Betty Sue Martin Rowe (Pike Co.)
"I more than met my goal... I was like, Oh, I got that little dress in the closet there that I haven’t worn in so many years— I might be able to get into it!"
Storybank
In their own voices, East Kentuckians talk about prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and working to make healthier lifestyle choices, despite the challenges. Push play to listen to each story, or click each title for a full transcript & more.
Dianna Ross (Floyd Co.)
"In my labs, my A1C was 6.0. Which put me in the prediabetes range. And I’m like, ‘What the crap?!’ I would never have dreamed it... But I think that’s the problem— you don’t know."
Type 2 Diabetes and the Covid Vaccine
"I’m a very devout Christian. And the Lord has got it in his hands... but I see no reason to take chances that you don’t have to take. So, therefore, the vaccine, that was my choice." - Jeanie Wheeler, Johnson County
Connie Godsey Duvall (Cumberland Co.)
"Instead of taking a chance on, ‘Well, my mom was diabetic, my uncle was, my grandma was— so that means I’m gonna be.’ Uh-uh. That doesn’t mean that you have to become a diabetic as well!"
Tiffany Scott (Letcher Co.)
"That is a misconception—that, you know, a lot of people think, ‘If I’m gonna get it, I’m gonna get it.’ But there are so many things you can do to try to reduce your risk!"
Preventing Type 2 in the Age of COVID-19
"I’ve been eating at home a lot more [due to COVID-19]... I’ll make my own pizza crust, so I can control the sugar. I’ve even gone as far as taking some of my mom’s old recipes and converting those over to sugar-free."
Taylor Pratt (Letcher Co.)
"I used to drink, like, a 24-pack [of Dr. Pepper] in 2 or 3 days. That’s a lot of sugar. Now, every time I get paid, I’ll only buy a 12-pack, and keep it in the fridge, and not buy another one until I get paid again."
The Best Medicine Could be Walking—and Fresh Vegetables
"You've got two choices: you either exercise, or you take a shot. I’d rather have exercise... I lost about 25 pounds doing it also. I feel like a new person!"
Willa Johnson (Letcher Co.)
"I was like, ‘I wanna talk about a diet... Don’t just up the medication.’ And so that’s when I started to notice a big difference."
Listen: The Diabetes Prevention Program in East Ky.
"I was a caretaker, so I didn't get out a lot... [I've lost] 23 pounds. This has been life-changing for me. And I couldn't have hand-picked any better group." - LaDonna Arms (L), of Johnson Co., on the Diabetes Prevention Program
Patsy Adams (Letcher Co.)
"People will say, ‘I drink all the time, I’m so thirsty,’ and I say, ‘have you had your A1C checked!?’ It’s no fun, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. Go get it checked! It ain’t gonna hurt."