Helping One Man Defeat Diabetes
Harvey has a special connection to the Center. He was diagnosed with diabetes 45 years ago -- and with help from Center staff members, he's been successfully managing the condition for nearly two decades.
"At first, I wasn't very compliant with my diabetes treatments," Harvey said. But when he was hospitalized with a leg infection in 1990, he knew it was time to take things seriously. Harvey participated in a comprehensive education program at the Center and learned more about his condition, as well as self-management strategies.
He started gaining control.
However, years of high blood sugar levels had already hurt his heart and his body. He had 17 cardiac angiography and angioplasty procedures for clogged arteries at Desert Springs Hospital. Eventually, he needed open-heart surgery to bypass five blocked vessels. Harvey gained weight, had swelling in his legs and needed multiple medications for diabetes, high blood pressure and chest pain.
"I couldn't walk well," he said. "I got tired easily and was often short of breath."
Finally, Harvey decided it was time to tackle his weight. He underwent weight-loss surgery at Desert Springs Hospital in May 2007. He's now 80 pounds thinner, and he's aiming to shed 20 more. He walks daily, and his doctors have cut back on his medications.
"I finally took my health problems by the horns, and I feel better than I have in years," he said. "I only wish I'd done it sooner!"
"Harvey was very sick," said Joyce Malaskovitz, PhD, RN, CDE, Director of Health and Wellness Services at the Center. "He needed a continuum of coordinated care. But he accessed the right treatments at the right times, and his overall health has improved dramatically."
Harvey shares his remarkable story with others as a volunteer at Desert Springs' Diabetes Treatment Center.
"Every time I needed help, people at the Center were there," he said. "They changed my life."
