Elliott Yamin Q & A
I just devour every article I find relating to Elliott Yamin. What I like about him is that he is so real and it really comes across in his interviews. Here’s one I read from Parade Magazine. Check it out:
Elliott Yamin is proud. And he has every reason to be. The 29-year-old’s first single, “Wait for You,” just went gold; he’s still basking in the American Idol glow (he came in an impressive third in Idol ’s fifth season); he’s learned to manage his Type I diabetes and, as spokesperson for the American Diabetes Association, help others do the same.
In an exclusive interview, Yamin spoke with Parade.com’s Caitlin O’Toole about his illness, his fame, Idol …and the love of his life.
On Being Diagnosed With Diabetes
“I was diagnosed at a very young age. I was 15 going on 16. It was hard for me to adjust to treating my diabetes, but it was also hard to admit that I had it. I was in denial. That was a big hump for me to get over. I didn’t understand how I could just go from being a normal kid to having this incurable lifelong disease in a matter of a day’s time. I was very angry. I was very upset. I didn’t know how to deal with it and I didn’t want to tell people, I was embarrassed by it. And I certainly didn’t want to seem like some charity case.”
More after the jump!
On ‘Inspired by Diabetes’
“There’s a competition called Inspired by Diabetes. It’s a freedom of expression competition where diabetics can share their stories through art, through music, through paintings and so forth. They can win trips to Italy, they can win backstage passes and concert tickets to my shows, it’s a really cool way for people to share their stories with everybody through art.”
“It benefits another program called Life for a Child, which raises money for developing countries around the world where there are kids with diabetes that lack insulin and medical care. So we’re also raising money to bring diabetics insulin who don’t have insulin.”
On Managing His Diabetes on Tour
“There are times during the day where I’m just relaxing and then I start getting dizzy and start getting anxious leading up to show time. All the anxiety that comes along with this gig affects my blood sugar. I just have to be more keen about how my body feels and check my blood sugar more often. Even so, I still get my highs and lows. But as long as I recognize the signs right away and correct them them, I am fine.”
“Quite frankly, I’m tired of taking insulin and pumping my stomach every three days and pricking my finger and drawing blood out of it every day – it’s a tedious, meticulous, annoying disease that never goes away. And I want to get rid of it like everybody else does.”
On Diabetes and Romantic Relationships
“I’m a little apprehensive about wearing the insulin pump—I have this catheter in my stomach. Some people just don’t know about it. They don’t know what diabetes is. People don’t know what insulin pumps are. So socially, you feel like an outcast a little bit. You have to tell people, ‘ this is what’s going on, this is why I have this thing on my stomach.’”
On the Love of His Life
“I have a beautiful girlfriend at home. Her name is Jamie Paetz. She’s a model, she’s 27, and she’s very beautiful. She’s the love of my life.”
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