Nathan’s Journey: National Diabetes Prevention Program

my father my brothers my aunties my cousins my nephews have diabetes I didn't know how I didn't understand it the toll that it took on us until the day that um I came back home and I seen the doctor in regards to my my health so I took a little bit more serious and it's really hard for me to looked at myself what can I do to be a better person to help my people so along my way the provider at Lake County Travel Health came to me and told me about a program that was provided it's called diabetes prevention program the national diabetes prevention program is based on a well-known research study stud that showed the lifestyle intervention reduced people's risk of developing Diabetes by 58% I thought it was like any other program that you just go in there and people just talk and give you flyers and send you on your way but it was different because they sat down they talked to me they explained to me and they showed me that they care so by going to these classes and support of my family I was allowed to turn myself around one of the big factors as um I think the biggest is the lifestyle coaches having a supportive lifestyle coach that get relate to them and understand and motivate them to make those changes is very powerful DPP right now will turn around and change your life around they're not the same as any other program out there one thing I liked about them was they weren't just someone that talks a lot they actually worked out with you they stepped up and that's one thing that really took me off I was taking about seven medications some twice a day after taking the class I only take one pill I used to weigh almost 300 lb as you can see me now I weigh 253 lbs my energy is different my look on life is different I do ceremonies now I'm part of my community the way I look at it in my own personal view is that along my path in regards to DPP they communicate with me all the time they were more or less they became my my friends my family cuz they're involved with it everywhere I look around Lake County I just see a lot of them that that go to Lake County Travel Health that get involved with the program I encourage them to stay in the program I tell them how I feel I feel better I have more energy I'm up at 4:00 in the morning every day I'm moving all the time and I tell them I feel great I changed everything around they explain to me the damages I'm doing they explain the alcohol the foods I eat I feel great my wife's proud of me my daugh is proud of me and my family's proud of [Music] me my wife's joined the program she graduated um I have around five cousins they graduated from DPP I have Brands here in Lake County they have graduated so the program does work for our community by healing my body it can heal my mind and go back to my traditional ways the ways my grandparents me and my father so emotionally right now and spiritually and everything I'm very calm I'm just a little bit hyper because I feel better now because I don't drink I mean I lost the weight you know my wife always tells me slow down and me I'm just high on life right now [Music]