Stumble It!
New Celebrity Diabetes Spokes-folks: Delta Burke and Nicholas Jonas
It seems celebrities are not just going public with their diabetes these days, but actually picking fave products/treatments to champion, as in: What changed your life with diabetes the most?
As I hinted last week, Nicholas Jonas of the hot new teen pop group The Jonas Brothers announced his own experience with Type 1 diabetes at Sunday’s Carnival for the Cure. He was diagnosed in October 2005, and is now working closely with — surprise, surprise — Insulet Corp., makers of the OmniPod tubeless insulin pump system. At age 14, he’s living the dream life of a teen rock star, “and the OmniPod System lets me be in control so the diabetes doesn’t interfere,” he says (I was lucky enough talk with him personally last month.) Really, the OP system seems to be a big a hit with teenagers who are struggling with shots but can’t stand the idea of being tethered.
“Our social worker told me about the OmniPod System, and I knew I wanted it as soon as I heard about it,” Nick says. “It sounded so much cooler and better than the pumps that are attached to your body with tubing. Plus, the idea of having something that could be fun to use and was really good at controlling my blood sugar was awesome!” So there you go…
You’ll also see a lot of media hype in the next few days about actress Delta Burke’s (you know, of
Designing Women) leading role in the brand new BYETTA Let’s Talk campaign, from Amylin Pharmaceuticals and Eli Lilly and Co.
And guess who’s accompanying Delta on the campaign’s 10-city tour as resident CDE expert? Virginia Valentine (!), interviewed here last week.
I had a phone interview with Delta earlier today, and here are some of the most salient snippets she shared with me about her struggles with Type 2 diabetes and the “turning point” in her health and state of mind:
DM) How would describe your experience with diabetes over the last 9 years?
DB) Hearing the diagnosis at first was shocking and depressing. I thought, ‘I’m going to die’ or ‘I might have to stop working and doing all the things I enjoy.’ I didn’t even deal with it at first because my mother had just been diagnosed with breast cancer…
Then things got so bad, the doctor said if I didn’t take care of it with diet and exercise, I’d have to take insulin. So I got much more active about it. I got to a point where I had to watch going too low, which was a new experience for me.
DM) What do you find so special about Byetta?
DB) I started on Byetta two years ago, and I’ve lost nearly 20 pounds on it. It’s stabilized my blood sugar, and I feel so much better — ‘normal’ again, like I used to. The highest I run is around 120, and my norm now is around 75-80.
Before the Byetta, I was taking glucophage and ActosPlus, but my numbers were still going up and down. Then my doctor told me about this new medicine… I was a little hesitant about using a needle, but it actually hurt less than pricking my finger.
Byetta is designed to be taken in conjunction with many oral diabetes medications. I now take the ActosPlus (with Metformin) twice a day, and the Byetta has helped incredibly in keeping my post-prandial (after meal) blood sugars from going too high.
DM) What made you actually decide to become a spokesperson for the drug?
DB) Byetta’s made such a huge difference in my life… (the companies) approached me because I’ve been very vocal about being diabetic. I’ve always been vocal about my struggles with weight, depression, everything. I like to share with other people, to help remove the stigma… With diabetes, I want to show there’s no reason to be afraid to hire us. We can work just as well as anyone else. I take my blood glucose tests and my Byetta shots in front of others, to help make it normal.
I think it helps when anyone well-known speaks out about a condition. A lot of people don’t want to talk about these things. To be perceived in Hollywood as weak in any way is difficult. There are issues with insurance on movie sets and other stuff. But I’ve spoken about it publicly and I haven’t lost any work.
DM) Delta, you’ve been very public about struggling with weight loss. Can you give us a little insight into your eating and exercise routine now?
DB) The Byetta has been very helpful, because it helps curb your appetite. But essentially, I try to focus on the proteins and vegetables — although I’m not very good at the veggies. My mother lives with us, and actually does most of the cooking, so she keeps an eye on me. But I still have these moments when I just have to have a treat, like a bite of a Snickers bar (giggles).
My main exercise is walking with my husband. He was diagnosed with lung cancer three years ago, and he’s trying to get his strength back. I used be a dancer, so I sometimes still do a ballet workout now and then.
DM) Finally, what would your top advice be to other people struggling to take care of themselves with diabetes?
DB) They should educate themselves — check out the web sites and learn all they can about diabetes — because lots of doctors don’t tell you much. One doctor actually told me that it’s going to be ‘all over’ by the time I’m 50, I’d have diabetic damage in eyes and everything. Now I am 50 and I don’t have those problems. So you need to find a doctor who will listen to you, and who’s responsive.
I know diabetes can be scary and you can be kept from working, or maybe can’t get insurance. Having a good support system is crucial!
(Delta adds this tip: Eli Lilly does have a program to help people without medical insurance, called LillyCares.)
Hmm, good for Delta and good for all the folks out there who feel the same way about Byetta.
Keep your eye out for Delta and the Byetta Let’s Talk campaign on “The Insider” celebrity buzz TV show later this week.
Explore posts in the same categories: Diabetes Product Parade, Holy @#$! Amazing Stories
So Delta’s doc threatened her with insulin if she didn’t lose weight and change her eating habits? Sheesh! Insulin shouldn’t be considered a last resort or a punishment for poor control. It’s actually possible to get EXCELLENT control with insulin. And she already discovered that shots don’t hurt.
WHY, oh WHY do doctors tell this to patients?
Posted by: Vicki | March 13th, 2007 at 9:35 pmYeah, Vicki, that statement hit me the same way. And the weird thing is, now she’s happy on Byetta: shots!
Posted by: AmyT | March 14th, 2007 at 7:57 amI Have been on byetta on clinical trias about 3 years ago…it was the best I have ever been. I waaas 20 pounds lighter on byetta…I have tried many diabetes medicines…and byetta seems to be the one best for be…I get my medcine from the Vetran Administration….they do not support byetta? I know there diabetic would do so much better on this…..R
Posted by: rey | March 14th, 2007 at 9:20 amMy mother was diabetic for 30 or 40 years of MY life so I know what insulin can do and am so afraid of it’s effects without another person in the house. I came back to take care of her with altzheimer’s too, for 2 years before she died and it was scary when I got familiar about the risks of insulin even with people around her… much less me alone with the disease. I had been controlling with just food, and keeping down to 120 on meter [after 350 readings] even afer foods too sometimes but now shooting up much higher with problems entering my life, and can’t bear needles [i take sugar tests in my ARM for 4 years, fingers hurt too much]. Thought byetta was a PILL, why NOT a tablet for this med! I must lose weight too and too depressed and gained back what I lost when I diognosed myself 4 years ago, and went on my old standby Atkins and lost but now gained it back. High blood pressure too and the meds for THAT [ace inhibiters] are destroying me even more. Please write back to my email address. Don’t know how I’ll come back to find any responses. Thanks e_meee_1999@yahoo.com I never even leave the house anymore…. no strength to get out of BED, much less out of the house!
Posted by: MAMZELLE | March 15th, 2007 at 2:45 pmI think its towit the way Nick was abled to do what he did.That was awesome.
Posted by: shelley | March 21st, 2007 at 2:54 pmmy god my friend drulls over nick she does research and everything you can think of oh and she drives me crazy talking about him
Posted by: saraie | April 19th, 2007 at 8:44 pmI think that Nick Jonas is one of the bravest people in the world! He is one of my heroes and I think that he has inspired many people who were afraid to tell thier friends about thier diabetes to tell them and help make a difference in peoples lifes that have diabetes. He shows you that even rockstars can get sick and that life isnt over when you get something like that…it’s just begining!
Posted by: Ann | July 25th, 2007 at 8:20 amI agree with Ann…
And, i think that my prayers go turn reality!!! God now how much I pray for he… And I believe that he go be cured…
PS: Sorry, I dont know write so good in english because I’m brazilian…
Posted by: Thaty | July 25th, 2007 at 11:58 amim so sad that nick has diabetes but i know he is strong enough to handle it so i love you nick ur my fav one in the jonas brothers band so its all good in the hood
Posted by: katie lavarias | July 30th, 2007 at 4:52 pmI think that what Nick and Delta are doing is great! Personally I do not know who Nick is, but still it’s awesome that he is getting the word out there. I wish more people with Type 1 would get the word out because not many people really understand what it means to be a type 1 diabetic and they don’t get what you have to go through and they think you are helpless. I hope more Type 1s get out there and spread the word that you can live a normal life with insulin dependent diabetes, I know I hate when people think I am different than they are because I have type 1 diabetes. I think its especially good to get the word out to teens as nick is doing! I am 15 and have been diabetic for 3 years and i handle it well and have no problem with having it, but for others having a good role model may make them less freaked out about it.
And Delta rocks for being so open with it, I hope it prevents and helps a lot of type 2s! And about the insulin for Delta, insulin is great, but if you dont NEED it then why would you want it? I know if i didn’t have to take it I wouldn’t, I dont think it was meant to be a threat like it was bad as it came off.
Oh and Katie don’t be sad, diabetes isn’t bad and if you are a type 1 and think it is, I’m sorry for you. I hate when people make it seem like it is this sad thing, people need to get we are normal people and we are all strong. I hate it when I see commercials that make type 1s seem like victims, we need to show we are normal and strong and we would be even stronger people if we found a cure!
Posted by: emily | August 2nd, 2007 at 2:13 pmI think that Nick was so Brave to have gone through whith that and i dont know what I’d do without the Jonas Brothers’ amazing music!!! Nick Rocks hes is my HERO!!!
Posted by: Jordyn | August 18th, 2007 at 12:50 pmnick you are so inspiring. I too have type one diabetes but I use the mini med 722. I am 13 and I have had diabetes for 7 years. My wish is that you could come to the galla in albany, new york and speak its a big ball and it has an oction and all of the money goes to the diabetes reasearch foundation! if you could just grant that wish I would be sooooooo happy! thankyou HannahB.
Posted by: hannahb | August 23rd, 2007 at 5:15 pmNick Jonas has been my inspiration and role model for quite some time now. but once i heard that he had diabeties back in march, it made me realize how amazing he really is. he was able to come out about his diabeties and proclaim to everyone how he deals with it! i think that is amazing and brave and that makes me just love nick soooo much more than i already do! haha he is an amazing guitar player and he has the voice of an angel! joe and kevin jonas are amazing too!!!
and if u dont know who the jonas brothers are yet…. go on google and search them! omg u will find SOOOO much stuff! they are the most amazing guys EVER!! <333
i love u nick! u are soooo inspiring, not to mention extremely HOTTT! i love u and joe and kev!
~mandy~
Posted by: Mandy | September 6th, 2007 at 2:31 pmNick Jonas rocks!
Posted by: Frankie | October 2nd, 2007 at 1:58 pmi love you nick you are the best!!!!!!! uot of all of the jonas brothers your the best of all!!!!!! no ofence to you guys Joe and Kevin but i was born with tuberclosis and every day when i was little i used to have it like every night but i’m taking medicine to control it.
Posted by: Frances | August 10th, 2008 at 7:52 pm