DENISE ARMSTRONG

Denise Armstrong - Taking Charge
of Diabetes

People cheer the 52-year old secretary every time she passes through the neighborhood. In sweat pants and shirt, Denise Armstrong has become a familiar sight, short of a celebrity who walks eight miles a day around her town in Mt. Carmel, Illinois. Denise smiles back at her "cheering squad," radiating the confidence of someone who has put her life back on track despite diabetes. But just five months ago, Denise was a picture of defeat.

In February 2004, Denise was grim and frightened when the nurse told her she got diabetes. "My God, am I going to die," she thought. Her 255-pound, five-foot-nine body slumped on an exam table, Denise was given an ultimatum: she was told to lose weight in one month to put her sugar under control, or she'd be placed under medication. Looking hard at Denise, the nurse offered her a less than tacit forecast: "Honestly, I don't think you'll be able to do it," the nurse said. "If anything, you'll probably gain weight and have to go on oral medication."

Denise knew the nurse was right. She'd been plump ever since she could remember. "I don't know how many calories I was eating a day, but it was a lot. I'd have three big meals, drink four or five cans of Pepsi, and then snack on doughnut holes and Snicker bars," she said. She got her dietary habits, mainly consisting of fatty foods like fries and burgers, from her parents, who are both overweight. With the nurse's assessment still ringing in her ears, Denise thought, "Wait a minute, give me chance!" She knew that this time picking the right foods and flexing her muscles deserved a serious try. "I'll show you lady! I've seen what can happen when diabetics don't take care of themselves."

And she had in fact seen. Her first husband's mother had her leg amputated below the knee, eventually dying from diabetes-onset complications. Her mother, too, had suffered from diabetes-related stroke, eye disease and Alzheimer's. And Denise had a bigger reason to keep her sugar in check. "I want to be around to see my grandkids grow up," thought Denise, who enjoys babysitting her granddaughter.




Taking control
Denise realized that beyond her doctor's advice and the abundance of medicines available, her health still depended largely on her personal decisions. So she laid out a walking plan around the neighborhood. The grandmother who would puff and huff climbing the single flight of stairs at home was now ready to take on a quarter mile, just for starters. "It was the first time I'd really done any exercise in eight years," she recalled.

Denise also started learning about the healthy kinds of food. Hours of research on diabetes websites and a dietary book at hand, she started to appreciate the value of whole grains and fiber-rich food to control her sugar. But the shift was not smooth. "I had to learn a whole new way of eating through trial and error," she said. "Now, I have whole-grain cereal for breakfast, a big salad for lunch, and small servings of meat or low-fat dairy products for dinner with lots of veggies. I even learned to love asparagus!" she laughs.

Denise has since lost 97 pounds after fist receiving the grim news. She's also grown more confident with her frame, an added bonus for shedding off excess fat. Likewise, Denise has unwittingly become an inspiration to many who need to lose weight and control their sugar. She has spoken at a diabetes expo, met Patti Labelle (an advocate against diabetes), and appeared in the audience of the Tony Danza Show during a diabetes segment. But her greatest reward is being healthy and around for her grand kids. "My last sugar count was at 86 and I am loving every healthy minute I have to spend with my family and friends."