By MONICA L. HAYNESS
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Friday, October 12, 2007
Actress Aida Turturro, who played Janice, Tony Soprano's sister in the HBO series "The Sopranos," is nothing if not passionate.
Her passion for acting is apparent in the numerous roles she has played on stage and film, becoming famous for her portrayal of Tony Soprano's sister, Janice, in the ground-breaking HBO series "The Sopranos."
But Turturro, 45, is just as passionate about controlling her Type 2 diabetes and helping others learn how to manage theirs -- taking time when she can to tour and talk about how she came to terms with the disease and the lifestyle changes she needed to make to address it.
"There are so many people who have diabetes who need the support and the help in learning about it," she said.
There are more than 20 million Americans with diabetes and 280 million people with diabetes worldwide.
When Turturro discovered six years ago that she was one of them, she promptly ignored the diagnosis.
"For about two years I lived with high blood sugars and didn't face it. I didn't deal with it, I didn't manage it," she said.
One day her doctor asked if she understood the risks of heart disease, kidney disease, neuropathy and blindness and other complications she faced by not treating her diabetes.
"I think she just woke me up. I had just lost my parents and I was ready to deal with me. At that point I realized to manage it, I needed to start taking insulin," Turturro said.
She said those who think they might have diabetes need to get to the doctor, and those in denial, the way she was, need to return to their doctor to discuss treatment.
She stressed the importance of becoming educated about food and exercise and the need for support from friends and family.
"It's so important to plan for your diabetes, write out when am I going to exercise, what am I eating," she said.
Last year she got a dog to help her go out and exercise.
"You have to get up, you have to take him out and you have to move," she said. "That was a great thing for me and that was a great emotional thing for me."
While work, family and life in general can make it difficult to manage the disease, an acting career can present special challenges.
"Filming movies and television can be a lot harder, but you plan," Turturro said.
"I ask them for certain things or I plan or I bring things."
Her "Sopranos" cast mates also helped. "They were like, 'Hey, are you supposed to eat that?' or 'Did you eat lunch, do you need something?' They were so supportive," she recalled.
Soon, Turturro will be heading into rehearsals for "Chicago" on Broadway, playing Matron Momma Morton.
"I'm going to plan a whole schedule so that I'm organized with my food and what snacks I will bring. I will be well-planned," she said.
"It's a hard disease but it's a disease that, with work, you can control and manage. It's not a death sentence unless you let it be."
(Monica Haynes can be reached at mhaynes(at)post-gazette.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com)
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