Niketa Calame's Interview on BlogTalkRadio

Click here to Take a listen to my interview on my career and type one diabetes with a few callers who were moved by my story. Had fun today on the Motown Maurice Show

Promise To Remember Me Video

In September I was asked to record lead vocals on Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Campaign song "Promise to Remember Me" along with other type one children.  We had a blast. They played the video at the annual JDRF walk at dodger stadium a few weeks ago for millions of people to watch and learn.  What a blessing just a great experience.

13 Days in The Hospital

I cannot believe that I was in the hospital for 13 days.  The diagnosis Gastroparesis.  Which is caused generally by diabetes.  The nerves in the stomach are damaged and therefore the stomach doesn't contract as it should which slows down the digesting process.  This is a problem that will always exist now just like neurpathy but it is treatable.  Treatment: Low fiber diet, 5 small meals a day every 3 to 4 hours as appose to 3 larger meals a day.  I have already started to switch to a more vegetarian based meal plan with meat and starch as my small side dishes hoping that, that will help my digestive system along.

Symptoms that made me go into the er:  Strong abdominal pain, constipation for more than 3 days, strong burning sensation in my chest and upper abdomen.  They gave me antibiotic and pain medication for the first couple of days. They ran several test and came to the conclusion of gastroparesis and gastritis.

I ended up in the hospital for my 31st birthday which was really depressing but the one good thing that came out of all of this is I am back with Kaiser and getting the proper treatment a diabetic should have.  I have a wonderful primary doctor and I meet my nurse practitioner in a week.  I learned that I got my 13 count A1C down to 10.  It should be under 7 so I have a ways to go but I am on the right track.

Its during the challenging times when you find out who is in your corner.  I have so many loved ones all of my friends have been the best cheerleading squad I could have to get better.  Most of the folks close to me came out to the hospital to see how I was doing. The love of my life has shown nothing but unconditional and unselfish love and support for me. I knew already that he was the one but times like this confirm that he is heaven sent.  Of course my mother has been in my corner the whole time helping me take the sometimes nasty medication I needed to take to get better and out of the hospital.

Now it becomes a daily balancing act to get my sugar levels, my gastroparesis and my neuropathy under constant control. It is very challenging but I have all the right people in my corner and now I even have the right medical team helping me out. So God willing i will be able to take control of these conditions.

Niketa Calame slated to record song for Juvinile Diabetes Foundation

Slated to sing a song for Juvinile Diabetes Association and recording a video that same week to raise awareness about Type One Diabetes. Super Excited! More info to come later.

We are moving forward with funding :)

Sent on behalf of Meg Riley, Federal Government Affairs Manager, American Diabetes Association:

Dear Call to Congress Participants-

In May, I wrote to ask you to vote for the Y's Diabetes Prevention Program as it was being considered by the Department of Health and Human Services for their 2011 Healthy Living Innovation Awards.  Now I am writing to let you know that HHS announced last week that the Y program will be receiving the award!  The Y and the other winners are innovative health promotion programs that have demonstrated significant impact on the health of a community.
For more information see this link: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/07/20110715a.html. Thanks for voting and helping this important program get this recognition.
Meg

ShareThis

ShareThis i made into diabetes forecast magazine and the 2nd top story on the web site check it out click on thbe share this link.

American Diabetes Association Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test

American Diabetes Association Type 2 Diabetes Risk Test

My First Low Blook Sugar Fall

So it was my Junior Year Abroad and I was needless to say faaaarrrr away from family and Americans period.  I was in a dorm in Exeter which is south of London at The University of Exeter studying drama.  I had a light dinner the night before and I guess it didnt cover the amount of insulin I had taken.  A severe stomach pain woke me up in the middle of the night.  As soon as I sat up I realized I was light headed, sweating, my hands felt clammy.  I tried to stand up and fell to the floor.  I laid on the floor for a minute and realized my sugar must be low. I crawled over to my desk and reached for my blood monitor.  My hands were shaking but I managed to prick my finger and test my blood sugar and it read 40 which is waaaay low.  I crawled to the resident assistants room and starting trying to knock on her door. I barely had enough strength to get some noise in that knock but I figured if I kept knocking she will hear the little noise eventually.When she opened the door and saw me on the floor all I could muster up the energy to say was "I need Sugar".  Luckily for me her next question was "are you diabetic" I shook my head yes.  There was a kitchen at the end of the hall she ran and got some orange juice that was in the fridge.  I couldnt even take the glass she had to feed me the juice.  After about 20 min I was feeling stronger.  While I was laying there waiting for the orange juice to work its magic she made me cheese toast just to get some food down  in case.  We were both nervous and though anything can help.  Within 45 minutes I was my noraml self again and I went back to my room and headed back to bed.  What a crazy night.

Stop Diabetes Blues

Stop Diabetes Blues: A wrap up from Call to Congress 2011 :)

What an Experience



In front of Congresswoman Sanchez Office



Can I just say that Call to Congress was the best experience I have had so far associated with my diabetes.  I was telling some of the advocates that until Call to Congress I think I only personally knew about 2 other type 1 diabetics and I was diagnosed in 1999. It was so affirming to see so many type one's with their sugars in controll and even hearing stories of struggle. It just made me feel less alone in this struggle, and it made me want to fight even more to do better with checking my blood sugar when I saw so many young kids and their parents checking so frequently.  I was also nervous about the pump but seeing so many people with it and hearing so many positive testimonials about it I will def. look into it. 

Cant wait to get back to Los Angeles to begin the work we went over on friday!  Excited for the possibilities.  Love my diabetic extended family :)

Call to Congress Press Release

American Diabetes Association

For Immediate Release:                                              Contact: Niketa Calame

                                                                                     niketacalame@gmail.com

California Diabetes Advocate Visits Washington, DC to Urge Greater

Federal Funding in the Effort to Stop Diabetes^®

Los Angeles, California March 11th 2011 – In an effort to Stop Diabetes and the devastating effects of this disease in our community, Niketa Calame, a diabetes advocacy leader in Carson, California, joined more than 200 diabetes advocates from across the country in Washington, DC for the American Diabetes Association’s Call to Congress.  Call to Congress, the Association’s premier national advocacy effort, was held March 9 – March 11, 2011.

Attendees included children and adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, family members of individuals with diabetes, researchers and other health care professionals. All are committed to advocacy efforts at the local, state and national levels. Calame is a Type One Diabetic 

On March 10^th, Calame and the other advocates met with Members of Congress and their staff, including Laura Richardson, Karen Bass, Maxine Waters, Diane Feinstein, and urged them to support federal funding levels in Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 for diabetes research and prevention programs at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "The Response we received from the senate and congress level was very positive. Many of the Reps were already in support of the fight to stop diabetes. A few sit on the diabetes caucus (which is the largest caucus in congress) and a few said that they would consider looking into to joining.  Many of our friends and family called in and when we were on the hill the reps told us that their phones were flooded with calls from diabetes advocates. The fight doesnt stop on the hill looking forward to taking the work back home with me to LA."

Of the nearly 26 million Americans living with diabetes, more than 2 million of them are residents of California.  Advocates also urged their Members of Congress to join the Congressional Diabetes Caucuses, which act to educate Members about diabetes and to support legislation that improves diabetes, research, education and treatment. While in Washington, DC, Calame collaborated with other Call to Congress participants to plan diabetes advocacy efforts back home in their communities.

“Call to Congress brings diabetes advocates from across the country together in the movement to Stop Diabetes and provides them with the opportunity to tell our federal government how important it is to fight this deadly epidemic,” said John Griffin, Jr., the Chair of the Board of the American Diabetes Association. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects that one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime unless our country changes its course . Congress must provide the funding and leadership necessary to invest in research and ultimately save lives.”

Diabetes is a growing epidemic and is taking a devastating physical, emotional and financial toll on our country.  The national price tag for diabetes is at an astounding $174 billion per year and that cost is estimated to almost triple in the next 25 years. Factoring in the additional costs of undiagnosed diabetes, prediabetes and gestational diabetes brings the total diabetes-related cost to $218 billion.

For more information about Call to Congress, please visit www.diabetes.org/CallToCongress.

About The American Diabetes Association

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org. Information from both these sources is available in English and Spanish.

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Outside of Congress Sanchez Office