Growing Up Again: Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes

What a tough life Mary has had with the tradgey of her son's death to dealing with more than average life challenges. She is frank without self pity...I also appreciated the section on the new resources available and research conducted for complications of Type 1 and Type 11 diabetes. She is such an advocate for all of those with diabetes.

As an adoring fan who has followed Mary Tyler Moore since her early career as Laura Petrie on the classic Dick Van Dyke Show, it is a bit of a surprise to have to view her as an actress, dancer, singer, recovered alcholic. But in her second book, GROWING UP AGAIN, Mary Tyler Moore exhibits that old spunk and classic smile and tells you the truth. In a free-spirited and almost unscripted way, Mary recounts highlights of her life including her visit to the Pope, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, her appearance on Broadway and her marriages. She also talks in a plain, no-nonsense way about diabetes. After you finish this short and easy read, you put the book down and realize two things: you know a lot more about juvenile diabetes than you ever had before (no preaching - just simple facts) and you still love Mary Tyler Moore. No matter what battles she had to fight or struggles she endured to get to the top of her profession, Mary Tyler Moore still remains an optomistic, happy and honest person. This book, excellently written and edited, makes the perfect companion piece to her first literary endeavor, AFTER ALL.

You know how you talk when you are around another Type I diabetic? You tell silly stories about how you act when your blood sugar is low. You talk about how irritating it is to suddenly have your blood sugar high for no apparent reason. You talk about how it used to be when you were diagnosed. It is such a relief to be able to talk to someone who understands all that you go through every day. That is exactly how I felt when I read this book. I have had diabetes for 25 years. That is not nearly as long as Mary Tyler Moore, but our feelings about our disease are very similar. Of course, this is a great book for someone with diabetes, but I think it is also a great book for family and friends of diabetics. Mary describes in an entertaining way just what it feels like to live with our disease. We are living in a world where more and more people are getting Type II Diabetes. Those of us with Type I are living in their shadow. I hope that Mary's book brings the subject to light again and helps people remember that fighting against Type I Diabetes is still important.

Mary Tyler Moore's Growing Up Again is an honest account of the ups and downs of living with diabetes. Although not meant as a "how to" book in fact it is chock full of information about taking care of oneself as a diabetic and how to support research for a cure for diabetes. Fortunately for us all Mary Tyler Moore has always seen her life as more than "Mary, a diabetic" and the book shows it. It is a great account of Mary the television, stage and movie actress, Mary the dancer, and Mary's struggles as a wife and activist for a cure for diabetes and for animal welfare. Growing Up Again is a great read filled with humor and insight.

As the mother of a child who has grown up with diabetes, I know too well the challenges, pain and fear that comes with living with this disease (the only person who would know more is my child). Well, my child and Mary Tyler Moore. Moore is such an inspiration to all of us who either have Type 1 diabetes or love someone who does. She's forged a constant, hour-by-hour battle for decades with grace, dignity and yes, spunk (take that, Lou Grant!). This books gives a wonderful insight into who Ms. Tyler Moore is, how she's not only adapted but thrived to life with diabetes (and done so at superstar proportions), and how instead of simply dealing with her disease as an individual, she's joined forces with those in search of a cure around the globe and truly worked to change the world. It would be easy for a super star like Ms. Tyler Moore to simply fight this personal battle in a private way. But, as her book depicts, by taking it public, she's forged a path to a brighter future for everyone with Type 1. She's turned the world on with her determination, candor and willingness to do all she can for all of us. This is a must read not only for those who battle Type 1, but for anyone who has faced challenges in their lives, and for anyone who wants to know what "America's Sweetheart" is really made of. That Ms. Tyler Moore's proceeds from this book go to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation only makes it better. Get it, read it and love it.