Episode one:
Title: Meet Loretha
Loretha Huff: My name is Loretha Huff. I’ve been in Chicago over
40 years with my husband. We have two sons. They’re grown and gone. (laughs) Two
sons and two beautiful granddaughters, I’m very proud of them.
Music is a passion of mine and it’s almost like you just forget about what’s going
on and you get involved in what you’re hearing.
When I was thirty-five, I figured I was kind of in the prime of my life, and I was
very busy, active in my church, on my job, and doing a lot of things with my family.
When diabetes hit me it was just a surprise. So of course I wasn’t able to focus
on the music as I should because I was focusing on my condition, so it was affecting
my life as well.
Title: Loretha’s Journey with Diabetes
Loretha Huff: I noticed the change at about 35, I just could not
get enough to drink and loss of energy, I just did not feel like doing anything.
It seemed like I just had to push myself to get through the day. So I knew that
there was something wrong, because that was not me. And I didn’t want to wait too
long before I got with the doctor to see what the situation was. He asked the question
does diabetes in your family? And I said, I don’t know? So he did the blood test,
and in a few days, I got the results, and he said well I have to tell you this,
that you have diabetes. Certainly this was a big big surprise to me. I was not overweight
and I did not eat a lot junk but I did not realize that diabetes was in my family.
So my doctor told me that diabetes skipped my Mom and got me.
The doctor was trying all he could to manage it or to control it with oral medications.
He said I hope you will be able to work on this with the pills, and I was really
hoping and praying that I would not have to go on insulin.
So when he said I tried the oral medication, and that’s not working, then I knew
the next thing was going to be insulin. It took a few days, I must say, for this
to settle in and for me to realize that this was something that I was going to do,
most likely have to do for the rest of my life.
And I was to the point where my numbers were very high, and I certainly didn’t want
to think about them getting higher, and I was determined that I was going to do
this because I was being benefited.
So you can do it, just make up your mind that you can do it and do it.
Title: Next Episode: Better Tools.
End Episode one.
Begin Episode two:
Title: Better Tools.
Loretha Huff: When I began to give my own injections, it wasn’t
near ‘bout as bad as I thought it was going to be. I think the idea of just injecting
yourself, that’s the fear that you have. But, the more I did it, the easier it became.
It was just something else that I had to do.
I’m grateful that the doctors were very direct with me in telling me that these
are the things that I need to do to control my diabetes: exercising, healthy eating
and your medication, you don’t stop or figure, I’m feeling okay, I don’t have to
do this, this is something that you must continue to do to control your diabetes.
Seeing my glucose, my A1C numbers coming down after working so hard with that, gave
me inner satisfaction and a great accomplishment, so I was overjoyed with that.
Loretha Huff: Diabetes can be a bumpy road, because there are times
when you have done everything that you know or you feel like you need to do, and
sometimes your blood sugar will automatically be up higher, you will have eaten
and sometimes it drops low, but I’m not one for giving up, so I continue to work
at it to keep it controlled.
Loretha and Vernon walking outside
Vernon Huff: Loretha is a very good cook. I’ve been able to eat
what she eats and I really like the food and I really believe that her diet has
been contributed to my good health.
Loretha Huff: I don’t want to call it dieting, I’ll call it healthy
eating, my fruits, my vegetables, watching my carbs, all these things are very important.
These are the things that you commit to do because they help in managing your diabetes.
Certainly I did not want diabetes to sneak up on me.
Title: Next Episode: My Music. My Health
End Episode two.
Begin Episode three:
Title: My Music. My Health
Loretha Huff: I have been taking insulin for over 20 years. I was
a little hesitant about it at first but that was a great decision that I made.
Insulin is not the only tool. You have your medication, your physical activity and
your healthy eating. These three working together to help you to manage your blood
sugar levels.
Now everyone is different, it took me a few months, maybe 6 months, but you keep
working at it until you get to the place where you found something that enables
you to control your diabetes, but talk to your doctors, communicate, write down
the various things that’s going on, and if you feel any changes with your body,
you certainly want to discuss that with your doctor.
SUPER: The ADA recommends an A1C level below 7%.
The American Diabetes Association, they say you should keep your A1C seven or below,
and my A1C test, the last, was very, very good for me. I was very pleased, and my
doctor was also pleased with it.
This exciting life I have even with diabetes, it’s great.
Vernon Huff: We get up and we do so many things together, socialize
and I help and support her even at home.
(Loretha & Vernon outside, laughing, discuss her Golf game)
Loretha Huff: Now that I’m better managing my blood sugars, I can
really focus on my music and that gives me great joy and satisfaction.
(Loretha begins to sing “Victory”)
As insulin helps your body, one of the treatment plans for your body, music also
speaks to your soul, and it uplifts your spirit, it just speaks to the heart.
(Loretha continues to sing “Victory”)
When I look at my life today, I am better managing my blood sugars, my family- I’m
spending with them, I’m sharing my music with others, I certainly have the victory.
(Fade out on Loretha singing “Victory”)
End episode three.
