KENNER, La. — Louisiana has the third highest rate of people living with diabetes.
In Orleans Parish alone, more than 10 percent of adults live with the chronic illness.
And key to preventing all the side effects, like heart attacks, strokes, and amputations, is controlling your blood sugar every day.
Now, one man from Kenner says he found the solution.
It's not often you can say that eating a piece of King Cake saved someone's life, but six years ago it truly did for Howie Ngo.
“And I just remember not feeling my best, and at the time I worked with nothing but nurses. I'll just never forget my nurse was like, ‘You need to get with a doctor ASAP,” said Howie Ngo.
Howie's blood sugar was around 450. Normal is 70 to 100. His weight was high. He didn't know he had diabetes. His doctor put him on medication, and insulin injections. He got a dietician.
“Every time I interacted with one it was a co-pay. The co-pays started piling up, you know, refilling test strips started to pile up cost wise, and I'm like, wait this is ridiculous.”
Then his employer sent out an E-mail that they could use Teladoc Health free.
Howie began getting diabetes management advice from his Teladoc Health coach and registered dietician Melissa Petges.
“This allows you to really build that rapport, and establish a level of comfort with that coach, and by doing so, we're able to create a personalized care plan really focusing on those long-term sustainable goals to help you manage your health,” said Melissa Petges, a registered dietician and
Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with Teladoc Health.
His diabetes management included a smart glucose monitor that sends his levels back to Teladoc Health. If it's outside of his target range, a diabetes response specialist is always on call to check on him. He gets individualized diet and exercise advice, and has access to a library of recipes, substitutions, and portion sizes. He followed Melissa's diet and exercise advice and has lost 30 pounds.
“This summer I was barely able to walk three and a half miles an hour on the treadmill, and now I can run a base speed of six miles an hour,” said Ngo.
And his A1c number shows the transformation.
“At its peak was like 12.7, and as of two weeks ago it's 5.7.” He says his doctors are thrilled. “Oh thrilled, with a capital T.”
“Really those small sustainable changes over a period of time are what has gotten him to this point,” explained Petges.
Every day working with dialysis patients, Howie sees how diabetes can rob your quality of life.
“Diabetes is actually one of the leading causes of kidney failure, and I just thought to myself, ‘OK you know Howie, you know better, you've got to do something to take charge of your health, take care of your diabetes before it's too late,’” he said.
And at 35-years-old, he has.
Virtual health coach visits are done by phone as many times as the patient needs.
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