Cynthia Thurston thinks about it often, especially during National Diabetes Awareness Month, the day she received a flyer in the mail for a My Healthy VT diabetes prevention program that would change her life forever.
“My husband has type 2 diabetes. I also had been told by my health care provider that I was pre-diabetic,” Thurston said. “I couldn’t have imagined both of us having the extra doctor’s appointments and prescriptions. So, I signed up for the class.”
The My Healthy Diabetes Prevention Program, one of several programs offered by Gifford through its Blueprint for Health Grant, lasts for 24 weeks throughout the year. Participants set goals and learn a variety of methods to lose weight and take charge of their health. During the year Cynthia took the diabetes prevention course, she lost about 70 pounds.
“It wasn’t only an education in diabetes, it was an education in a healthy lifestyle,” Thurston said.
Thurston was so inspired by the class, she became a lifestyle coach with Gifford’s Community Health team. Now, she not only teaches her own diabetes prevention course, but she’s also a leader for three other My Healthy VT programs; diabetes management, high blood pressure, and quit smoking.
“My life has just changed in so many ways and to just have the opportunity to share that with people and help them make the same choices that I made, through the program, has just been great,” Thurston said.
Gifford’s Community Health Team works with primary care providers to identify the ideal candidates who could benefit from these free self-management programs. Similar programs in other states can cost hundreds of dollars.
“Preventative health is key to reducing your long-term risk,” Gifford’s Community Health Team Care Coordinator Walter Ziske said. “But if you do have a diagnosis of illness, learning how to manage it with the help of your primary care provider and these self-management classes, you can better control your life.”
Some of the other My Healthy VT workshops offered include:
High Blood Pressure Workshop. Led by a trained lifestyle coach, this is an eight-week program with each session lasting an hour and a half. Participants are trained and provided with a blood pressure monitor for the length of the program.
Quit Smoking Workshop consists of one-hour sessions over five weeks. Participants will work with their trained coach to create a plan of action for becoming tobacco-free.
Diabetes Self-Management. Over six weeks, participants will learn from two trained lifestyle coaches how healthy eating, medication, stress management, and other tools can help them stay healthy.
“You change habits that also help the rest of your family change habits,” Thurston said. “There’s just a wealth of information out there and I would just encourage anybody to tap into that and take advantage of it.”
To learn more about the My Healthy VT self-management workshops, visit MyHealthyVT.org or contact your Gifford primary care provider or the Community Health Team online or by calling (802) 728-7714.
