days you hardly know it's there. On others, you can hardly forget. But appreciation is what fills our lives with love, joy and deep contentment, even when you have diabetes...

Diabetes can motivate you to make healthier food choices and improve your fitness. You can take pride in how bravely you are managing it. And, when you've lost something, it's an opportunity to appreciate all the more what you do have...

An interruption in a blogger's life

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:34:46 -0400

If you've been coming here for a while you may have noticed this blog, or maybe more apt this blogger, has suffered a recent bout of ADD - attention deficit disorder. In truth, writing my last book, Diabetes Do's & How-To's and blogging over at The Huffington Post, speaking at conferences, coaching, and somehow finding more newsletters, requests and information flying into my inbox than I can process, I have been delinquent here. My apologies.

So this is my suggestion and my promise. Browse thru the Blog archive on this site. I've been writing some great posts amid the ordinary, since 2007, and the classics are as fresh, meaningful and insightful as the day I wrote them. I know because I sometimes reread what I've written and find new insights when I do.

My promise is I will begin running excerpts from my book The ABCs Of Loving Yourself With Diabetes because I want you to have the benefit of building your positive tank: if you can't find the internal strength and stamina to do what you need to do every day to take care of your diabetes, it doesn't matter a wit how many bells and whistles are on your meter.

Chia seed deliciousness, the power of Omega 3s

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:37:05 -0400

I don't usually post recipes - scratch that, I never post recipes, but this one is so simple, so few calories, fat and carbs and such a great way to get your chia seeds!

Huh? Okay, if you don't know, chia seeds are an incredible source of omega 3 fatty acids. They provide health benefits on par with fish and fish oil and contain fiber, protein, antioxidants and minerals. They're the new broccoli!

The trouble with these little seeds is they have no taste and a funny texture. When put them in any liquid, they ooze a gelatinous texture. It's not really pleasant or unpleasant - just weird. But, with this recipe, you'll love them.

OK, here goes:

Chill a can of coconut milk overnight - I use Trader Joe's light coconut milk.

Blend in 4 tablespoons of chia seeds. I get my chia seeds in the health food store, any brand. For the blending I use a whisk which seems to work well to mix in all the ingredients.

Add 4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and whisk. To be honest, I only use two which I find chocolatey enough.

Take the ADA's Diabetes Risk Test

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:38:36 -0400

Today, March 26, is the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) annual Diabetes Alert Day. Right now take their online risk test to see if you may be at risk for diabetes or pre-diabetes. It only takes a few minutes.

Frankly, I think EVERYONE should take the risk test, AND have your doctor test you for diabetes annually. Much to people's chagrin, 1 in 5 people with type 2 diabetes are not overweight.

A medical test for diabetes is just a simple blood test performed either in your doctor's office or at a lab. A blood sugar value between 100 and 125 mg/dl, taken before you eat in the morning (fasting plasma glucose test), indicates pre-diabetes. Your blood sugar is higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes.

80 million people in the US have pre-diabetes, yet few know it. If you have pre-diabetes and do nothing, within five to ten years your chances are very good you'll have diabetes. If, on the other hand, you lose a small amount of weight if you are overweight, on average 15 pounds, and work up to 30 minutes of activity five days a week, you will likely prevent, or delay getting type 2 diabetes for years. Trust me, if you can, you want that option. Type 2 diabetes, for most people, damages the large and small blood vessels in the body leading to what's caused diabetes complications.

Create a personalized pill card

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:54:35 -0400

My husband was just cleaning out his piles of papers, and amazingly found an interesting sheet titled, "Patients Don't Remember Doctors' Instructions."

Shocking as it sounds between 40 and 80 percent of what doctors tell patients they forget - immediately! Only half the information they tell us do we remember correctly, and the more information they give us, the less we remember correctly. Well, frankly, that doesn't surprise me.

There is, however, a useful tip offered on the sheet if you need a little reminding what pills you take, when and what they're for. It's a tool called a "Pill Card." And the best thing to do is create one for yourself based on what you're taking.

The card includes the name of each medicine you take, how much, what it does and then uses pictures to remind you of these things. You can find instructions, graphics and templates at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Have fun. Turns out 94% of people who were given a pill card said it helped them remember the information their doctor gave them correctly.

"Diabetes Do's & How-To's" the essential action-book on Kindle!

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:36:29 -0500

As I travel around the country one of the outstanding things I see, and hear, is confusion about managing diabetes. So many of us, whether you've just been diagnosed or had diabetes for decades, whether you have type 1 or type 2, truly don't know how to really take care of it, and ourselves.

It's not surprising. We get at most a few hours a year with our doctors and then have to make our own decisions what actions to take during those other 8,700 plus hours. And no one ever gave us an instruction booklet. Think about it - you don't get to drive a car without first taking driving lessons, yet we're all walking around with a complicated, life-threatening illness without instructions.

That's why I wrote this, my third book. It is the "instruction-manual" for diabetes. The small, yet powerful, doable, "real-life" actions to take - what to do and how to do it - regarding food, medicine, fitness and staying positive so you can live your healthiest life with diabetes.

For example, you’ll discover how you, or a loved one, can eat healthy, bring your weight down if necessary, without dieting, how you can easily get a little more physical activity, manage your blood sugar much better to avoid highs and lows, keep your medicines stocked, know what you lab test results mean and what to do about them, prevent and delay complications - all that you need to know to live longer and better. Not to mention the incredibly funny cartoons from magnificent cartoonist and fellow PWD Haidee Merritt. Well, I figure there have to be rest-stops and rewards while you're working.

Is the cure for type 1 diabetes in sight? The DRI thinks so and it's called BioHub.

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:21:36 -0500

When I was first contacted by the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI) that they had news, I was curious. When I read the press release, I could feel the little hairs on my neck stand up.

When I talked to Dr. Camillo Ricordi, DRI's Scientific Director and Chief Academic Officer, about how close they feel they are to creating a biological cure for type 1 diabetes, as opposed to a mechanical cure like the artificial pancreas, I could feel both his doggedness and determination; he's been working toward a cure for decades, and feels they've turned a corner. In his words, now all the needed technologies are coming together.

Anyone with type 1 diabetes, heard upon their diagnosis, that there'd be a cure within five to ten years. For me that was 41 years ago. And we've all heard lots of studies that report cures in mice. But this isn't about mice, and whether the BioHub, what DRI is hoping will house islet (insulin-producing) cells that can be fully functioning in the body without anti rejection drugs becomes the cure, we will have to see - you got it, five to ten years.

JDRF's Type 1 diabetes research summit March 9, all welcome

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:16:27 -0500

Last year I moderated a wonderful event that if you live, or are going to be, in the Washington DC vicinity on Saturday, March 9^th, you should consider attending.

It’s the third annual JDRF Type 1 Diabetes Research Summit. The country’s top scientists and researchers will be sharing their studies and the latest in research.

Topics:

• Artificial Pancreas: Technology and Clinical Trials

• New Pathways for Expansion of Functional Islet Cell Mass

• Lunch / Exhibits Open/ Book Signings

• New Materials and Drug Delivery Systems for Islet Cell Encapsulation

• Commercial Development of Drug/Biological Products to Treat & Cure Type 1 Diabetes

• Panel Discussion with Speakers

Nicole Johnson, Miss America 1999 and Executive Director of Bringing Science Home at USF and international diabetes advocate, will be moderating this year. There will be an exhibit hall of T1D education, resources and technology, a Youth Program with speakers and games for the kids to play, and educational and networking opportunities with the T1D community.

Happy Valentine's Day Type 3s!

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 08:43:05 -0500

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, and especially to our Type 3s - partners and spouses who live with our diabetes - and yet get none of the credit.

I can only imagine it must be like sitting in the passenger seat of a car wanting to grab the wheel when you see your mate start driving into an embankment or veer off toward the shoulder - feeling powerless and helpless to course correct - and weighing when do you hover, anticipate, plead, get upset or just stand lovingly by.

So today I'm saluting you, our loved ones who keep loving us with diabetes and who watch over and support us.

I also want you to know there is a group function just for male Type 3s to come together and share their feelings and frustrations, perhaps see what we live with a little more clearly and learn how to lovingly help in our disease management.

Diabetes Sisters' annual "Weekend for Women" conference - May 3-May 5 in Raleigh, North Carolina - offers a parallel track at the conference for male Type 3s called "Partner's Perspective Program." It's for partners, spouses and significant others of we women attending the conference.Brandy Barnes, founder of Diabetes Sisters', and her very loving husband Chris, saw the need and how such a program would benefit both our men and ourselves.

Spare a Rose, Save a Child, Share the love

Sun, 10 Feb 2013 13:18:54 -0500

Several in the DOC (Diabetes Online Community) including Kerri Sparling, Kelly Close, Manny Hernandez, Bennet Dunlap, Adam Brown and Jeff Hitchcock have joined up with Johnson & Johnson to help raise funds for Life for a Child, the International Diabetes Federation's humanitarian program that gets life-saving supplies, education and care to children in need in developing nations.

The initiative is called "Spare a Rose, Save a Child" and here's how it works. Instead of buying a dozen roses this Valentine's Day for your amour, buy 11 roses and take the savings from that one rose and contribute it to IDF. Kind of a win-win-win. Your loved one gets a beautiful bouquet of roses, a child gets help to live and you get the joy of giving twice.

The program is occurring all this week from February 10-16th. Just make your donation here. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, spare a rose, save a child and share the extra love you'll feel with the lucky one who already has your heart.

Dr. Anne Peters reviews new CGMs

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:24:03 -0500

For those of you who use a Continuous Glucose Monitor, or think you'd like to, here's an excerpt from Dr. Anne Peter's review of Dexcom's newly available fourth generation, the G4, and MiniMed's CGM, Enlite, which will be available in the Spring. Dr. Peters is an extremely respected endocrinologist, well known in the diabetes community, who practices at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

I love that Peters wears the sensors, although she doesn't have diabetes, to understand what it's like for patients. With all their advantages, one thing she finds burdens patients is the devices many alarms. Funny, we think of the benefit, alerting us to low and high blood sugar, but not the annoyance factor - I guess unless you wear one, I do not.

Excerpt: With Dexcom G4 continuous glucose monitoring, the patient can easily insert the sensor under the skin -- ...on the abdomen or the back of the arm. A small transmitter is then placed on top of the sensor. The transmitter sends the interstitial glucose value to the device so the patient can see the blood sugar level. It transmits this information wirelessly every 5 minutes, so a patient can get a sense of whether their blood sugars are going up, going down, or staying the same.

Weekend for (Diabetes) Women, May 3-5, Raleigh, North Carolina

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 11:20:22 -0500

Join me and other diabetes advocates and luminaries for a great weekend of learning and bonding provided by Diabetes Sisters.

'Weekend for Women' is two and a half days that offers a unique opportunity to gather with an intimate group of about 100-150 of us women, type 1 and type 2, to share experiences, learn from experts and each other, have fun, take a short walk through town to raise diabetes awareness, and come away - renewed, invigorated, smarter, wiser and more able to manage our diabetes. You can't lose.

Friday night kicks off with a social gathering, Saturday is a day of health, wellness and transformation with the most influential voices in diabetes leading incredible talks, break out sessions, and giving practical tips and tools. Sunday is packed with more information and opportunities to cement the new friendships you'll be making. Here's the full schedule.

Also, you can bring your partner or spouse. They'll be a whole track of seminars for them to have their needs addressed, bond, and better understand how to support you.

Phoenix airport syringe disposal and shooting up

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 08:59:17 -0500

It's kind of a double-edged sword when we get to see something just for us. Nice, and an unfortunate reminder. But I was glad to see this syringe disposal nestled in the bathroom of the Phoenix airport. I didn't bother to think, whose syringes are they targeting? I just enjoyed the fact that maybe there's some recognition for those of us using insulin.

I try to take my insulin discretely, meaning I don't flaunt it in front of anyone. After all, I don't particularly love watching others inject. But I never try to hide when I need to give myself a shot. And, I often wonder - where are all my fellow insulin users? I never seem to see anyone else "shooting up."

But I do it in the open as I like to think of it as a 'teachable moment.' So while seated on the plane, waiting for the last few passengers to take their seats, I took out my Lantus Solo star pen trying to inject before the last passenger arrived to take his seat next to me. And there I was, pen in stomach, when my husband leaned over and said, "Are you OK?" I looked up and there was my seat mate standing at our row waiting to take his seat. I finished, extracted pen from body, and in he came without a word, as if he hadn't just watched this woman take a needle out of her body.

TCOYD comes to Tucson February 23rd, pre-register now

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:45:23 -0500

TCOYD, which stands for Taking Control of Your Diabetes, has been a fixture in my life for the past 10 years. It's an incredible one day health fair that's offered around the country, and it's coming to Tucson February 23.

For only $15 (or $10 apiece for 2 people or more) if you register by noon February 20th, you get a full day of learning from diabetes experts, endocrinologists, pharmacists and personal trainers who will ignite your motivation, answer your questions, share advice and recommendations, offer hope and can even change your life, or that of someone you love, who's living with diabetes! Day of the event registration costs $20 per person.

I attended my first TCOYD conference eight years ago and it was there in a workshop being led by psychologist/CDE Bill Polosnky that I heard words that changed my life. He said, "Diabetes doesn't cause diabetes complications like heart disease, blindness, kidney disease and amputation. Poorly controlled diabetes does." When I heard that I knew if I really took care of my diabetes, I could improve my health dramatically.