Endocrinology & Diabetology

Author, The Sweet & Sour Disease: Emotionally Managing Diabetes (official launch Madrid, August, 2018).Diabetes Motivational Speaker and Workshop Facilitator (current).Medical Consultant, Harvey Schwartz Medical (current). Rainmaker, Harvey’s Focused Giving Initiatives & Harvey-The Mission Matchmaker, LLC (current).Chief Operating Offi cer, American Cancer Society (Ohio). Executive Director, Secretary of the Board, the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Graduate Medical Education Consortium. Adjunct instructor at numerous universities, including The Ohio State University .Numerous board membership positions for a variety of Health, wellness and community service organizations. Certifi cate, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Nonprofi t Management. MBA, The University of Toledo. BA, Communications, The University of Toledo.

Diabetes is an emotional condition as much as it is a physical disease. If more attention was focused on the emotional component, there would be a great global opportunity to reduce daily difficulties in the lives of diabetics, that may reduce the complications and other hardships of the disease.By teaching patients Positivity and Motivation Techniques on a 1:1 basis, they would move in a greater way than today, toward self-direction “ownership” of the disease. My recommendation is that a solutions-focused motivational ownership technique be adopted by the medical community, which is incorporated into the care and management of the diabetic population when they are not in a physician’s offi ce. In one word: Empowerment. It is my request there be a global discussion toward a variety of therapeutic techniques combined with physical procedures to maintain health and a quality of life. I offer the one that has worked for me, which I refer to as The Diabetes Detour: The fi rst stage is called Alarming, when a situation arises regarding a sudden change by the person with diabetes. A discovery of something that has gone wrong, such as recognizing an extremely elevated blood sugar. The second stage is called Moping—best described as where did I or my treatment plan go wrong? The third stage is called Coping-where the patient is being proactive, transitioning

to a solutions-focus mind-set. Asking themselves: What should I do? What are my options? The fourth stage is called Hopingwhere the patient begins to assess whether they have the tools to utilize the remedy they feel will solve the critical issue. The fifth stage is Doing--where the patient has determined their course of action and begin implementation. The sixth stage is called Aligning. They are generating confi dence and self-reliance on managing the issue. They are going on with their life. This sequence of events describes where the patient learns a variety of pathways to navigating their daily night and days of thriving with diabetes.