World Diabetes Day: Save a Life

I didn't talk about my diabetes at all during the years I danced with the New York City Ballet. A ballerina is an athlete and psychologically I needed my directors and co-workers to perceive me as healthy. Most importantly, I needed my body to be in optimal working order. As a person with diabetes that meant I needed to keep my blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible with insulin injections. Exercise increases the effectiveness of insulin, and dangerous low blood sugars could result, which they did. Experiencing a low blood sugar episode is not only scary as your body shakes and you lose focus, but it can be extremely dangerous with the risk of many side effects including the possible loss of consciousness. Thankfully this never happened to me.

My directors at that time, Peter Martins and Jerome Robbins, knew I had been diagnosed with diabetes, but I did not share any information about my disease or the constant efforts it took to control it. And I wanted it that way! Every dancer had some complaint, some obstacle that might have been affecting their performance. My challenge was to show that I was the same dancer I had been before my diagnosis.

I was diagnosed during my third year in the company and continued to dance for 13 more years. Even during my years as a Soloist, when I felt more confident about my ability to manage my career and my diabetes, I rarely talked about my condition, consumed as I was with how to manage, improve and perfect my performance.

As a dancer I never felt that what I had accomplished was anything extraordinary. I honestly never thought that my perseverance, dedication and success might one day give strength and hope to someone else. But everything changed when I left the stage and began speaking publicly about dancing with diabetes. Time and again I have been deeply touched by all the people, young and old, who have responded to my story, been moved and helped by it.

Recently I was asked to be involved in the making of a video with other people with diabetes, reminding us all to stay active and test our blood sugar levels. (From now until World Diabetes Day on November 14th for every viewing of this video a child in need will receive life-saving insulin).

In the video I work with a young dancer named Samantha, who was diagnosed with diabetes a year ago. Her doctor had recommended she and her mother read my book, "The Sugarless Plum," to know what is possible for a dancer with diabetes.

Her mother contacted me through Facebook and email and we began to correspond. When I realized how close we live to each other I immediately thought to ask the film's director if Samantha could be in the video with me. I hope you enjoy watching us dance together, knowing you are saving a child's life somewhere in this world.

WATCH:

 

 

 

Comments

[BrownWayneNewtonSaudi]

10:36 PM on 11/16/2010

Wow. Only two comments for a disease that had the first real breakthrough in being more manageable almost a century ago, the discovery of insulin. Since then we have been pummeled with ads for glucose meters of every kind. New colors, smaller sizes, memory, expensive strips, home delivery, celebrities on the board of JDRF, no protection in employment, outrageously expensive drugs that have no special entity helping with the cost, lost savings. Idiot doctors that are clueless when they say lose weight when you were skinny before you started taking insulin. Losing weight on insulin is not a simple calorie count. Insurance companies deny your coverage until you have spent hours on the phone with them bouncing between their operators and the doctors offices. Doctors signed with the insurance companies to assure that anyone without insurance would be denied humanitarian treatment that might have been available to them two decades ago, as now it would be actionable against the physician per their mutual contract. All this while everything turns "pink" for a more popular, commercialized disease albeit less prolific, and pharmaceutical companies that promote and lobby for tax payer coverage of drugs that help men "maintain their manhood". The management of diabetes is a catastrophe because it is so profitable to those that have such little interest in finding a cure, JDRF included. Corporate America has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

[BrownWayneNewtonSaudi]

09:00 PM on 11/16/2010

Wow. Only two comments for a disease that had the first real breakthrough in being more manageable almost a century ago. The discovery of insulin. Since then we have been pummeled with ads for glucose meters of every kind. New colors, smaller sizes, memory, EXPENSIVE strips, home delivery, celebrities on the board of JDRF, no protection in employment, outrageously expensive drugs that have no special entity helping with the cost, lost savings. Idiot doctors that are clueless when they say LOSE WEIGHT when you were skinny before you started taking insulin! Insurance companies that deny your coverage until you have spent hours on the phone with them and bouncing around their operators (that is really all they are) and between the doctors offices. Doctors that signed with the devil insurance companies to assure that anyone with insurance would be denied humanitarian treatment or the insurance company will take action against the physician. All this while everything turns "pink" for the popular, commercialized disease of ladies tata's and pharmaceutical companies that promote and lobby for coverage of drugs that help men "maintain their manhood", at everyone else's expense. The treatment of diabetes is a CATASTROPHY because it is SO PROFITABLE. SHAME I SAY. SHAME on the JDRF for sitting on their hands while they are paid for sitting on boards, and doing nothing! Shame on the courts and legislators for ruling that manufacturers of medical devices can not be sued for malfunctions of those devices.

[jgabsaz]

12:09 AM on 11/15/2010

I originally watched this video through a JDRF Advocacy tweet on Twitter and immediately noticed you and your young dancer because my 7 year old daughter is a dancer and has been living with type 1 diabetes since she was 20 months old. Obviously, I didn't realize it was "you" and the circumstances behind the young dancer until I came across this post. Dancing, at your professional level, for 13 years with diabetes is an incredible feat. I worry every time I drop my daughter off at the studio. I used to sit there for 2 hours twice a week to insure she was o.k. and just recently started to give her more independence. I am looking forward to reading and sharing your book with my daughter.

[Zippora Karz]

01:03 PM on 11/15/2010

I completely understand! I do need to warn parents the book has adult subject matter, so I recommend reading it first and then skipping the parts that are not appropriate for a 7 year old.

And always feel free to contact me at
www.zipporakarz.com