Action, education are lifesavers for diabetics

Local parks, literature, classes available to all

November 27, 2005
Diet, exercise and education are the best bets for surviving diabetes and available through a variety of local resources.

With the disease reaching  epidemic proportions, some health experts here have said, resources to help prevent it or improve the quality of life for those living with the disease could be lifesavers.

Brownsville' s public library system has 165 titles available on the topic of diabetes, ranging from books, dictionaries and medical databases, according to a reference librarian.

Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville, Su Clínica Familiar and the Brownsville Community Health Center each have volumes of information about diabetes, as well as specialized programs for those affected.

Pamela Kavanaugh, a diabetes educator at BCHC, said diabetes classes there last four weeks and usually have about 15 participants per session.

 Seventy-five percent of patients who take classes see a reduction in their A1C test (that measures blood sugar levels over a three-month period), Kavanaugh said. Unfortunately, she said, sugar levels for many program graduates goes back up within a year after attending her program.

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, together with Televisa, sponsors Tu Salud Sí Cuenta, or Your Health Does Count. The program consists of a free monthly publication and informational programs aired on Televisa weekly. Both focus on nutrition and exercise and include health tips and information about local resources.

The Brownsville Independent School District provides tailored meals for students with special dietary needs, including diabetics. The district is also experimenting with the Coordinated Approach to Child Health program, which aims to teach students good nutrition, the importance of exercise and good health practices.

C.A.T.C.H. is a curriculum that promotes physical activity and healthy eating habits and discourages tobacco use. The program was created in part by the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. In 1996, the center began to disseminate the program to Texas elementary schools.

The Texas State Board of Education recognizes C.A.T.C.H. as a school diabetes education curriculum and is approved by the state Legislature to serve as one of the required coordinated school health programs to reduce the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, the most commonly diagnosed version.

The BISD is currently piloting the program in five elementary schools.

The diocese of Brownsville offers a prescription assistance program for those who qualify and three support groups for diabetics in Alamo.

Diocese officials said of the 450 people enrolled in the program Valleywide, about 75 percent are elderly. Once an application for the program is accepted, the recipient may receive free medication for up to one year, officials said.

Medicines vary in price, depending on brand and dosage. Many purchase their medication in Mexico at discounted prices.

At U.S. pharmacies, testing strips used to measure blood sugar cost about 75 cents a piece at most pharmacies. Insulin vials can cost anywhere from $20 to $60 per unit, and pills can cost up $60 for a month's supply.

Local exercise options include three public pools and 22 parks with a total of 395 acres, according to Brownsville Parks and Recreation's Office recreational services director Skip Keller.

City parks are open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and one hour later Friday and Saturday, Keller said.

There are no special programs or considerations for diabetics in the park system, Keller said, but the city will be working with the university to assess how parks can better serve the city's needs in the future, including diabetic programs.

Local promotoras at Proyecto Juan Diego out of San Felipe De Jesús Church in Cameron Park said walking 10 minutes three times per day can make a difference. Suggestions include walking to the store or taking a morning or afternoon walk.

Keller said the city would like to develop something of a one-stop health shop here, a community recreational center with indoor walking trails, an indoor pool, programming and nutrition classes.