Laura Gilvary wants everyone to know Nov. 14 is World Diabetes Day

Palm Coast Observer
News

Laura Gilvary wants to see everyone wearing blue on Friday, Nov. 13 in support of World Diabetes Day on Saturday, Nov. 14.

Her mission to bring awareness to the disease began the beginning of October. She has a personal reason for being so passionate about her mission – her husband John Gilvary, a local business man and father of their two boys, has type 1 diabetes.

After supporting her mother-in-law during Breast Cancer Awareness month, she started looking for awareness activities for diabetes.

She found that World Diabetes Day is Saturday, Nov. 14 but there weren’t any other events planned locally, something she planned to change – not next year – this year. She has been successful in getting the cities of Flagler Beach and Palm Coast to make proclamations for Saturday, she spearheaded a physician seminar and breakfast at Florida Hospital Flagler last Thursday, Nov. 5 , and the blue diabetes flag was raised during First Friday at Flagler Beach on Friday, Nov. 6.

“Diabetes doesn’t only look like the majority of the people in this room, or like my dynamic husband, it looks like a young beautiful 16-year-old girl.” Laura Gilvary Florida Hospital Foundation board member

The final event will be on Friday, Nov. 13 with the staff at the Flagler Beach and Palm Coast city offices, Belle Terre Elementary, Intracoastal Bank and Florida Hospital Flagler wearing blue. She hopes others will join in and encourage their employees to participate.

Ken Mattison, CEO of Florida Hospital Flagler, watched as the room filled at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5 for the Diabetes 101 physician seminar.

“Since I‘ve been here we’ve not done diabetic training on this scale,” Mattison said. “I am really pleased with the turnout. The future of healthcare is going to require that we improve our status and the patient is an important part of that.”

John Gilvary, who diagnosed himself with the disease when he was 14-years old by looking up his symptoms in the family Encyclopedia Britannica medical dictionary, asked how many at the seminar had been diagnosed with diabetes. Nearly half of the hands in the education room were raised.

“I’ve been dealing with it for 28 years,” Gilvary said. “From day one, I took it on as something I have to do, it’s not a choice. Most people find out they have it when they run into a complication. Get your friends involved, get your family involved. The more people who know, the less who are going to get those complications.”

In John Gilvary’s case there was no family history, but continuing symptoms prompted his mother to take him to the doctor where his diagnosis was confirmed and he was admitted into the hospital.

“Lacrosse season was starting and it was important for me to get back on the field, so I told them, I’ll do whatever I have to do; I have to get back,’” he said. “I can manage it because I have to. If I don’t take care of myself I am not going to last very long and that’s not really an option.”

Hayleigh Tilton also has type 1 diabetes. Hayleigh is 16 years old, and a junior at Matanzas High School.

“I was diagnosed when I was nine, actually on National Diabetes Day,” Hayleigh said. “I got a virus and it kick-started the whole diabetes thing and I ended up in a coma after two weeks.”

Hayleigh’s symptoms were losing weight, falling asleep in class, and her vision began to deteriorate. Giving herself shots was something she took in stride.

“I took my first shot and it was easy,” she said. “From then on I was like ‘this isn’t going to be hard.’”

Sometimes it takes persistence to get the right diagnosis. That’s what Bloyce Nelson found out. His symptoms had been misdiagnosed. The correct diagnosis was made during a visit to the ER on Mother’s Day weekend 2014 for shortness of breath.

“He was breathing really hard and I still wasn’t thinking diabetes, I was thinking heart attack,” his wife Nancy Nelson said. “His sugar levels were between 400 and 500. They started him on four shots of insulin a day.”

Nelson said her husband immediately began looking for support groups and researching the disease. He started reading labels and began eating better. Their daughter began cooking healthier meals for them.

Bloyce Nelson’s determination turned his disease around. He has lost about 50 pounds and no longer needs medication.

“I got really scared in the hospital because the doctor was talking about syringes, pumps and amputation,” he said. “I jumped on it early and got control of it so I don’t have to worry about it now.”

Vern Shank, better known as DJ Surfin Vern 97.3 FM, doesn’t “look” like he has diabetes. He bounces back and forth around the country as a musician, screenwriter, and radio station owner/DJ, a lifestyle that does not lend itself to healthy eating habits.

He was diagnosed about 3 ½ years ago.

“It was shocking because I didn’t know I had it all these years,” Shank said.

He credited his excess thirst, fatigue and lack of sleep to his lifestyle.

A pulled groin muscle took him to the doctor for the first time in 18 years. The doctor decided to run a blood test. The results weren’t good – his blood sugar was 425.

“Less than two weeks later my eye blew out. I had diabetic retinopathy,” he said. “I had to get a series of eye surgeries.”

He took care of his condition the first few months -- care he has not continued. He admits he doesn’t eat well or regularly and knows this is not good for his condition. He is struggling to find a way to blend his diabetes with his life style.

“It’s always in the back of my mind,” Shank said.

He heard Laura Gilvary speak at a Flagler Beach City Commission and once again, the desire to take care of himself was sparked.

“My goal is to get back into checking myself. When I went through those courses, they set me up with a whole menu and I do have some tips still in my head. I’d like to get myself back into that,” he said. “I need to do it, what’s does any of this other stuff matter if I am not here to enjoy it? I know that, but I can’t figure out how to make that happen in my life.”

The Gilvary’s want to increase awareness, support groups and attract endocrinologists to practice in Flagler County.

“We will absolutely be growing this. In January we are going to coordinate with Hayleigh and some key people in the community to see what can be done,” Laura Gilvary said. “The World Health Organization has named diabetes it’s number one cause for 2016.”