Diabetes primer: How to occupy the body

I was diagnosed with diabetes when I was 7 years old and in second grade.  One day,  while my mother checked my blood sugar, I asked, “Am I going to have to do this for the rest of my life?” I don’t remember clearly, but I don’t think she answered me. I looked down at my young fingers–still callous-less, milking a sufficient amount of blood to place on the One Touch monitoring strip–hoping my sugars would come down from being too high.

There are approximately 26 million people who have diabetes in the United States. According to the American Diabetes Association, about five percent (maybe more) of those people have Type 1 diabetes.   I am part of the five percent living with Type 1 diabetes. I am one member of the five. I occupy my body and thoughts and diet because of it. I can say that now. But I couldn’t say that as a child, adolescent and young adult with diabetes, that, at the time was called juvenile diabetes since it was only found to be prevalent in children. No, my control was exactly the opposite of the word and my path was a decent one, but by no means was it good. Let me tell you a bit more about diabetes before we talk about me.

My simple explanation

Type 1 diabetes:

• With Type 1 the pancreas, a major gland in the body, no longer produces insulin, a major hormone that is a key player in digesting simple sugars or glucose. Make sense?
• Type 1 diabetes is considered an autoimmune disease because according to researchers, it is one’s own body that diminishes the beta cells. Why? I’d like to know the same. I don’t know and neither does anyone else, apparently. When I was a kid, they thought that drinking cow’s milk too early in life was the cause of the disease. Now, they think that because of unhealthy mothers during pregnancy, the health risks are somehow passed on to the child, which develops into Type 1.
• It’s getting more complicated as time goes on because what they thought was juvenile diabetes (Type 1) is now diagnosed in people of all ages.

Type 2 diabetes

• With Type 2 the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin or the body does not, for some reason, properly use the insulin that is being produced.
• Type 2 diabetes is said to be hereditary, carried in the body, developing because, quite frankly, of having an unlucky gene pool or due to unhealthy lifestyles. Type 2 has also evolved over time. Years ago, it was said that only people over the age of 40 who were typically overweight and had unhealthy lifestyles were developing this “disorder,” as I personally like to call it. Now, skinny people and children are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. In addition to that, because of the unlucky gene pool, some of the healthiest people can develop pre-diabetes, meaning there are tendencies to have abnormally high blood sugar levels.
• Oh and by the way, Type 2 is preventable and has a high chance of being put into remission.

As you can see, diabetes is an epidemic that is spreading throughout the world. Approximately 366 million people in the world have diabetes. It doesn’t seem like a lot when you think about it, but according to the ADA, one person is being diagnosed with diabetes every 17 seconds. The ADA also has shown that diabetes complications have killed more people than AIDS and breast cancer combined.

Once diagnosed, I was admitted to the hospital for four days and placed on insulin therapy. Doctors taught me how to give myself insulin and control my glucose levels. Growing up with diabetes meant that my family and I went to support groups and I was introduced to my first endocrinologist, or doctor of the glands and hormones, after I was diagnosed, around 1992. He yelled at me for not controlling my blood sugar. I don’t remember the details, but all I know is that I had no answers for him. My blood sugars were high and I had to stick to a beyond strict diet. This was the beginning of my frustrations with the disease.

In high school, my endocrinologist was happy I was “stable,” but the fact that I survived college– even though, I can’t really tell you how because there was the drinking and the terrible eating habits–I was in no way the educated diabetic I am today. It wasn’t until I fell ill due to my gall bladder and met a doctor who turned my beliefs and ideas upside down and to the left.

Getting ready to go jogging!

Dr. Grazia Aleppo loves diabetes, and little did I know that she was also the best endocrinologist in the Midwest region. People outside of Chicago know about her and say things like, “You were her patient? Tell me about her. I hear she’s amazing.” Boy, she was amazing. She explained things to me, told me that it was my job to do as she said and her job to figure out my problems. Dr. Aleppo taught me the value of nutrition, counting carbohydrates and above all, understanding what role diabetes played in my life and in my body. I owe my transformation and my desire to talk about the issues of diabetes within the Latino community to her–and she’s Italian.

I invite you to stay tuned for my series on Proyecto Latina,  where I will continue to share what living with diabetes has taught me. I’m going to tell you about issues within the Latina community. I’m going to tell you how it was for my mother to raise me and my sister to live with me. I’m going to tell you about the problems that statistics have shown within Latinas and how it ties heart disease with Type 2 diabetes and somewhere in between I’m going to tell you about the issues I see with the names each Type has and how it affects those of us of the five percent. And after all of that, I hope you come to understand why you should Occupy Your Body and make a difference while you still can.

Christina Elizabeth Rodriguez is the editorial director at Extra Bilingual Newspaper and has been living with Type 1 diabetes for the past 20 years of her life. Developing a need to educate her peers and those around her about the long-lasting and lethal effects of unhealthy living especially within the Latino community, Christina started blogging for ChicagoNOW on her blog titled Check Yo’ Self,  which delves into the complications, nutritional insight, stresses and successes of living with diabetes. In addition, she is also the Communications and Social Media committee chair for the American Diabetes Association Young Professional’s Board. Christina has been a featured guest on Poco A Poco radio as a diabetes activist, is a monthly guest blogger for Latinos in Social Media’s Salud Saturdays and also talks to high school health classes when asked. To get more of her musings and diabetes insights, follow her on Twitter at @kiki416 and @kikisbetes.

This project is supported by the Local Reporting Awards, The Chicago Community Trust , Community News Matter initiative.  Get the full scoop on The Reportera Series here.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Printed on fiber based paper/ Jackie Orozco ( jackieorozco.tumblr.com)

Wordless Wednesday

Interview with Artist Vivian Zapata

Poetry has the ability to unleash profound insights about ordinary experience and my painting investigates the mystical inner life of metaphorical language as it arises in everyday life. – Vivian Zapata

Divine Dreaming | 46

Kicking off our first artist profile of 2012 is visual artist Vivian Zapata. She describes herself as a “color contortionist and a creator of symbols unmasking reality with every step.” Vivian grew up in Skokie, IL and a few years ago won first place in the 23rd Annual Congressional Arts Competition for District 16 in Illinois and she was the 1st place winner in the National Latin Grammy Poster Contest. She even caught the attention of Latino Art Beat, a non-profit organization that awards college scholarships and was awarded a full year college tuition scholarship. Vivian currently has a B.F.A from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is working on her masters. She is part of the next generation of Latina artists that need to be cultivated and supported. Vivian is one to watch as she continues  her creative journey in the arts.

Pink Candy Butterfly | 29

What drives your creativity?

Stories, poetry, and nature inspire my creativity. For my latest project, I allowed the changing of leaf colors in the fall to form the basis of my inspiration. The treetops glittered with deep yellows, warm oranges, vivid greens, and corral reds. I responded to this spectacle by trying to imitate the phenomenon I was observing. I devised organic-looking structures that allowed me to represent the trees’ leafy textures and vivid colors.
In the process of making these orb-like structures by hand, they took on anthropomorphic qualities. Like the painter who can charge a line with emotion and meaning, I somehow imbued a degree of emotion in my sculptures. To show my work, I thought it might be interesting to take my models outside to see the many ways they could interact with their environment. My experiment to alter the location of my structures produced interesting results. In some locations, my work took on overt anthropomorphic qualities and functioned like people on a trip. In a different context (the forest), my sculptures functioned like anomalous entities that created psychological space. In a final context, my works acted like props that extended the commercial function of a space.

How can art impact communities?

Art can bring people together for a common purpose. Judy Baca, a feminist artist from California, brought rival teenagers together to create historically inspired murals. The effort was positive and constructive. It allowed the troubled youth to get in touch with their Latin-American heritage while forming positive relations with fellow students.

I feel like I am still growing as an artist but I hope that my art can inspire audiences by making them look at nature in different way. The beauty of art is that it can present altered perspectives, (new ways of seeing the world that would not have existed without artistic intervention). I am currently interested in associating nature (plant life) with the female corporeal body. I want my art to celebrate the beauty and power of the female force.

Maldita | 21

What is the opportunity of being a woman / Latina artist?

My background as a woman/Latina artist gives me the opportunity to share a rich and unique perspective that filters in my work. It might be cliché to say but I do think that Latin Americans are soulful people. Our food, our music, and our colors reflect the passion that we have for life. Two Latina artists that have influenced my work are Frida Kahlo and Ana Mendieta. They projected a distinctive female voice in different ways. Kahlo did this through visual and surreal personal narratives and Mendieta did this through her performance works that brought forth ideas of ancient female powers and nature.

What mediums do you like to work with and why?

I like working with photography, digital media, and acrylic paint but I have recently dabbled with sculpture. As a grad student it is important to explore materials that can best express an idea.

Where do you see your art in the next five years?

I hope that in five years my interests as an artist will be clearly reflected in my works. I definitely have an interest in color, in nature, and in psychological space. One can never predict the future but I certainly see myself tenaciously pursuing my career as a visual artist.

Do you have three tips for women artists going to grad school? What do they need to know to?

Grad school can be fast-paced and one needs to know how to produce work quickly so the professors can see your ideas. I think the first semester may be hard for a student because it takes time to adjust to a new environment. A student should know that new methods of working will be discovered in grad school. Before applying, try to get many professional opinions on your application materials. I think its better to go to school with some experience under your belt. If possible, try to be a working artist for some years and try to talk to mentors or people you admire in the process.

Skokie Boulevard | 31.1

What kinds of projects are you working on in the new year?

As I mentioned, next semester I would like to continue investigating aspects of nature, and I would like to draw parallels between nature and the female corporeal body. The associations between a feminine power and nature have been long withstanding in the history of art. Even the most ancient archeological finds such as the Venus of Willendorf, drew associations between the generative powers of the female body and the generative powers found in nature. This semester I have looked at the work of the Pre-Raphaelites and also the work of women surrealists. I found a great website that organized flower usage in art into thematic categories such as life, death, fertility etc. I have also come across many contemporary artists whose work I admire and will continue to research. These artists include Jennifer Steinkamp, Yuyoi Kusama, and Sandy Skoglund. Their works investigate color, infinity, and or psychological space that could provide adequate inspiration for new projects that dually celebrate nature and the female body.

For more information on Vivian Zapata’s art work go to http://www.vivianzapata.com

Proyecto Latina – January 2012

Paloma Martinez-Cruz, Ph.D., Photo by Thelma Uranga

The Proyecto Latina Reading Series is excited to kick off the year with our first feature, writer Paloma Martinez-Cruz. She will be reading from her new book Women and Knowledge in Mesoamerica: From East L.A. to Anahuac (University of Arizona Press, 2011).  The book focuses on the medicine traditions of Mesoamerican women that constitute a hemispheric intellectual lineage that thrives despite the legacy of colonization.

Beginning with the pursuit of Chicana models of intellectual agency, Women and Knowledge in Mesoamerica is narrated as a journey to decolonize the mind in order to open up to the possibility of non-Western knowledge flows that prevailing analytical authorities have deemed “unintelligible.” Starting in East L.A., the centrality of Mesoamerican women healers can be observed in the literature of the Chicano movement and beyond.

Proyecto Latina Reading Series – Free

@Cobalt Studio

Monday, January 16, 2012 from 7PM to 9PM

1950 West 21st Street – Storefront

Chicago, IL 60608

Get Directions

CTA: Damen Pink Line Stop / #50 Damen Bus

Arrive early to sign up for the open mic and remember the Chisme Box is ready to be fed

Read more on Women and Knowledge in Mesoamerica: From East L.A. to Anahuac

Paloma Martinez-Cruz, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Spanish and Latino Studies and coordinator of the Gender and Women’s Studies Program at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.  She received her B.A. in Latin American Literature and Chicano Studies from the University of California at U.C. Berkeley and her Ph.D. in Latin American Literature from Columbia University in the City of New York.  Martinez-Cruz’ book entitled Women and Knowledge in Mesoamerica:From East L.A. to Anahuac: (University of Arizona Press, 2011) argues that medicine traditions among Mesoamerican women constitute a hemispheric intellectual lineage that thrives despite the legacy of colonization. She is the translator of Conçeicão Evaristo’s Brazilian novel Poncia Vicencio.

Special thanks to Adriana Baltazar, Creative Director and our venue sponsor:

Wordless Wednesday 2012

"patterned life" 2010 by Jackie Orozco / jackieorozco.tumblr.com

Year-end reivew: Who were the creative risk takers?

A year ago Diana Pando provided a year-end review and five tips for the creative tool box–exercises to tone our artistic muscle.  After all, being a productive and dynamic artist takes the same attention and discipline an athlete might dedicate to a sport. A  look at the 2011 roster of featured artists at our Proyecto Latina Reading Series, and the work they presented is proof of the time and dedication that this group of women invest in their art.  Month after month, from comedic to somber each featured artist presented her work with a lot of heart and passion.  I had the privilege to witness many moments of courage and vulnerability as these women took creative risks on the Proyecto Latina stage.

What follows is a quick snapshot of our third Mondays in 2011:

• January: Sandra Delgado shared a lyrical monologue that weaved family history and of the art of perfume making.
• February: Xenia Ruiz shared excerpts from her novel, a memoir and her most recent manuscript.
• March: Awilda Lyse Gonzalez shared short stories and poems on identity, her experience as a single mom,  and issues that effect women and our communities.
  
• April: For National Poetry Month we featured Yolanda Nieves who read from her book The Spoken Body.
• May: Kansas City writer Xanath Carranza presented poetry and narratives in English, Spanish and Nahuatl.  We also had work on display from visual artist Maria Esther Leon.  
• June: Gwen La Roka  infused us with plenty of  laughter with her comedy. 
• July: Claudia Martinez brought more humor with her improv and comedy.
• August: Natalie Marlena Goodnow visiting from Austin, Texas presented her solo play Mud Offerings. 
• September: Jazmin Corona exhibited photography and read a memoir piece. 
• October: Stephanie Manriquez delivered a multi-media presentation on the challenges that drive her to create.
• November: A tad bitter-sweet year-end when our feature Kelly Norman Ellis cancelled because she was sick and unable to present but that didn’t keep us from selecting a few poems from her book to share.

After the November Proyecto Latina Reading Series our team went out for celebratory drinks to toast to another successful year of creating literary and artistic programs in Chicago’s Southside communities of Little Village, Pilsen and Bridgeport.  We got down to business and on a cocktail napkin drafted a wish-list of 2012 calendar of features.

As I write this we are extending invitations–as soon as we have logistics confirmed we will be sharing our calendar.  As always, if you have someone you think deserves the spotlight drop us a line: info@proyectolatina.org.

See you in 2012! Remember to save the date for the next Proyecto Latina,  01/16/12 @ 7 p.m. Details coming soon.