When she learned she had endometrial cancer, Tina said she cried, but not for long. “I had my 5 minutes of emotion, and then I moved forward. I am a strong woman and I’ve handled adversity before. I knew I would get through it. I thought, ‘I’ve got this.’”

Before her diagnosis, Tina had been having regular checkups at the doctor’s office and everything seemed fine. When she turned 50 and began having irregular periods and heavy bleeding, she chalked it up to symptoms of menopause. But the changes didn’t go away, and in January 2018 she also began feeling out of breath and lacked energy. She went back to the doctor and had several tests, including an endometrial biopsy. That’s when she learned she had cancer.

Tina’s treatment plan included 6 cycles of chemotherapy and a hysterectomy. She had complications after the surgery that required dozens of blood transfusions and a hospital stay of several weeks. But now that she’s recovered, her doctor is confident the surgery removed all the cancer. Tina will start radiation treatments soon.

Tina says she has found comfort in her support system and her faith. “My diagnosis and journey have allowed me to be more faithful in God and trust in him,” she said. “If I didn’t have the faith, if my belief wasn’t hopeful and strong, I don’t know where I’d be. My family, friends and church family with their fervent prayers helped me stay in high spirts and kept me alive. It takes a village!”

Jose had no idea that he had high blood pressure and had not been to the doctor for many years as he didn’t have health insurance and was employed in a job that kept him very active and so he thought he was very fit. His wife finally made him an appointment after learning that several other members of Jose’s family had heart disease – his sister had suffered a stroke and a brother had had a sudden heart attack.  During his appointment, the nurse took his blood pressure and found that it was very high.  The test was repeated later in the visit and Jose’s blood pressure reading was still too high.  When he shared this family history with his doctor, Jose was referred for some follow-up tests.

“It was a shock when I was told that I had three blockages in my arteries that could have caused me to have a heart attack or a stroke at any time.  The doctors put stents in my arteries and put me on medication to reduce my blood pressure.  My doctor also recommended that I join a wellness class so I could make my diet more healthy and lower in fat and salt.  I didn’t like the idea of this but my wife wanted me to go, so eventually, I did.  There were other guys in the class and my wife came along too – my class is now online which is great.  My wife has been learning new ways to cook our favorite dishes so that they are healthy but still taste good. I have two grandchildren and so I’m glad that I have another chance at living a healthy life.”

Jose is now monitored by his doctor and, with the help of his family, he has made a lot of little changes in his lifestyle.

Jose had Type 2 diabetes for 7 years before participating in a diabetes education program taught in Spanish, his preferred language.  His A1C dropped from 12.3% to 5.6% after completing the program and making lifestyle changes.

“I cannot believe how much this program helped me. I have had a great experience. I learned a lot of things that I had no idea about before. I have changed the way I eat by following the recommendations that the dietitian and the nurse have given me. I am very happy that I have been able to manage my diabetes with the help of your team. I now know what I have to do to prevent the complications that can come with this disease. I am extremely grateful for all your help.” ​