I'm putting on several layers of body armor for this post. I suspect some of you will be more than angry at me for saying this: Maybe we should give Halle Berry a break.
::Michelle ducks::
Here's my reason. She's clearly misinformed about either her disease or diabetes in general or both. Instead of attacking her, let's take this opportunity to bring to light the common misconceptions about diabetes, let's offer education to those who don't know or have been afraid to ask, and let's also encourage people who have diabetes to be as informed as possible about the disease and the best treatment options.
Looking back at my own type 2 diagnosis nearly three years ago, I realize that I was grossly uneducated about so many things. Yes, I visited with a nutritionist and a diabetes educator, but I was so angry about the diagnosis that I really didn't absorb everything. At the time, I had just a few resources--some pamphlets from the CDE and the American Diabetes Association web site. I feel fortunate that I pushed myself to find more information. Some folks either don't want to do that or don't know that they need to do more than take their doctor's word as gospel.
Even several months into my diagnosis when my sister was asking me questions about blood sugars, I didn't know the answers. It felt weird to not know, but I went looking. Some people don't, I guess.
So let's assume that Halle is one of those people who hasn't searched beyond the confines of her doctor's advice to empower herself. Since none of us know her personally, let's try to give her the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure she's eating her words now.
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May 22nd, 2008
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11-09-2007 11:41 AM EST by Michelle Kowalski
Categories: Type 1 Type 2 Oral Meds Insulin & Pumps Emotions In the News Real Life
Tags: diabetes information Halle Berry misconceptions about diabetes
Views: 508
Categories: Type 1 Type 2 Oral Meds Insulin & Pumps Emotions In the News Real Life
Tags: diabetes information Halle Berry misconceptions about diabetes
Views: 508
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Michelle Kowalski, a writer, editor and photography hobbiest in Missouri, has had type 2 diabetes since February 2005. In January 2008, as part of her quest to start on an insulin pump, Michelle learned that she actually has type 1 diabetes.(Read More)
Latest Posts: Can We Talk About This Another Time? | Say What? (the final installment of my diagnosis story) | Mother's Day Madness
Julia lives behind the Tofu Curtain, in the Pioneer Valley, in Western Massachusetts. It’s a nice place. She likes it there. Her eldest daughter, Olivia, has type 1 diabetes. She’s also 13. It’s a real toss-up as to which is more difficult – the diabetes or the teen-age drama. (Read More)
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While I definitely agree with what you have to say, I also feel that because of Halle's visibility she has a responsibility to not put bad information out there. If I spout off inaccurate information to a couple of people, it doesn't get very far. But ever since she claimed to have stopped taking insulin, I have had no shortage of well-meaning people telling me I can do the same - "if I just work hard enough".
If she doesn't want to learn more about diabetes, that's her choice - but perhaps she could also choose not to discuss it with the press?!
The sad thing here is that once again insulin is being treated like a drug, and a street drug at that. I think most of us all know that insulin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the pancreas, the muscles, even the brain. It's really the thought of injections that gives people the willies about insulin therapy...even now when we have insulin pumps and insulin pens as alternatives to hypodermics.
I agree that people who are very visible in the press have a responsibility to watch what they say. It makes it hard for the rest of us. I don't remember being angry about my diagnosis. I just remember being sad that I am in kidney failure and my liver and heart are in such bad shape too. I must be awfully lucky though because my doctor is a veritable fount of information and help. He has asked me to give it four to six months and we will see if we can get some of this turned around. I have been following everything he has asked me to do and keep a daily journal of my blood sugars and everything that goes into my mouth. This was to let me know what I was doing. He sits and talks to me and explains everything and always helps me to learn as much as I can to take care of myself. I know that he is doing everything he can to help me and I am just as determined to take part in taking care of me. My son is a type 1 diabetic and has been for years so it wasn't hard to get into the diabetic lifestyle for me. Although I am type 2 much of what he does is the same for me. He saw four different endocrinologists over the years and had lousy care from each of them. Now he sees the same doctor I am going to and is doing so much better. I encourage everyone to find someone you can relate to that truly cares about what he is doing and learn, learn, learn. And when wild things come out in the press, forget about it. People can say some hurtful things. Your best bet is your own doctor, knowledge and experience.
Don't you think that she has had diabetes long enough to know about the disease? It is ok to be ignorant about diabetes if it doesn't affect you or anyone you know(we were all there at some point).
How can she be so uneducated about a disease she has had for years?
I think it is HER JOB to get educated about her disease, especially if she is going to speak about it to millions of people who are watching her.
You have a good point. My initial reaction was pretty angry at Halle Berry, if she thinks type 1 can be "weaned off" insulin etc., in the same way that I'm angry when non-diabetics tell me about "natural remedies" to cure me. But as I have thought about it more, if she really did stop insulin, that means she wasn't type 1, and it's a lot less maddening if she was misinformed about which type of diabetes than trying to lie about the realities of type 1.
However, I'm still annoyed with her. Someone on another blog mentioned they thought she had type 2 and just didn't want to admit because of some shame thing. THAT does piss me off, because it reflects a connection between fat & diabetes that isn't always an accurate one, and a shame about not wanting to be connected with fatness or fat people. Even if that isn't the issue, she does have some degree of responsibility to be accurate if she's going to speak on national tv.
That was me who said the shame thing.
When someone with Halle Berry's profile is a spokesperson for NovoNordisk and speaks about diabetes to the media, she should know what she's talking about before saying that as a type 1, she could wean herself off insulin. Her doctors should have put her straight about that. You can't suddenly stop taking insulin if you're type 1. You just can't. And any doctor should know that.