It wasn’t until the death of her sister, her best friend, which prompted Love’s turnaround on
getting herself healthy. “I think of her everyday. She was my best friend. So many times I
want to pick up the phone and call her and I can’t.” Her anger and frustration at her sister’
s untimely death made her take stock in her life. It was then she changed her outlook and
started to lose weight.
“Damn. Damn. Damn,” was how Mother Love reacted to her diagnoses
of Type 2 diabetes in April of 1990. “I thought I had dodged the bullet. I
had stopped smoking and started to eat better.” Love has a family
history of Diabetes. Her mother was diagnosed with Adult onset
Diabetes and both her sister’s have diabetes.
She did, however, have to insist on confirming her own diagnoses. “I
knew every bathroom from the valley to Los Angeles. I could drink water
out of an endless faucet and I had started to get night sweats.” Love had
gone to her doctor for her annual checkup and then asked for a glucose
tolerance test. Her doctor brushed her off. “And then I gave him the
ultimatum, either you order the test or I’m going to find another doctor.”
She got the test.
It was Love’s husband who encouraged her and supported her every step along her way.
“My Husband he is my LOVE and my Partner his encouragement and the gentleness he
showed me when I was wondering what I was doing would I be OK. He stood with me
when I said I would rather loose my career than continue to be so sick. When he said he
loves me not what people or who people think I am. He knows me and loves ME! The girl
he loves from college.”
Love has dealt with diabetic burnout and the depression that sometimes follows
diagnoses. When first diagnosed she was angry she because she couldn’t do the things
she wanted to do. Now she wakes up every morning to praise God for another day of
sunshine.
At the Love’s house everyone knows not to bother her during DLife time. She sets out the
healthy snacks and watches the show. When taping she doesn’t get to see the sidebars or
any other information presented on the screen for viewers. “I get to learn new things just
like everyone else.
The advice she gives for newly diagnosed diabetics is get a team together. “Get your
doctor, CDE, psychologist and your family.” She believes with a good team you can control
your diabetes and not let it control you. “You are the boss.”
Mother Love's outlook on life is just how it is on DLife. She is an upbeat, loving person.
She is writing a book about her life changing experience of losing 111 pounds and hopes
to help other diabetics who feel it is hopeless. Love eventually would like to get around to
writing a cookbook, more about that later.
So be sure to catch Mother Love on DLife!
She lost 40 pounds and then decided “I lost 40 pounds
the rest would be easy. I could do it.” Love continued on
her exercise and lifestyle change to lose a total of 111
pounds. She is still a work in progress. She has currently
added Pilates to her exercise routine in order to begin
weight training. Her current exercise program is to walk at
least 10,000 steps a day.
