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Growing Up Again: Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes
With generosity of spirit, ebullience, and sly humor, Mary Tyler Moore presents the intensely private, often funny, and sometimes startling story of her life with diabetes. Growing Up Again is a delightfully candid read for her legion of fans, the more than 20 million Americans with diabetes, and everyone struggling to cope with life’s unexpected challenges.
Mary Tyler Moore, actress and activist, relates the highs and lows of living with type 1 diabetes for the past forty years. With inspired, well-crafted prose, she drills down to the most heartfelt, yet universal truths about life—including the lives of those with diabetes. She unflinchingly chronicles her struggle with diabetes, as well as her successful rehabilitation from alcohol dependence, all while deriving gratification from her roles as an actress, mother, businesswoman, campaigner, and fund-raiser. Her revealing tales of both her successes and failures in coping with diabetes offer others with the disease guidance and inspiration through example. In the book, stories include her rebounding from a low-blood-sugar episode during a Mary Tyler Moore Show script reading after the director poured orange juice down her throat, to misadventures caused by diabetes-related vision impairment at a dimly lit party for John Travolta.
She also taps into the vast diabetes research network to talk to diabetic children and adults and with leading experts who are discovering new ways to control diabetes and its complications, and pursuing new ways to cure this disease.
Mary Tyler Moore, actress and activist, relates the highs and lows of living with type 1 diabetes for the past forty years. With inspired, well-crafted prose, she drills down to the most heartfelt, yet universal truths about life—including the lives of those with diabetes. She unflinchingly chronicles her struggle with diabetes, as well as her successful rehabilitation from alcohol dependence, all while deriving gratification from her roles as an actress, mother, businesswoman, campaigner, and fund-raiser. Her revealing tales of both her successes and failures in coping with diabetes offer others with the disease guidance and inspiration through example. In the book, stories include her rebounding from a low-blood-sugar episode during a Mary Tyler Moore Show script reading after the director poured orange juice down her throat, to misadventures caused by diabetes-related vision impairment at a dimly lit party for John Travolta.
She also taps into the vast diabetes research network to talk to diabetic children and adults and with leading experts who are discovering new ways to control diabetes and its complications, and pursuing new ways to cure this disease.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published March 31, 2009
70 people are currently reading
489 people want to read
About the author
Mary Tyler Moore
13 books39 followersMary Tyler Moore was an Academy Award-nominated and seven-time Emmy Award-winning American actress and comedian, primarily known for her roles in sitcoms and television.
Moore is arguably best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977), in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a news producer at WJM-TV in Minneapolis, and for her early role as Laura Petrie, wife of television comedy writer Rob Petrie (played by Dick Van Dyke) on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966). Moore played leading roles in two of the most fondly remembered classic comedy series, making a tremendous impact on television over two decades.
She also appeared in various films over the years. Her best-remembered performance came in 1980's Ordinary People, which garnered her an Oscar nomination for a role that was the polar opposite of the characters viewers had become accustomed to seeing her portray on television. She has also been active in charity work and various political causes, particularly animals and diabetes rights.
Moore is arguably best known for The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977), in which she starred as Mary Richards, a 30-something single woman who worked as a news producer at WJM-TV in Minneapolis, and for her early role as Laura Petrie, wife of television comedy writer Rob Petrie (played by Dick Van Dyke) on The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961–1966). Moore played leading roles in two of the most fondly remembered classic comedy series, making a tremendous impact on television over two decades.
She also appeared in various films over the years. Her best-remembered performance came in 1980's Ordinary People, which garnered her an Oscar nomination for a role that was the polar opposite of the characters viewers had become accustomed to seeing her portray on television. She has also been active in charity work and various political causes, particularly animals and diabetes rights.
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January 25, 20171936-2017, RIP MTM, you were always so gracious.
March 21, 2018
I rated this book a 2 not because it's terrible, but because I think it will disappoint both readers interested in MTM's career (who should read her autobiography After All instead) and readers interested in her experience with type 1 diabetes. In her defense, at the beginning of MTM's life with diabetes, there weren't good treatment options, or even things like personal/home blood glucose monitoring (which came along in the '80s). But even when tools and technologies developed, she wasn't very good at taking advantage of them. It's kind of refreshing and humanizing for a celebrity to be so frank about not being a perfect patient--but it's hard to read about the complications she experienced as a result, especially when her quality of life could have been better for decades had she taken better care of herself. To me, her experience is a reminder that adapting to new tools, technologies, and regimes is an underrated but essential diabetes management skill.
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Read as part of the Diabetes Memoir Project, in which I am reading my way through 8 commercially published (i.e., not self-published) biographies/memoirs of people with type 1 diabetes (i.e., not parents of children with type 1 diabetes) treated with injections/insulin pump (i.e., not a transplant), in chronological order by the person’s date of diagnosis. The titles are:
- Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg (Elizabeth was diagnosed in 1918 at age 11)
- Borrowing Time: Growing Up with Juvenile Diabetes by Pat Covelli (diagnosed in 1964 at age 10)
- Growing Up Again: Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes by Mary Tyler Moore (diagnosed in 1969 at age 33)
- Sweet Invisible Body: Reflections on a Life with Diabetes by Lisa Roney (diagnosed in 1972 at age 11)
- Needles: A Memoir of Growing Up with Diabetes by Andie Dominick (diagnosed in 1980 at age 9)
- Not Dead Yet: My Race Against Disease: From Diagnosis to Dominance by Phil Southerland (diagnosed in 1982 at age 7 months)
- The Sugarless Plum: A Ballerina’s Triumph Over Diabetes by Zippora Karz (diagnosed in 1987 at age 21)
- The Insulin Express: One Backpack, Five Continents, and the Diabetes Diagnosis that Changed Everything by Oren Liebermann (diagnosed in 2014 at age 31)
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Read as part of the Diabetes Memoir Project, in which I am reading my way through 8 commercially published (i.e., not self-published) biographies/memoirs of people with type 1 diabetes (i.e., not parents of children with type 1 diabetes) treated with injections/insulin pump (i.e., not a transplant), in chronological order by the person’s date of diagnosis. The titles are:
- Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg (Elizabeth was diagnosed in 1918 at age 11)
- Borrowing Time: Growing Up with Juvenile Diabetes by Pat Covelli (diagnosed in 1964 at age 10)
- Growing Up Again: Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes by Mary Tyler Moore (diagnosed in 1969 at age 33)
- Sweet Invisible Body: Reflections on a Life with Diabetes by Lisa Roney (diagnosed in 1972 at age 11)
- Needles: A Memoir of Growing Up with Diabetes by Andie Dominick (diagnosed in 1980 at age 9)
- Not Dead Yet: My Race Against Disease: From Diagnosis to Dominance by Phil Southerland (diagnosed in 1982 at age 7 months)
- The Sugarless Plum: A Ballerina’s Triumph Over Diabetes by Zippora Karz (diagnosed in 1987 at age 21)
- The Insulin Express: One Backpack, Five Continents, and the Diabetes Diagnosis that Changed Everything by Oren Liebermann (diagnosed in 2014 at age 31)
May 18, 2009
In her inimitable girl-next-door style, Mary Tyler Moore brings us right into her world – not only the world of dancing, acting, and producing – but into her challenging world of diabetes.
Diagnosed in 1969, Mary – and many others in that time – knew little about how to manage the disease. There were many ups and downs in the early years, not only with monitoring glucose and insulin levels, but in medical research directed toward a cure.
Still waiting for that cure, we are nevertheless encouraged as this writer describes, in anecdotal style, how she has managed to stay active despite stumbles – literally – and how she has even adapted to her visual impairments.
As chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Ms. Moore introduces the reader to a host of new possibilities on the horizon and the hopeful direction the research is taking.
At times amusing – she has a tendency to laugh at herself and her foibles – she is also very focused and informative. She has accessed medical specialists to provide the reader with descriptions of the disease in its varying stages, along with detailed day-to-day disease management; in the appendices, she has added many resources describing the disease: from basics to research directions.
One has to admire her perseverance as she faces these challenges daily, without ever losing (for long) that upbeat style that is her trademark.
An inspirational read, “Growing Up Again” provides entrée into the best part of this actress’s life. Five stars.
Diagnosed in 1969, Mary – and many others in that time – knew little about how to manage the disease. There were many ups and downs in the early years, not only with monitoring glucose and insulin levels, but in medical research directed toward a cure.
Still waiting for that cure, we are nevertheless encouraged as this writer describes, in anecdotal style, how she has managed to stay active despite stumbles – literally – and how she has even adapted to her visual impairments.
As chairman of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Ms. Moore introduces the reader to a host of new possibilities on the horizon and the hopeful direction the research is taking.
At times amusing – she has a tendency to laugh at herself and her foibles – she is also very focused and informative. She has accessed medical specialists to provide the reader with descriptions of the disease in its varying stages, along with detailed day-to-day disease management; in the appendices, she has added many resources describing the disease: from basics to research directions.
One has to admire her perseverance as she faces these challenges daily, without ever losing (for long) that upbeat style that is her trademark.
An inspirational read, “Growing Up Again” provides entrée into the best part of this actress’s life. Five stars.
December 13, 2018
I am so, so grateful for this book. I was recently diagnosed with T1 and it's been difficult for me to accept this new fate. So to see MTM, who I've always admired, speak about her experiences was really special. Her writing is so clear, candid, honest, and friendly, like speaking to an old friend. She also takes a lot of care to celebrate the children she's met through her work with the JDRF, who are honestly a lot better at the whole diabetes thing than she was. Reading this book was an exercise in validation and reassurance: it's barely been a month for me and I'm struggling, and here's this famous actress with means who continued to struggle after several decades. Which isn't to say it doesn't get easier, but that messing up happens and that the important thing is to keep trying and moving forward.
My sole criticism of the book is that the chapters were organized by topic, as opposed to chronologically. This made it difficult sometimes to follow the narrative thread of her life, and of medical advances in general. But as the book ages (it was published in 2009), the medical part becomes less and less relevant.
MTM's autobiography is followed by a very helpful appendix that serves as a "diabetes 101." While many parts of it will again become less relevant as time goes on, it still includes make relevant parts, such as a description of common complications (eg retinopathy) and symptoms to watch out for.
My sole criticism of the book is that the chapters were organized by topic, as opposed to chronologically. This made it difficult sometimes to follow the narrative thread of her life, and of medical advances in general. But as the book ages (it was published in 2009), the medical part becomes less and less relevant.
MTM's autobiography is followed by a very helpful appendix that serves as a "diabetes 101." While many parts of it will again become less relevant as time goes on, it still includes make relevant parts, such as a description of common complications (eg retinopathy) and symptoms to watch out for.
July 27, 2009
Though I have been T1 for the past 13 years, I've never read any book that described how one can deal with the disease, the constant monitoring, and the potentially devastating complications that can occur. So, when I heard that Mary Tyler Moore had written about her experience as a diabetic, I eagerly wanted to read her story. I was hoping that I would finally read something written about diabetes from someone who "gets it". I've been struggling with control lately, and I suppose I wanted someone to affirm that what I go through on a daily basis is normal.
To a certain degree, MTM's book does just that. However, I will say that perhaps this story will be of more help to those recently diagnosed. After living with this disease for so long, there wasn't a lot of information in the book that I wasn't familiar with already.
I certainly respect MTM's work with the JDRF, but at times she got a little bit preachy in the book. I think every diabetic knows how important good control is, so I didn't see the need to rehash that over and over again. I was hoping for more anecdotes, perhaps some little stories that I could identify with - they were too few and far between in my opinion.
To a certain degree, MTM's book does just that. However, I will say that perhaps this story will be of more help to those recently diagnosed. After living with this disease for so long, there wasn't a lot of information in the book that I wasn't familiar with already.
I certainly respect MTM's work with the JDRF, but at times she got a little bit preachy in the book. I think every diabetic knows how important good control is, so I didn't see the need to rehash that over and over again. I was hoping for more anecdotes, perhaps some little stories that I could identify with - they were too few and far between in my opinion.
February 10, 2009
I love Mary Tyler Moore. I love that she writes her own books with no ghostwriter. You really can feel her personality coming through - a little sharper than Mary Richards to be sure. But unlike After All, this book is not written for a general audience, but is very specifically written for those with diabetes. I don't have it (but it has affected my family so I have a little more interest than some non-sufferers might) and I learned almost nothing that I hadn't already gotten in After All. But if diabetes were to strike me, I think this would be a terrific book to have. Both as a resource (she's filled it with lots of useful information and appendices and so on) but also as a friend, to know you're not going through things alone. MTM is a fantastic respresentative of the JDRF, and I'm impressed with how well she's doing, considering how difficult at times her diabetes has been for her, and how many side effects she's had from it. Go Mary!
February 22, 2017
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Most of the book is written in Mary Tyler Moore's friendly voice although that made the other voices discordant. The first chapter was especially jarring because you never really know who is writing, and then it jumps to MTM. The piece on stem cells reads like part of a research paper inserted into the book too. I think that was intentional, but the first part, while giving context into why the book was written, needed a face with the voice with a smoother transition to MTM's voice.
That said, the book was warm and light hearted with moments of sadness and sympathy. I highly recommend it to those with diabetes and those who are interested in MTM. It's also an excellent study in writing in an engaging manner!
That said, the book was warm and light hearted with moments of sadness and sympathy. I highly recommend it to those with diabetes and those who are interested in MTM. It's also an excellent study in writing in an engaging manner!
May 5, 2016
This was beautifully written.
September 22, 2024
Interesting memoir that emphasizes while some of life's stories may include diabetes, diabetes is only a part of your life's story.
October 27, 2021
Interesting to read about this part of MTM’s life. Hopefully they will find a cure for diabetes soon.
May 18, 2009
As someone else noted, this book reads as if it was written in a couple of afternoons and immediately sent off to the publisher. While it stays true to Mary's personality, Mary's literary style is more in line with a blog than a memoir. Too many tangents, self-referential comments and irrelevant questions to the reader that has nothing to do with her story made for some very distracting writing.
There were several parts that I thought she did a good job explaining the emotional impact of diabetes, but there were many instances, such as her acting career, her time on Broadway and the chapter on dancing that had almost no connection to diabetes at all, save for one or two hypoglycemia incidents. Of course, Mary doesn't seem to have a great grasp on what her blood sugar was even like during those times, so it's actually harder to relate because she was so clueless up until a few years ago when she starting getting complications.
Her chapter on complications I thought was the best, because as someone who is young and healthy, I don't know very much about this. So I appreciated her insight into what going through that was like.
I also didn't mind her references to JDRF, and in fact, her chapter talking about their involvement and what JDRF does was very interesting and gave some backstory I wasn't aware of. Mary is chairman of the organization, so obviously she would never publicly criticize it and would only urge people to be a part of it. I think that's in line with other people in similar capacities.
For the most part, I don't think this was that great of a book on diabetes. Certainly there are others that are better and better written. If you're a Mary Tyler Moore fan, and want to learn more about diabetes, or just want to get a very cursory knowledge of diabetes, I'd read this book. If you're a diabetic, you will be disappointed, but still worth a read considering it's Mary Tyler Moore, I think. Just don't get your hopes up.
There were several parts that I thought she did a good job explaining the emotional impact of diabetes, but there were many instances, such as her acting career, her time on Broadway and the chapter on dancing that had almost no connection to diabetes at all, save for one or two hypoglycemia incidents. Of course, Mary doesn't seem to have a great grasp on what her blood sugar was even like during those times, so it's actually harder to relate because she was so clueless up until a few years ago when she starting getting complications.
Her chapter on complications I thought was the best, because as someone who is young and healthy, I don't know very much about this. So I appreciated her insight into what going through that was like.
I also didn't mind her references to JDRF, and in fact, her chapter talking about their involvement and what JDRF does was very interesting and gave some backstory I wasn't aware of. Mary is chairman of the organization, so obviously she would never publicly criticize it and would only urge people to be a part of it. I think that's in line with other people in similar capacities.
For the most part, I don't think this was that great of a book on diabetes. Certainly there are others that are better and better written. If you're a Mary Tyler Moore fan, and want to learn more about diabetes, or just want to get a very cursory knowledge of diabetes, I'd read this book. If you're a diabetic, you will be disappointed, but still worth a read considering it's Mary Tyler Moore, I think. Just don't get your hopes up.
May 5, 2009
Unlike Mary Tyler Moore's original autobiography "After All", her newest book "Growing Up Again" is more focused on her life with type 1 diabetes. In general, I found the book more truthful about life with diabetes, Chapter 3 begins with one of several truths about what life with diabetes is really like that one seldom reads in books from so-called "experts". She writes at the beginning of Chapter 3: "Spontaneity is one of the first of life's pleasures that's lost when diabetes appears. Everything must be thought out carefully before doing almost anything."
Although Mary is honest about the realities, I do believe that she allowed outside interests in JDRF and other diabetes experts mute her opinions more than a truly honest review might have. She closes this paragraph, which would otherwise be true with what I believe is unnecessary and adds nothing to an otherwise excellent observation by writing "If you don't control diabetes, it will control you." Sorry, but there are HUNDREDS of other books that give these platitudes, and she isn't breaking any new ground by adding such an unnecessary statement. In effect, she ruins what could have been a truly honest overview about life with type 1 diabetes, and from my perspective, she also does a tremendous disservice to her objective behind writing the book.
Having said this, I do think she walks a fine line as international chairwoman of JDRF, with accompanying responsibilities associated with that role, so I give her credit for an honest attempt, even if I do think she missed a great opportunity to be more brutally frank than most of the other literature out there does. In all, I think she has done a pretty good job, but I wish she had been somewhat less reliant on her advisers and editors and more forthcoming about the realities of living with diabetes, rather than trying to appease everyone.
Although Mary is honest about the realities, I do believe that she allowed outside interests in JDRF and other diabetes experts mute her opinions more than a truly honest review might have. She closes this paragraph, which would otherwise be true with what I believe is unnecessary and adds nothing to an otherwise excellent observation by writing "If you don't control diabetes, it will control you." Sorry, but there are HUNDREDS of other books that give these platitudes, and she isn't breaking any new ground by adding such an unnecessary statement. In effect, she ruins what could have been a truly honest overview about life with type 1 diabetes, and from my perspective, she also does a tremendous disservice to her objective behind writing the book.
Having said this, I do think she walks a fine line as international chairwoman of JDRF, with accompanying responsibilities associated with that role, so I give her credit for an honest attempt, even if I do think she missed a great opportunity to be more brutally frank than most of the other literature out there does. In all, I think she has done a pretty good job, but I wish she had been somewhat less reliant on her advisers and editors and more forthcoming about the realities of living with diabetes, rather than trying to appease everyone.
August 26, 2018
What an inspiring, informative read this was. It saddened me to know MTM passed away last year, especially when she seemed so alive and down to earth in this book. For anyone who suffers from or who knows someone with diabetes, this is a must read.
May 1, 2010
The Subtitle of this memoir, ‘Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes’, is deceiving. It’s primarily about MTM’s struggle with diabetes and about the disease in general. MTM does mention she’s on her third marriage and there’s a chapter about her love of dancing, and a chapter about her love of animals, but there’s no great insight about life, nor is there any dirt. She doesn’t even mention her obvious cosmetic facial surgery.
It is telling that although MTM includes a picture of her father, there isn’t one of her mother, an alcoholic, who was in recovery by the time she died. MTM also had a problem with alcohol, until, at the age of 45, she admitted herself into The Betty Ford Center, and hasn’t had a drink since.
She also reveals feeling the presence of God since she met Pope John Paul II, although she describes herself as a lapsed Catholic.
Her diabetes has resulted in significant problems with her eyesight; she’s almost blind in low light and has no peripheral vision.
She hasn’t gone on an insulin pump due to her difficulty with calculating numbers. During her time on the MTM Show, she took an IQ test, which revealed dyscalculia (the mathematical equivalent of dyslexia). It indicated that she functioned at a fourth-grade level in math.
Other than that, there wasn’t too much of interest in this book unless you have (or a loved one has) diabetes.
It is telling that although MTM includes a picture of her father, there isn’t one of her mother, an alcoholic, who was in recovery by the time she died. MTM also had a problem with alcohol, until, at the age of 45, she admitted herself into The Betty Ford Center, and hasn’t had a drink since.
She also reveals feeling the presence of God since she met Pope John Paul II, although she describes herself as a lapsed Catholic.
Her diabetes has resulted in significant problems with her eyesight; she’s almost blind in low light and has no peripheral vision.
She hasn’t gone on an insulin pump due to her difficulty with calculating numbers. During her time on the MTM Show, she took an IQ test, which revealed dyscalculia (the mathematical equivalent of dyslexia). It indicated that she functioned at a fourth-grade level in math.
Other than that, there wasn’t too much of interest in this book unless you have (or a loved one has) diabetes.
March 7, 2017
SUMMARY
This is Mary Tyler Moore’s story of her life with Diabetes. She freely admits that her story is not a model for anyone else. She struggled through rebellion, and denial only to eventually arrive at acknowledgment and commitment. It took many years for her to overcome the struggles and challenges of diabetes. But, her story is her gift to us.
In addition to her story, GROWING UP AGAIN contains an lengthy Appendix with a wealth of information and on diabetes.
REVIEW
Mary Tyler Moore, a cultural icon, passed away on January 25, 2017. I wanted to read this book in remembrance of her and her fight with diabetes. I have a son who has had Type 1 diabetes for over 15 years. I thought it might be interestingly to compare our experiences. She had served as the international chairman of JDRF, which an organization which has done so much to advance the cure for Type 1.
While I really appreciate her honesty in writing this book, it really made me sad to realize that she struggled with life as much as she did. She struggled not just with her diabetes, but also with her insecurities, her marriages, her alcoholism and her health.
Mary Tyler Moore’s voice in GROWING UP AGAIN was typical of her girl next-door persona. She was able to laugh at herself, despite her many challenges. Having diabetes very rarely slowed this iconic woman down. Thank you Mary, for your gift!
This is Mary Tyler Moore’s story of her life with Diabetes. She freely admits that her story is not a model for anyone else. She struggled through rebellion, and denial only to eventually arrive at acknowledgment and commitment. It took many years for her to overcome the struggles and challenges of diabetes. But, her story is her gift to us.
In addition to her story, GROWING UP AGAIN contains an lengthy Appendix with a wealth of information and on diabetes.
REVIEW
Mary Tyler Moore, a cultural icon, passed away on January 25, 2017. I wanted to read this book in remembrance of her and her fight with diabetes. I have a son who has had Type 1 diabetes for over 15 years. I thought it might be interestingly to compare our experiences. She had served as the international chairman of JDRF, which an organization which has done so much to advance the cure for Type 1.
While I really appreciate her honesty in writing this book, it really made me sad to realize that she struggled with life as much as she did. She struggled not just with her diabetes, but also with her insecurities, her marriages, her alcoholism and her health.
Mary Tyler Moore’s voice in GROWING UP AGAIN was typical of her girl next-door persona. She was able to laugh at herself, despite her many challenges. Having diabetes very rarely slowed this iconic woman down. Thank you Mary, for your gift!
August 29, 2015
Her TV alter ego, Mary Richards, may have been perfect, but it's Moore's imperfections that make her the ideal author of this surprisingly frank memoir about living with diabetes.
Diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes at age 33 in 1969, Moore rebelled with anger and frustration at the restrictions of moderation the disease imposed and she ignored. Belatedly, she stopped drinking (after a trip to the Betty Ford Clinic in 1984) and quit her three-pack-a-day smoking habit in 1988, but she admits that she's no poster child for diabetes.
With admirable honesty and sardonic humor, Moore exposes her failings with technology and inability to always stay on top of her disease, and reveals how diabetes has permanently affected her vision, balance and stamina. This helpful and illuminating guide is a winning mixture of personal stories with occasional visits to experts who take her step-by-step through surgical procedures or offer more detailed explanations of new technology and stem cell research.
It's a credit to the book's bouncy tone that even the detailed appendix is readable. Since 1984, Moore has been the international chair of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which raises more than $200 million every year.
Diagnosed with Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes at age 33 in 1969, Moore rebelled with anger and frustration at the restrictions of moderation the disease imposed and she ignored. Belatedly, she stopped drinking (after a trip to the Betty Ford Clinic in 1984) and quit her three-pack-a-day smoking habit in 1988, but she admits that she's no poster child for diabetes.
With admirable honesty and sardonic humor, Moore exposes her failings with technology and inability to always stay on top of her disease, and reveals how diabetes has permanently affected her vision, balance and stamina. This helpful and illuminating guide is a winning mixture of personal stories with occasional visits to experts who take her step-by-step through surgical procedures or offer more detailed explanations of new technology and stem cell research.
It's a credit to the book's bouncy tone that even the detailed appendix is readable. Since 1984, Moore has been the international chair of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which raises more than $200 million every year.
October 3, 2016
This is definitely a quick read! Took me about two hours. I would say the perfect person to read this book is someone who's recently been diagnosed with T1D and/or someone who loves a diabetic and wants to know more. I'm over ten years into my diagnosis, so the learning resources of the book weren't anything new for me. I did enjoy hearing about Moore's own experiences, however. It's awesome to think about Moore filming the MTM Show and taking on her T1D back when care resources were a whole different ballgame. I also appreciate that she is very willing to admit her challenges with managing T1D because it helps make the book relatable for other diabetics and paints a realistic picture to non-diabetics who don't know how tricky it all can be. Same with her emphasis on the individual aspect of T1D care. Every diabetic I know has their own unique regimen and tactics because we're all different. You definitely have to become your top health advocate because no one else is living every day with it the way you are. Moore has done so much to put JDRF in the spotlight and raise funds, it's unbelievable. She's definitely a great role model as a person who can acknowledge that diabetes is part of who she is, but by no means defines who she is or what she can achieve.
August 14, 2017
Mary Tyler Moore's book is as charming and hilarious as any fan of her eponymous show would expect. I picked up this volume hoping to learn more about Moore, but I ended up learning lots about diabetes as well. With self-deprecation and a willingness to admit her own shortcomings in diabetic management, Moore writes passionately about her journey in handling the disease and its deleterious effect on daily life. She also writes about her love of dancing, her acting career, and her family--most importantly her beloved dogs! Despite the often tragic circumstances of Mary's life (two divorces; an alcoholic mother and emotionally distant father; her own struggles with alcoholism, insecurities, and the many harmful effects of diabetes such as impaired vision and hearing), I found myself laughing out loud many times. I admire her ability to find humor in setbacks and to radiate positivity. I plan to read her other book soon!
May 21, 2014
Inspiring!
This is not your usual autobiography. Rather, it is Tyler Moore's experience(s) of living with Diabetes.
Some of the "science" stuff was not that interesting, but might be very interesting to someone recently diagnosed or living with this disease.
Anyways, only about 150 pages of this short biography actually talk about her life and experiences as a diabetic. The other 50 pages are appendices that deal with everything from Diabetes 101 to Diabetic Drills to Knowing Your Numbers ... Testing and Insulation Information. There is an easy to understand list of complications; information about foot care, glaucoma, depression and early detection, as well as much much more!
At the end of the book (just before the index) is a "Diabetic Resource Guide" that provides contact information for organizations and other information. Excellent!
This is not your usual autobiography. Rather, it is Tyler Moore's experience(s) of living with Diabetes.
Some of the "science" stuff was not that interesting, but might be very interesting to someone recently diagnosed or living with this disease.
Anyways, only about 150 pages of this short biography actually talk about her life and experiences as a diabetic. The other 50 pages are appendices that deal with everything from Diabetes 101 to Diabetic Drills to Knowing Your Numbers ... Testing and Insulation Information. There is an easy to understand list of complications; information about foot care, glaucoma, depression and early detection, as well as much much more!
At the end of the book (just before the index) is a "Diabetic Resource Guide" that provides contact information for organizations and other information. Excellent!
June 15, 2014
A quick and enjoyable read. The book is primarily about MTM's battle with diabetes, but was refreshing as it didn't gloss over the lows just to give a cheerleader speech to those with diabetes MTM talks about the real struggles with dealing with diabetes and trying to live a 'normal' life. humor and sadness combine to give you a good reading experience along with an education about diabetes.
I enjoyed the few arts about her personal life. the relationship with her husband, her pets, and her friends is touching. The way her and her husband are not only partners in life, but as in the battle for a cure was inspiring. She is very candid about how horrible she can be and how their live always conquers. I would have liked more of those personal moments in the book, but this book was more to relate to fellow diabetics and to educate the rest of us.
I enjoyed the few arts about her personal life. the relationship with her husband, her pets, and her friends is touching. The way her and her husband are not only partners in life, but as in the battle for a cure was inspiring. She is very candid about how horrible she can be and how their live always conquers. I would have liked more of those personal moments in the book, but this book was more to relate to fellow diabetics and to educate the rest of us.
October 14, 2010
I'll read ANY book on diabetes. And LOVED The Mary Tyler Moore show, even if it was just the reruns on Nick at Nite. So of course, I couldn't turn down this one. It was okay. She is, in my opinion, a very scattered writer. I didn't feel the book was well organized and jumped from topic to topic. I couldn't tell if she was promoting herself as an actress, writer, diabetes advocate or what. I enjoyed some of the stories. There were two lines that made it worth the read. The first, about stem cell research, I won't share. But it'll most definitely weave it's way into my next conversation about the controversial topic. The last line of the book was worth it too..."We're going to make it after all." A nod to her show's opening theme song...and a bit of a pep talk I'm in often need of.
September 26, 2013
Would you like to know Mary Tyler Moore a little better? She is open and honest and human in this memoir. I expect this title to become the book handed to anyone newly diagnosed with diabetes. She gives medical information she has gained from years of close acquaintance with this chronic condition, as well as interviews with well known physicians. But more than that, the medical information is given a setting -- the life that she is living. Does it affect her life? Of course it does, but she has more of an effect on it; it does not define her, she defines it. We also learn a lot about the Dick VanDyke show, The Mary Tyler Moore show, and all of the people involved. This was a very nice read.
Recommended by Lavana H.
August 29, 2009
3.5 really. This book is mainly about MTM's ongoing struggle with diabetes. Of course I especially enjoyed the personal anecdotes, but it was also interesting to hear her perspective and experience with diabetes(long and difficult). I have worked with many veterans who have diabetes as well as having a high school friend with diabetes (never revealed to me till she went on a wk-end ski trip with my family). It is a 24 hour a day diagnosis and I have a different understanding of what is involved in coping with it after reading her book. There are appendixes at the back that go into even more detail/resources etc. which I only scanned but would be helpful to someone with diabetes.
August 14, 2009
For such an engaging personality, she's not the most engaging writer. I really wanted to like this, but somehow it failed to connect with me. I'd hoped for more personal anecdotes in the realities of dealing with this disease we share, but somehow the immediacy got lost amid the endless tangents and parenthetical asides. For someone who nearly lost a toe and whose vision has been seriously compromised by diabetes, I would have expected more oomph to her feelings about it all. True, she has a position to maintain, but I could've done without all the truisms and preaching. I get enough of that at the doctor's office and from every ADA publication I get!
December 17, 2011
Mary Tyler Moore's frank discussion about the impacts that Diabetes has had on her life, as well as her own choices that have complicated the illness for her, is a breath of fresh air. There is no 'sugar coating' (no pun intended) the reality of the disease. While Diabetes can be managed, it is a misconception that there are not severe impacts the disease can have on one's body regardless of the care with which one takes to live a healthy lifestyle. After reading the book, I have a deeper appreciation of her ability to continue to work in comedy with a smile on her face while battling a disease that has already taken so much from her.
August 11, 2009
I enjoyed reading about MTM's experiences dealing with Type I diabetes and learning that she didn't deal with it perfectly as I had somehow assumed all these years. However I would have preferred a little more indepth info. I'm curious about how she felt revealing to her husband, a doctor, when they were getting to know each other about how she was or wasn't taking care of herself. And why, why, why did she go out exercising so vigorously with that trainer without any form of sugar on her person? It did seem like the book bounced around a bit with some parts not very necessary.
August 21, 2010
I am learning about Mary Tyler Moore's life with Diabetes, I am learning that all Diabetics are different, and that their struggles differ. In this book, Mary talks about her difficulties and wins/losses that this disease allows her. She talks about the research that is being done, and her passion behind it. Mary's struggle with Alchoholism, it's affect on her diabetes and victory over the disease was very interesting and humbling. I enjoyed reading the book and learned a great deal, but I do not think that I would re-read the book if given the chance.
May 30, 2009
Not so much a straight up memoir as it is a memoir as it relates to her adult life with Diabetes, which was not quite what I expected, and therefore somewhat disappointing. Still,looked at from that perspective, it is insightful for those who live with diabetes and for the people who are a part of their lives; I being one of them as my mother was diabetic for the last forty some odd years of her life.
April 11, 2012
Excellent job again! Mary adds just the right balance of humor, and sentimental, hard facts, especially in this book on diabetes and the disease itself. Although it does mention key points in her life, like the birth of her son and her tragic miscarriage, it sticks mainly to her life as a diabetic and how important it is to vigilantly keep watch on your health.
Haven't read her "real" biography- After All, yet. But Plan to soon!
Haven't read her "real" biography- After All, yet. But Plan to soon!
December 27, 2013
While I adore Mary Tyler Moore and all the great work she has done regarding diabetes awareness, I like her best when she is acting. The writing isn’t bad per se, but there are better books out there about diabetes management. This book is a sort of mash-up of memoir/diabetes help-book. I just don’t think it works 100%. Regardless, it’s a fun, quick read and if you like Mary Tyler Moore then go for it.
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