People's Health Clinic News September 2010

"If you keep going the way you're going, you'll never see 50." When 38-year-old Tim Street heard those words in October from PHC Medical Director Dr. Bob Pellegrine, he sat up and took notice. Now, sitting with me at his dining room table, he laughs about it. "That Dr. Bob - I'll tell you, he looks like a nice guy, but he's got a bite!"

Tim had been feeling tired and "just lousy" last October, not having the energy he expected while at work at his job as a trac-hoe operator. A smoker with a family history of diabetes and heart disease, he took his sister's advice to call up People's Health Clinic for an appointment. With a blood sugar reading of 385 (a normal reading being 80 - 110) and a high blood pressure reading, Tim got medication for diabetes and hypertension, along with a serious talk from Dr. Bob. He gave Tim an eating regimen to follow - "not a diet, because he'll have to follow this for the rest of his (hopefully) long life".

Lou Ann and Tim Sr. are so impressed by their son's self-control and determination, yet Tim is very matter-of-fact when I ask him about the 65 pounds he has dropped, on his way to his goal of losing 100. "I sat down with the Clinic Coordinator (Mariely Ferrer) and she taught me a lot about what I could eat and what I couldn't. Now, when supper's over, I head out the door for a fast walk with the dog. It keeps me away from all those TV commercials for burgers and burritos. And where I used to grab a package of Twinkies, now it's a tomato to munch on." About quitting smoking, which he did immediately after his visit, he offered up no secrets - "I just quit."

If you're wondering how this is all working out, just nine months later Tim is no longer diabetic and his hypertension is under control with medication and the lifestyle changes he's made. Monthly checkups at PHC are important and help encourage his progress. "It doesn't make a difference whether it's in the old, cramped place, or in this nice new building - it's the people. When I come in, they greet me with a big smile. Ryan (Ryan Jensen, Lead Patient Assistant) always comes to find me when he hears I've arrived. And Dr. Bob - well, he's my doctor."

For Dr. Bob's part, he has seen better compliance with his patient instructions and counsel at PHC than he saw in his private practice. "I tell all my diabetes patients about Tim - and when patients without insurance can afford (the suggested donation of $15) to come back every month for encouragement, it really helps."