Dionisio wasn’t feeling himself. He had very little energy, he was always sleepy and thirsty, he was craving sweets and needed to urinate often. When he described these symptoms to his doctor, the doctor sent him to the Family Nurse to review his lifestyle.

Dionisio listened to the nurse carefully and followed every suggestion. She suggested he make changes in his diet such as more fruits and vegetables, smaller portions, less treats and lots of other fine tuning. She also coached him on increasing exercise and exercising regularly.

He now uses the treadmill, bikes and lifts weights regularly and enjoys these activities. His goal was to lose at least 5 pounds with these changes, and he accomplished that. In a four-month period his hemoglobin A1C went from 16.6 to 6.5, a huge improvement in blood work and in how he feels.

Dionisio’s advice to anyone in a similar situation is, “To make change you have to follow the suggestions. That got me to where I want to be.”

Here are some other success stories from Red Deer Primary Care Network.

Elizabeth: Better Balance and Strength

Achieving Mental Health is an Everyday Task