Center for Healthy Living Testimonials
Wesley Humphries
Wesley Humphres was on the cusp of developing type 2 diabetes when he decided it was time to make a change.
The 62-year-old Ashmore farmer already knew he needed to lose weight, but he was surprised to learn during a routine checkup in April 2019 that his blood sugar was alarmingly high. That’s when SBL Prairie Family Practice Advanced Practice Provider Jason Mathews, APRN, alerted Wes that his A1C, a common blood sugar test used to diagnose diabetes, was 6.6. Anything more than 6.5 indicates diabetes.
Determined to reverse his condition, Wes opted to enroll in the Healthy Living Medical Exercise Program at Sarah Bush Lincoln, after discussing his options with Mathews.
I feel like I dodged a bullet. If I kept going like I was, I would have ended up with more problems. I feel so much better after losing the weight.”
As a lifelong farmer, Wes was accustomed to hard work, but exercising in a gym was entirely new. “I didn’t have any idea where to start,” he said. After a complete medical evaluation, Wes eased his way in by working out with an exercise specialist, who had designed a plan to help keep Wes motivated, while also providing realistic, achievable goals.
Fully committed from the start, Wes faithfully attended training sessions at Sarah Bush Lincoln’s Center for Health Living. He attended three days a week for the duration of the 120-day program. Wes gradually increased his endurance on the treadmill and completed several rounds of strength training on various weight machines. Wes is amazed with the results!
“I could tell it was making a difference after just a couple of weeks,” he said. “I didn’t get tired as easily when I was working on the farm, and I didn’t get winded like I did before.”
Dorthy Hortenstine
After surviving cancer, Dorothy Hortenstine is certain that exercise— and prayer— helped her to reclaim her health.
“It’s amazing what exercise can do,” Dorothy said. “I still have a ways to go, but I’m able to walk so much better now.” She credits physical therapists and trainers at the Center for Healthy Living at Sarah Bush Lincoln for helping her fight peripheral neuropathy, a nerve disorder that causes pain and weakness in her feet. It is a common side effect of chemotherapy.
Following a one-on-one evaluation, Dorothy’s trainer recommended physical therapy to help Dorothy strengthen her muscles and improve her balance. Dorothy made significant strides during seven weeks of physical therapy— so much progress, in fact, that she was ready to keep the momentum going by joining a four-month training program offered through the Center for Healthy Living.
“I’m so impressed with the Center for Healthy Living trainers. They make you feel great from the moment you walk in the door until the time you leave.”
Dorothy faithfully attended training sessions three times a week for two months, twice weekly during the third month and weekly for a month. Exercise specialist Nicole Gardner served as her personal guide through her transition to better health and fitness, supporting Dorothy when her needs were the greatest and gently encouraging her to become more independent and take more personal responsibility as she was able. “Nikki is so knowledgeable. When I started the program, I couldn’t even move my toes up and down, and those exercises really helped!” Dorothy said. “I have made a great deal of progress, and I am walking so much better. I’ve learned so much from physical therapy and the Wellness program, and I highly recommend them both.”
Joyce Baker
After struggling for years with weight and chronic pain, Joyce Baker knew it was time to make a change.
“In my job, I am running constantly, so at the end of my day I was having pain so bad in my legs and feet that I was on pain killers. I took them pretty much every night,” she said. Her eating habits also suffered due to her hectic schedule. “I would get so busy that I would forget to eat and then I would grab a sandwich from a drive-through.” Though she wasn’t eating large quantities, she was still gaining weight.
Following a doctor visit, Joyce was referred to the Healthy Living Medical Exercise Program at Sarah Bush Lincoln. After a complete medical evaluation, she started working out with Exercise Specialist Adam Shook, who designed a plan to help keep her motivated while also providing realistic, achievable goals.
Fully committed from the start, Joyce faithfully attended training sessions at the Center for Health Living— three days a week for the duration of the 120-day program. She is amazed with the results. “I was literally off the pain killers after the first month,” she said. “I couldn’t believe the difference in how I felt. The pain was going away.”
“Working out with Adam has been the best thing I’ve done for myself. The trainers are right here to answers our questions or to spot us if we need it.”
Joyce was especially surprised because she had been working out at a gym on her own for more than a year
without seeing results. “I was going about it all wrong,” she said. “I was spending too much time on the treadmill and not using the equipment properly.” Joyce was impressed by her trainer who stressed strength training and found exercises that would strengthen her legs, hips, hamstrings and glutes.
“Adam knows his stuff. Anytime I felt pain, he would tell me to stop and he would show me a different way to do something. He definitely knows how to go about everything to get the results that you need,” she said.
While results like Joyce’s are never guaranteed, “learning the technique and providing a little guidance can go a long way,” Shook said. “Support, education and accountability are the three biggest things that our program provides. Joyce was open to listening and learning, and that’s the bottom line. She stayed consistent and she worked really hard.”