Raving Fans
| Hello there, my name is Ann
Ward. The end of June 2019, I was diagnosed with severe diabetes. My number was an 11.57 and next to that number on the chart it said stroke! This was a very scary day to me. The nurse said that I would be working with a diabetic councilor to help me with my journey and hopefully to get my diabetes under control. We scheduled my first diabetic counseling appointment that would be in 30 days. That was the soonest they could get me in. So I decided to start educating myself, and try to map out what my plan of action would be. I started my starting a journal of what I was eating and how my body was feeling. I started to read labels at the grocery store and added some exercise into my daily routine. I knew one thing for sure that I did not want to be on insulin if I did not have to be. And I thought the only way to figure out how I got myself to where I was, was to track my stuff. When I met Diep-Anh 30 days later, she was very happy to see that I already had started doing the things she was going to ask me to do. The journal, walking reading labels. She started talking about how type 2 diabetes is controlled by what we put in our bodies. Thus meaning we can control our own destinies in this journey. She started teaching me about what our bodies really need, and the carbs they do not need. We talked about the best way to shop the grocery store is to shop the exterior of the grocery store. If you do shop the isles read all your labels, just because the front of the box says it is good for you and “better for you” does not mean it is. I started using my carbs like it was money and wanted to get the best bang for my buck. Was it really worth it to put it in my mouth? knowing I was going to see her in another quick 30 days I needed to stay on track as I wanted to keep seeing those number get lower. As I started replacing the bad carbs for good veggies in my meals I also started to see my weight go down at a very fast rate as well. Twelve weeks later it was time for my first A1c reading since my diagnoses, and I had a friend that had been in the nursing field for 27 years, and kept telling me “don’t get to hung up on the moving of the A1c it takes a long time to move that number. So I had it in my mind as long as I was under a ten that would be a move in the right direction. My family and friends that had been watching me in my journey had bet that they thought it would be about a 9.2. They had higher hopes than I did. Well my A1c was now a 6.7! I almost cried when Diep-Anh gave me the news in her office! I had gone from severely diabetic to pre-diabetic in 12 weeks! To say I was shocked would be an understatement, I have know people who have fought this disease all of their lives. As I have continued to work with Diep-Anh I have learned to make the foods that I always loved to eat that were unhealthy, now I have them in a much healthier fashion introducing more and more veggies on top my plate. I have also started a tag line on my social media that states ” I chose life” because to me that’s is exactly what I have done. Not every day is a great day of eating I do slip off the wagon, but everyday start with good intentions. I still am very faithful to my scale and my food journal. I am very faithful to my label reading, and because I am very aware of my eating I my body knows when I have eaten things I should not because my body feels bloated and lethargic and just overall yucky. I tell people that when you eat right you should feel satisfied not full. You should feel like you want to get up from the table and be active. One of my favorite appointments with Diep-Anh was when she told me that I could have dark chocolate as long as it is 70% or above! I went in for another A1c reading in early January of 2020 and my A1c was a 5.9! So close to not even being considered diabetic at all! 24 weeks is what it took me to get to that point in my journey! Along with that came a loss of 50 pounds and I was able to get off of one of my high blood pressure meds! The support and encouragement along with the education that I have received from Diep-Anh has been amazing! I would recommend her services to anyone who is in need of her service! She help to keep me motivated on my hard days! We set new goals each month when I meet with her. We talk about how I am feeling, and we talk about how some things that I may be eating could be eaten in a healthier way. She makes me feel like we work as a team on my journey. I know my journey is far from over but with continued help and guidance I feel that I can stay on the right track! And I hope to be able to teach and guide others in their journey as well. Support is so key with anything. So folks if you are reading this remember you are worth it! I chose life and you should to! Many thanks Diep-Anh! I look forward to our future of working together on cleaning eating to beat diabetes! 46 years old |
I was
diagnosed with diabetes 20 years ago, with an
A1C of 8.5, at that time I hit the gym and made
some dietary changes. These changes allowed me
to hold my diabetes at bay but I was still on
multiple blood pressure medications and could
not get my weight below 195 lbs. A few years a
go I met with Diep-Anh and followed her
lifestyle advice, within 3 months I was off my
medications and dropped the remaining stubborn
weight. I have kept the weight off for over 3
years and I am still medication free. Below is
my before and after pictures: A 38inch waist
with my belly hanging over the belt (I did not
think I was fat then). I thank Diep-Anh every
day for giving my life back! Peter: 65 years
old.
Here is a link to a book I wrote about my
Diabetic Journey. I hope that some parts of the
book will help you along your personal
journey. Diabetic
Journey
In June of 2019 I was
told that I was pre-diabetic. At the time
I weighed 322 lbs, wasn’t sleeping good, my
health was questionable and my diet regimen was
full of carbs and sugars. My doctors office
scheduled me for an appointment with a diabetes
specialist in August and that’s when I met
Diep-Anh. She has changed my life forever.
With her vast knowledge and guidance I have been
able to change my eating habits thereby lowering
my A1C to 5.4 and not to have to take
medication for diabetes. It has also given me
the ability to lose 62 lbs to date, drop 2 pant
sizes and cut my blood pressure medication in
half. My overall health has improved and
my quality of life has changed for the
better. I am forever grateful to Diep-Anh
for challenging me to make a lifestyle
change.
I am looking forward to continuing our journey
into the future. Thank you. Michael: 64 years
old
February
20, 2020
I was diagnosed with Type 1 late onset
Diabetes 5 months ago. My only symptom
was that was very tired. I scheduled an
appointment with my pcp who then ordered lab
work, to my surprise my glucose labs came back
as between 600 & 700 my hemoglobin A1c
came back as 13,7. Prior to this I was
not aware of any tendencies of diabetes,
however my mother was diabetic.
Once I received this diagnosis I was immediate
hospitalized and started in insulin, which did
bring my numbers down a little bit at least
out of the “danger” zone. Once I was
discharged I left with a high regiment of
insulin which my body tolerated well. As
instructed I followed up with meeting a
Diabetes Educator Diep-Anh , Rph & CDE who
gave me diet education support, assuring me
that with a few minor lifestyle changes I
could possibly turn this diagnosis
around.
Since then I have followed the instructions
and have given up sugar alcohol and reducing
my carb intake and as a result lost 53 pounds!
My A1C is now 5.9 and my glucose numbers have
been within normal range and I feel amazing!
I am so grateful to Diep-Anh for her
gentle guidance and support and I feel like
she helped me save and improve the quality of
my life!
Just because you may have been diagnosed with
any “Type” of diabetes is does not mean it the
end of the world…. It’s just a “new-normal”.
Maria: 70 years old