—Continued on page 2
A higher level of care
December 2013
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO,
Jerry Larson was getting ready for a
hunting trip when his life abruptly
changed. He was not feeling well, was
thirsty all the time, and occasionally
had blurry vision. He decided to get a
medical checkup before leaving town.
That visit to the doctor resulted in a
change in his plans. The hunting trip was
cancelled and, instead, he found himself
in the hospital.
Jerry, then just 40 years old, was
diagnosed with diabetes. His system is
not able to metabolize glucose (blood
Lifelong lessons learned
sugar), which is the body’s main energy
source.
“When I found out that I have
diabetes, I was really surprised,” he said
at the time. “It never crossed my mind
that my symptoms could mean diabetes.
I felt self-pity for about 30 seconds; then
I decided I had to do something about
it.”
His physician recommended he
enroll in a series of classes presented
by Kadlec’s Diabetes Learning Center,
and he and his wife Shelley both
participated.
His experience with the program
was documented in a 1988 article in
Pacesetter
called “Beating Diabetes.”
Twenty-five years later
Recently, Jerry ran across that
Pacesetter
issue and it prompted him to
call the Diabetes Learning Center again.
“I wanted to tell them
that the things I learned in
that class I still remember
and use today,”he said.
“At the time, I didn’t know
what to do. I didn’t know
anything about diabetes.
I didn’t know how to stay
healthy. The help they
gave me has stayed with
me all these years.”
The program provided
Jerry with the information
he needed then, and now,
on diet, self-management
of diabetes, and the
importance of exercise.
He not only listened, he put what he
learned into practice.
Twenty-five years ago, his exercise
regimen soon included golf, tennis,
hunting, fishing or yard work, and he
also worked out regularly. It’s a habit
he’s continued.
“Now I work out five days a week
including four miles on a jogger and do
upper body and leg exercises,” he said. “It
is part of my day, and my family knows
not to bother me during that time. It is
my number one priority to stay healthy.”
In the first article, Jerry said he
thought of himself as a person with
diabetes only 10 minutes a day, when
he would give himself injections
of insulin twice a day and when he
Jerry Larson attended a class at Kadlec’s Diabetes Learning Center
25 years ago, and what he was taught continues to positively
impact his life today.
PACESETTER
To see a copy of the
Pacesetter
article
that featured Jerry
25 years ago, visit
Pacesetter
online.
