Diabetes has been particularly cruel to the Vandross family. Mary Ida also lost her husband (who died at 39), and her only grandson has diabetes.
She said, “Don’t suffer what I’m going through. Living with that emptiness can ruin a person’s life.” According to the Yale School of Public Health and Medicine, about 24 million people in the United States have diabetes today, and that number is expected to increase about three times by 2025.
Vandross, 82, has made it her mission to “keep other families from going through the same pain. She has partnered with the National Diabetes Awareness Campaign (www.diabetesaware.com) to educate people about the fight against diabetes. “You can manage your diabetes if you work and negotiate with your family.”
Dr. Stanley E. Hibbs, a diabetes life coach in Atlanta, offers some practical tips.
- Make a payback list. Control your weight, monitor your blood sugar, take your medications – if you make a detailed list of important reasons for doing so (for example, “I want to be able to play with my grandchildren when I’m 70”), it’s more likely to happen.
- Find a partner
- Find a partner. Identify a family member or friend you can clock in with to work out, Vandross suggests: “Have a family meeting to discuss how you are changing your lifestyle.
- Set reasonable goals. If you need to lose about 90 pounds, start small: Make a plan to go for a walk with your family every day after dinner.
“I’m not just saying this, I’m pleading with everyone. If you have a family member with diabetes, get other family members on board to monitor exercise,” Vandross said. “I think I would have been better able to help my family if I had learned more about diabetes before. Take care of yourself – that’s all I ask.”