Here’s something that you should not pass up.
The Kuna Lions (my club) is sponsoring health screening for vision, hearing and diabetes on Oct. 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kuna’s community center. The vision and hearing screening will be conducted by Envision, and Terry Reilly Health Services will be doing the diabetes testing. People living in surrounding communities are cordially invited.
If there were a poster boy for diabetes screening, it would be me. This has been a summer of amputations – one toe on my right foot and two partial toe amputations on my left foot. I have not been able to do summer activities that I enjoy, such as daily walks around the neighborhood and golf.
Yes, these amputations were the result of diabetes. On the bright side, losing a couple of toes is a lot better than losing a foot or a leg.
But there’s more to my diabetes story. Twenty-two years ago, I had a five-way heart bypass surgery – which has given me more than two decades of quality living. But veins from that surgery don’t last forever, and some of mine have shown signs of wear. In football terms, I may be getting close to the two minute warning. But as fans know so well, a lot can happen in those last two minutes. I have a great life, and it isn’t done yet.
I might have been spared from some of these health challenges if I had diabetes screening 30 years ago. Instead, I ignored some of the obvious symptoms.
Recently, I had a chat with Dr. Stuart Black with Terry Reilly Health Services, and he knows all about the importance of the screening.
“Some studies show that 10 percent of the population, and as high as 13 percent have diabetes and maybe a fourth of the people with diabetes don’t know about it,” he said. “If screening shows an indication of prediabetes, people can get the care they need and prevent the complications that come with the disease, such as heart disease and kidney problems. Diabetes also is one of the leading causes for blindness.”
Dr. Black says that random glucose readings at a screening event may not paint the true picture. For instance, numbers may be on the high side for those who had something to eat before the screening. But high numbers are worth watching.
“The more information that a person has, the better,” he says. “I think there are people who are afraid to find out they have diabetes, because they think it’s a death sentence. But that’s not the case. There are great options to help control blood sugars if you have diabetes or prediabetes.”
Terry Reilly’s service doesn’t stop with the screening. It’s also a resource, and a relatively affordable one, for those who show signs of prediabetes or diabetes. Terry Reilly Health Services, based in Nampa, has other area clinics – including one in Melba.
“We have physicians and clinical pharmacists who are well versed in dealing with diabetes,” Dr. Black said. “Our doors are open to help anyone who is diagnosed, or at risk, for diabetes or prediabetes.”
Of course, he says, there are steps people can take without a doctor’s help.
“Getting 150 minutes of exercise in a week; eating a healthy diet that focuses more on fruits, vegetables and less on fast foods or processed foods; getting enough sleep; decreasing stress in your life,” he said. “All those things are basic lifestyle choices that people can take, with or without diabetes.”
I wish I had followed that advice 30 years ago.
Chuck Malloy, an Idaho native and long-time journalist and columnist, is a volunteer writer with the Idaho Community Foundation’s Nonprofit Center. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com
“These trips are truly one-of-a-kind experiences, especially with the Middle Fork being a crown jewel of rivers in the United States,” she says. “The Salmon River is also one of the longest free-flowing rivers in the lower 48, and the river is constantly changing. So while the trips are somewhat innately life-changing, we also offer an experience that allows people to connect with this landscape and with each other.”
