Voces y Sentimientos
A photovoice exploration of diabetes among uninsured Latinos
in Santa Clara County
Un proyecto de fotovoz sobre la diabetes y Latinos sin seguro médico en el Condado de Santa Clara
Individual Level Messages
Participants identified feelings associated with receiving the diagnosis of diabetes, feelings associated with the activities of self-management and feelings and attitudes associated with self esteem and self efficacy and the future.
The diagnosis was identified as a traumatic event accompanied with negative feelings such as confusion, depression, sadness, denial, despair, fear, powerlessness, and negativity. One participant expressed: “cuando le dicen a uno el diagnóstico uno dice ya me voy a morir” “when they tell you the diagnosis, you tell yourself I am going to die”
Positive feelings were identified with overcoming the initial trauma of the diagnosis and getting involved in self-management activities. This comment from one of the participants who reported suffering from an initial crisis when diagnosed speaks of that transformation: “After having more information, more knowledge about the disease you say Aha, I can live with diabetes. This is me. I am a happy diabetic. My message is this: understand diabetes and improve your life. You can be happy even if you have diabetes”
In addition to personal testimonies such as the above, participants shared general positive messages regarding their future. They shared messages of encouragement and recommendations to hold a positive attitude, openness to new things, and to see opportunities where one used to see problems.
During the course of the project, participants became more acquainted with each other and started to share information about community resources and options like where to find low cost medication, where to exercise, where to take self-management diabetes classes and low or no sugar food alternatives. . They also shared information about what helped them and could help others in caring for their disease.
Participants identified their main personal sources of emotional strength and inspiration: their families, deceased relatives who had had diabetes, caring spouses, the act of helping others by teaching them about diabetes, a life philosophy of a loved one, the example of children with diabetes and knowing there is a large number of people who fight diabetes on a daily basis. One participant who had lost her daughter to diabetes emphasized the death of her daughter as the main source of strength to continue living. She said: “what happened to my daughter and what I see out there, all that diabetes, gives me the strength to take care of myself”
Also within this category are general impressions and comments about the disease. For instance, there were several comments about how one can have diabetes and not know it or how someone apparently healthy and wealthy can have the disease. Commenting on a picture of a basketball game and the players, of which one of them had diabetes, a participant expressed: “Quién puede decir sólo al mirarlos quien de ellos padece diabetes? No se sabe” “Who is able to tell just by looking at them which one has diabetes? You don’t know”
Community Level Messages
Participants talked about self-management behaviors in which they were engaged and offered advice to the Latin community in general and to those with diabetes specifically about what to do to live healthy and to control and prevent diabetes. For instance, “eat more of food that has color, like green food that contain vitamins and minerals and fruits also” and “for people with diabetes, 30 minutes that you walk means good control for your diabetes”.
In addition to behaviors, they also offered advice regarding attitudes: “A good sense of humor is often overlooked as a prescription for improved health”. A call to action for the Latino community was a repeated message during group discussions and individual narratives.
Participants also talked about the consequences of lack of control: “this is where you can end up if you don’t take care of yourself” (referring to the picture of a limb amputation). In addition, participants expressed self-critical views of the Latino community and some of their unhealthy eating habits. For instance, one participant in the middle of a discussion about the unhealthy eating habits of Latinos expressed: “Some people, if you offer them fruit they reject it. All they want is carnitas (pork), bistec (steak) o hamburguesa (hamburger). No matter how much you tell them to eat healthy, they won’t listen. Bottomline, the only one to blame for getting sick is yourself”. The following statement and photo from that participant sums it up: “The extreme of an amputation symbolizes denial and negativism in the Latino community”
Institutional Level Messages
Participants offered indirect (a general statement about an existing problem) messages related to barriers to care and messages clearly directed to “las autoridades” (the authorities) to change or improve an existing problem. The high cost of glucose testing supplies, medicines and medical care, compounded with lack of health insurance, were identified as the main barriers to self-management.
Another message to diabetes policy makers was the need for more information and education about diabetes as well as more diabetes prevention efforts. The need for more low cost community clinics was also identified. The data also indicate participants’ distinction between availability of care and access to care.
Another set of comments shared by participants were related to the need for authorities to be more responsive in terms of culturally appropriate ways to reach and serve the Latino population. A call for integration of Latinos into organizations with a nationwide scope of services like the American Diabetes Association emerged from the discussions.
Participants also engaged extensively in dialogue about their knowledge of issues related to the disease but from a macro perspective. For instance, the epidemic nature of the disease not only within the Latino community but among Native Americans, the millions that have diabetes and do not know it, the problem of obesity and the incidence of diabetes among children and younger adults. They also talked about differences between the lifestyle in the United States and their countries of origin in Latin America and made clear bi-national comparisons. In one of the discussions one participant said “Latinos do not like to walk” Another participant responded: “In our countries we used to walk everywhere”, “Here the car is necessary because there isn’t public transportation that goes everywhere you want to go”. This final comment received the approval of the whole group: “In our countries is not that easy to acquire a vehicle like here in the States. Here you can even get it for free!”
NARRATIVES / NARRATIVAS 30 Minutos al Día Cuando los desafíos aparecen en nuestras vidas, debemos recordar que este no es el fin del mundo. Si usted camina 30 minutos cada día puede controlar su azúcar. Camine y regrese sonriendo, feliz a su hogar. Usted puede tomar la opción de caminar, hacer ejercicio, para gozar de salud. No espere la salud sentado en su casa. Comience a caminar 30 minutos cada día para sentirse saludable y feliz. 30 Minutes a Day When challenges appear in our lives we should remember they do not represent the end of the world. If you walk 30 minutes every day you can control your sugar level; walk and come back home smiling, happy. You have the option of walking and exercising to enjoy good health. Don’t wait for health sitting at home. Start walking 30 minutes every day in order to feel healthy and happy. ADA La Asociación Americana de la Diabetes cada año realiza una caminata a la que asiste va mucha gente. No es solamente para recaudar fondos; es también para crear conciencia en la gente a que participe con la asociación. Yo quiero que todos nosotros caminemos cada año. A los Latinos no les gusta caminar. Pero nos debería interesar más a nosotros porque aquí en ésta área hay más Latinos. Este grupo, el ADA tradicionalmente hablan solamente con los “gabachos” y yo quiero cambiar eso, yo quiero que sea más para los Latinos. ADA Every year, the American Diabetes Association organizes a walk and many people participate in it. It is not only to raise money; it is also to increase awareness and recruit members for the association. I want this group to participate in the walk every year. Latinos do not like to walk. However, we should get interested because in this area there are a lot of Latinos. This group, the ADA, traditionally represent whites and I want to change that. I want the Association to include more Latinos. Bendiciones Este árbol lo puedo ver todos los días desde mi ventana. Este árbol me recuerda que todos podemos dar buenos frutos sin importar lo que padecemos o el medio que nos rodea. Yo trato de dar buenos frutos al ayudar a mi comunidad a entender lo que es la diabetes y como podemos controlarla. Me satisface cuando la gente hace pequeños cambios en su vida. El dar frutos es un privilegio y una bendición. Blessings I see this tree everyday from my window. It reminds me that all of us are capable of doing good things; sort of bearing fruits regardless of our conditions or circumstances. I try to give out fruits when I help my community understand what diabetes is and how we can control it. It pleases me when I see people making small changes in their lives. To bear fruit is a privilege and a blessing. Amputación Si… es una pierna que ha sido amputada... Es uno de los riesgos que tenemos los diabéticos al no cuidarnos. Es una persona que nunca le dio importancia a su salud! Además, está el riesgo de la pérdida de la vista, alta presión, pérdida del funcionamiento de los riñones y otras más que nos perjudican. Para tener uno buena vida, necesitamos recibir más ayuda tanto en atención médica como tener los medicamentos necesarios. Amputation Yes… It is an amputated leg… This is one of the consequences for diabetics of lack of care. The person in this photo never cared about his health. There are also other risks such as loosing your eyesight, high blood pressure, problems with your kidneys, and more. In order for us to enjoy a better life we need to receive more medical attention and to have access to medications. Búsqueda de Recursos Esta foto la tome frente a mi casa. Cuando veo a los pájaros así tan alto pienso que los Latinos y los que tenemos diabetes tenemos que volar, ver otras actitudes desde arriba. No debemos quedarnos inmóviles. Tenemos que continuar la búsqueda de soluciones de maneras diferentes. No tenemos que parar. Tenemos que seguir volando para tocar puertas, buscar medios de ayuda para nuestras enfermedades. Searching for Resources I took this photo in front of my house. When I see the birds so high like that, I think about Latinos and those like me who have diabetes. I think we need to fly; we need to see other attitudes, from above. We should not stay immobile.. We have to keep searching for solutions in different ways. We can’t stop searching. We have to keep flying and knock on doors until we get the help we need for our diseases. Caldo Este es uno de los platos típicos de los Latinos, un caldo de res. Este plato es mi porción del día, porque uno enfermo de diabetes u otra enfermedad se debe cuidar o poner a dieta. Esta foto refleja la preocupación entre los Latinos de comer verduras en vez de carnes rojas. Pienso en unos amigos que cuando los invito a comer no les gusta la verdura. Y le explico que sin verdura no se come sano y al rato va a estar más enfermos que nosotros. Podemos comer poquita carne roja pero combinándola con ensalada, arroz, frijoles, etc. Exhorto a la comunidad a comer más verduras. Beef Stew This beef soup is a typical Latin dish. This is my daily portion because when one has diabetes or any other disease; you should watch what you eat. This photo reflects the issue of eating more vegetables instead of red meat among Latinos. I think of some friends of mine that when I invite them over for dinner, they don’t like to eat vegetables. I explain to them that it is unhealthy if you never eat vegetables and that if they don’t eat healthy they will eventually get sick. It is o.k. to eat a little of red meat as long as you eat salad and rice and beans. I encourage my community to eat more vegetables. Collage My oldest daughter passed away October 30, 2007 due to complications of diabetes and of Guillian-Barre Syndrome, which she had from the age of 3. I loved my daughter's upbeat attitude while dealing with her illnesses. She endured a lot throughout the years and was a very brave fighter throughout her lifetime until she lost her battle at the too young age of 32. I am very thankful to have and reflect back on the collage of pictures of her during different times of her lifetime. Watching her fight all her obstacles throughout her life, especially when she was diagnosed with diabetes, gives me the strength in my heart and mind to fight my own diabetes. Collage Mi hija mayor murió el 30 de octubre del 2007 a causa de complicaciones de la diabetes y del síndrome Guillian-Barre el cual tuvo desde los 3 años. Yo admiré la buena disposición que demostró mi hija respecto a sus enfermedades. Ella aguantó mucho sufrimiento a través de los años y fue muy valiente hasta el día que murió a los 32 años. Yo soy muy afortunada en tener y poder reflexionar sobre el “collage” de sus fotos. El haberla visto batallar con todos los obstáculos a través de su vida; especialmente cuando ella fue diagnosticada con diabetes, me da la fuerza en mi corazón y mi mente para luchar mi propia diabetes. Corazón Alguien una vez dijo “Si las lágrimas pudieran convertirse en una escalera y los recuerdos en un camino, yo subiría al mismo cielo para traerte de vuelta” Este corazón contiene las cenizas de mi hija y puedo ponerlo cerca de mi corazón cuando necesito energía para batallar con mi diabetes con toda la energía que ella tuvo para luchar con la suya. Este corazón representa mi vida. Heart Someone once said “If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane, I’d walk right up to heaven and bring you home again” This heart holds my daughter's remains so that I can hold her close to my heart when I need the energy and the will to fight my diabetes with all the energy she had to fight hers. This heart represents my life. Costo por las Nubes La principal problemática de la persona diabética que no tiene seguro médico es el alto costo de las medicinas. Muchos sólo ganan para pagar la renta y para los alimentos. Además, tienen temor de solicitar ayuda por su status migratorio. Quiero darle un mensaje a la persona que tiene la posibilidad de buscar los medios para poder ayudar a la gente que no tiene seguro y que no tiene posibilidad de comprar las medicinas. Las medicinas y la atención médica para muchas personas es imposible. Muchos Latinos no se atienden por su situación económica. Hay medicinas para la diabetes que cuestan hasta $400! Prices Skyrocketing The number one problem of a person with diabetes that does not have insurance is the high cost of medicines. Many can only afford to pay rent and put food on the table. On top of that many fear asking for help due to their immigration status. I want to send a message to those with the possibility of finding means to help the uninsured. Medicines and medical care for many is impossible. Many Latinos do not seek medical attention because of their financial situation. Some diabetes medicines can cost up to $400.00! El Camino Cuando supe que tenía diabetes me dí cuenta que tenía dos caminos; uno era seguir mi vida igual y el otro comenzar a hacer cambios. En esta foto se ve un camino limpio, recto y sin obstáculos. Desgraciadamente el camino de la diabetes no es así. Si seguimos ese camino y no hacemos cambios el camino nos llevara directo a la muerte. Se puede caminar el camino con una mejor calidad de vida al comenzar a hacer algunos cambios en nuestra vida. Siempre hay una esperanza en nuestro caminar diario. Busquémosla! Vale la pena vivir! The Road When I learned I had diabetes I realized I had two roads in front of me; one choice was to do nothing and the other was to begin making some changes. In this photo you can see a road that looks clean, straight and free from obstacles. Unfortunately, the diabetes road is not like that. If we were to follow that road, without making changes we are destined to reach death. You can walk the road and find better quality of life when you begin to make some changes. There is always hope in our daily walk. Let’s find it! Life is worth living! El Despertar Este es el gallo de mi vecino. Es el despertador antiguo cuando no había relojes despertadores ni alarmas. Esta foto significa que hay que despertar a nuestra comunidad a NUESTRA manera. El gallo nos anuncia un nuevo día. Es el despertar diario para pedir ayuda para nuestras necesidades a las personas con posibilidades y a las autoridades. The Awakening This is my neighbor’s rooster. It is the one that used to wake us up when there were no alarm clocks or alarms. This photo means that we have to awaken our community OUR way. The rooster announces a new day to all of us. It is the daily awakening to ask those with financial means and the authorities to help us meet our needs. Esto será por toda mi Vida En esta foto se ve a una madre que a medio juego, le mide los niveles de azúcar a su hijo. Ellos saben que la vida tiene que seguir y las complicaciones por venir, en pequeños y grandes con DIABETES. Me gustaría que este mensaje, llegue a las comunidades Latinas que también venimos a APORTAR algo a este PAIS y requerimos de atención médica, medicinas y entrenamientos para un mejor desarrollo y productividad y para eso pedimos la AYUDA A NUESTRAS AUTORIDADES.... For the rest of my Life In this photo you can see a mother measuring her son’s glucose in the middle of his game. They both know that life goes on but that complications will come for children and adults with diabetes. I would like this message reaches the Latino communities because we come to this country to CONTRIBUTE and so we require of medical attention, medicines, training for us to develop and to be productive. That is why we ask the authorities for help… Familias Saludables Aquí se ve una familia aparentemente saludable. Pero de todos ellos una persona tiene diabetes. Quién de ellos crees tú que tiene diabetes? Millones de personas tienen diabetes y la tercera parte de cada millón la tiene sin saberlo. Hagamos conciencia y dediquemos tiempo para saber como nos encontramos de salud. Así la gente no lamentará encontrarse enferma de diabetes ya que chequearse frecuentemente y llevar una alimentación saludable puede evitar tenerla. Entendamos la diabetes y mejoremos nuestras vidas. Healthy Families Here you see an apparently healthy family. However, one of them has diabetes. Who do you think it is? Millions of people have diabetes and the third of them do not know they have it. Let’s be more aware. Let’s dedicate time to check our health. That way we won’t lament being sick with diabetes, because if you have your medical check-ups and follow a healthy diet you can prevent diabetes. Let’s understand diabetes and improve our lives. Glucómetro Este es el equipo que se utiliza para medir glucosa en la sangre y las medicinas para controlarla. Es un equipo sumamente importante para la persona con diabetes. El glucómetro, las lancetas, las tiritas, el algodón y el alcohol son los implementos que son tan importantes en la vida de la persona con diabetes. Este equipo tiene un precio tan elevado que no todas las personas los pueden adquirir como ellas lo desearían. Tampoco las medicinas. Por eso es muy importante que las autoridades médicas se preocupen por estas personas, brindándoles todo lo necesarios para el cuidado de la salud. Lo que no se ve en la foto es algo que solamente el diabético lo sabe y lo siente. Si un diabético ve un número alto se da cuenta que su cuerpo está funcionando mal. Gracias al equipo puede darse cuenta de cómo está la glucosa en su sangre. Glucometer This is the equipment to measure the level of glucose in your blood and some of the medicines used to control it. It is extremely important for the person with diabetes. The glucometer, lancets, strips, cotton and alcohol are very important in the life of a diabetic. However, this equipment and the medicines are very expensive and not everybody can afford to have them. That is why it is very important for the medical authorities to care about those people by offering them what they need to take care of their health. What this photo does not show is what every diabetic knows and feels when he or she sees a high number on the glucometer. That means your body is not functioning well. Thanks to this equipment he or she is able to assess the glucose level in the blood at any time. Infórmate y Vive Mejor Aquí vemos libros que hablan sobre la diabetes. Si todos tomáramos el tiempo para informarnos lo más que se pueda sobre nuestra enfermedad podríamos vivir muncho mejor. Los libros nos ayudan a entender qué es lo que nos causa la diabetes y nos enseñan como con una buena dieta, ejercicio, y la medicina podemos vivir muy bien. También nos ayuda a entender como trabaja nuestro cuerpo y como lo podemos ayudar a trabajar correctamente. Learn and Live Better Here we see books about diabetes. Perhaps if all of us took the time to inform ourselves as much as we could about our disease we could live much better. Books help us understand what causes diabetes and teaches us that with a good diet, exercise and medicines we can live well. They can also help us understand how our body operates and how we can help our body work properly. Juego de Basket Esta foto muestra un partido de basketball. Yo ví que todos los jugadores estaban supuestamente sanos. Cuando se terminó el show se bajó toda la gente a que les dieran autógrafos y mi niña, tenía un balón para que se lo firmaran y entonces cuando se lo estaban firmando, un muchacho, se empezó a sentir mal y le dijeron a ella “no es que el tiene diabetes” y se iba corriendo para adentro. Entonces aparentemente estaba bien y nadie se imaginó que el muchacho pudiera tener diabetes. Aquí tenemos dos mensajes. Uno, que aun con diabetes uno puede realizar sus sueños. El otro es que inclusive donde no se ve la enfermedad puede estar la enfermedad. Basketball Game This photo shows a basketball game. I saw all the players so healthy. At the end of the show, everybody ran to get autographs and my daughter also went for the players to sign a ball she had. Suddenly, one of the players started feeling sick. Another one of the players told my daughter “he has diabetes”. Apparently, the young man was fine and nobody imagined he could have diabetes. Here we have two messages: One is that even if you have diabetes you can still realize your dreams. The other message is that the disease can be anywhere, even if you don’t see it. Latinos Informándose Aquí se ve un grupo de personas en una clase. Lo que nadie sabe es que todas estas personas de una forma u otra están viviendo muy cerca de la diabetes ya sea que ellos mismos la tienen o algunos familiares muy cercanos a ellos la están padeciendo. Es muy triste mirar que así como yo, cada año más y más personas están sufriendo con la diabetes y que a veces por falta de recursos la única manera que tenemos para informarnos cómo cuidarnos es tomando estas clases. Si se dieran tal vez más de estas clases que nos enseñaran a cuidarnos y en nuestro idioma para todos los Latinos tal vez se pudiera prevenir tanta diabetes. Information is Power Here we see a group of people in a class. All of these people either have diabetes or have a loved one who suffers from the disease. It is sad to know that like me, more and more people every year are suffering from diabetes and that sometimes, because of lack of resources the only way for us to know how to take care of ourselves is taking classes like this one. Perhaps if there were more of this classes to teach us how to take care of ourselves and in our language, for all Latinos, it would be possible to prevent so much diabetes. Latinos y sus Necesidades Lo que vemos aquí es una farmacia Latina a la que muchos Latinos de bajos recursos y sin aseguranza médica tenemos que acudir ya sea para conseguir los medicamentos o para ver a un médico que nos atienda. Debemos mirar que nuestra gente Latina necesita más centros médicos en los que podamos recibir asistencia médica y nuestros medicamentos que a veces cuestan mucho dinero. De esta forma podríamos controlar nuestra diabetes y vivir mucho mejor. Latinos and their Needs What we see in this picture is a Latin pharmacy used by many low income and uninsured Latinos have to go to find medications and to see a doctor. We have to wake up to the fact that our Latino people need more medical centers where we could receive medical attention and the medicines that often cost a lot of money. We could then control our diabetes and live much better. Mochila Este es mi backpack y también mi metro de medir mi azúcar en un banco de una parada del autobús. Yo siempre ando como 4 millas diarias. Hay veces que si tomo el autobús o tomo el tren pero casi todo el tiempo camino y siempre llevo conmigo mi backpack. Este es mi modo de hacer ejercicio para controlar mi diabetes. Yo lo que quiero decirle a la gente es que si quiere uno, se puede hacer ejercicio, no más ir andando. No tienes que correr pero si quieres, está bien. Hay veces cuando yo si corro y corro bien! Backpack This is my backpack and my glucometer to measure the amount of sugar in my blood on a bench at a bus stop. I walk about 4 miles every day. Sometimes I take the bus or the train but most of the time I walk everywhere. I always take my backpack with me. This is my way to exercise to control my diabetes. What I want to tell people is that if you really want to exercise, you can do it simply by walking. You don’t have to run, although if you like it, you can. Sometimes I run and I run fast! Ouch! Esta foto muestra la colección de lancetas de un año. Las tengo en un bote donde las echo todas juntas y las saqué para tomar esta foto. Yo ni lo pienso, hasta que las veo todas así. Para mi es la rutina diaria, hacerme la prueba de sangre por lo menos una vez al día y me provee con la información necesaria para regular el nivel de glucosa. Después de picarme el dedo, pongo una muestra de sangre en una tirita ya introducida en el glucómetro. Espero unos segundos y leo el resultado. Llevo conteo en un banco de datos y tomo notas para mi propio uso. Ouch! This photograph represents about one year’s worth of lancets I have used. I have to check my own glucose level at least once per day to provide me with the feedback I need to self regulate my glucose level. Once I have used the lancet on my finger, I place a small drop of blood onto a test strip inserted into my glucose meter. I wait a few seconds and I can then read the display on the meter. I record the reading in a database along with notes to myself. Pies Saludables Estos son mis zapatos en el puente de un parque al que voy seguido. Una persona que tenga diabetes debe tener un exagerado cuidado con sus pies. No debe exponer a sus pies a tener cortaduras, llagas o raspaduras ya que una simple herida podría ser fatal y provocar una lamentable amputación. El mensaje al público es que busquemos el calzado apropiado para pies de personas con diabetes. También se puede comprar cremas y lociones especiales para pies. Usted merece ser feliz aún teniendo diabetes. Quiérase de aquí a la luna y de regreso. Healthy Feet These are my shoes on the bridge of a park I visit frequently. Anyone with diabetes has to take extreme care of their feet. You should not expose your feet to cuts or abrasions because a simple wound could ultimately result in amputation. The message I have for the public is that we should look for appropriate shoes for those with diabetes. You can also buy cremes and special foot lotions. You deserve to be happy even if you have diabetes. Love yourself. Plato de Ensalada En esta foto se ve un plato con una ensalada de espinacas, con pollo, nueces, cebolla, queso de chiva, cranberries y un aderezo hecho con aceite y vinagre. Esto es lo que las personas enfermas o no enfermas debemos de tener en nuestra dieta diaria, porque de nuestra manera de comer depende el buen funcionamiento de nuestro cuerpo. Una buena dieta balanceada es importante para todos los seres humanos y en especial a los que estamos enfermos como lo estoy yo con diabetes. Esta foto es una invitación a un cambio total en nuestros hábitos alimenticios. Salad Bowl This photo shows a plate of spinach salad with chicken, walnuts, onions, goat cheese, cranberries and oil and vinegar dressing. This is what people with diseases or healthy people should eat every day. How good or bad our body functions depend on our eating habits. A good balanced diet is important for all human beings; particularly those like me who suffer from diabetes. This photo is an invitation to a total change in our eating habits. Prevención Cuando la persona es activa puede librarse de muchas enfermedades. Yo recuerdo que mi mamá tenía muchas plantas en su casa. A veces, cuando estaba enferma, su doctor además de tratamiento también le recomendaba que fuera a la casa y cambiara las plantas de lugar para despejar su mente. Así lo hacia ella para distraer pensamientos negativos. En su casa siempre hubo colores como en este jardín que se ve en la foto. Por eso me recordó a mi mama y su modo de manejar sus enfermedades. El mensaje es que tenemos medios y las posibilidades de distraernos y mantenernos activos sin gastar mucho dinero. Prevention We can prevent diseases if we stay active. I remember that my mother had many plants in and around her house. Sometimes, when she felt ill, her doctor in addition to treating her illness would recommend for her to go home and to move her plants around, to rearrange them in order to take her mind off her illness. She would do that to get rid of negative thoughts. In my mother’s house there was always a lot of color like this garden you can see in this photo. That’s why it reminded me of my mother’s way to manage her illnesses. The message is that we have at our disposal options to distract our mind and stay active without spending money. Rosas Ralladas Nosotros somos como las rosas. Nos estamos abriendo a nuevas cosas. Esta es un tipo de flor muy especial. Hay pocas flores con esos colores. Esta rosa esta ralladita de color amarillo y la hace ver más bonita y especial. Las personas nos vemos igual que las flores, por fuera supuestamente nos vemos fuertes y sanos y por dentro estamos más enfermos que nada. Por ejemplo, una persona se ve como una flor, bien por fuera y lo rallado en las personas representa la enfermedad, porque con la diabetes se te complica la alta presión, el alto colesterol, piedras en los riñones, y otras enfermedades. Cuando miro la foto o veo a una persona que al parecer se ven sanos pero a la mejor la flor tiene plaga y la persona diabetes. Roses with Stripes We are like roses. We are opening up to new things. This is a very special type of flower. There are not many flowers with these colors. This rose has yellow stripes which make it prettier and special. People are like flowers, outside we may look strong and healthy but inside we can be very sick. For example, a person can look fine but the yellow stripes represent their disease because with diabetes you can have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney problems and other conditions. When I see this photo or a person that looks healthy, but chances are the flower has an invisible bug and the person has diabetes. Triste Final La cruz es el símbolo de la muerte. Es la meta final, es decir, el final del camino del diabético que por falta de información o a su precaria situación económica y a la poca sensibilidad de nuestras autoridades quienes necesitan tener más humanidad hacia nuestra situación. Es el fin de la persona que no se ha cuidado nunca. El fin del camino del que no se controla. Me puse a pensar… si yo no me cuido… me va a tocar esa cruz… más pronto de lo esperado. Tragic Ending The cross symbolizes death. Death is the final destination, that is, the end of the road for the diabetic for lack of information or because of his precarious financial situation and the lack of sensibility of our authorities. They need to have a more humane attitude towards our situation. Death is the end of those who have not received care. It is the end of the road for those who do not control themselves. I started thinking…if I do not take care of myself…one of those crosses is going to be for me sooner than later. Un Angel cuida mi Vida An Angel watches over Me This couple is dressed very elegantly and smiling. The lady is kindly telling her husband who has diabetes, not to eat the cookies. Diabetes is a disease that does not discriminate social classes. What we do not see in this beautiful image is the severity of the disease and the effort that the gentleman makes to continue working in order to pay for his treatment. Chronic diseases like diabetes require education and services for our LATINO COMMUNITY. WE ALL COULD BENEFIT from help from and more resources from our authorities. Una Luz en el Camino de mi Vida Cuando el camino te parezca difícil, llega la Luz con el Conocimiento para seguir adelante. Si te sientes a morir con el diagnóstico, ten en cuenta que de pronto, llega la información y más tarde el conocimiento de como seguir viviendo con la Diabetes. Vivo feliz, agradeciendo a Dios, sus bendiciones. He aprendido a vivir con la Diabetes. La luz llegó a mí, con el conocimiento que adquirí del curso sobre la Diabetes. Para mí el tres es muy simbólico, ya que significa la tercera edad. La mayoría de las personas con diabetes le comenzó a los cuarenta años en adelante. A light on my Life’s Path When the road seems too difficult, the Light reaches you in the form of Knowledge to keep going. If you feel like dying when you hear the diagnosis, know that first you get the information and later the knowledge of how to live with diabetes. I live happy and thankful for God’s blessings. I have learned to live with diabetes. The light came to me from the knowledge I acquired from the diabetes course. For me number three is very symbolic; it means the old. The majority of people with diabetes acquired the disease after they turn forty. Vegetales Esta foto representa los cambios que he hecho en mi dieta. Desde que fuí diagnosticado con diabetes he reducido mi consumo de carnes, eliminado comidas fritas y he aumentado mi consumo de frutas y vegetales. Ahora como más vegetales crudos o cocidos y nunca los cocino con grasa o azúcar. También hago más ejercicios ya que he aprendido que con dieta y ejercicio tengo más control sobre mi diabetes que ningún doctor antes pudo. Todavía tomo medicinas pero espero eliminarlas con el tiempo. Vegetables This photograph represents the change I have made to my diet. Since being diagnosed with diabetes, I have decreased my intake of meats, eliminated fried foods and increased my intake of fruits and vegetables. I eat more raw and steamed vegetables and no longer cook them in fats or sugars of any kind. I also exercise more than I ever did and have learned that through diet and exercise, I have more control of my diabetes than any doctor ever could. I am still on medication right now, but hope to eliminate them over time.
Esta es una pareja elegantemente vestida y sonriente. La señora amablemente le señala a su esposo con diabetes que no coma las galletas. La enfermedad de la diabetes no respeta clases sociales. Lo que no vemos en esa bella imagen es la gravedad de la enfermedad y el esfuerzo que él hace para tener una jornada completa de trabajo, para solventar los costos de su TRATAMIENTO. Las enfermedades crónicas como esta, requieren de educación y servicios en NUESTRA COMUNIDAD LATINA. Con la ayuda de las autoridades y con la aportación de recursos, TODOS NOS BENEFICIAMOS.