Profile:
Derek E. Faison
Jo Ann Pegues |
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When Derek Faison learned he had diabetes, he was shocked and confused.
“I knew my father had it, and that it was related to blood sugar and some kind of imbalance,” says Faison. “When I learned what my blood sugar was, my immediate question was, ‘What should it be?’ I’m a well-educated man, but I was uninformed.”
Before discovering he had diabetes, Faison experienced multiple symptoms: trouble thinking clearly; frequent thirst; and blurred vision, which led to a car accident. Soon after the accident, he began wearing reading glasses for the first time.
“I had so many symptoms, but I just wasn’t connecting the dots,” said Faison.
In February 2007, while at The Center for African American Health’s annual health fair, Faison learned he had diabetes. Nurses checked his blood sugar level; it was 374 (100 is normal).
Faison’s doctor explained that diabetes can be managed and even reversed when patients choose to take the right health steps. So he enrolled in The Center for African American Health’s six-week Diabetes Self-Management class series, part of its Focus on Diabetes program.
“We increase people’s health literacy by giving them knowledge and understanding of diabetes and health in general — what different terms mean, what questions they should ask their doctors and how to ask them,” says Jo Ann Pegues, the Focus on Diabetes project manager and a dietitian at the center, located in Denver, Colorado.
“Seventy-five percent of patients say that when they were first diagnosed, they were only told their sugar levels were high; and they needed to watch what they ate and take medication,“ adds Pegues.
The program’s teachers use various methods to ensure people of all health literacy levels understand the information. Participants receive a list of suggested questions to ask their doctors. They meet with a pharmacist to learn how their medications work and watch demonstrations by a dental hygienist on proper oral health. Nurses show them how to examine their feet with mirrors and provide pictures of the body’s system of blood vessels, so they understand how diabetes is linked to the body.
“At the center, they explained, ‘If diabetes affects your blood, it goes everywhere your blood goes in the body,’” says Faison.
He also learned that walking 10,000 steps a day could help him manage his blood glucose, and that fruits and vegetables should comprise 75 percent of his meals. Faison began walking or bicycling three to five miles per day and tracked his steps with a pedometer provided by the center.
Both Faison and his wife attended the program’s hands-on healthful cooking classes, which include label-reading demonstrations and portion-size models. Students also learn about the Idaho Plate Method, used for diabetes meal planning, and are asked to draw on a paper plate a meal that reflects this method.
Now almost 20 pounds lighter, Faison has regulated his blood sugar levels. He is on the lowest dosage of diabetes medication, and his vision has improved.
At the center and in his community work, he shares his story as often as he can.
“Knowledge is power,” says Faison. “If people know they have a disease, they can do something about it.
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