Putting a Face on Diabetes: Brenda Novak

As I’ve mentioned before, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in my early 20s. It was hard enough getting it then. I can’t imagine getting it as a child. The shots, food restrictions, and constant monitoring is a difficult thing for children and their families. That’s why research and funding is needed until there is a cure.

To that end, I have another great interview in the Putting a Face on Diabetes series. I’m always amazed at people that get involved. It doesn’t matter how they are involved, to me doing something is so much better than feeling helpless or complaining. To that end, I came across an online diabetes fundraiser a few years ago that was put on by Brenda Novak, an author whose son has diabetes. I was so impressed by her efforts (and wait until you hear how much she has raised) that I donated some books to her auction. The fact that she’s also a writer (of some really great books I might add) just made her that much more interesting.

I know you all will enjoy “meeting” Brenda Novak through this interview.

Tell me more about yourself and your books.

When I caught my daycare provider drugging my children with cough syrup to get them to sleep all day so she could watch soap operas, my trust was destroyed. Determined to stay home with them myself, I quit my job as a loan officer–but still needed to do something to help out financially. I had never aspired to being a writer, but I thought of that as one way to make a living from home. Fortunately, it worked out. I sold my first manuscript to HarperCollins in 1998. It was a historical romance set in the Victorian time period. Since then, I’ve switched to contemporary stories and have written over 30 books. Currently, I write romantic suspense for MIRA. I had three books come out this year–TRUST ME, STOP ME & WATCH ME. And I will have three come out next summer–THE PERFECT COUPLE, THE PERFECT LIAR & THE PERFECT MURDER.

Tell me about how diabetes has touched your family. What type of diabetes does your son have? When was he diagnosed?

My son has Type 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed at five years old–seven years ago. Diabetes is a disease that requires *constant* care. Since his diagnosis, I’ve been getting up in the middle of every night to test his blood sugar. I’m terrified that he’ll go too high or too low and I’ll miss it.

How has diabetes changed your family life? Do you eat, exercise, or handle stress differently?

Unfortunately, people are often very resistant to change. I don’t think it has affected our lives in these areas as much as it should. We have always exercised a great deal–we are very active and all of our children play a variety of sports year-round. But that would’ve happened regardless. It’s in the eating area where we need to do better. We have Thad on a special vitamin regimen designed to focus on those parts of the body most damaged by diabetes, and we encourage him to count carbs and spread them out throughout the day, but he can be very stubborn about not missing a treat. He’s a good sport about all the finger pricks and pump changes–but deny him certain foods and that really upsets him.

What’s the biggest challenge your son has in managing his blood sugars? How do you help him stay positive about this disease?

Staying positive is easier than managing sugars. We’ve taught him to be grateful that he doesn’t have something worse, that diabetes is a disease that can, to a certain extent, be influenced by his efforts to fight back. We’ve taught him to be very grateful for the insulin that has been developed–those shots and pump insertions so many hate are what is saving his life. That’s a lot to be grateful for.

The biggest challenge we face as a family is getting Thad to cooperate with us on his consumption. We’ve caught him hiding candy stashes in his room, even though we’re not militant about denying him those things. I think staying healthy is dependent not only on our bodies but on our brains (what we believe to be true and what we tell ourselves) and the emotional aspects of our existence (if we have a general sense of well-being and happiness). The trick is keeping it all in balance, which is why we try not to ruin his quality of life by hammering him *too* much on what he’s eating. That said, he could be much more diligent and we’re working on that!

Tell me more about the annual fundraiser you have. When did it start? What have you raised so far? And how can people participate?

I run an annual on-line auction for diabetes research every May (May 1 – May 31st) at my web site each year (www.brendanovak.com). So far, we’ve raised over $500,000 ($252,300 just last year). The 2009 auction promises to be even bigger and better. People can participate by helping me gather items from friends, family and businesses, promoting the event to their circle of influence or simply shopping for gifts and other items they might buy elsewhere. There are all kinds of prizes and fun things we do in conjunction with the auction. Those who are interested should visit my web site, check out the auction details to be found there, and drop me an email.

Thanks, Brenda! You are an inspiration and we look forward to hearing more about this year’s auction!