Prevent Diabetes EKY

05/14/2025

Diabetes is a very serious disease that can lead to loss of limbs, heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, blindness, and death. The good news is that Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or managed. Listen in to WMMT Mountain Talk to hear some inspiring stories from East Kentucky folks who are doing just that, and the programs that are helping them. Thurs. @ 6pm, Sun. , Mon. on 88.7 or WMMT.org

08/28/2024

“Where I worked in the healthcare field, that gave me a different perspective… you know, I see records all the time of diabetic patients, and the complications that they have. And I’m saying to myself, I don’t want to be in that bed!”

For so many reasons, it’s not always easy to stay on top of your health when you have diabetes. But for Emily Jones Hudson, of Perry County, having worked in healthcare—on top of having a family history of diabetes—is more than enough motivation for her to make sure she goes to the doctor for regular checkups and screenings.

Hear more from the latest entry in our diabetes storytelling project at the link below!

https://preventdiabeteseky.org/emily-jones-hudson-perry-co/

03/25/2024

Did you know it's possible to have type 2 diabetes without even knowing it—because sometimes the symptoms can be slow to appear?

March 26th is National Diabetes Alert Day, a nationwide call for all of us to think about our diabetes risk.

And in the latest edition of our audio storytelling series, we sit down with Melissa Moore, of Perry County, who’s a living example of how diabetes can show up unannounced.

Push play for a short excerpt from our conversation with Melissa about her diabetes journey— and click the link below to hear the full interview, where we hear about how, since her surprise diagnosis, Melissa has made some small changes to her daily routine that have had a huge payoff for her blood sugar.

As she says, “I’ve had so much success with my A1C coming down—it’s been a godsend!”

https://preventdiabeteseky.org/melissa-moore-perry-co/

11/13/2023

"When I first started [taking diabetes education classes]— I’m not going to say what I weighed! But I probably weigh 30 lbs. less now than I did a couple of years ago... and when I started getting it under control, I realized I was feeling better, and I had more energy."

Nov. 14 is World Diabetes Day— and it's never easy to get a diagnosis of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. But for Pat Hays, of Knott County, she took this news as a motivator.

In this edition of our radio storytelling series, we hear how Pat made some simple changes to her daily routine that have had a big payoff for her health. Along the way, we also hear about Pat's experience during last year's catastrophic Eastern Ky. flood, and how the flood made managing blood sugar even trickier than it already can be.

"You don’t eat what you want, and [just] take your shot of insulin. That’s just not the way you control it! You just have to realize, I’m not going to let this control me. I’m going to get ahold of it. Because if you don’t, it will control you." -Pat Hays, Knott Co.

04/25/2023

"It was 48 hours, almost 3 days, without insulin. And without medicine. And without food. My mind was racing like a racecar. And my body... I just wanted to sleep."

The 2022 flood had a particular impact on people in our region with diabetes, especially folks who need insulin to regulate their blood sugar. Some lost their insulin directly to the floodwater; others had their supply affected by the widespread power outages in the days and weeks after. And for some, like Tedd Link, of Hindman (quoted above), going without insulin was taking a serious—and scary—toll on their health.

But into this void stepped some heroes: local health workers, who not only went door-to-door checking on diabetic patients, but also—in the case of Mary Collins & Mendy Boggs, of MCHC in Letcher County—helped organize a widespread insulin donation & distribution effort after the flood.

In this story, the latest from our audio storytelling series, we head back to the aftermath of the flood, to meet all three of Tedd, Mary, & Mendy, and hear their stories. Click the link to listen.

In the wake of the 2022 Eastern Kentucky floods, some local diabetics needed insulin, desperately. Local health workers stepped up to help.

03/28/2023

“I like my vegetables, you know what I mean? I thought I was pretty active. I thought I was good... but I think that’s the problem. You don’t know."

It's possible to have prediabetes without knowing it— even if you work as a health educator! But that still doesn't mean you have to end up with type 2.

Mar. 28 is National Diabetes Alert Day, and in this audio story, hear how Dianna Ross, of Floyd Co., got the shocking news that her blood sugar was in the prediabetes range— and then how she succeeded in getting it under control.

"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."

03/27/2023

Check it out, Perry County friends!

Spread the word! Diabetes Alert Day at the ARH Medical Mall on Tuesday March 28th!!!
10am - 2pm

12/09/2022

"At one point [after the flood], my Dad brought home dinners, and in each meal kit was five Little Debbie Cakes. I was like, under no circumstance do we need five Little Debbie cakes with a lunch!"

If you were dealing with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes in East KY, it could *already* be hard to access healthy food to manage your blood sugar— and then the flood hit.

In the latest edition of our audio storytelling series, we hear from Letcher Co. mom & media-maker Willa Johnson. Willa discusses her experience surviving this summer's tragic flood, managing her blood sugar in its aftermath, and the real need for better food access all over the region.

"One day [after the flood],I finally was just like, everyone stop what you’re doing— I’m just making soup... and so even that felt like such a decadent meal, because it was hot. Because it was home-cooked. Because it had vegetables in it."

11/29/2022

"I was like, under no circumstance do we need five Little Debbie cakes with a lunch!"

Before we turn the page on the calendar, November is National Diabetes Month, and it could *already* be hard in EKY to access healthy food to manage your blood sugar— and then the flood hit.

In this edition of WMMT FM's Mountain Talk, hear the latest episode of our audio storytelling series, featuring Letcher Co. mom & media-maker Willa Johnson. Willa discusses surviving this summer's tragic flood, managing prediabetes in its aftermath, and the need for better food access all over the region.

If you had something tricky in your life already, this summer's catastrophic floods didn't make that thing magically go away. It just meant you had to still deal with that thing, on top of the difficu

05/25/2022

"And then she said, ‘You are now prediabetic.’ And that kind of clicked with me— because my Dad’s a diabetic, my Mom’s a diabetic, both of my siblings. And I went, ‘Okay, it’s time for me to do something.’"

When it comes to type 2 diabetes, our fates are not set in stone. And Mary Beth Castle, of Johnson County, is living proof.

In the latest from our audio storytelling series, Mary Beth shares about how she has been able to avoid type 2— despite getting diagnosed with prediabetes, *and* having a family history of diabetes.

We also hear about how Mary Beth helps others in her community prevent type 2 just like she did— through ​her work with ​The Johnson County Health Dept.'s Diabetes Prevention Program.​ Click the link to listen!

"Then she said, ‘You are now prediabetic.’ And that kind of clicked with me. Because my Dad’s a diabetic; my Mom’s a diabetic; both of my siblings. And I went, ‘Okay, it’s time for me to do something.’"

04/15/2022

“You know, changing habits is *hard*! I always think that if you’ve got someone that you can relate to, because they are in a similar situation to you, getting that peer-to-peer support and that information just really hits home a lot more—and is a lot more motivating—than an expert telling you what to do.”

If you're trying to change your habits to manage, or prevent, type 2 diabetes, health workers say it helps a ton to have support.

And in the latest edition of our audio storytelling series, we hear how the Perry County Diabetes Coalition has built a whole program around local people giving each other the support they need to get healthier— and having fun while they do it!

"Changing habits is *hard*! I always think that if you’ve got someone that you can relate to because they're in a similar situation... getting that peer-to-peer support just really hits home a lot more." - Jennifer Weeber, the Perry Co. Diabetes Coalition

01/12/2022

The storytelling and storytellers from throughout Eastern Kentucky that Prevent Diabetes EKY features are included in this great article!

Whitesburg, Kentucky-based Appalshop may be best known for its documentary films about the culture and creativity of the region’s people, but, through a series of public health campaigns focusing on diabetes prevention, making contraceptive methods available to young people, and COVID-19, the multimedia organization is using its storytelling skills to benefit the health and well-being of Eastern Kentuckians. Read more about these projects in the newest issue of The Bridge (http://bit.ly/3mYEygm).