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Success Stories
2004 Pam was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. While struggling to manage her diabetes Pam worked with four different endocrinologists and nothing seemed to work. In the first year that she was on insulin she gained 35 pounds. In each of the following years she gained an additional 5-6 pounds. She felt tired all of the time, was groggy at work, and even nodded off a time or two behind the wheel. Even though she had raised five kids she was told that she was not fit to be the guardian for her daughter’s foster child because at the age of 53 her life expectancy was less than 10 years.
As she worked with the different doctors over the years nothing they recommended worked. She would follow their recommendations and when the doctors didn’t see the results they expected, they would accuse Pam of being non-compliant. One doctor finally suggested that if she could gain another 35 pounds she could be a candidate for gastric bypass surgery. Pam was crushed by this recommendation and the implication that there was no other hope for her. This lack of support from her doctors furthered the shame and frustration that Pam was feeling with herself and with the world.
By October of 2009 Pam’s blood sugar level was usually 350-400 even though she was taking 80 units of insulin at each meal and 125 in the evening. She experienced bruising and pain from the shots and was beginning to question whether or not they were worth it. She felt horrible, she wished she could lose weight, she wished she could regain energy, but she was beginning to feel like giving up, like there was no hope. As a last ditch measure, her daughter, an ED nurse at Ransom Memorial, suggested that she see Dr. Mary Vernon.
After her initial comprehensive evaluation, Dr. Vernon suggested specific dietary and medication changes for Pam. In her first month under Dr. Vernon’s care Pam lost approximately 15 pounds. What Pam finds even more exciting than the weight loss is what is happening with her diabetes and the way she feels. Her blood sugar levels are now 180-200 and she has reduced her insulin intake by half. She is walking again, doing stairs, excited about life and full of energy. She has set a goal for herself to lose 75 pounds and believes that it might really be possible. For the first time since being diagnosed with diabetes she has hope. She has a new outlook on life. She has energy to play with and keep up with her grandkids and she says, “I feel like I am living a miracle. I had given up hope for controlling my medical problems.”
Dr. Vernon says, "Like so many type 2 diabetics, Pam wanted the tools that would work for her to control her diabetes. Pam clearly could manage the tools once she had them-her blood glucose numbers have continued to improve and her insulin is being decreased appropriately. When blood glucose control is attained by addressing the problem, then the patient can have excellent outcomes and in most cases, normal blood glucose numbers without medication. It is very important to have a physician knowledgeable in the adjusting of medications in this particular setting. Most physicians are trained to add in medications-they have little experience with decreasing them. If the insulin is not decreased quickly enough, the patient can suffer hypoglycemia."
In 2004 Pam Reynolds was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. While struggling to manage her diabetes Pam worked with four different endocrinologists and nothing seemed to work. In the first year that she was on insulin she gained 35 pounds. In each of the following years she gained an additional 5-6 pounds. She felt tired all of the time, was groggy at work, and even nodded off a time or two behind the wheel. Even though she had raised five kids she was told that she was not fit to be the guardian for her daughter’s foster child because at the age of 53 her life expectancy was less than 10 years.
As she worked with the different doctors over the years nothing they recommended worked. She would follow their recommendations and when the doctors didn’t see the results they expected, they would accuse Pam of being non-compliant. One doctor finally suggested that if she could gain another 35 pounds she could be a candidate for gastric bypass surgery. Pam was crushed by this recommendation and the implication that there was no other hope for her. This lack of support from her doctors furthered the shame and frustration that Pam was feeling with herself and with the world.
By October of 2009 Pam’s blood sugar level was usually 350-400 even though she was taking 80 units of insulin at each meal and 125 in the evening. She experienced bruising and pain from the shots and was beginning to question whether or not they were worth it. She felt horrible, she wished she could lose weight, she wished she could regain energy, but she was beginning to feel like giving up, like there was no hope. As a last ditch measure, her daughter, an ED nurse at Ransom Memorial Hospital in Ottawa, KS, suggested that she see Dr. Mary Vernon.
After her initial comprehensive evaluation, Dr. Vernon suggested specific dietary and medication changes for Pam. In her first month under Dr. Vernon’s care Pam lost approximately 15 pounds. What Pam finds even more exciting than the weight loss is what is happening with her diabetes and the way she feels. Her blood sugar levels are now 180-200 and she has reduced her insulin intake by half. She is walking again, doing stairs, excited about life and full of energy. She has set a goal for herself to lose 75 pounds and believes that it might really be possible. For the first time since being diagnosed with diabetes she has hope. She has a new outlook on life. She has energy to play with and keep up with her grandkids and she says, “I feel like I am living a miracle. I had given up hope for controlling my medical problems.”
Dr. Vernon says, "Like so many type 2 diabetics, Pam wanted the tools that would work for her to control her diabetes. Pam clearly could manage the tools once she had them-her blood glucose numbers have continued to improve and her insulin is being decreased appropriately. When blood glucose control is attained by addressing the problem, then the patient can have excellent outcomes and in most cases, normal blood glucose numbers without medication. It is very important to have a physician knowledgeable in the adjusting of medications in this particular setting. Most physicians are trained to add in medications-they have little experience with decreasing them. If the insulin is not decreased quickly enough, the patient can suffer hypoglycemia."