I don’t know if I have mentioned it before or not but I have a dietitian and a nurse that I talk to twice a month, the last time that I spoke with the nurse she wanted me to call the American Diabetes Association. After a few days I finally called (really nice people) and so a few days maybe weeks passed and I finally got my packet.
So I get home and I’m totally hyped about the packet I want to know more about what I have (it’s my nature to want to learn all I can about what I have) so like a little kid during Christmas I tear the packet open and pulled out the stack of informational papers out. I started reading and after the 3rd paper I started to notice that the information is 3 different papers where the same! just worded differently. Well guess what I dug some more and found 1 more to add to the repetitive information.
I honestly didn’t like the information that they have in the packet, to me it came off as if your fat and you have a lack of exercise then that’s why you got. Seriously! I couldn’t believe what I was reading especially since I know 2 people that are none of those things. My brother was a star athlete back in his day and my Dad worked his ■■■ off in the fields … doesn’t that count as exercise?
The packet also had some half asses receipe book on how to cook “Mexican” that’s when I understood why the lady asked me if I was Latino, Black or Indian when I called the American Diabetes Association. Which made me wonder if they send Black people how to cook “Soul Food.” And another thing that it had was the Diabetics diet, when I started my talks with the nurse she informed me to try and find out the right diet for myself. So who is right?
While I was reading over my “information” I noticed an ad on television for Diabetes that made it seem like a joke … now I understand advertisement, that’s the business that I’m in but when you have the guy that played Cliff in Cheers and voiced the Piggy Bank in Toy Story who’s going to take it serious? Not me! Why is it that diabetes one of the hardest diseases to diagnose and to live with gets this kind of treatment? Cancer, Heart Attacks and other diseases get a more serious take on advertisement, so why can’t mine? You can always bounce back from cancer or a heart attack but diabetes stays with you for life there is no remission or transplants. Hell even the Juvenile Diabetes Association is a lot more serious.
I was totally expecting something a lot different from the packet that I got and I was expecting a lot more informational information. I know this may sound messed up but who cares it’s my choice, I will no longer help support the ADA. That’s until they start taking things seriously. Until then I have my own “association” to stand behind and that’s DRIVE ON - FIGHTING FOR A DIABETIC CURE … no jokes just straight talk cause to me Diabetes is not a subject that I take lightly.
I hear ya! I sent away for the same packet recently and in truth, I gleaned more information from this site in 1 day than I’ve ever received from the ADA. I think part of the problem is nothing has been updated and everything is so generic. Unfortunately, we are not. I “Google” like crazy and look into LOW CARB versus Diabetic Diets. Hope that helps a little, but at least you know you’re not alone. !!! 
I’ve found the ADA to be a fountain of misinformation. I don’t support them either.
Gee, wonder what recipes white people get.
For straight talk & real answers check out http://www.bloodsugar101.com & Dr. Richard Bernstein’s Diabetes Solution. For too high carb meals, high A1c’s & problems, follow the ADA.
Well DriveOn, you will learn more here to help you from the people who live it 24/7 than the ADA will ever know. now if you want to learn fund raising and self service well then ADA may be a good outfit to learn from. Now there are a lot of great resources out there here is a good one to start with, http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/ then when you are ready people will give you additional sites, what will work for you will be buried in there, you just need to find what works for you, each of us is different in how we control, and how we react to different foods and methods. This is, in my opinion, why the medical field in general is so ignorant on diabetes, there is no one way for everyone. the closest would be Dr Bernstein http://www.diabetes-book.com/ that man has it down to a science.
If the ADA is so bad at what it does then why are they still around? There has to be something that we can do. It really pisses me off to know that a half asses association is the face of diabetes. I totally agree with you DEVON the catalog that they sent me to buy things to help support them was from Christmas of 2009 and the letter head was from that year.
It sounds like Dr. Bernstein knows what he’s talking about. I am purchasing his book.
DriveOn …here is my ( old fashion ) suggestion , actually this has worked in my life so far …you could explain how you feel with them ( the ADA higher ups ) …the( your ) problem with them does not get resolved if you put it here, no matter how nicely you put it .
By the way some folks DO NOT bounce back from cancer or a heart attack .
Darn, I missed you …I looked at your profile …: Palm Dessert …I vacationed there from Jan 29 - Feb 12 …seems so long ago
totally agree! too much misinformation out there and feels like I am always explaining to in laws and others while they look at me like I am an extremist because I eat low carb!
My first dietitians were following ADA and I paid nearly $300 x 2 visits for them to tell me how to keep my BG super high, and refused to support low carb. Thankful for people on Tu D!